Central America
Nicaraguan government seizes assets of one of the country’s most prestigious Jesuit universities
August 17|
The Nicaraguan Justice, controlled by the government presided by Daniel Ortega, ordered the Jesuit Central American University (UCA), one of the most prestigious private study centers in the country, to transfer its movable and immovable assets, as well as its bank accounts, to the State of Nicaragua, the educational institution informed on Wednesday.
The UCA, founded in 1960, confirmed through an email to the educational community and shared with EFE, that on Tuesday, at 17:29 hours (23:29 GMT), they received an official notice from Judge Gloria María Saavedra, head of the Tenth Criminal District Court of Hearings Managua District, notifying them of this and other measures.
In the official notice, the Jesuit university was notified of “the seizure of real estate, furniture, money in national or foreign currency from the immobilized bank accounts, financial products in national or foreign currency property of the UCA”, according to the letter.
The judge also ordered “that the seizure of all the goods described in the previous point be in favor of the State of Nicaragua, which will guarantee the continuity of all educational programs”.
Likewise, the judge sent notices to the Public Registry of Real Estate and Commercial Property, to the Superintendence of Banks, to the National Directorate of Registries, to the National Police and to the Attorney General’s Office of the Republic, “for the purposes of their charges”.
“The above measures are taken in correspondence to unfounded accusations that the Central American University functioned as a center of terrorism, organizing criminal groups,” explained the university.
“In the face of all this, the UCA reiterates its commitment to Nicaraguan society for a high quality higher education and faithful to its founding principles for 63 years,” it added.
He also thanked “the trust, solidarity and closeness expressed by students, teachers, administrative staff and the Nicaraguan society that identifies with the principles and values of this Alma Mater”.
In view of this official letter, the Jesuit university, whose rector is the priest Rolando Enrique Alvarado López, decided to suspend as of today “all academic and administrative activities, until it is possible to resume them in an ordinary manner, which will be informed through the official communication channels of the University”.
Last week, Nicaraguan authorities froze the bank accounts of the Jesuit university and immobilized its properties, amidst the friction between the Ortega government and the Nicaraguan Catholic Church.
On the other hand, the Directorate of Alternative Dispute Resolution (Dirac), attached to the Supreme Court of Justice, revoked last Monday the accreditation of the Mediation Center of the UCA, four months after the same entity renewed its accreditation.
In March 2022, Nicaraguan authorities excluded the UCA from the 6% constitutional allocation that universities receive annually.
In September of the same year, UCA Vice Rector Jorge Huete was banned from entering the country after a work trip to Argentina.
Former UCA rector José Alberto Idiáquez, who participated in a dialogue that sought to overcome the crisis Nicaragua has been going through since April 2018, was also unable to return to the country in July 2022, after traveling to Mexico to attend to health problems.
The Jesuit university was the scene of dozens of marches against the Ortega government, in the context of the crisis that Nicaragua has been going through since April 2018.
Also on May 30, 2018, it opened its doors to thousands of students who sought refuge after participating in a massive opposition march in Managua, called “The mother of all marches”, which ended bathed in blood, just after Ortega sentenced in a speech to his followers that “Nicaragua belongs to all of us and here we all stay”.
It also hosted the exhibition “Ama y no Olvida: Museo de la Memoria contra la Impunidad”, promoted by the Asociación de Madres de Abril (AMA), which seeks to remember those killed during the anti-government demonstrations in Nicaragua.
Nicaragua has been going through a political and social crisis since April 2018, which has been accentuated after the controversial general elections of November 7, 2021, in which Ortega was reelected for a fifth term with his main contenders in prison.
Central America
Nicaragua’s Ortega and Murillo Mourn Pope Francis, Acknowledge ‘Difficult’ Relationship
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, who also serve as co-leaders of the country, expressed their condolences on Monday following the death of Pope Francis, acknowledging that their relationship with the late pontiff had been “difficult” and “troubled.” Nicaragua officially suspended diplomatic ties with the Vatican during his papacy.
“Our relationship, as Nicaraguans who are believers, devoted and faithful to the doctrine of Christ Jesus, was difficult and troubled—unfortunately shaped by adverse and painful circumstances that were not always understood,” Ortega and Murillo wrote in a message of condolence.
“Despite the complexity and hardships, despite the manipulation we all know occurred, despite everything, we kept our hope alive through Christian faith,” they continued. “We understood the distance, and above all, the complicated and strained communication that prevented better relations. We also recognized the confusion caused by strident voices that disrupted any attempt at genuine interaction.”
Pope Francis had previously compared the Ortega regime to communist dictatorships and even to Hitler, a remark that further strained relations between Managua and the Holy See.
Central America
Cardinal Rodríguez to Attend Funeral of Pope Francis: “He Was Very Dear to Me”
Honduran Cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez announced on Monday that he will attend the funeral services of Pope Francis, who passed away at the age of 88 at his residence in Casa Santa Marta due to a stroke.
“We will be there throughout the novena and then, God willing, at the burial,” Rodríguez said in a phone interview with HRN Radio in Tegucigalpa, apparently calling from Spain.
He added that the last time he saw Pope Francis was in October 2024, during and at the end of that year’s synod, and that they remained in contact through email. “Sometimes, the Pope would even call me,” said Rodríguez, who was born on December 29, 1942, and was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II on February 21, 2001.
Rodríguez expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Pope Francis, saying: “He was a very dear person to me.”
However, he also shared a message of hope, pointing out that the Holy Father passed away during Easter: “This is a sign. He gave his life completely like the Lord Jesus, and though he died, we believe in faith that he has risen, now with Christ in eternal life.”
Rodríguez, who for ten years coordinated the Vatican’s Council of Cardinals, was one of the eight cardinals selected by Pope Francis to help govern the Catholic Church and reform the Roman Curia.
In January 2023, upon turning 80, Rodríguez stepped down as Archbishop of Tegucigalpa, and Pope Francis appointed Spanish priest José Vicente Nácher Tatay as his successor.
Central America
Senator Van Hollen Meets with Deported MS-13 Member in El Salvador; Trump and Bukele React
U.S. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, representing the state of Maryland, held a meeting in El Salvador with deported MS-13 gang member Kilmar Ábrego García, a member of the criminal group classified by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization.
“Kilmar Ábrego García, miraculously resurrected from the ‘extermination camps’ and ‘torture chambers,’ now sipping margaritas with Senator Van Hollen in the tropical paradise of El Salvador!” wrote President Nayib Bukeleon X (formerly Twitter), sharing photos of Van Hollen, Ábrego García, and a lawyer sitting together at a Salvadoran hotel.
The deported gang member is seen wearing a plaid shirt and a flat-brimmed cap, seated at a table with glasses and coffee cups. The senator also shared images of the meeting on his own social media accounts.
Bukele reaffirmed that Ábrego will remain in El Salvador and will not be returned to the United States.
“Now that his health has been confirmed, he has earned the honor of remaining under the custody of El Salvador,” Bukele added.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump criticized the senator’s meeting with Ábrego on Truth Social, calling Van Hollen “a fool” for advocating for Ábrego’s return to the U.S.
A magnitude 6 earthquake shakes the province of Esmeraldas in Ecuador, bordering Colombia
Preparations for Pope Francis’ funeral, in figures
“A dignified life” for migrants, the plea in Panama in memory of Pope Francis
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
Central America4 days agoCardinal Rodríguez to Attend Funeral of Pope Francis: “He Was Very Dear to Me”
-
Central America4 days agoNicaragua’s Ortega and Murillo Mourn Pope Francis, Acknowledge ‘Difficult’ Relationship
-
International4 days agoDominican Republic Declares Three Days of Mourning for Pope Francis
-
International3 days agoPope Francis and Trump, a relationship of disagreements marked by migration
-
International4 days agoDHS Secretary Kristi Noem’s Purse Stolen in D.C. Restaurant Heist
-
International2 days agoFrom the transfer of the coffin to the funeral, three days to say goodbye to Pope Francis
-
International3 days agoWithin Francis’ private wake: respect and prayer for the deceased pope
-
International4 days agoPope Francis: The Quiet Architect Behind the U.S.-Cuba Thaw
-
International3 days agoTrump’s emissary will visit Russia this week for consultations on the arrangement in Ukraine
-
International2 days agoA very heterogeneous and divided conclave will elect the new pope
-
International2 days agoModi returns to India and shortens his visit to Saudi Arabia after a deadly attack in Kashmir
-
International3 days agoCardinal Becciu’s enigma: will he enter the conclave?
-
International3 days agoThe pope last called the Gaza parish on Saturday and asked about the children
-
International3 days agoA candidate for the Supreme Court denounces an unequal dispute in the judicial election of Mexico
-
International3 days agoAmerican universities and colleges sign a letter against Trump’s policy
-
International3 days agoThe Government of Colombia presents twelve questions that it will propose in a popular consultation to promote its reforms
-
International3 days agoBurma’s military junta extends ceasefire until April 30 due to the earthquake
-
International2 days agoEl Salvador formalizes the proposal for the exchange of Venezuelan deportees, according to Bukele
-
International2 days agoMaradona’s house arrest is again a focus of tension in the trial for his death
-
International2 days agoThe Peruvian Public Ministry denounces the former attorney general for an alleged corruption case
-
International2 days agoA judge orders the Trump Government to restore Voice of America services
-
International3 days agoInternational leaders begin to confirm their presence at Pope Francis’ funeral
-
International24 hours agoThe Pope’s funeral procession through the center of Rome worries the Italian authorities
-
International2 days agoDonald Trump will visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in mid-May
-
International3 days agoRoyal quinoa, the superfood that grows in front of the largest salt flat in the world in Bolivia
-
International1 day agoThe Arab League supports Hamas handing over control of Gaza and weapons to the Palestinian Authority
-
International3 days agoChurch charges ceased or resigned in the papacy of Francis for cases of pedophilia
-
International2 days agoThe president of the World Bank underlines his intention to lift his veto on nuclear energy
-
International4 hours ago“A dignified life” for migrants, the plea in Panama in memory of Pope Francis
-
International1 day agoMigrants want to stay on Mexico’s southern border because of Sheinbaum’s industrial plan
-
International1 day agoA group of the poor and a delegation of migrants will participate in the funeral and burial of the pope on Saturday
-
International2 days agoMarco Rubio reorganizes the State Department to eliminate offices and jobs
-
International1 day agoThe pope’s doctor reveals his last moments of life and that he wanted to “die at home”
-
International5 hours agoA Russian general dies in the explosion of a car bomb near Moscow
-
International2 days agoThe Brazilian Supreme Court opens trial against six others accused of leading the coup attempt
-
International1 day agoFrom email to marriage: the day Pope Francis married a Uruguayan couple
-
International2 days agoA judge in the United States stops the deportation to El Salvador of a hundred Venezuelans
-
International4 hours agoA magnitude 6 earthquake shakes the province of Esmeraldas in Ecuador, bordering Colombia
-
International5 hours agoPutin and Witkoff address possible direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine
-
International5 hours agoPope Francis’ funeral procession will be a six-kilometer journey through the heart of Rome