The Ortega-Murillo regime’s attempt to erase the religious and cultural legacy of the Josephine nuns, who once ran the institution, was met with quiet but powerful defiance
Newsroom (22/08/2025, Gaudium Press )In a poignant act of resistance, students of the former San José School in Jinotepe, Carazo, arrived at their newly renamed institution, the Bismarck Martínez Educational Center, proudly wearing uniforms adorned with the original insignia of their beloved Catholic school. The Ortega-Murillo regime’s attempt to erase the religious and cultural legacy of the Josephine nuns, who once ran the institution, was met with quiet but powerful defiance on Monday, August 18, 2025, as the school’s identity endured in the hearts of its students.
The San José School, a cornerstone of Catholic education in Nicaragua, was seized by the regime and repurposed under the name of Sandinista militant Bismarck Martínez. The inauguration, cloaked in the regime’s rhetoric of “achievements of peace,” featured a new sign, the Ministry of Education’s logo, a red shield bearing Martínez’s likeness, and a wall emblazoned with the party slogan: “An achievement of the peace we live, that we protect, and that we deserve.” Yet, the students’ steadfast display of their original uniforms revealed an unyielding commitment to the school’s sacred heritage, proving that a mere change of name or facade cannot extinguish a community’s faith and memory.
A Regime’s Assault on Faith
The confiscation of San José School is part of a broader campaign by the Ortega-Murillo regime to seize properties from religious orders and civil organizations, stripping them of their autonomy and repurposing them to serve state propaganda. The regime’s actions reflect a calculated effort to suppress the Catholic Church’s influence, replacing spiritual and educational missions with symbols of political control. Despite the regime’s attempts to rewrite history, the students’ act of wearing their San José insignia stands as a testament to the enduring power of faith and identity.
International condemnation has been swift and unequivocal. The U.S. Office of Western Hemisphere Affairs decried the confiscation as “further proof that the perversity of the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship knows no bounds.” In a statement posted on its official X account, the office declared, “Rosario Murillo has just confiscated another religious school, the Colegio San José de Jinotepe. Her obsession with ‘everything within the State, nothing outside the State, nothing against the State’ will only accelerate the collapse of her regime. The power of faith and the desire of the Nicaraguan people to free themselves from tyranny will prevail beyond this dictatorship.”
A Day of Infamy for Religious Freedom
Catholic lawyer and researcher Martha Patricia Molina, a leading voice in documenting religious persecution in Nicaragua, described the confiscation as “a day of infamy for religious freedom” in an interview with ACI Prensa. She condemned the regime’s defamation of the Josephine nuns, falsely labeled as “murderers and torturers,” and warned of the profound consequences for the nation’s youth. “The confiscation will have a negative impact on children and young people who were receiving a quality education and will now be indoctrinated,” Molina stated, emphasizing the severe blow dealt to the Catholic Church and its educational mission.
The students of San José School, through their simple yet profound act of fidelity, embody the resilience of the Church and the Nicaraguan people. Their uniforms, bearing the insignia of a stolen institution, serve as a living reminder that the light of faith cannot be extinguished by force or decree. As the regime seeks to impose its narrative, the courage of these young witnesses offers hope that truth and justice will ultimately prevail.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from 100% Noticias
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