SAN JOSE, Dec 31 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Nicaraguan police detained four more priests early on Saturday, bringing the total number to 12 over the past three days, according to a high-ranking member of the Catholic Church.
Priests Mikel Monterrey, Gerardo Rodriguez and Raul Zamora, along with Monsignor Miguel Mantica, the son of one of the richest families in Nicaragua, were taken from their respective homes, They’re all from the Archdiocese of Managua,” said a source,
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, who has governed the Central American country since 2007, has started a crackdown on the Catholic Church and political opponents.
In total, 12 priests and Bishop Isidro Mora have now been arrested in recent days. In August 2022, Bishop Rolando Alvarez was arrested and sentenced to 26 years in prison.
Nicaragua suspended relations with the Vatican and the Ortega-Murillo family pushed to have control over the appointment of bishops or cardinals, the Catholic News Agency reported. They link the priests to the protests of 2018 that resulted in at least 100,000 exiled, 1,600 detainees, 2,000 injured, and 355 dead, — NNN-AGENCIES
