Persecution of Christians grows in Cuba and Mexico

The persecution of Christians remains intense in many countries around the world, where religious freedom is still a distant dream when compared to the reality experienced in Brazil and in many other nations.

The most recent report from Portas Abertas, an NGO dedicated to reporting rights violations against Christians at an international level, shows that persecution rates reached a new record last year, affecting more than 380 million followers of the Christian faith around the world. .

The World Watch List (LMP) 2025, received first-hand by People’s Gazetteindicates that there was a drastic increase in 39 of the 50 countries monitored in the report, with 15 million more followers of Christianity who suffered some type of violation compared to last year’s numbers. In Latin America, two cases draw attention: that of Cuba and Mexico, which advanced policies of repression against religious groups.

According to Portas Abertas, this data equates to 140 million more Christians persecuted since 2018. Data accumulated in 2024 shows that one in every seven Christians is persecuted in the world.

Since 1993, the NGO has published research, using its own methodology, evaluating the pressure and violence faced by religious people for the simple fact of following Jesus. From the survey of these numbers, the World Persecution List and the Map with the 50 countries where Christians are most persecuted are created.

In total, 13 countries are identified as extremely dangerous for expressing faith, while the other 37 are marked by severe persecution (see the complete ranking at the end of the article).

In this edition, the data collection period was from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024.

For the third consecutive year and for the 23rd time since the release of the first World Watch List in 1993, North Korea appears at the top of the survey as the country most hostile to religious expression.

Since 2002, the country has remained in first place, with the exception of 2022, when Afghanistan, under the Taliban regime, increased persecution at a national level.

At the beginning of last year, the North Korean dictatorship, led by Kim Jong-un, announced a series of stricter regulations against religious expression and more severe sanctions against Christians, which further increased fear among the population, who live isolated from the rest of the world.

For many, identification as a Christian by the State could mean a death sentence, as the communist dictatorial regime prohibits any religious manifestation in the country and worshiping can be a great risk.

There are two main penalties for converts to Christianity who are discovered by the dictatorship: either they are sent to forced labor camps as political prisoners, where they face a life of hard labor until death, or they are killed.

According to the latest report released this Tuesday (14), the level of violence has increased further in the country, with Christians facing possible summary public execution if they are identified.

“Because of dictatorial paranoia and the closure of borders to foreign aid, in addition to repression, our North Korean brothers are experiencing hunger and extreme need,” says Marco Cruz, secretary general of Portas Abertas in Brazil.

Although North Korea is the first country on the list where the repression of Christians is most blatant, cases of execution and other violent acts were more recurrent in Nigeria, where more than 4,400 followers of Jesus were killed.

The African country is responsible for 69% of murders worldwide, something that had already been observed in the 2024 list. The biggest threats to religious people involve the action of extremist Islamic militants, such as Fulani militias, Boko Haram and the ISWAP (Islamic State of West African Province), as well as armed criminals.

In total, more than 14,000 Christian properties were damaged, looted, set on fire, or even closed for faith-related reasons last year. These properties involve churches and Christian homes in the country.

In addition, there were new records of Christians kidnapped, physically and psychologically abused, sexually violated, imprisoned without trial and forced to flee their homes. Nigeria ranks 7th in LMP 2025.

The growing violence seen around the world is also causing a displacement crisis, with millions of Christians being forced to flee their homes. In Sub-Saharan Africa alone, 16 million Christians are forced to internally move because of repression over their faith.

Last year, the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega, in Nicaragua, gained prominence on the persecution list due to violent attacks against Catholic authorities in the country – many left the territory to avoid arrest or other actions by the regime. Nicaragua remained in 30th position in the LMP.

In the most recent report, two countries drew attention for having advanced projects to curb Christian demonstrations: the Cuban regime, led by Miguel Diáz-Canel, and Mexico, which has just changed president.

Cuba’s growing humanitarian crisis has led the regime to adopt an even more authoritarian stance towards Christians, with new violent incidents reported, including wrongful arrests, kidnappings and sexual abuse of Christians.

Furthermore, according to the NGO, churches are monitored and encounter numerous obstacles to functioning if they do not follow the conditions imposed by the socialist dictatorship. There are also reports of pastors and family members being interrogated and suffering constant threats because of their professed faith. This reality caused the country to rise from 26th to 22nd position in the new Portas Abertas ranking.

As for Mexico, which went from 37th to 31st in the LMP, the risk situation is different, but equally worrying.

The country is not governed by a dictatorship, but faces constant pressure from organized criminal groups, mainly involved in drug trafficking.

The increase in violence occurs precisely due to the growing control imposed by organized crime in all states of the country, which was particularly observed after the electoral period, marked by numerous murders. This harsh reality makes it difficult to carry out religious work in the different Mexican states.

The Open Doors survey also reports “worrying levels” of rejection of religious minorities within indigenous communities in Mexico.

Open Doors is an international Christian organization founded by a Dutch missionary in 1955 and which operates in more than 60 countries supporting churches that suffer persecution.