Managua - Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Jose Alvarez Lagos has been returned to prison after negotiations between the Nicaraguan bishops and the government of dictator Daniel Ortega collapsed, according to local news sources.
Alvarez, who serves as the bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa in Managua, was initially released on Monday but was re-incarcerated on Wednesday, July 5, as he refused to comply with the Ortega regime's demand that he go into exile.
Reports from Nicaraguan media and human rights activists initially indicated that Alvarez had been released from "Modelo Prison" on Monday night. However, after his release, he sought refuge at the headquarters of the Nicaraguan Bishops Conference (Conferencia Episcopal de Nicaragua, CEN) in the capital city of Managua, as confirmed by Reuters.
On July 5, the Nicaraguan news agency "Divergentes" reported that CEN and the Vatican were engaged in negotiations with the Ortega government on behalf of Bishop Alvarez. Human rights activist Bianca Jagger also shared via Twitter on July 4 that the regime intended to exile Alvarez to Rome.
According to Auxiliary Bishop Silvio Jose Baez of the Archdiocese of Managua, Alvarez refused to be exiled unless specifically ordered by the Pope. Baez stated in a July 5 statement that Alvarez had made a conscientious decision before God and would not leave Nicaragua for any reason unless instructed to do so by the Pope. Baez further emphasized that Alvarez would not compromise a decision of conscience he had made.
Bishop Alvarez, 56, was arrested in 2022 after speaking out against the escalating persecution of the Catholic Church under Ortega's rule. His arrest followed his refusal to board a plane carrying 222 political dissidents, including four priests, who were being flown to the U.S. in an agreement with the State Department. Subsequently, on February 10, Alvarez was sentenced to 26 years and 4 months in prison on treason charges, and his Nicaraguan citizenship was revoked.
The Ortega regime, led by President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice-President Rosario Murillo, has been widely criticized for its crackdown on dissent. Hundreds of Nicaraguans, including priests and religious figures, have been arbitrarily arrested and deported. The government has also seized Church assets and property, while religious freedom has faced significant restrictions.
In March, following Pope Francis' strong condemnation of the Ortega regime, drawing a comparison to Hitler's Germany, the dictatorship closed the Holy See's embassy in Nicaragua, severing all diplomatic ties with the Vatican.
The situation surrounding Bishop Alvarez's imprisonment and the ongoing persecution of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua remains a matter of concern for human rights activists and the international community alike.