Meet persecuted Christians in Latin America

Indigenous Christians find themselves with many enemies – from power-hungry chieftains, to warring factions and corrupt regimes.

By providing Bibles, practical aid and legal support, Open Doors' teams are helping Christians to stand firm despite their many trials.

Meet the Acteal Prisoners from Mexico

• 35 evangelicals falsely charged and wrongly imprisoned
• Most have wives and children to support
• 15 new believers, converted in prison (as of Feb '03), are also innocent of the charges
• Three converts have now been released

Just before Christmas in 1997, 45 people were massacred in the remote village of Acteal, in southern Mexico.

In the investigation that ensued, many innocent local Christians were framed and accused of the murder. The believers made convenient scapegoats - and have been behind bars ever since. Some have been sentenced to 35 years in jail.

Back home, their wives and children struggle to survive. Their poverty and isolation means they can only visit their husbands once a month.

In a letter, the Acteal prisoners write: "We pray day and night, crying to God – not only for ourselves, but also for our families who are completely abandoned. God is our only hope."

Download our Mexican Campaign Pack in PDF format (516k) so you can write to the Acteal prisoners and their families and to the Mexican authorities on their behalf.

Meet Miriam Amador from Colombia

• Widowed by local armed group

In 1996, Miriam's husband Manuel was murdered. An active pastor in Uraba, one of Colombia's most violent regions, Manuel's desire for peace had made him an enemy of the local terrorist groups.

Following Manuel's death, Miriam found it a huge struggle to face life without him. But, despite her grief, she has continued to trust God.

Open Doors has enabled Miriam to set up a sewing business where she and three other Christian widows earn an income. She is also active in her local church.

Meet Pastor Jorge from Colombia

• Accused of sympathizing with enemies of armed groups
• Threatened with kidnapping and death

For years, Pastor Jorge's ministry in a rural region of Colombia has carried many risks. Unwilling to join forces with any of the local armed groups, Jorge has become a target, accused of sympathizing with 'the opposition'.

Now, along with all other evangelical pastors in rural Colombia, Jorge is facing an increasingly sinister threat. The armed groups have launched an even harsher campaign against the Christians, threatening that all pastors and church leaders will be systematically killed.

Meet Pastor Esdras and his wife, Marilene from Mexico

• Husband and wife ministry team
• Working in high risk areas

Pastor Esdras leads church in southern Mexico and his ministry often carries high risks.

Marilene plays a vital role in the care and support of many suffering Christians in Chiapas, southern Mexico - although her role is most often behind the scenes.

Marilene is also a faithful intercessor. With her elderly mother-in-law, she regularly climbs a nearby mountain to lift her town before the throne of God.

Meet David de Vinatea from Peru

• Former colonel in the Peruvian army who stood against corruption in ranks of the military
• Wrongfully imprisoned on trumped-up drug trafficking charges
• Led his fellow inmates to Christ

David de Vinatea was once a respected Colonel in the Peruvian army. But his stand against corruption within the ranks made him a target of narco-trafficking gangs.

In 1995, David was wrongfully convicted of drug-related crimes and unjustly imprisoned. During his imprisonment, David's wife Chelly campaigned tirelessly for his release.

David finally regained his freedom on November 19, 2003, after serving eight years and 10 days in prison for crimes he did not commit.

However, David is still working to clear his name and, until full vindication comes, David, Chely and their children – David Jr (26), Daniel (24) and Pamela (22) – ask for our prayers, that they will keep on trusting God and have his wisdom in pursuing total justice for David.

Meet Manuel San Juan from Mexico

• Former cacique who fiercely persecuted Christians
• Now zealous for the Lord
• Former friends have tried to kill him since he came to Christ
• Daughter, Lucia, witnessed the martyrdom of her friend, Maria, who was shot because she became a Christian

In the early 1990s, Manuel San Juan had a notorious reputation. As a power-hungry landlord in Chiapas, southern Mexico, he zealously persecuted the Church - angered at the Christians' refusal to participate in traditional pagan rituals.

Now the tables have turned. Dramatically converted in 1996, Manuel's former allies have since made nine attempts on his life. He has a collection of 86 bullets as a result!

Manuel now lives near one of the region's persecution hotspots, and is under the constant threat of another attack.