{"id":29860,"date":"2024-08-07T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-06T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/csw-yeo.1wp.site\/press\/religious-leaders-targeted-in-new-wave-of-detentions-6292\/"},"modified":"2026-09-23T19:11:44","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T18:11:44","slug":"religious-leaders-targeted-in-new-wave-of-detentions-6292","status":"publish","type":"press","link":"https:\/\/www.csw.org.uk\/zh\/press\/religious-leaders-targeted-in-new-wave-of-detentions-6292\/","title":{"rendered":"Religious leaders targeted in new wave of detentions"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The National Police of Nicaragua have detained 11 religious leaders from the Roman Catholic Church in northern Nicaragua in a renewed crackdown. A twelfth religious leader, Deacon Ervin Aguirre, was reportedly detained<\/a> on 2 August, and released the following day.<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Frutos Constantino Valle Salmer\u00f3n, a 79-year-old priest, was detained on 26 July by the National Police at 5 pm while preparing for the ordination of three deacons in the Diocese of Estel\u00ed in Managua. The police informed him that he did not have permission to do so. Father Frutos, who is diabetic and suffers from hypertension, became seriously ill while in the police vehicle, and was subsequently taken to the National Inter-Diocesan Seminary of Our Lady of F\u00e1tima, located in Managua, where he remains under house arrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 1 August two senior church officials from the Diocese of Matagalpa were detained arbitrarily and were also taken to the National Inter-Diocesan Seminary of Our Lady of F\u00e1tima, Managua by the National Police. Monsignor Ulises Vega, administrator of the San Ram\u00f3n parishes and Monsignor Edgard Sacasa, administrator of the San Isidro parish, had taken over the leadership of the Diocese of Matagalpa, to which their churches belong, following the exile of Monsignor Rolando \u00c1lvarez.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 2 and 3 August, the National Police carried out further detentions of religious leaders, mostly from the Diocese of Matagalpa. Those detained include parish priest Jairo Pravia and vicar V\u00edctor Godoy of the Immaculate Conception of Mar\u00eda de Seb\u00e1co Church in the Diocese of Matagalpa and Franciscans Friar Silvio Jos\u00e9 Romero, Friar Ram\u00f3n Morras, Father Antonio L\u00f3pez and Father Salvador L\u00f3pez. All of them were taken from their parishes, forced to board police patrol vehicles and placed under house arrest with the other religious leaders at the National Inter-Diocesan Seminary of Our Lady of F\u00e1tima, Managua. Also detained with them are Father Ra\u00fal Francisco Villegas from Matigu\u00e1s Matagalpa parish, who is originally from Mexico, and Maron Vel\u00e1squez Flores, vicar of Santa Luc\u00eda parish. Both parishes are in Ciudad Dar\u00edo municipality, Matagalpa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 2 August, lawyer and human rights defender Martha Patricia Molina said on X, formerly Twitter<\/a> : \u201cThe clergy of Matagalpa and Estel\u00ed wake up in anxiety. Currently, the Immaculate Conception of Mary parish in S\u00e9baco is surrounded by riot police. \u201cThe parish fears that their priests will be kidnapped.\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CSW\u2019s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: \u201cThe continued detention and arrests of religious leaders by the Nicaraguan government are both unwarranted and unconscionable. CSW calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all religious leaders and political prisoners who have been arbitrarily detained and imprisoned in recent months. We urge the international community to emphasise to the Nicaraguan government that the ongoing crackdown on independent civil society, the relentless targeting of religious leaders and the continual violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief are unacceptable. More must be done to hold President Ortega, his wife and their regime to account for the deteriorating situation of human rights in the country.\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notes to Editors:<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. The eleven religious leaders still held at the National Inter-Diocesan Seminary of Our Lady of F\u00e1tima, which the National Police are using as a detention centre for clergy, are:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n