Central America
Nicaragua bishop who criticized govt charged with conspiracy

| By AFP |
A Nicaraguan bishop who has been a sharp critic of the government of President Daniel Ortega and who has been under house arrest since August was charged Tuesday with conspiracy and propagation of false news, a judicial body reported.
Bishop Rolando Álvarez, 56, was charged with “crimes of conspiracy to undermine national integrity and propagation of false news through information and communication technologies to the detriment of the Nicaraguan state and society,” the Central Judicial Complex of Managua said in a press release.
The charges were brought by the prosecutor’s office before a judge of the Managua Criminal District Court, the statement said.
The judge ordered the bishop to remain under house arrest, appointed him a public defender and scheduled the first pre-trial hearing for January 10, 2023.
Alvarez, bishop of the diocese of the northern department of Matagalpa, was taken by police to Managua on August 19 and placed under house arrest, after being held for two weeks inside his residence.
After his arrest, police said the bishop, who is also a member of the Nicaraguan Episcopal Conference, was being investigated for trying to “destabilize the country.”
Along with the bishop, six other religious figures were also arrested in August and detained in a Managua jail, without the charges being disclosed.
On Tuesday, the prosecutor’s office also filed charges against Uriel Antonio Vallejos, parish priest for the city of Sebaco in the center of the country. He was declared a “fugitive from justice” and a warrant for his arrest was delivered to Interpol, the authorities said.
The charges against Alvarez come amid tense relations between the Catholic Church and the Ortega government that began in 2018, when the country was rocked by huge anti-government protests.
The president linked the demonstrations to a failed coup he said was being pushed by the opposition with the support of Washington and accused bishops of being complicit in the alleged plot.
Earlier this year the government expelled apostolic nuncio Waldemar Sommertag, outlawed the Missionaries of Charity Association, of the order of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and closed several Catholic media, including the television channel of the Episcopal Conference.
International
Two fans killed in gate collapse outside Chile’s Estadio Monumental

Two people lost their lives near the Estadio Monumental in Santiago, Chile, following a chaotic incident that occurred before the Copa Libertadores match between Colo Colo and Brazil’s Fortaleza on April 10. According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the victims were crushed after a fence on the stadium perimeter collapsed, though authorities are investigating whether a police armored vehicle may have played a role.
It was a black Thursday at Chile’s Estadio Monumental. Two local fans died outside the stadium after a yet-unclarified incident caused a metal gate to fall on them, leading to fatal asphyxiation.
Local media reports indicate that a group of fans attempted to force their way into the stadium before kickoff. In response, local police allegedly deployed armored vehicles to block the breach.
Preliminary reports cited by local newspapers and news agencies like EFE identify the victims as two young individuals—one 18 years old and the other just 13.
Central America
Nicaragua seeks ICJ intervention in Gaza conflict amid escalating violations

The Government of Nicaragua announced on Thursday that it has once again requested the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of the United Nations to intervene “as part” of the legal proceedings initiated by South Africa against Israel, accusing it of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention with its ongoing war in the Gaza Strip since October 7, following an attack by the Islamist group Hamas on Israeli territory.
In a statement, the Nicaraguan government, led by Daniel Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo, explained that on April 1, they had decided to discontinue the proceedings filed with the ICJ related to the “severe violations of the rights of the Palestinian people and state,” due to the “high financial cost” involved for a developing country like Nicaragua, which faces significant economic restrictions.
“However, in the last week, there has been an escalation in violations against the Palestinian people and even against international humanitarian services, clearly revealing Israel’s disregard for all international law norms and the total complicity, particularly of some Western countries, which have decided to continue their political, economic, and military support for those responsible for these crimes,” stated the Nicaraguan government.
In light of this, the government continued, and “making a great effort, Nicaragua has decided to notify the International Court of Justice that it wishes to continue with the legal proceedings regarding the violations of the rights of the Palestinian people.”
Central America
U.S. Government says deported migrants should remain in El Salvador for life

The United States government believes that the 238 migrants recently deported to El Salvador should remain in the country “for the rest of their lives.”
This was stated by Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, during a press conference. The following day, in a televised cabinet meeting, she reiterated the government’s commitment to continue its campaign to deport over 11 million people living in the U.S. without legal immigration status.
“We are confident that the people (sent to El Salvador) should be there, and they should stay there for the rest of their lives,” Noem told a group of reporters on Wednesday.
Despite the Trump administration’s defense of its decision to transfer the migrants to the Terrorism Confinement Center (Cecot), both testimonies from their families and reports from U.S. media outlets have shown that most of those currently detained there have no criminal backgrounds.
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