Nicaragua arrests another Catholic priest critical of the regime

Nicaraguan authorities arrested a Catholic priest who has been critical of the regime of Daniel Ortega on Sunday, making him the latest cleric that has been targeted amid a widespread crackdown.

Fernando Zamara, a priest from the northern diocese of Suina, was arrested in the capital city of Managua at around 8:00 p.m. after participating in an inauguration mass in the San Luis Gonzaga parish, opposition member and former politician Feliz Maradiaga told the local media outlet Confidencial. 

According to witnesses, police surrounded the parish in order to arrest the priest when he exited the mass, reported Radio Dario. 

It remains unclear what Zamara is being charged with or where he was taken to. 

Over the past five years, the Ortega regime has carried out a widespread crackdown against the Catholic church. The Ortega regime claims the groups receive funding from foreign interests that are conspiring to overthrow his government. 

In March, the Nicaraguan government cut off its ties with the Vatican after Pope Francis described the Nicaraguan government as a “crude dictatorship” led by an “unbalanced” president. Last year alone, three priests were arrested, 12 Catholic radio stations were cut off, and three Catholic TV channels were forced off the air.

At least 84 religious figures—including priests and nuns—have been forced to leave the country by the Ortega dictatorship since 2018. Four other priests are currently in prison in Nicaragua, including Bishop Rolando Alvarez, who was sentenced to 26 years in prison for treason. 

Last week, Bishop Alvarez was briefly released from prison as the regime and the Catholic Church engaged in negotiations over his future. However, he was rearrested two days later after the negotiations failed because the two parties could not agree on the terms of his release, according to local media.