Standing up to the Daniel Ortega Dictatorship

The story of Bishop Rolando José Álvarez and his colleague Silvio José Báez Ortega is one of true heroism and modern-day martyrdom. The two have faced the most pernicious of situations in Nicaragua as they stand up to the repressive regime of long-term ruler, Daniel Ortega. Ortega has characterized the politics of Nicaragua for almost half a century: from 1979 to 1990 and 2007 to date. His rule has been characterized by brutality, curtailment of fundamental freedoms, suppression of dissent, and attacks on civil society including the church leaders critical of his excesses.

The two prelates have fallen victim to Mr. Ortega’s brutal hand. They have been targets of assassination attempts linked to the regime and have often survived by sheer luck. On the 9th of July 2018, Bishop Báez was injured by the pro-government paramilitary forces and later in 2019 had to flee the country when his assassination became more imminent. He continues to be an outspoken critic of tyranny and the gross abuse of human rights being orchestrated and superintended by the Political regime in Nicaragua—his contemporary Monsignor Álvarez as he is often referred to has since been arrested and slapped with multiple charges.

Monsignor Álvarez, according to the United States Commission on Interreligious freedom, has been convicted and sentenced to 26 years in prison and stripped of his citizenship. The conviction was on charges, including treason, undermining national integrity, and spreading false news. In fact, his real crime is using his voice and pulpit to campaign against the injustices in Nicaragua, the heinous ways in which Nicaraguans are being treated by their own government, the denial of religious freedoms, the arbitrary arrests, the torture of people including women and children, his crime is being fearless in confronting the oppressor.

These two are symbols of the extent to which freedoms have been erased in Nicaragua, they represent a large group of people who are standing up to decades of tyranny, the world should give attention to the plight in Nicaragua. The voices of these two men of God and their fellow strugglers should be amplified, the international community should no more than ever cast light on the goings-on in Nicaragua under the despot Daniel Ortega. Mr. Ortega has since launched an attack on Jesuits and confiscated their assets, a clear signal that he is not about to stop his onslaught on not only the church but anyone who calls out his tyranny.

Bishops Álvarez and Báez deserve recognition at the level of a Nobel Peace Prize for their pursuit of freedom on their own behalf and on the behalf of many activists that are resiliently standing up to the regime in Nicaragua.

ISHR joins the #FreeBishopÁlvarez campaign.

We continue to say: #FreeBishopÁlvarez