Twelve imprisoned Catholic priests were released from political prison in Nicaragua on October 18 and forced into exile. Prior to this, an agreement had been reached between the Sandinista dictatorship and the Vatican, in which both sides had agreed to their departure and reception in Rome. The priests flew to Rome on the same day, where they were received by representatives of the Secretariat of State and accommodated in rooms belonging to the diocese of Rome, according to a statement from the Vatican press office.

The Bishop of Matagalpa, Rolando Álvarez, who was sentenced to more than 26 years in prison, is not among those released. Shortly before the draconian sentence, he had refused to be deported to the USA. The court decision was based on false accusations, including

“undermining national security and sovereignty, spreading fake news through information technology, obstructing a public official in the performance of his duties, as well as serious disobedience and disregard for authority”.

The cathedral of Matagalpa, where Bishop Álvarez celebrated services with the faithful until he was imprisoned. Photo: private

Father Jaime Iván Montesinos Sauceda was released from his diocese. The other priests released are Manuel Salvador García Rodríguez and José Leonardo Urbina Rodríguez from the diocese of Granada, Fernando Israel Zamora Silva from the diocese of Siuna, Cristóbal Reynaldo Gadea Velásquez from the diocese of Jinotega and Ramón Angulo Reyes from the diocese of Bluefields. Six priests were flown out from the diocese of Estelí: Osman José Amador Guillén, Julio Ricardo Norori Jiménez, José Iván Centeno Tercero, Yessner Cipriano Pineda Meneses, Álvaro José Toledo Amador and Eugenio Rodríguez Benavidez.
Three days before their release, eight of these priests were transferred to the notorious El Chipote torture prison.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom criticized the expulsion:

“While USCIRF is pleased that the arbitrarily detained clergy are no longer being unjustly held in prison, we are appalled that they have been banished from their home country for the peaceful practice of their religion,” said USCIRF Vice Chairman Frederick A. Davie. “We strongly affirm that everyone has the right to adhere to the religion or belief of their choice and to freely express the dictates of their conscience without being targeted by government authorities.”

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, have intensified their persecution of the Catholic Church over the past five years. Last year, the Ortega-Murillo regime revoked their legal status and confiscated the property of Catholic universities and charitable organizations. Priests and nuns were arbitrarily expelled; Catholic students and the journalist Victor Ticay were arrested because they had recorded a state-banned Easter celebration and published the footage online.