en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church_in_Nicaragua
4 corrections found
Rolando Alvarez, Bishop of Matagalpa and a prominent critic of Ortega, was arrested in 2023, and then exiled in January 2024.
Bishop Rolando Álvarez was arrested in August 2022, not 2023. He was later released and exiled to the Vatican in January 2024.
Full reasoning
This sentence gets the arrest year wrong. Multiple authoritative sources state that Bishop Rolando Álvarez was first detained in August 2022.
- USCIRF’s case file says police prevented him from leaving home on August 4, 2022, and then "On August 19, 2022, police arrested Álvarez from his residence." It also says he was released and exiled to the Vatican on January 14, 2024.
- Vatican News likewise reports that Bishop Álvarez had been "detained since 2022" and had been in prison since February 2023 following house arrest since August 2022.
So the exile date is broadly right, but the article is incorrect to say he "was arrested in 2023".
2 sources
- Rolando Álvarez | USCIRF
On August 19, 2022, police arrested Álvarez from his residence... On January 14, 2024, Álvarez was released from prison and exiled to the Vatican.
- Holy See receives Bishops Álvarez, Mora, 15 priests after Nicaragua frees them - Vatican News
The Nicaraguan government has confirmed the release of the Bishop of Matagalpa, detained since 2022... he had been since February last year following house arrest since August 2022.
In 2023, the country was scored 2 out of 4 for religious freedom.
Freedom House’s 2023 Nicaragua report gives religious freedom a score of 1 out of 4, not 2 out of 4.
Full reasoning
This appears to misstate Freedom House’s religious-freedom score for Nicaragua.
In Freedom in the World 2023, Freedom House’s indicator “Are individuals free to practice and express their religious faith or nonbelief in public and private?” is scored 1 out of 4 for Nicaragua. The report explicitly adds: “Score Change: The score declined from 2 to 1” because Ortega intensified the crackdown on Catholic clergy and worshippers.
So for the 2023 Freedom House country report, the score is 1/4, not 2/4.
1 source
- Nicaragua: Freedom in the World 2023 Country Report | Freedom House
D2 ... Are individuals free to practice and express their religious faith or nonbelief in public and private? 1.00 1 4.00 4 ... Score Change: The score declined from 2 to 1 because President Ortega escalated his crackdown...
According to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, at least 46 priests were under arrest at some point in Nicaragua in 2023.
Aid to the Church in Need reported 46 clergy under arrest in 2023, not 46 priests specifically. That total included bishops and seminarians.
Full reasoning
This sentence overstates what ACN reported. ACN’s 2024 tally says that in Nicaragua “a total of 46 clergy were under arrest in 2023, including two bishops and four seminarians.”
That is not the same as saying 46 priests were arrested. The total ACN gives includes people who were not priests, especially seminarians. So the article should say 46 clergy (or 46 clerics), not 46 priests.
1 source
- Grim tally of clergy arrested, kidnapped, and murdered in 2023
In Nicaragua, a total of 46 clergy were under arrest in 2023, including two bishops and four seminarians...
As of November 2022, 11 Catholic priests remained in custody, most of which for political offences.
Aid to the Church in Need did not report 11 priests in custody. It reported 11 detained clergy, including only seven priests plus a bishop, a deacon, and two seminarians.
Full reasoning
This sentence misstates ACN’s count.
ACN’s 2022 tally says Nicaragua had “11 members of the clergy” arrested or detained during the government’s conflict with the Church. It then breaks that group down as “at least two seminarians, one deacon, one bishop and seven priests.”
Because the 11 total included people who were not priests, it is inaccurate to say “11 Catholic priests” were in custody. The more accurate formulation is that 11 clergy were detained, of whom seven were priests.
1 source
- Priests and religious harmed or killed in 2022
Nicaragua is a country of grave concern, where 11 members of the clergy have been arrested or detained... These include at least two seminarians, one deacon, one bishop and seven priests.