The Nicaraguan police entered Friday, August 19 in the residence of the bishop of Matagalpa, Rolando Alvarez, prevented from leaving for two weeks by the government which accuses him of "
destabilizing
" the country, announced his diocese.
“
S.O.S.
Urgent.
At the moment the national police are entering the Bishopric of our Diocese of Matagalpa
"(North-East), where Bishop Rolando Alvarez is located, posted his diocese on his Facebook page Friday at dawn, without giving further details. details.
Appeal to Pope Francis
Bishop Alvarez expressed his gratitude on Thursday for the messages of solidarity received from his faithful but also from around the world.
"
Thank you for your attention, for remembering us
," said Bishop Rolando Alvarez on Thursday during a mass celebrated from the chapel of his bishopric broadcast on social networks.
Since August 4, the police have surrounded the bishopric of Matagalpa, where Mgr Alvarez, a critic of the government of President Daniel Ortega, is recluse with a dozen religious and lay people.
Again on Wednesday, 26 former heads of state and government from Spain and Latin America appealed to Pope Francis, who has so far remained silent, to "
stand firmly in defense of the Nicaraguan people and their freedom religious
”.
"
We are in the hands of God
," said Bishop Alvarez during Thursday Mass, assuring that God "
conquers darkness, injustice (...) makes hell tremble and throws them back into the sea of their own wickedness
”.
The 55-year-old prelate says he does not know why the authorities are prosecuting him and believes he is under "
house arrest
".
The Nicaraguan authorities accuse the prelate of wanting to “
organize violent groups
and to incite "
acts of hatred (...) in order to destabilize the State of Nicaragua
".
On remand
The authorities have multiplied in recent days the prohibitions and vexations against Catholic priests, according to the Nicaraguan Center for the Defense of Human Rights (Cenidh) for which "
the government has hardened the repression against the Church and its priests even in the most remote corners of Nicaragua
".
The diocese of Siuna announced Sunday evening in a press release the arrest of one of its priests.
The prosecution requested his placement in pre-trial detention for 90 days, according to Cenidh.
Read alsoNicaragua: besieged by the police, a bishop thanks for the testimonies of solidarity
In July, the nuns of the Congregation of the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa, had to leave Nicaragua, expelled as "
delinquents
", was indignant the Cenidh.
Relations between the Catholic Church and Mr. Ortega's government have been strained since 2018 when protesters demanding the resignation of the Nicaraguan president took refuge in churches.
President Ortega accuses the Catholic clergy of complicity in the coup attempt hatched by Washington.
The crisis even led to the expulsion in March of the Apostolic Nuncio, Bishop Waldemar Sommertag.