Daniel Ortega’s regime has kept four priests, two seminarians and a cameraman kidnapped for more than 48 hours in the El Chipote prison facility, where they were “transferred” after the police operation carried out early Friday, August 19, against Monsignor Rolando Álvarez. , bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa and his collaborators, who remained besieged in the Episcopal Curia of this region for 15 days.
The Police reported on Friday, August 19, that the six religious and the layman were in El Chipote for alleged “inquiries.” However, since that date, they remain imprisoned, incommunicado and overcrowded, with their families in uncertainty because they do not know what conditions they are in and what their legal situation is.
A relative of one of the priests kidnapped in Matagalpa assured in anonymity that his relatives came to El Chipote to inquire about him and “they did not receive them, nor water,” he confided. Another family source said that the authorities have not provided them with any type of information and that they learned that the same thing has happened with the relatives of the other imprisoned collaborators of Monsignor Álvarez.
Sources linked to the Church confirmed that the seven kidnapped people are all crowded into a small cell, located in a new pavilion of the Directorate of Judicial Assistance (DAJ), better known as El Chipote.
A lawyer who asked that we only identify him as “Carlos” to avoid reprisals from the regime, explained that the Prosecutor’s Office has 48 hours to request a special hearing on constitutional guarantees and extend up to 90 days the time that a person can remain detained, while being investigated.
The measure corresponds to a reform of the Penal Code approved in February 2021, and used as a political weapon by the Sandinista Front against prisoners of conscience. Until this Sunday, there was no record of any criminal proceedings in the virtual system of the Judiciary against priests. However, they are still detained.
A dozen priests arrested
Daniel Ortega imprisoned ten priests of the Catholic Church in less than three months. The first was the priest Manuel Garcia Rodriguez, allegedly accused of raping a woman; the second, Monsignor Leonardo Urbina, signaled for an alleged rape of a teenager.
The third is the priest Oscar Benavidez, that he is being investigated for ninety days by the Prosecutor’s Office due to a “phantom” crime, but of which the State of Nicaragua recognizes itself as “victim and offended.”
They were joined by the priests José Luis Díaz and Sadiel Eugarrios, first and second vicar of the San Pedro Cathedral, respectively; Ramiro Tijerino, rector of the John Paul II University and in charge of the San Juan Bautista parish; the priest Raúl González and the seminarians Darvin Leyva and Melkin Sequeira.
While Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, also apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Estelí, is under house arrest, in a measure that the regime intends to disguise as “household protection”, in his home in Managua, according to the police note published on Friday, March 19, August.
Of the total religious arrested, six priests and two seminarians are in El Chipote. Father García Rodríguez, who has already been sentenced to two years in prison, pays the sentence imposed by the regime in the Granada penitentiary.
The priests transferred to El Chipote correspond to the Diocese led by Monsignor Álvarez. They accompanied their spiritual leader with prayers, songs, prayers and the Eucharistic celebration during the 15 days that they remained besieged by dozens of riot police.
The initial group was 12 people, but three laymen managed to get out before the kidnapping. Monsignor Álvarez was surrounded by the Police since Thursday, August 4, when they prevented him from going to the Cathedral of Matagalpa, as part of his pastoral day.
The police justified the lockdown imposed on the priests for allegedly being investigated for “organizing violent groups” and “carrying out acts of hate.” “The people under investigation will remain at home,” the institution said.
During the two weeks of confinement, the Police prevented the supply of food and medicine. Meanwhile, Monsignor Álvarez continued to cry out through his homilies broadcast on the social networks of the Diocese for peace, forgiveness and hope. “We are in the hands of God” he was usually heard saying when referring to all the religious who were held in the building.
The Police argued that the “destabilizing and provocative” activities persisted and that is why the assault on the Episcopal Curia was necessary in order to “recover normality” for the families of Matagalpa; which was rejected by the Catholic congregation, who showed his rejection in the face of one of the fiercest attacks by Ortega against the Catholic Church.
“They are not criminals to be treated that way. His only crime is to evangelize and accompany his entrusted people”, expressed an angry parishioner, member of an anonymous pastoral group.
Who are the religious detained in El Chipote?
Priest Jose Luis Diaz: He is the first vicar of the Cathedral of Matagalpa and responsible for the Sanctuary of the Divine Child. He was ordained a priest on November 23, 2019 and is originally from the “Ocote Sur” community, in Matagalpa.
Priest Sadiel Eugarrios: He is the second vicar of the San Pedro de Matagalpa Cathedral. He is 35 years old and is originally from Matiguás, Matagalpa. During the 2018 Civic Rebellion, he joined other priests to demand an end to the repression at a roadblock in the northern city, he assured the media Nicaragua Investigates.
“We had to go to defend the town and from then on the threats began. From there nothing is normal. You have to be very careful because you come across people who verbally attack you and then you live this priestly ministry in a different way,” said the priest.
Father Eugarrios was ordained on November 24, 2018 by Monsignor Álvarez, who described him as “a prophet in formation”, “a tireless charitable soul” and “a lover of freedom to the last consequences”.
Priest Ramiro Tijerino: He is the rector of the Juan Pablo II University and in charge of the San Juan Bautista parish. Since 2020 he is the new judge in the canonization cause of Fray Odorico D’Andrea, whose pastoral work is remembered in the north of the country, mainly in San Rafael del Norte, Jinotega.
The priest fully supported Monsignor Álvarez when he took refuge in a church in Managua, last May, due to the increase in police persecution against him. “My solidarity with him at all times,” the father referred on that occasion to CONFIDENTIAL.
The religious, 50 years old and 20 of exercising the priesthood, is hypertensive and diabetic. He is also the nephew of the former Sandinista guerrilla, Doris Tijerino.
The priest is also in jail Raul Gonzalez and the seminarians Darvin Leyva and Melkin Sequeirabesides the cameraman Sergio Cardenas. In the Episcopal Curia, the Police left Father Óscar Escoto, second in command of the Diocese of Matagalpa and vicar of the city’s cathedral, who remains under direct police surveillance.
Attack on bishops and priests
The intensification of the repression against the Catholic Church has focused on priests, who have been victims of harassment, siege, threats and even violation of their freedom of movement. At least eight parishes of Matagalpa, out of 28 grouped in his Diocesehave reported attacks, while the congregation has turned to prayers for their pastors.
The threat of the regime operators is the same: stop destabilizing the country through their homilies. The prophetic voice of Monsignor Álvarez and the rest of the priests has resounded in the corners of the most remote communities of Matagalpa that today mourn the imprisonment of their pastor.
Despite the fact that Bishop Álvarez is kidnapped, the harassment continues in the different communities of Matagalpa and other parts of the country, with patrols by police and operators of the Sandinista Front in charge of recording the messages that the priests transmit in the masses.
Monsignor Báez: “We must ask for freedom, because they are innocent”
Monsignor Silvio José Báez, during his Sunday homily from the Santa Agatha parish in Miami, he spoke his words of painbut without losing hope, due to the persecution of priests in Nicaragua.
“I want you to know that I am suffering a lot, and I am praying a lot for you, for Nicaragua and for our Church. I especially want to warmly greet our brothers from the Diocese of Matagalpa and Estelí, who are being deprived of the physical presence of their pastor,” he said.
“I know that for them it is a great pain. I want to tell Nicaraguans not to lose hope, and let us pray for Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, for the priests of Matagalpa and the others who are imprisoned, the other laity and all the political prisoners of our country. You have to ask for freedom, you don’t have to negotiate with the person, you have to ask for freedom, because they are innocent. Let us trust in the God of life and liberty, who will hear our prayers. We are with you brothers from Nicaragua”, added the Auxiliary Bishop of Managua, who is in exile by order of Pope Francis,
