Nicaragua - August 2022

In the context of a wider crackdown on opposition, Bishop Rolando Álvarez was detained on 19 August and placed under house arrest, and seven other members of clergy were arrested and sent to El Chipote prison, known as a jail for political prisoners. President Daniel Ortega has targeted Catholic clergy since 2018 when, in the context of the mass protests of the same year, Church members offered to mediate and showed support towards the aspirations of the social movement. This comes after numerous restrictions on the work of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, including the closure of religious orders, the expulsion of members from the country and the confiscation of assets. Bishop Álvarez had been vocal in denouncing the Ortega regime’s actions against the Catholic Church, including the closure of radio stations from its Diocese. The move was condemned by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which also called upon the government to end its wider crackdown on the Catholic clergy and respect religious freedom. Bishop Álvarez has been accused of attempting to destabilize government, and it is believed that the goal of President Ortega is to force him into exile.  

Sources: EFE, El Pais, Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, The Washington Post (1), The Washington Post (2)