Miami:

US Senator Marco Rubio wrote a letter to Pope Francis asking him to intercede for the “immediate and unconditional release” of Bishop Rolando Álvarez and also for the right to worship for all Catholics in Nicaragua. In the letter sent last week, the senator expressed his sadness over the deteriorating situation in Nicaragua and shared his concerns regarding the inhumane treatment suffered by Bishop Álvarez in prison. Rubio revealed in the letter about the evidence “that strongly suggest that Bishop Álvarez has endured torture at the hands of the Ortega regime.”

On February 10, 2023, following the Bishop’s refusal to denounce his nationality and to be exiled to the United States along with the 222 Nicaraguan political prisoners, he was unjustly sentenced to 26 years of imprisonment by the Ortega regime.“It is a testament to the courage of Catholics everywhere that Bishop Álvarez refused this offer to continue to courageously stand with those in Nicaragua that remain unjustly detained,” wrote the Senator.

Rubio also appreciated Pope Francis for showing his support to Bishop Álvarez and also for expressing his concern and sorrow over the situation in Nicaragua after his Angelus address in August last year.

The Interdisciplinary Development Consultant CID Gallup’s public opinion survey results released earlier this month revealed that 72% of the respondents disagreed with the imprisonment of Bishop Álvarez, and they believe in the innocence of the Bishop. The survey mentioned that the bishop “was denationalized and transferred to a maximum security cell in the Jorge Navarro National Penitentiary System, better known as La Modelo.”

The 2023 annual report by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom said that Bishop Álvarez’s persecution by the Ortega regime is an example of its crackdown on the clergy. The Bishop, who was a mediator in the 2018 national dialogue,  has been a vocal critique of the government’s human rights record.