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Nicaraguan Bishop Abelardo Mata, SDB, emeritus Bishop of Estelí, appeared this week in an interview with a regime-controlled TV station, his first appearance since being taken into police custody six weeks ago.
In the interview, Mata claims to be well taken care of and said he has received visits from a brother and a niece at his residence. However, local observers have raised alarm at what appears to be an unofficial house arrest, as the bishop has not been publicly accused of any crimes.
Bishop Abelardo Mata appears in a video released by a regime-controlled publication. Credit: YouTubeMata, who is 80 years old, was taken into police custody on June 29, following a homily mentioning the persecution of the Church in the country.
The bishop was taken from a local hospital, where he was undergoing a checkup related to his pacemaker, and was brought to a regime prison, where he was held for several hours, according to local media.
On July 4, the Nicaraguan regime published a statement claiming that Mata had returned to his home “in perfect condition,” after “a necessary inquiry on the origin of properties and family
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