The Nicaraguan Human Rights Ombudsman (DNDH) denounced the violation of the religious rights of the leaders of the Catholic Church, as they were persecuted by the National Police, controlled by the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo. They condemn this new attack by the regime against the religious.
“Once again the Catholic Church in Nicaragua is the victim of persecution by those who hold power. From the DNDH we have been following up on this situation of abuse, which is clearly violating religious rights and the rights of citizens, and above all of the Catholic leadership, to profess and practice their faith,” said the president of the organization, Pablo Cuevas, from his exile in the United States.
He stressed that the Catholic Church “has courageously exercised its leadership position” since the beginning of the sociopolitical crisis in Nicaragua. In addition, “the church is a bulwark in terms of defending the civil and political rights of citizens; That is why those who abusively hold power are upset.
Related news: Monsignor Álvarez returns to Matagalpa and attends to parishioners despite the police siege
Pablo Cuevas assured that they are carrying out “managements” with international bodies “so that this situation continues to be condemned and not forgotten.”
“We stand in solidarity with the brave position of Monsignor José Rolando Álvarez, leader of the church, who is being outraged of his rights in the most vile, cowardly way, by the Nicaraguan authorities,” he said.
Douglas Villanueva, vice president of the organization, asked the international community to “focus” its attention on Nicaragua, due to the escalation of repression by the dictatorship.
After five days under siege and besieged by the Police, at the service of the regime, Monsignor Rolando Álvarez returned to his episcopal see “escorted” by two police patrols that remained stationed on the outskirts and surrounding streets of the Santo Cristo de Las Colinas parish in Managua.
Monsignor Carlos Avilés Cantón, vicar of the Archdiocese of Managua, confirmed to Article 66 that Bishop Álvarez left the Santo Cristo de Las Colinas parish this Monday, May 23, at 7:00 in the morning and that he is already in the Episcopal Curia of Matagalpa where he attends to the parishioners.
Monsignor Álvarez denounced last Thursday, May 19, that the Ortega Police harassed and persecuted him throughout the day when he was carrying out errands and visiting his family in Managua, to the point that they came to besiege him to his family home, which he considered a ” resurgence” of the persecution against him. That same day he announced that he would begin an “indefinite fast” on water and serum.
The harassment of the dictatorship against the Church increased after this weekend parishioners in different cities of the Diocese of Matagalpa went out in procession with the Blessed Sacrament to support their bishop, Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, who denounced harassment against him.
