Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando José Álvarez, a critic of the government of Daniel Ortega, was sentenced this Friday to 26 years and 4 months in prison and stripped of his nationality, judicial sources reported.
Álvarez, one of the strongest voices of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, was convicted of the alleged crimes of treason, obstruction of functions, aggravated disobedience to the detriment of Nicaraguan society and dissemination of false news, reported Magistrate Octavio Rothschuh, president of Chamber One of the Court of Appeals of Managua (TAM), when reading the sentence.
The sentence was announced one day after the Ortega government released and expelled from Nicaragua to 222 political prisoners that he had in various prisons in the country.
According to Ortega, Alvarez refused to be sent to the United States, for which he called him a “terrorist” and “insane” for not accepting the possibility of being released in exchange for being exiled and renouncing his nationality.
“I don’t know what this gentleman thinks, when faced with a decision by the Nicaraguan State, he says that he does not abide by a resolution of a court of justice of the Nicaraguan State that is ordering him to leave the country and, totally, we could not send him.” , Ortega assured the same Thursday, at a press conference.”That is if the US authorities did not allow it in the agreement, to forcibly mount anyone who did not want to go to the United States.”
Alvarez, 56 years old, was under house arrest until this Wednesday, February 8, pending a trial against him which It was scheduled for February 15.However, the process was advanced without knowing the reasons.
Finally, the prelate has been transferred to the prison known as ‘La Modelo’, one of the largest in Managua, where he is expected to serve his sentence.
The Catholic Church has not yet ruled on the actions imposed by the authorities against the prelate, however, when he was arrested in August 2022, Pope Francis He expressed his “concern and pain” because of the situation in Nicaragua.
Likewise, the pontiff expressed his conviction and desire that through an open and sincere dialogue the bases for a respectful and peaceful coexistence can be found.
Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channel Youtube and activate notifications, or follow us on social networks: Facebook, Twitter and instagram.
