The regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo presented a formal accusation against the priest Oscar Danilo Benavidezpastor of the Holy Spirit Church, in Mulukukú, Autonomous Region of the North Caribbean Coast, who was kidnapped by the Ortega Police on August 14, after celebrating the Holy Eucharist.
In the system of causes of the Judicial Power, the authorities do not specify the nature of the crime that they attribute to the religious, but they indicate that the “victim” is the State. The indictment was filed on September 8.
Ortega prosecutor Manuel de Jesús Rugama Peña was in charge of presenting the accusation against the priest. The case will be processed in the tenth criminal court with Judge Gloria Saavedra Corrales.
Related news: Mulukukú police “disappear” Father Oscar Benavidez after homily on the persecution of prophets
Father Óscar Danilo Benavidez, originally from the municipality of San Isidro, Matagalpa, was arbitrarily detained by official agents in the afternoon of August 14, after the religious finished celebrating mass in the Conception of Mary chapelwhich is close to the municipal police station, informed Article 66 a fountain near the priest, on condition of anonymity.
“The father left in his vehicle; he advanced about three blocks, when he was intercepted by a —police— patrol, they took him out and put him in the other truck. The police blocked the three streets », he said.
Likewise, it was learned that the arbitrary arrest occurred after the priest’s homily where he spoke about the prophet Jeremiah, who was the object of opprobrium by the powerful of the time, who accused him of attacking and creating anxiety among the people.
“The reading of the prophet Jeremías, the father based it on the current situation that Nicaragua is experiencing. The father said that he was not going to shut up, that he was going to say what is being lived and the way it is being lived”, the source recounted.
«The father had not been threatened before, much less persecuted, but they —the Ortega government— send people in civilian clothes to listen to the homily. Apparently they did not like the preaching and the temper that he had at the time of preaching that Sunday, “he added.
For its part, the Diocese of Siuna claimed not to know the reasons for the priest’s arrest and asked the Catholic faithful to join in prayer “for our brother priest Oscar Benavidez, whose only mission is and has been to announce the good news of Jesus Christ, who is word, life and new salvation for all».
Priests and seminarians formally accused
Recently, Ortega’s justice also formally accused priests, seminarians and a cameraman who accompanied Monsignor Rolando Álvarez in the Episcopal Curia of Matagalpa, assaulted on August 19.
like the father Oscar Danilo Benavidez, the authorities do not specify the nature of the crime that they attribute to the religious. Nor does the accusation refer to the “arbitrary” process to which the bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa, Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, has been subjected.
Those prosecuted by the Ortega regime are the first and second vicar of the Cathedral of San Pedro, in Matagalpa, Jose Luis Diaz Y Sadiel Eugarrios, respectively; as well as the priests Ramiro Tijerino—rector of the John Paul II University—and Father Raul Vega Gonzalez.
Seminarians face the same situation darvin leiva Y Melkin Centeno Sequeiralike the cameraman Sergio Cardenas, those who remained with Monsignor Álvarez in the episcopal see since August 4.
The Nicaraguan dictatorship has been merciless against the Catholic Church. He has branded priests and bishops as “diabolical” and “traitors.” Little by little, Ortega has been adding to the list of imprisoned priests, so far there are more than ten religious who are being part of legal proceedings against him and two have already been convicted.
