Nicaragua: Two more priests arrested in Matagalpa and Estelí

On Saturday and Sunday, authorities in Nicaragua detained two clergymen and a pastoral collaborator, just a few days after seven others were expelled and arrived in Rome.

By Vatican News

Over the weekend, the Church in Nicaragua suffered more arrests, with at least two priests and a pastoral collaborator detained, according to reports by independent media outlets.

On Saturday, August 10, Fr. Leonel Balmaceda, parish priest of Jesús de Caridad parish in the municipality of La Trinidad, Estelí, and Carmen Sáenz, a pastoral collaborator from Matagalpa, were detained.

On Sunday, Fr. Denis Martínez, vicar of the Cathedral Parish in Matagalpa, was also arrested by police.

On August 8, seven Nicaraguan priests were expelled from their country and arrived in Rome.

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) expressed satisfaction with their release on X (formerly Twitter), urging people to "celebrate their freedom" while also calling for an immediate end to "violations of religious freedom."

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