On the front lines for religious freedom in Latin America

An advocacy organization director describes the challenges and how to have impact

This imposing Mexican temple was a great idea, but it was never completed.

(Note: this post originally appeared on IIRF volunteer Bruce Barron’s Substack page.)

If you visit the website of OLIRE, the Observatorio de Libertad Religiosa en América Latina (Observatory of Religious Freedom in Latin America), you will see a photo of a never-completed building, the Templo Inconcluso de la Preciosa Sangre de Cristo in the Mexican state of Jalisco (see photo above). This majestic temple’s completion was prevented by political turmoil, revolution, and religious persecution. Now, a century later, there are just impressive stone walls.

That image reminds OLIRE’s advocates that the struggle for religious freedom is never completed, but also that their work enables communities of faith to gather, worship, and remain hopeful despite enormous obstacles.

Latin America is a mostly Christian continent, but it also has three countries widely viewed as repressive and others where government actions, criminal elements, and civil strife pose significant threats to religious freedom. OLIRE raises awareness of and pursues solutions to infringements on religious liberty through research, training, public advocacy, and publications. Among its most significant recent projects have been a research project on Religious Freedom for Indigenous Communities in Latin America, in partnership with the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, and a documentary on the murder of priests in Mexico.

OLIRE collaborates with religious institutions, civil society organizations, academic institutions, and policymakers across Latin America to develop recommendations and influence policy.

We asked Teresa Flores, a Peruvian lawyer and OLIRE’s director, to talk about why and how she does this work and the challenges OLIRE faces.

Why do you consider this work important and a fulfilling way to serve?

Defending freedom of religion or belief is about safeguarding the very foundation of human dignity. Religious freedom is a barometer of democracy: when it is respected, other rights usually flourish, but its restriction signals deeper problems in the political and social fabric of a country.

In Latin America, this work is especially important because the region is not usually associated with violations of religious freedom. That lack of awareness can leave victims underrepresented and their struggles invisible. In countries with severe restrictions, we amplify the voices of those who are silenced and describe their experiences at international forums. In other contexts, we highlight widely ignored realities, such as how organized crime targets religious leaders in Mexico and Colombia, or how Indigenous communities face obstacles in practicing and passing on their spirituality.

For me, this work is also a source of hope. Even in contexts of repression, we see extraordinary resilience, courage, and solidarity. Defending religious freedom is not just about denouncing violations, but also about lifting up the testimony of faith, resistance, and humanity that can inspire all of us.

How can people concerned about the repressive situations in Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela have an impact?

While the intensity of restrictions differs, with Nicaragua and Cuba showing the most severe patterns, these three countries illustrate the shrinking space for freedom of religion or belief in Latin America.

For those who want to make a difference, my suggestions would be:

• Amplify the voices of victims and communities of faith. Help their stories be heard in international forums that can generate pressure and accountability. Provide safe spaces for them to share what is happening in their countries, because once fear and terror take hold, speaking out often comes at the cost of severe repression.

• Strengthen independent documentation and monitoring mechanisms, because oppressive governments often deny or distort realities on the ground. Good documentation compels responses from governments and international leaders, establishes a historical record, ensures that victims are not forgotten, and upholds their dignity.

• Support local leaders and communities with training, legal assistance, and safe spaces for dialogue so they are not left isolated. Efforts to build the capacity of civil society and religious communities are vital, especially because authoritarian governments often seek to weaken, divide, and silence them. They need solidarity and support to remain resilient.

• Foster long-term international solidarity. Consistent attention, rather than sporadic outrage, makes it harder for authoritarian regimes to operate in silence. Sustained accompaniment reinforces the idea that victims are not alone and that their struggles matter to the broader international community.

What other parts of Latin America are you most concerned about currently and why?

In Mexico, Colombia and parts of Central America, organized crime and corruption severely affect faith communities, who are often extorted, threatened, or even killed for defending their values or refusing to collaborate with criminal groups. In Colombia, indigenous communities also continue to struggle to freely live out their spirituality, facing both internal and external pressures.

Historically, the Catholic Church has been an adversary to evangelical Christians in some Latin American countries and an ally in others. What trends do you see at this time? How does OLIRE interact or collaborate with Catholic representatives?

The relationship between the Catholic Church and evangelical Christians in Latin America has historically been complex—sometimes marked by rivalry, at other times by collaboration in the defense of shared values. In recent years, we have seen more spaces of cooperation, particularly where both traditions face common challenges such as authoritarian repression, organized crime, or social polarization. At the same time, differences remain, and those cannot be ignored.

At OLIRE, we work across faith traditions, ideological perspectives, and political lines. In Latin America, our partnerships often involve members of Christian churches—Catholic and evangelical alike—given their predominance in the region. But we also make deliberate efforts to engage with religious minorities to ensure that their voices are heard and their rights are protected.

Navigating differences is not always easy, but we place the emphasis on shared democratic values, on the universal right to freedom of religion or belief, and on mutual respect. In our training and advocacy, we foster religious literacy and promote open dialogue designed to build understanding and cooperation, rather than to impose a single narrative. In this way, OLIRE serves as a bridge between diverse communities of faith, helping them find common ground in the broader struggle for human dignity and freedom.

What are the main challenges that limit your effectiveness?

We encounter a widespread lack of understanding of what religious freedom truly means. Too often it is reduced to “freedom of worship,” when in reality it is a multidimensional right that affects many other fundamental freedoms.

Defending freedom of religion or belief involves not just protecting worship, but safeguarding the everyday spaces where people live out their convictions. Restrictions don’t always come from open hostility toward faith; they often appear in subtle but very real ways, such as when communities are prevented from opening schools, accessing resources, observing rest days, teaching their beliefs, gathering freely, or following their conscience. Each of these limitations chips away at dignity and undermines the fabric of democracy.

The deep political and social polarization in Latin America complicates dialogue and advocacy, especially on sensitive issues involving religious actors. In addition, limited political will to prioritize religious freedom on national agendas is a key barrier. In repressive contexts, both state and non-state actors pose risks, and our in-country collaborators often cannot speak freely or safely.

Another key challenge is the lack of systematic documentation. Without robust empirical data, it is impossible to fully grasp the scope of restrictions or to design effective responses. At OLIRE, we work to address this problem through contributing to the International Institute of Religious Freedom’s Violent Incidents Database, but the task is far too big for our small team to sustain alone. We need more individuals and organizations to join us in documenting, analyzing, and sharing these realities.

Finally, like many civil society organizations, we face funding limitations. Stable resources are essential for us to expand monitoring, support local partners, and develop new training and advocacy initiatives. Practical support—whether through collaboration, data sharing, amplifying our findings, or financial contributions—makes an enormous difference.

Every action, no matter how small, strengthens the collective effort to defend human dignity and freedom of belief. The more people, institutions, and communities come together around this cause, the stronger will be the message that every person deserves the freedom to believe, live, and express their faith or convictions without fear.