Nicaraguan Police Temporarily Detain 80-Year-Old Bishop Emeritus Juan Abelardo Mata
Nicaraguan National Police detained Juan Abelardo Mata, the 80-year-old bishop emeritus of Estelí, for several hours on Monday before releasing him to house surveillance. Local religious sources report the detention was direct retaliation for a June 25 Mass at the Cruz del Calvario Church, where Mata urged parishioners to pray for the persecuted Catholic Church and specifically named exiled clergy members, including Bishop Rolando Álvarez and Father Frutos Valle.
Mata was reportedly taken under the pretext of an "investigation" and is currently being monitored at his residence in Tisma, Masaya. The Nicaraguan National Police have not issued an official statement or filed formal charges.
Outrage and Condemnation from Exiled Clergy
The detention sparked immediate backlash from Bishop Silvio Báez, the auxiliary bishop of Managua, who has lived in exile since 2019 and was stripped of his Nicaraguan citizenship by the government.
"I am deeply outraged and absolutely condemn the aggression committed by the regime's police against my brother Monsignor Juan Abelardo Mata," Báez posted on social media. "These cowardly actions only demonstrate the weakness and irrationality of a criminal dictatorship."
Context: The Crackdown on the Catholic Church
Relations between the Vatican and the administration of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo remain severely fractured. The regime's aggressive campaign against the Church includes:
Mass Expulsions: According to the human rights report "Faith Under Fire" by the Nicaragua Never Again Collective, at least 261 religious figures have been expelled from the country, including Carlos Herrera, the president of the Episcopal Conference.
Targeting High-Profile Clergy: Bishop Rolando Álvarez was famously stripped of his citizenship and sentenced to over 26 years in prison for treason before being released and exiled.
Asset Seizures: The Ortega-Murillo government has dissolved and confiscated the assets of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and publicly labeled the Catholic Church a "mafia."
Source: https://diario.elmundo.sv/el-mundo/la-policia-de-nicaragua-retuvo-por-varias-horas-a-obispo-catolico-juan-abelardo-mata
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