US demands Nicaragua free bishop detained after mass; Managua places him under house arrest
The United States demanded the immediate release of Bishop Juan Abelardo Mata, 80, detained after a mass in Estelí. Hours later, Nicaraguan authorities placed him under house arrest.
Detention and US response
Bishop Juan Abelardo Mata, 80, was detained by Nicaraguan police on 29 June after celebrating a mass on 25 June in Estelí. During the homily he asked the faithful to pray for the persecuted Catholic Church, naming Bishop Rolando Álvarez and priest Frutos Valle. He was initially released under restrictive conditions, then detained again the following day without explanation. The US Department of State's Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs demanded his immediate and unconditional release on 4 July.
We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Nicaraguan Bishop Abelardo Mata, who was arbitrarily detained by the Murillo-Ortega dictatorship. Bishop Emeritus Mata poses no threat to the regime and his health is fragile.
House arrest
Later on 4 July, the Nicaraguan government announced it had sent the bishop to his home. Sources close to the Nicaraguan channel 100% Noticias and religious organisations said Mata is now under house arrest in Tisma, Masaya province. The government has not provided details on his legal status or health.
- Mass celebrated in Estelí; bishop asks prayers for persecuted Church.
- Police detain Mata and a collaborator; released hours later under restrictions.
- Bishop detained again without information; priest Francisco Morales and deacon Wilfred Aráuz also detained.
- US demands immediate release; Nicaragua places bishop under house arrest.
Religious persecution
Washington also condemned the "continual and cruel religious persecution and repression" by the government of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo. The Ortega administration has expelled hundreds of Catholic priests since 2018, blaming the Church for supporting protests that year. The UN says the crackdown on those demonstrations left more than 300 dead. Mata, described as one of the most influential Church figures in Nicaragua over the past three decades, retired in 2021.
