This Sunday, April 28, the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Managua, Monsignor Silvio José Báez Ortega, He turned 66 years old. Through social networks, Nicaraguans dedicated warm congratulations and messages to the religious leader, who has been in exile since 2019 due to the repression that the Sandinista regime unleashed against him and the Catholic Church.
Son of Professor Vilma Ortega and Silvio Báez Tablada, Báez was born in Masaya, in 1958. At the age of 21, Báez entered the Order of the Discalced Carmelites, where he studied philosophy and theology at the Theological Institute of Central America in San José, Costa Rica.
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Since his return to Nicaragua in 2009, the bishop has been a “prophetic voice” within the Nicaraguan Church and a harsh critic of the dictatorial couple. He came to the country to support the then monsignor in the pastoral work. Leopoldo Brenes Solórzano, metropolitan archbishop of the Archdiocese of Managua, Masaya and Carazo.
With the passing of the years and his dozens of homilies, visits to the most remote communities and his prophetic voice, Monsignor Báez earned the respect and admiration of the Catholic faithful, the Nicaraguan opposition and young people.
Beaten by FSLN mobs
During the sociopolitical crisis of 2018, Báez was attacked by the Ortega mobs in the Minor Basilica of San Sebastián, in Carazo, when he was part of a delegation of priests who, together with the then apostolic nuncioWaldemar Sommertag, They responded to the call for help from a group of young paramedics who took refuge in the religious temple after the so-called “Operation Cleanup”, which consisted of attacking the roadblocks with bullets.
He participated as a member of the Mediation Commission in the first National Dialogue. He also added his voice to denounce the repression of the civic protests of 2018 and continued to denounce the persecution against the Catholic Church and the arbitrary imprisonment of religious people, especially that of the Matagalpino bishop. Rolando Alvarez, who spent more than 500 days as a political prisoner.
In June 2013, one of the best-known meetings occurred between the auxiliary bishop and the Sandinista Youth mobs of the Ortega regime. Báez and the archbishop of Managua arrived at the Plaza Inter roundabout to talk with the Sandinistas.
The followers of Ortega, led by Pedro Orozco, had taken over the place with speakers, t-shirts and flags of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN). Hours earlier, sympathizers had beaten elderly people who demanded a reduced pension and young people who supported their requests.
«In the name of God do not create more tension. That music, at high volume, when there are people suffering and children beaten, is not something that will contribute to peace. “That music, those government t-shirts, are not contributing to peace,” said Báez, after being interrupted by the mob shouting “we want peace,” as they did with John Paul II on his first visit to Nicaragua.
“Let’s be serious, here we are not fools, they are not going to deceive us, contribute to true tranquility or stand against peace,” Báez responded to Orozco.
A voice that does not go away
His critical homilies towards the rulers and defenders of the Nicaraguan people made him a target of attacks by the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo. They have carried out smear campaigns against him, manipulated videos and collected signatures to ask Pope Francis to remove him from office.
On the contrary, the highest Catholic leader asked that Monsignor Báez leave the country, to protect his physical integrity and his life. When announcing his exile, the bishop revealed that the Ortega-Murillo regime had planned an attack against him, a fact that was alerted to him by the United States Embassy in Managua. He even reported that several drones flew over his residence.
The Catholic Church and the Nicaraguan community celebrate the 66th birthday of Monsignor Silvio José Báez, the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Managua and open critic of the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo. Despite his forced exile and the smear campaigns against him, Monsignor Báez continues to be a voice of hope and resistance, denouncing repression and defending justice. His legacy and bravery are remembered on this emotional anniversary.
Monsignor Báez has exposed on social networks, from the pulpit of the Church and in every space where he is present, the human rights violations that the Nicaraguan people experience under a dictatorship that committed crimes against humanity, according to reports from international organizations.
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Currently, from abroad and denationalized, Monsignor Báez maintains his denunciation and criticism against the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo on his social networks and in the church of Santa Agatha, in Miami, Florida, United States where he began to celebrate his masses.
With his actions, Monsignor Báez has proven to be a man of faith and unwavering courage that transcends borders. At 66 years old, he reminds us that the fight for freedom and human dignity never ends and that his message of hope and resistance will continue to guide those who long for a better future for Nicaragua.
