Daniel Ortega
The Latest
Ortega dictatorship in Nicaragua expels Italian priest from the country
Father Cosimo Damiano Muratori was expelled after he called the 26 years and four months prison sentence for Bishop Rolando... Read more
Archdiocese of Miami offers to take in priests exiled from Nicaragua
Archbishop Thomas Wenski announced that his archdiocese will receive with open arms the Nicaraguan priests and seminarians who were deported... Read more
Imprisoned Nicaraguan bishop deserves US support, religious freedom advocates say
“This miscarriage of justice will not be forgotten,” USCIRF Commissioner Frederick A. Davie said Feb. 14. Read more
Pope Francis asks Virgin Mary to intercede for Nicaragua after bishop sentenced to 26 years in prison
“The news from Nicaragua has grieved me a great deal,” the pope said. Read more
Nicaragua’s dictatorship sentences Bishop Rolando Álvarez to 26 years in prison
The Ortega regime sentenced the bishop on Friday, Feb. 10, to 26 years and four months in prison, accusing him... Read more
Why persecuted Nicaragua bishop turned down the chance to leave the country
Bishop Rolando Álvarez refused to leave Nicaragua along with the 222 political prisoners who were deported by the Daniel Ortega... Read more
UPDATED: Nicaragua deports more than 200 political prisoners to US, including Catholic priests
The dictatorship of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega deported 222 political prisoners to Washington, D.C., Thursday. Read more
Dictatorship in Nicaragua sentences priest critical of the regime to 10 years in prison
Father Óscar Danilo Benavidez Dávila was found guilty Jan. 16. State prosecution requested a sentence of eight years in prison;... Read more
Exiled priest says bishop on trial in Nicaragua created secret human rights office
Father Uriel Vallejos recounted how the Bishop Rolando Álvarez opened the office to help those persecuted after anti-government protests in... Read more
Prosecution accused of fabricating witnesses for trial of Nicaraguan bishop
An exiled priest and a human rights defender charge that the dictatorship of President Daniel Ortega is manipulating and “fabricating”... Read more
Meet the priest the Nicaraguan dictatorship wants to put away for eight years
Father Oscar Benavidez was found guilty of two crimes at a Jan. 16 trial riddled with irregularities and consisting of... Read more
Nicaraguan priest found guilty, sentenced to eight years in prison for ‘conspiracy’
A judge found Father Oscar Benavidez Dávila guilty of the crimes of “conspiracy to undermine national security and sovereignty” and... Read more
Catholic bishop arrested by dictatorship in Nicaragua to be put on trial
Bishop Rolando Álvarez, who has been held under house arrest in Nicaragua since August, will be put on trial, accused... Read more
2022 was the worst year for the Catholic Church in Nicaragua
Lawyer and researcher Martha Patricia Molina Montenegro reported that “2022 was the most disastrous year for the Nicaraguan Catholic Church.” Read more
Nicaraguan dictator Daniel Ortega: ‘I never had respect for the bishops’
Daniel Ortega once again attacked the Catholic Church, accusing it of “calling for bloodshed,” and said, “I never had respect... Read more
Ortega seeking to ‘destroy the Catholic Church in Nicaragua,’ advocates tell Congress
Human rights experts decried the ongoing repression of the Church by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and urged additional U.S. action... Read more
Nicaragua forces Catholic bishop to stay under house arrest
The court charged Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa with “conspiracy,” “spreading false news, and “damaging the Nicaraguan government and society.” Read more
Dictatorship in Nicaragua prohibits Immaculate Conception procession
The decision forces San José de Tipitapa parish in the Archdiocese of Managua to hold their celebrations in the parish... Read more
Nicaraguan bishops express concern for thousands who are leaving the country
In an Advent message issued Nov. 16, the bishops acknowledged “ the concerns we have about the social, political, and... Read more
Another Catholic priest has been ‘kidnapped’ by Nicaragua’s government, says exiled churchman
According to a prominent human rights group, Father Enrique Martínez Gamboa is the 11th Catholic priest to be arrested and... Read more
