At least two Nicaraguan journalists linked to the Catholic Church were detained this weekend by the National Police for no known reason, various local media reported.
This is Manuel Obando Cortedano, a journalist from the Diocese of Matagalpa, who was in charge of the media related to the local church; Similarly, Wilberto Artola, who worked for the cable television channel TV Merced, also belonging to the Catholic Church.
The local media in Nicaragua Mosaic reported that the police authorities were also looking for other former workers belonging to the Catholic Church and that they were canceled in September of this year.
According to a compilation made by the voice of americawere 17 media whose permits to operate in Nicaragua were annulled in August of this year, most of them belonged to the Catholic Church.
In the case of Obando Cortedano, he worked alongside Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, a bishop critical of President Daniel Ortega, who is being held in a house in Managua without being allowed to leave.
The authorities have said that “he is under home security”, however critics point out that he is “house for de facto jail”.
Bishop Álvarez was taken by the Police from the rectory where he was located on August 19, in the city of Matagalpa.
Álvarez was transferred to a home “of a relative,” while those who accompanied him were transferred to the El Chipote prison in Managua.
President Daniel Ortega has branded the priests as “coup plotters” and that, according to him, they tried to overthrow his government in 2018, when protests arose that left more than 300 dead.
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