On December 20, the Nicaraguan police apprehended Bishop Isidoro del Carmen Mora Ortega, marking the second prelate detained by the authoritarian regime led by President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo. The arrest came just a day after Bishop Mora celebrated Mass in Matagalpa, urging prayers for Bishop Rolando Álvarez, who had been unjustly placed under house arrest in August 2022 and subsequently sentenced to 26 years and four months in prison in February of this year.

Bishop Álvarez is currently held in the notorious "La Modelo" prison, commonly used for political prisoners. The news of Bishop Mora's arrest was reported by independent local media outlets, including La Prensa, El Confidencial, Mosaico CSI, and 100% Noticias. Sources suggest that the bishop was detained by police en route to Holy Cross Parish in La Cruz del Río Grande, where he intended to administer the sacrament of confirmation to 230 faithful.

Following his arrest, uncertainty looms regarding Bishop Mora's whereabouts, raising concerns about whether he has been taken to Matagalpa or the capital, Managua, where the infamous El Chipote prison is located—a facility known for torturing political dissidents and where Catholic priests have been unjustly incarcerated in the past.

Arturo McFields Yescas, a former Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States, asserted that Bishop Mora was detained for conveying a message and offering prayers for Bishop Álvarez, who has been imprisoned for over 500 days. Prior to his arrest, Bishop Mora had celebrated a Mass commemorating the 99th anniversary of the Diocese of Matagalpa, emphasizing the solidarity and prayers extended by the Nicaraguan Bishops’ Conference for Bishop Álvarez.

Adding to the gravity of the situation, reports indicate that along with Bishop Mora, seminarians Alester Saenz and Tony Palacio were also abducted by the police while en route to a pastoral activity. Their whereabouts remain unknown.

Martha Patricia Molina, a Nicaraguan researcher and author, revealed that her study, "Nicaragua: A Persecuted Church?" documented 740 attacks on the Church in Nicaragua from 2018 to 2023, with 275 attacks recorded in 2023 alone—the highest in the past five years. This disturbing trend reflects a targeted assault on the Church in Nicaragua.

Bishop Mora, a native of Matagalpa ordained on September 20, 2003, served as the vicar general of the Diocese of Matagalpa before Pope Francis appointed him as the bishop of Siuna on April 8, 2021. In a country where President Ortega has consistently directed attacks against Catholic institutions and clergy, the situation has escalated since 2018, following violent crackdowns on citizen protests against the regime, garnering strong condemnation from Catholic leaders like Bishop Álvarez.