A vocal critic of Nicaragua’s Ortega’s dictatorship, Bishop Silvio Báez was forced into exile in April 2019 after facing persecution from the government led by President Daniel Ortega
Newsroom (23/09/2025, Gaudium Press ) From his exile in the United States, Nicaraguan Bishop Silvio Báez delivered a searing critique of Latin America’s dictatorships and cartels, identifying the “idolatry of money” as the region’s core affliction during a homily at St. Agatha Church in Miami on Sunday, September 21.
Without naming specific nations, Báez appeared to target regimes such as those led by Nicaragua’s Daniel Ortega, Cuba’s Miguel Díaz-Canel, and Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, the latter accused by U.S. authorities of spearheading the drug-trafficking Cartel de los Soles. The bishop condemned the moral decay driving these systems, asserting that “the root of Latin America’s main problems is not political but moral.”
Báez, the auxiliary bishop of Managua, warned that “the excessive ambition for wealth” among elites fuels corruption and oppression. “Dictators act in the dark, without moral scruples, to enrich themselves at any cost,” he said, pointing to practices such as illegal land confiscation, repression, and the exploitation of natural resources through concessions to foreign powers. These actions, he argued, impoverish populations and threaten national sovereignty.
The Moral Crisis of Wealth
Quoting the Gospel, Báez reminded the congregation of Jesus’ teaching: “You cannot serve both God and money.” He described the “idolatry of money” as a force that “takes the place of God and demands human beings as a sacrifice.” The bishop urged a rejection of greed in favor of using wealth to foster solidarity and support the poorest, advocating for “networks of mutual collaboration” to drive social change.
The homily underscored the need for “evangelical wisdom” in addressing systemic issues. “Instead of ambition and corruption, let us act with intelligence and spiritual wisdom,” Báez said, calling for societies rooted in freedom, justice, peace, and human rights.
A Bishop in Exile
Silvio José Báez Ortega, 67, has served as auxiliary bishop of Managua since May 2009. A vocal critic of Nicaragua’s Ortega regime, he was forced into exile in April 2019 after facing persecution from the government led by President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo. Báez has remained a prominent voice against the regime’s abuses from abroad.
On August 23, Báez, alongside two other Nicaraguan bishops, met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, where his role as auxiliary bishop was reaffirmed. Now in his sixth year of exile, Báez continues to challenge the moral and social crises plaguing Latin America, urging a return to ethical governance and collective responsibility.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA
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