In 48 hours, at least 11 priests and deacons were arrested by the police – Diario La Página – 2024-08-04 03:51:43

At least 11 priests and deacons have been arrested by police in Nicaragua in the last 48 hours.

The Catholic University Students organization of that country detailed that they are Monsignor Ulises René Vega, Monsignor Edgar Sacasa, Father Jairo Pravia, Father Victor Godoy, Father Marlon Velasquez, Deacon Ervin Aguirre, Brother Silvio José Romero, Brother Ramón Morras, and Fathers Antonio López, Raúl Francisco Villegas and Salvador de las Calabazas.

Various activists denounced that this new attack by the regime against the Catholic Church in the country is part of “the worst stage of repression since April 2018,” when protests broke out in the Central American nation.

Various activists denounced that this new attack by the regime against the Catholic Church in the country is part of “the worst stage of repression since April 2018,” when protests broke out in the Central American nation.

“The Catholic Church is currently experiencing the worst phase of Ortega-Murillo repression since April 2018. Let us pray,” said Nicaraguan lawyer, human rights defender and researcher Martha Molina.

For his part, the exiled priest Edwing Román, very critical of the regime, indicated on his account on the social network X that the “dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo take advantage of the world’s attention on Venezuela to imprison priests in Nicaragua, and continue the persecution of the Catholic Church amidst complicit silence, and the lack of courage to genuinely preach the Gospel.”

These arrests occur as the popular festivities in honor of Santo Domingo de Guzmán are beginning in Managua, one of the few religious activities and traditions authorized by the authorities to take place on the streets, although under the coordination of the capital’s mayor’s office, governed by the Sandinistas, and the National Police.

So far, neither the Nicaraguan regime nor the National Police have provided their versions of the complaint about the arrests, which they generally do not comment on.