The arrested Nicaraguan bishop had set up a secret human rights office

The arrested Nicaraguan bishop had set up a secret human rights office

The bishop of Matagalpa, under house arrest since August 19, set up a secret human rights office to deal with persecution by President Daniel Ortega’s authoritarian regime, according to a Nicaraguan priest.

Exiled priest Uriel Vallejos said this in an interview with a Spanish Catholic weekly Alpha Omega is known. According to the Nicaraguan government, an international arrest warrant has been issued against Vallejos. When Vallejos interrogated Interpol, it turned out that wasn’t the case.

Mock test

Both Bishop Rolando Alvarez and he are accused of “conspiracy to undermine national sovereignty and security and spreading fake news to the detriment of the state,” Vallejos explained.

Once upon a time Hearing On January 10, a Nicaraguan court ruled that Bishop’s case would go to trial.

Everything points to a bogus trial: the Department of Justice published a “fabricated” list of witnesses against the bishop, some of whom had nothing to do with the case and did not know in advance that their names were on the list.

Ask for help

Vallejos said persecution of the Catholic Church has worsened since anti-government protests in 2018. Then the bishops and priests replied, “Telling the truth of what happened, they sided with the people.”

At that point, people started asking for help, the priest said. “One had his son imprisoned, another killed his son, and a third exiled his son.”

Secret

Considering the dire situation, Ms. Alvarez gathered his priests and told them he was opening a secret human rights office to help these people and promote their cause.

https://www.kn.nl/donaties/

“During that meeting, the bishop asked who would volunteer to participate. “He warned that anyone doing so could be jailed or deported,” Vallejos said in the interview.

See also  A story of hope and redemption

Soldiers

The priest said that at one point soldiers came to his parish in the Diocese of Madagalpa to record his sermons, which they later used against him.

Vallejos was also the director of the radio station that operated on the parish grounds. The government ordered the closure of the station on August 1, 2022. Riot police prevented Vallejos and a group of believers from leaving the presbytery.

The parish was besieged for three days without electricity and food. On August 4, Vallejos was arrested and taken away.

peace

Thanks to Msgr. Alvarez allowed the Vallejos government to visit a seminary in Managua in exchange for his silence. From there he fled to Costa Rica, where he received help from the local church.

“I’m afraid they will torture the priests in prison because of this interview, but I can’t silence the truth,” Vallejos said.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *