The Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (Cenidh) demands that the Daniel Ortega regime release Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, who served three days of detention along with priests, seminarians and a cameraman who were accompanying him in the Episcopal Curia of Matagalpa, assaulted on Friday, the 19th of this month.
“We Nicaraguans lived a silent and anxious weekend, without any news of Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, imprisoned in his parents’ house and without knowing the status of the priests, seminarians and cameramen, detained in the chipote. We demand information about everyone’s physical condition, “says the Cenidh.
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The human rights organization criticizes that “Pope Francis already knows the history of dialogues in which the church itself participated. They all failed due to a lack of will on the part of the regime and these precedents remind us how frustrating dialogues with tyrants can be if the necessary conditions are not established to make it viable, and this involves dismantling the repression in the streets and freeing more than 190 political prisoners”, says the Cenidh.
Early this Monday, August 22, 48 hours of the arbitrary detention of Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa, were completed.
Unlike the also apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Estelí, who is in “home shelter”, that is, under house arrest; the other companions who are imprisoned in the Judicial Assistance Directorate (DAJ) of Managua, are the first and second vicar of the cathedral of San Pedro, of Matagalpa, José Luis Díaz and Sadiel Eugarrios, respectively; as well as the priest Ramiro Tijerino—rector of the John Paul II University—and Father Raúl González.
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Until now, the legal situation that Monsignor Álvarez, his priests and laity are going through is unknown. According to sources, the Police have restricted family visits to the prelate of Matagalpa and to the other priests detained in this context, nor are they held incommunicado.
Álvarez, 55, is the first bishop arrested since the return to power of Ortega (2007), whose relations with the Catholic Church, religion and believers in Nicaragua have been plagued by friction for 43 years.
There are already 10 priests imprisoned by the Daniel Ortega regime, whom they have accused of common crimes. The Nicaraguan dictatorship has been merciless against the Catholic Church whom it has branded as “diabolical” and “traitors”.
