Religious liberty proponents from 13 Latin American countries met in Santo Domingo last week to discuss historical and current religious freedom trends in the region.

The April 28 to 30 International Religious Liberty Association congress preceded the Inter-American region's first Festival of Religious Freedom on May 2, which drew some 13,000 people to the city's sports arena.

John Graz, director of the Seventh-day Adventist world church's department of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty, applauded the Dominican Republic for valuing freedom of religion.

In a region with a historically dominant religion, Catholicism, regional Adventist president Israel Leito said working to ensure everyone's right to worship freely is vital. "We need to support the person suffering for his religion," he said. "It might be happening to him today but to me tomorrow."

Religious liberty scholars and activists are expected to meet again in Peru this summer for the first World Festival of Religious Freedom.