A group of Nicaraguan exiles protested this Monday in front of the embassy in Costa Rica demanding the release of several religious to whom the justice system opened separate processes, such as Bishop Rolando Álvarez, accused of spreading false news and conspiracy against the state.
Sofía Traña, one of the protesters who appeared at the sit-in with posters with images of several detained priests assured the voice of america that the judicial processes against the religious are “political” and are intended to “silence” the Catholic Church.
In the same way, Dora Sevilla, another opposition member present before the embassy, indicated that the accusations against the religious “are false.” “Those two antichrists are going to pay dearly for it,” Sevilla declared, referring to President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo.
The leader of the Reflection Group for Politically Released Prisoners (GREX), Gabriel Putoy, stated in statements to the VOA that the trials, in addition to being “political,” are “a violation of freedom of worship and religion” in Nicaragua.
Bishop Rolando Álvarez, 56, is one of the last religious to face a judicial process in Nicaragua, accused of the crimes of conspiracy and propagation of false news to the detriment of the State: To date, these two charges have only been had indicted opposition leaders.
On January 10, a judge referred the case to trialafter maintaining the measure of house arrest against him.
However, Father Oscar Benavides of the Espíritu Santo Mulukuku parish, located on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, became the first priest sentenced for “treason against the homeland”.
Persecuted church, says researcher
The government of President Daniel Ortega has denied on past occasions that the judicial processes have a political purpose and has branded the priests as “coup plotters” and “devils in cassocks” for criticizing his mandate.
In 2022, at least 15 criminal proceedings were opened against priests of the Catholic Church, according to an investigation carried out by the Nicaraguan Martha Patricia Molina, from the Pro Transparency and Anti-Corruption Observatory.
Molina assured the VOA that this year the processes will intensify taking into account the trial against Bishop Rolando Álvarez, a critic of the government of Daniel Ortega, in Nicaragua.
“There are priests who are being harassed by the police and paramilitaries 24 hours a day. There are also prohibitions on carrying out religious acts such as processions,” lamented Molina, who added that the Catholic Church is being “persecuted.”
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