Bishop of the Nicaraguan Police Corner criticizes Ortega’s government; The Catholic Church condemns abuse

Nicaraguan security forces prevented Archbishop Rolando Alvarez from leaving the parish on Thursday (4) and did not allow him to lead a mass either. The church accuses the Central American country’s federal government of shutting down various Catholic media and persecuting it.

“I wanted to go to the cathedral for the Divine Liturgy, but it is clear that the higher authorities did not give permission,” Rolando said in a video posted on Twitter.

The Archbishop of Matagalpa diocese criticizes Daniel Ortega’s government and has announced that he will remain with six priests and laity until he is released. He claims that the government prevents the church from denouncing social injustice and that he has been harassed by the police.

Now, the Catholic Church in Nicaragua is holding a “Day of Prayer for the Sanctification and Protection of Priests”, who have been persecuted by the Ortega government since the 2018 protests in Nicaragua. At the time, many churches were sheltering injured or fleeing protesters. For this reason, Ortega claims that temples were used as “barracks”.

Additionally, earlier this week, Rolando Alvarez said authorities had shut down five Catholic radio stations for alleged wrongdoing. In June, the government shut down its activities at three television stations.