The dictatorship of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua prevented a priest from returning to the Central American country.
According to the Nicaraguan newspaper La Prensa, Father Mauricio Valdivia Prado, director of the Calasanz School in Managua, was unable to enter Nicaragua after a trip he had made to the Dominican Republic.
“It is regrettable that the dictatorship continues to be cruel against religious people and worse against those who are nationals of Nicaragua, like the Piarist priest Mauricio Valdivia,” Martha Patricia Molina, author of the report “ Nicaragua: a persecuted Church?”, told the newspaper. ”, which accounts for more than 500 attacks by the regime against Catholics in the country in the last 5 years.
The researcher and lawyer also pointed out that the immigration authorities “do not provide a legal explanation for this arbitrariness,” and lamented: “It is already a practice or custom that has become law in the country: a priest who leaves is guaranteed his exile.”
Other priests who have been prevented by the dictatorship from returning to Nicaragua have been Father Eladio Sánchez, who in August traveled to Italy to say goodbye to his brother Orlando who had died; Father Tomás Sergio Zamora, who in the same month traveled to the World Youth Day (WYD) held in Lisbon; and Father William Mora, who attended the same event.
Some other priests affected by a similar measure have been Father Deyvis López, Father José Domingo Cuesta, Father Guillermo Blandón, and Father Juan de Dios García.