Managua (Nicaragua): Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Jose Álvarez has been held under house arrest by security forces inside a church building in the city of Matagalpa for allegedly trying to "organize violent groups" to destabilize the government.
The bishop, along with a group of priests and lay Catholics, has been prevented from leaving the building since Aug. 4. A few days before his detention, several Catholic radio stations under the auspices of the Diocese of Matagalpa were shuttered by the government.
The bishop has been openly critical of the government of Sandinista President Daniel Ortega because of its repression of the Nicaraguan populace and violation of human rights. The government has expelled Catholics from the country, including an order of nuns in July, and the Vatican's ambassador, known as the nuncio, in March.
After Álvarez publicly objected to the closing of the radio stations, he soon after found the entrance to the the local curia blocked by police, though he was not charged with a crime.
Late Aug. 5, however, Nicaragua's national police announced an investigation that included the bishops, saying violent groups were organizing to "carry out acts of hatred against the population, causing an atmosphere of anxiety and disorder, disturbing the peace and harmony in the community, with the purpose of destabilizing the state of Nicaragua and attack constitutional authorities."
Bishop Rolando José Álvarez offered a message of love to the world on August 7. "We have to respond to hate with love, despair with hope, and fear with the strength and courage given to us by the glorious and resurrected Christ," the 55-year-old prelate said in a video posted on various social media platforms.
“I am being investigated. That’s fine, but I don’t know why,” the bishop said in the video released on August 7.
And even though he and his companions are under what amounts to house arrest, he said they have the strength and peace that only the resurrected Christ can provide.
“We have the joy of the one who tells us, ‘Courage, don’t be afraid,’” he said. “Remember, beloved brothers and sisters, fear paralyzes.”
In a separate video, also released Aug. 7, he appears singing "El Amigo" to police officers in riot gear detaining the group and blessing them. The song, popular in Latin America, is about a good friend. You can hear the voices of those detained with him joining in the singing, which includes the lyrics: "In certain difficult moments in life, we are looking for someone to help us find the way out."
The bishops of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM), bishops’ conferences around the world, the U.S. State Department, and the European Union have deplored these acts of persecution.