Nicaragua's crackdown on government critics continued as police raided the residence of Bishop Rolando Alvarez, head of the Matagalpa diocese, and arrested him along with several other priests.

The Roman Catholic bishop is one of the leading Catholic figures in Nicaragua who has been an outspoken critic of the government of President Daniel Ortega. The bishop also ran some Church-owned radio stations that the Ortega government recently shut down.

Reports said the pre-dawn raid and arrests of Rolando Alvarez and priests on Friday escalated the tension between the Roman Catholic Church and the Nicaraguan government.

Bishop Rolando Alvarez Not Allowed to See Anybody, Even the Cardinal

According to the Associated Press, the bishop was accused of "organizing violent groups" and inciting them "to carry out acts of hate against the population."

As the raid started, the Matagalpa diocese posted an "SOS" message on social media, saying the police had entered the "Episcopal rectory."

However, the Nicaraguan National Police said the raid and arrests of the priests were carried out to allow the citizenry of Matagalpa to "recover normalcy." Police did not specify the charges against the bishop and priests.

Rolando Alvarez is now being held under guard in a house in Managua. The bishop was not allowed to meet anybody, not even his relatives or Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes. Police said the others who were arrested with Alvarez were "still being processed."

The Guardian reported that the arrests came after a two-week standoff between the Matagalpa diocese and police. The bishop was not allowed to go outside his house to celebrate mass.

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The Tension Between Church and State in Nicaragua

Nicaragua is a majority Catholic country and has held onto many conservative beliefs, including banning abortion. However, the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and Daniel Ortega's oppressive regime has grown quite complicated.

The government has shut down many of the Church's radio stations, most of which are critical of the government. It has also banned several charities by the Church and deported missionaries. It even expelled the Papal Nuncio, considered the top Vatican diplomat.

The Nicaraguan government has grown intolerant of dissent, as it revoked the citizenship of a political opposition leader, forced journalists into exile, expelled nuns, and ordered the closure of nongovernmental organizations. 

Its recent elections, where Ortega won unopposed, were considered a farce by the European Union and the United States as Ortega imprisoned every single opponent who ran or tried to run against him.

The Ortega government even occupied opposition-held towns and deposed their duly-elected mayors, only to replace them with the president's allies.

The Nicaraguan government has faced condemnation from the Roman Catholic Church, the United States, the European Union, and various human rights groups.

READ MORE: Nicaragua Police Have Taken Over 5 Opposition-Held Towns Ahead of Elections

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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