Nicaraguan police arrested four more priests in the early hours of Saturday, bringing the total number to 12 in the past three days, according to a senior Catholic Church official familiar with 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, 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 retaliation.
Nicaragua’s government and police did not respond to a request for comment. La Prensa, one of the country’s last newspapers, also reported the four arrests of the priests.
Among those arrested this Saturday were two priests – Monterrey and Zamora – who opened the doors of their parish to students from two universities attacked by the government in 2018.
In total, 12 priests and bishops have been arrested in recent days. Isidro Mora. In August 2022, Msgr. Rolando Alvarez was arrested and sentenced to 26 years in prison.
Since the 2018 protests, Ortega accuses priests of organizing and orchestrating a coup; the bishops asked the president for justice for those who died during the protests and early elections.
Source: Terra
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