Nicaraguan police detained four more priests in the early hours of Saturday (30), bringing the total number to 12 in the last three days, according to a high-ranking member of the Catholic Church with knowledge of the matter and local media.
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, who has governed the Central American country since 2007, has begun a crackdown on the Catholic Church and political opponents.
Fathers Mikel Monterrey, Gerardo Rodriguez and Raul Zamora, along with Monsignor Miguel Mantica, the son of one of Nicaragua's richest families, were taken from their respective homes, the source said.
“They are all from the Archdiocese of Managua,” said the source, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
The Nicaraguan government and police did not respond to a request for comment. La Prensa, one of the last newspapers in the country, also reported on the four arrests of the priests.
Two of the arrested priests – Monterrey and Zamora – opened the doors of their parish to students from two universities that were attacked by the government in 2018.
In total, 12 priests and Bishop Isidro Mora have been arrested in recent days. In August 2022, Bishop Rolando Alvarez was arrested and sentenced to 26 years in prison. In July, Alvarez was released.
Since the 2018 protests, Ortega has accused priests of organizing and orchestrating a coup; the bishops asked the president for justice for those who died during the protests and early elections.
See also: Rolando Álvarez, bishop critical of Daniel Ortega, is released in Nicaragua
Source: CNN Brasil
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