E/CN.4/1990/46 page 30 necessary scope for free exercise of religious belief, in accordance with the terms of the official communique of the National Directorate of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) on the subject of religion in October 1980. Article 8 of the Republic's fundamental law established freedom of conscience and worship, based on the highest degree of tolerance. The Statute on the Rights and Guarantees of Nicaraguans in its turn stated the following in article 19: 'Nobody shall be the subject of coercive measures that may diminish his freedom of thought, conscience and religion or his right to hold or adopt the religion or belief of his choice, and the freedom to manifest them individually or collectively, in public or in private, through worship, celebration of rites, practices and teaching'. "In Nicaragua most of the population profess the Catholic religion, but the existence of a variety of religions is also recognized and the State maintains relations with all of them. "Festivals of a religious nature are held in accordance with principle and tradition and without any limitation on the part of the State. No authorization is required to hold religious services in churches. "The Catholic Church and religious associations enjoy legally guaranteed ownership of their buildings and the right to build new ones in accordance with the applicable legislation. "Catholicism was introduced into Nicaragua by the Spanish conquerors at the beginning of the sixteenth century. In this way the native peoples came to practise Catholicism over a large part of the country, with the greatest concentration in the Pacific9 northern and central areas. "The Atlantic area, on the other hand, came under the influence of the Episcopalian Church and the Moravians, who arrived in Nicaragua on 2 May 1847, establishing themselves permanently in the Mosquitia on 4 March 1849. This was the beginning of a new era in which these churches came to have a decisive influence in shaping the religious values held by social groups on the Atlantic coast. "With the advent of the liberal State and under the administration of the then President Jose Santos Zelaya (1893-1909) came the separation of Church and State, freedom of education and secularity of education. Except during those years, Catholicism kept its legal status as the State's official religion. "The People's Sandinista Revolution marks a historic milestone in world revolutions in that it is not anti-clerical in nature, but on the contrary encourages and respects the Nicaraguan people's religious traditions. "This respect for the traditional religions is embodied in the present Constitution, which defines Nicaragua as a democratic, participatory, representative and secular Republic, guaranteeing equal recognition for the different religions in the country.