The Sandinista dictatorship has banished to Rome Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, the rebel bishop known as the Nicaraguan Mandela, as Nicaraguan exile sources have confirmed to EL MUNDO. Bishop Isidoro Mora and 16 priests and seminarians arrested during the Christmas attack against the Catholic Church were also on the private flight that has already arrived in the Italian capital.
Monsignor Ismael Serrano, parish priest of San Miguel Arcángel and exorcist of the diocese, also stood out in this group of exiles.
The journalistic media in exile have also echoed the news, which happens days after Pope Francis publicly advocated for the agreements with Managua.
“Today is a day of victory for Nicaragua and its church. The dictatorship received a hard blow to the liver. Long live Nicaragua free!” stated former diplomat Arturo McFields after confirming the release of the two bishops and the priests.
Álvarez’s release comes after spending 500 days in prison and suffering a 26-year sentence for treason. On two occasions the bishop of Matagalpa refused to leave prison and the country through exile, which ruined Daniel Ortega’s political plans.
In parallel with the Vatican’s requests, Washington increased its pressure to obtain his release. In early January, the Sandinista regime once again showcased Álvarez in its propaganda media just hours after Brian A. Nichols, Undersecretary of State, demanded his release.
Joe Biden’s administration was not satisfied with seeing the rebellious bishop on television and threatened to increase its sanctions against Managua. Days later, the exile to Rome of the Catholic religious was confirmed.
The justification for the latest revolutionary broadside against the Catholic Church came from the mouth of the “co-president” Rosario Murillo, who compared the priests to the devil. “With Catholic words and feelings they speak of faith, they are true devils,” she harangued in one of her televised homilies.