Nicaragua: Archbishop highlights example of Rolando Alvarez in fight for Christ

The Archbishop of Oviedo (Spain), Bishop Jesús Sanz, highlighted the “precious” example of Bishop Rolando Álvarez, Bishop of Matagalpa and Apostolic Administrator of Estelí (Nicaragua)—exiled in Rome since January of this year—when receiving an award in his name in Spain.

This was indicated by the Spanish prelate after receiving the 2024 Libertas International Prize on May 29 in the city of Oviedo, in statements to the exiled Nicaraguan journalist, Israel González Espinosa.

When asked what message he would give to Nicaraguans who suffer the persecution of the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega and his wife and vice president, Rosario Murillo, the Archbishop responded: “All our encouragement, all our solidarity, Christian support and that they never throw away the towel. The example of Monsignor Rolando is a precious incentive to continue in this fight in the name of Christ, the Gospel and the freedom of a people.”

Regarding the fierce persecution of the Ortega regime against the Catholic Church, Bishop Sanz commented that in Spain we also “have in our history, not so distant, experience of what it means to have freedom restricted and pay with the price of life, precisely wanting to embrace freedom and allow us to express our faith and our hope.”

Regarding the award received, the Archbishop of Oviedo commented that “it means a great honor and it has moved me. I was able to speak with Monsignor Rolando, I think we will see each other shortly and I will gladly give him what I have been able to receive in his name.”

“The price of freedom is a clearly evangelical and Christian example that he has paid at such a high cost for the freedom that is born from the Gospel and for the freedom that is in the heart of a people,” he continued.

For this reason, the archbishop highlighted, “in the midst of a society that is so often mediocre and amoral, these examples fill us with joy and stimulate us because they show us the path to follow, and sometimes they make us ugly about the paths that we may have been betraying.”

“It is a gift for everyone, this award also means it and we hope that both Monsignor Rolando and all Nicaraguans who are suffering in exile can return as soon as possible to a free, democratic and peaceful Nicaragua,” he assured.

Who is Bishop Rolando Álvarez?

Bishop Rolando Álvarez is a well-known defender of human rights and critic of the Nicaraguan dictatorship.

The Nicaraguan prelate was forced to remain confined inside his episcopal house since the beginning of August 2022, together with priests, seminarians and a layman.

Two weeks later, when they had almost run out of food, the police broke into the house and kidnapped Mons. Álvarez to Managua, the capital of the country.

In the midst of a questioned process, the dictatorship sentenced him on February 10, 2023 to 26 years and four months in prison, accusing him of “traitor to the country.” Since then, he has been held in jail. The modelwhere political prisoners are sent.

One day before being sentenced, Bishop Álvarez had refused to get on a plane on which the dictatorship deported more than 200 political prisoners to the United States.

Bishop Rolando Álvarez was finally deported to Rome after mediation by the Vatican, on January 14, 2024, together with the Bishop of Siuna, Bishop Isidoro Mora; other priests and seminarians.