Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, May 10, 2025

Police put Catholic bishop under house arrest after raid on diocese in Nicaragua

Police put Catholic bishop under house arrest after raid on diocese in Nicaragua

Nicaraguan police on Friday detained a bishop and seven other priests and seminarians, after a 16-day standoff, in an escalation of tensions between the country's government and the Catholic Church.

Police entered the headquarters of the Matagalpa diocese and arrested Bishop Rolando Álvarez and the others, authorities said in a statement published on social media.

The statement did not offer a reason for the arrests, but said they were a part of an investigation launched on Aug. 5 into "destabilizing and provocative" activities in the country. A later police statement added that all had been taken to capital city Managua for "legal inquiries."

Hours later, Nicaragua's vice-president Rosario Murillo claimed in a speech that the police had been reestablishing order in Matagalpa and the bishop's arrest was "necessary." The Organization of American States (OAS) and the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights meanwhile condemned the arrests and demanded the detainees' "immediate liberation."

Nicaragua's authoritarian government, led by President Daniel Ortega and Murillo - his wife -, has increasingly tightened his grip on the country since mass anti-government demonstrations in 2018 -- a turbulent period that saw protesters and their families repeatedly seek refuge from attacks by pro-government forces in the country's churches and cathedrals.

Bishops of the Episcopal Conference at the time participated as mediators for national dialogue, convening different social sectors with the government in an attempt to seek a peaceful solution to the political conflict.

Ortega, 76, claimed a fifth term as president last November. In the run-up to the vote, his government began using a broad national security law as justification to imprison opposition presidential candidates, opposition leaders, journalists, human rights activists and others ahead of the vote. Since that year, the country now has "practically no independent media," according to press advocacy group Reporters without Borders.

Under another law that considers any entity receiving international funding a "foreign agent," more than 190 non-government organizations have been shuttered as of mid-June.

Police began investigating the diocese came after Alvarez objected to the closure of Catholic radio stations in the area. During his homilies and on his social media accounts, he urged prayer and dialogue in the country, and said he didn't know why he was being investigated.

According to the police statement, Bishop Álvarez is now being held under house arrest in Managua and the other religious figures have been taken to the city's Directorate of Judicial Assistance.

Police also said that Managua Archbishop Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes had been allowed to visit Álvarez "and they talked extensively."

The Archdiocese of Managua did not respond to CNN's request for comment.

The Holy See has previously expressed concern over the situation in the Central American nation. Speaking on August 11 at a Special session of the OAS focused on the situation in Nicaragua, the Vatican Permanent Observer Msgr. Juan Antonio Cruz Serrano appealed to parties in the country "to find ways of understanding, based on respect and mutual trust, seeking above all the common good and peace."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Bill Gates Announces Plan to Wind Down Philanthropic Foundation and Disperse Wealth
Historic Papal Conclave Set to Commence in Rome
Huge Copper, Gold, and Silver Discovery in Argentina and Chile — But the Profits Go Abroad
Prince Harry is pleading for reconciliation — but the royals are just as sick of his victimhood as everyone else
The Road to Freedom: She Protested Putin, Escaped House Arrest, and Survived a 2,800-Kilometer Journey
OpenAI's Flip-Flop: No Longer Going Commercial, Back to Nonprofit, After Musk Lawsuit and Backlash
“Trump Supporter” Aims to Bring a MAGA-Style Shift to Romania
First From China: Zhao Xintong Wins the Snooker World Championship
Nvidia Faces Billion-Dollar Losses – Warns: China Is on Its Way to Becoming an AI Superpower
Trump Rules Out Third Term, Names JD Vance and Marco Rubio as Potential Successors
Mexico Says ‘No’ to U.S. Troops: President Sheinbaum Rejects Trump’s Offer to Fight Cartels
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Storms the Map, Wrecking the Two-Party Monopoly
DOGE: Reimagining Government Operations with AI
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
Beijing Says U.S. Is ‘Reaching Out’ for Tariff Talks Amid Soaring Trade Tensions
U.K. Court Rejects Prince Harry’s Final Appeal Over Police Security
Prince Harry’s Heartfelt Outburst Rocks the Royal Family
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Transgender Swimmer Secures Five Gold Medals at U.S. Masters Championship
Prince Harry: “I Want Reconciliation with My Family”
Germany's Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has now been officially labeled “right-wing extremist” by the federal office for the so-called “protection of the constitution.”
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Transformative Changes in Women's Wrestling: The Rise of WWE Superstars
The Rush to the White Gold: Global Investment Surge in Natural Hydrogen Exploration
This is a day in Spain without electricity and internet
Reform UK Surprises in British Elections, Challenging Traditional Two-Party System
180-Year-Old Christian University in South Carolina Announces Closure Due to Unmet $6 Million Fundraising Goal
Brazilian Woman Jailed for Fourteen Years for Writing “You Lost, Idiot” on Statue During Protest
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
Dutch Politician Eva Vlaardingerbroek Receives Spyware Threat Alert from Apple
Paramount Board Considers Settlement in Trump’s $20 Billion Lawsuit Over "60 Minutes" Interview
U.S. Economy Shrink in Trump’s First Quarter as Tariff Policy Raises Questions
Deadline Looms for RTS Meter Replacement: Hundreds of Thousands at Risk of Heating Disruption
Sweden Grapples with Deadly Gun Violence: Suspect Arrested After Three Young Men Killed in Uppsala Hair Salon
Walz Reveals Why Harris Chose Him as Her Running Mate and Reflects on Democratic Losses
Spain Restores Power After Unprecedented Nationwide Blackout
Carney Secures Liberal Mandate in Canada’s Federal Election
Death Penalty Sought as Luigi Manion Pleads Not Guilty in CEO Murder Case
President Trump contacts Jeff Bezos after reports of Amazon considering listing tariff surcharges; company clarifies no such plan for main platform
Spain and Portugal Recover from Massive Blackout
Liverpool Clinches Record-Equalling 20th English League Title Under Arne Slot
Singapore Politicians Warn Against Foreign Interference in Election
Driver Ploughs into Vancouver Festival Crowd, Killing Nine
Depression, Fear of Defamation, and a Tragic End: New Details on Virginia Giuffre’s Suicide
“Sharia for UK, Allah Akbar!”
Massive Explosion at Iran's Bandar Abbas Port Linked to Suspicious Chemical Shipments
Incident Reflection: A Harsh Reality Check
Pakistani migrants to Danish man: “ “We have 5 children while you have 1 or 2. In 10 years, there will be more Pakistanis than Danes here.“
Clashes Erupt in London as Tensions Rise Between Indian and Pakistani Communities
Specialized anti-drone weapons deployed among security personnel Ahead of Papal Funeral
×