His homilies hit the mark. “There are politicians who treat Nicaragua like a booty that must be seized to satisfy their egos”, launched from his pulpit in the church of Saint-Pierre, in July 2020, Rolando Alvarez, bishop of Matagalpa (130 kilometers north of Managua), in a clear allusion to the regime. “These politicians are not the ones we need. They have had their day. »
For months, the prelate took over from Edwin Roman, parish priest of Masaya (30 kilometers southeast of Managua), and Silvio Baez, auxiliary bishop of the capital, two of the most critical voices against President Daniel Ortega – in power between 1979 and 1990 and since 2007 – and against his wife and vice-president, Rosario Murillo. Learning that a plan to assassinate him was underway, Mr.gr Baez was forced into exile in 2019. He was followed in January 2022 by Edwin Roman.
There remained Rolando Alvarez, and his sermons castigating the abuse of power. “They would like the Church to be silent, not to denounce injustices! », he scolded. But President Ortega finally succeeded in silencing him too: the bishop was arrested on August 19, 2022, after several months of harassment by the police. The cleric appeared on Tuesday, January 10, before a court in the capital for a closed hearing during which he was served with his next trial – the date of which has not been announced – for “conspiracy to bring undermining national integrity” and “spreading false news”.
Human rights violated
The attacks against the Catholic Church constitute the last link in the repressive chain of the regime of Daniel Ortega, a former Sandinista hero who became head of state. Since the revolt of 2018, which demanded his departure and which he repressed in blood (355 dead), he has endeavored to methodically pursue all forms of opposition, forcing tens of thousands of people into exile; 235 political prisoners have been identified by human rights organizations.
In recent months, Nicaragua has also expelled the representative of the Vatican, the nuncio Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag, as well as the nuns of the congregation of the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa. In investigation, lawyer Martha Patricia Molina, member of the pro-transparency and anti-corruption Observatory, recorded 400 attacks against the Church between 2018 and 2022, between damage to temples, hate messages or legal persecution. Eleven members of the clergy have gone into exile, about fifteen are in prison or prosecuted, Catholic media have been closed and many religious events banned.
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