“In a survey I did last year, 70% of Nicaraguans say that to them, the political opinion of the religious authority at the national or the parochial level was important in shaping their political views.” “Nicaraguans are very loyal to the church,” he said. Manuel Orozco, an expert on Nicaragua at the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington, said that Álvarez posed a threat as an obstacle and a symbol to Ortega. Álvarez has kept up such calls for democracy for the past four years, infuriating Ortega and Murillo. “Effectively the democratization of the country.”Īt the time, a priest in Álvarez’s diocese had been wounded in the arm by shrapnel while trying to separate protesters and police in Matagalpa.
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“We hope there would be a series of electoral reforms, structural changes to the electoral authority - free, just and transparent elections, international observation without conditions,” Álvarez said a month after the protests broke out. Álvarez has been a key religious voice in discussions of Nicaragua’s future since 2018, when a wave of protests against Ortega’s government led to a sweeping crackdown on opponents. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights condemned the detentions and called for the immediate release of those held.Įdwin Román, a Nicaraguan parish priest exiled in the United States said via Twitter: “MY GOD! How outrageous, they have taken Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, with the priests who were with him.” The others who were taken with Álvarez - they did not specify who or how many - were still being processed, police said. Álvarez was being held under guard at a house in Managua, where he had been allowed to meet with relatives and Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, the police statement said.
“With the continuation of the destabilizing and provocative activities, the aforementioned public order operation became necessary.” “For several days a positive communication from the Matagalpa diocese was awaited with a lot of patience, prudence and sense of responsibility, that never materialized,” the statement said. WATCH: How Daniel Ortega ‘demolished’ democracy in Nicaragua The National Police confirmed the detentions in a statement later, saying that the operation was carried out to allow “the citizenry and families of Matagalpa to recover normalcy.” At this time the National Police have entered the Episcopal rectory of our Matagalpa diocese.” The congress, dominated by Ortega’s Sandinista National Liberation Front, has ordered the closure of more than 1,000 nongovernmental organizations, including Mother Teresa’s charity.Įarly Friday, the Matagalpa diocese posted on social media, “#SOS #Urgente. They were sentenced to prison this year in quick trials closed to the public.
President Daniel Ortega’s government has moved systematically against voices of dissent, arresting dozens of opposition leaders last year, including seven potential candidates to challenge him for the presidency. The pre-dawn raid came after Nicaraguan authorities had accused Matagalpa Bishop Rolando Álvarez of “organizing violent groups” and inciting them “to carry out acts of hate against the population.” MEXICO CITY (AP) - Nicaraguan police on Friday raided the residence of a Roman Catholic bishop critical of President Daniel Ortega’s administration, detaining him and several other priests in a dramatic escalation of tensions between the church and a government increasingly intolerant of dissent.
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