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Rolando José Álvarez Lagos (born 27 November 1966) is a Nicaraguan prelate of the Catholic Church. He has served as the Bishop of Matagalpa since 2011 and apostolic administrator of
Estelí Estelí (), officially Villa de San Antonio de Pavia de Estelí is a city and Municipalities of Nicaragua, municipality within the Estelí Department, Estelí department. It is the 8th largest city in Nicaragua due to the high urbanization of its ...
since 2021. He is a longtime opponent of the Nicaraguan President
Daniel Ortega José Daniel Ortega Saavedra (; ; born 11 November 1945) is a Nicaraguan politician and dictator who has been the president of Nicaragua, co-president of Nicaragua since 18 February 2025, alongside his wife Rosario Murillo. He was the 54th an ...
. In February 2023, after being held under house arrest for six months, he refused to join a group of political prisoners released into U.S. custody and was sentenced for treason to 26 years in prison. He was exiled to
Vatican City Vatican City, officially the Vatican City State (; ), is a Landlocked country, landlocked sovereign state and city-state; it is enclaved within Rome, the capital city of Italy and Bishop of Rome, seat of the Catholic Church. It became inde ...
in January 2024.


Early years

Álvarez was born on 27 November 1966 in
Managua Managua () is the capital city, capital and largest city of Nicaragua, and one of the List of largest cities in Central America, largest cities in Central America. Located on the shores of Lake Managua, the city had an estimated population of 1, ...
in the department of
Managua Managua () is the capital city, capital and largest city of Nicaragua, and one of the List of largest cities in Central America, largest cities in Central America. Located on the shores of Lake Managua, the city had an estimated population of 1, ...
. He began his education at the Instituto Didáctico Domingo Faustino Sarmiento there. He studied philosophy and theology at the major seminary in
Guatemala City Guatemala City (, also known colloquially by the nickname Guate), is the Capital city, national capital and largest city of the Guatemala, Republic of Guatemala. It is also the Municipalities of Guatemala, municipal capital of the Guatemala Depa ...
and then earned his bachelor's degree in theology at the
Pontifical Lateran University The Pontifical Lateran University (; ), also known as Lateranum, is a pontifical university based in Rome. The university also hosts the central session of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family. The university ...
and his licentiate in philosophy from the
Pontifical Gregorian University Pontifical Gregorian University (; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana), is a private university, private pontifical university in Rome, Italy. The Gregorian originated as a part of the Roman College, founded in 1551 by Ignatius of Loyo ...
. He completed further coursework in preparation for his ordination at the
Congregation for the Clergy The Dicastery for the Clergy, formerly named Congregation for the Clergy (; formerly the Sacred Congregation for the Clergy and Sacred Congregation of the Council), is the dicastery of the Roman Curia responsible for overseeing matters regard ...
and earned a master's degree in the social doctrine of the Church at the
University of Salamanca The University of Salamanca () is a public university, public research university in Salamanca, Spain. Founded in 1218 by Alfonso IX of León, King Alfonso IX, it is the oldest university in the Hispanic world and the fourth oldest in the ...
.


Priesthood

Álvarez was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Managua on 7 December 1994. Since then he has worked as a professor and prefect at the seminary of that archdiocese (1994-2006), coordinator of the youth ministry of the archdiocese (since 1998), director of the Catholic radio station Radio Nicaragua (since 2001), secretary of the department for social communications of the Nicaraguan Bishops' Conference (since 2003), Secretary for Information and Spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Managua (since 2005), Coordinator of National Youth Pastoral Care (since 2006), Pastor of the parish of San Francisco de Asís in Managua from 2006 to 2011, and executive secretary of the Secretariat of the Bishops of Central America (SEDAC) from 2009 to 2011.


Bishop

Álvarez was appointed Bishop of Matagalpa by
Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...
on 8 March 2011. He was consecrated a bishop on 2 April by Leopoldo Brenes, archbishop of Managua, assisted by Jorge Solórzano Pérez and Henryk Józef Nowacki. He took on the responsibility of apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Esteli in July 2022, following the retirement of Bishop Juan Abelardo Mata.


Conflict with the Nicaraguan government

Alvarez has been one of the most outspoken critics of the Ortega regime, and its crackdown on civil and religious liberties. In May 2022 he announced he was beginning a hunger strike to protest against police harassment. In a video statement he explained that he was being followed by police constantly, and that the fact this was now affecting his family had led him to take action. "At one point I asked the police why they were there, and they told me it was for my own safety. But we know that in this country insecurity comes precisely from the police, they were the ones making me feel unsafe. I will fast until such a time as the police, through the president or the vice-president of the Bishops’ Conference, and only them, inform me that they will begin to respect the privacy of my family’s circle". On 4 August 2022, Álvarez was prevented by government agents from leaving his house to celebrate mass at St. Peter Cathedral, effectively placing him under house arrest. It is believed that government forces did this because he "frequently lambastes the violation of human rights, religious persecution and abuses of power" by the Ortega government. Álvarez's house arrest was confirmed on 19 August.
Pope Francis Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...
expressed concern over restrictions on religious freedom in Nicaragua later that month. In 13 December, Álvarez was charged with conspiracy "for undermining national integrity and propagation of false news through information and communication technologies to the detriment of the State and Nicaraguan society." He was ordered to remain under house arrest. On 8 February 2023, the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union called on the government to release Álvarez. Álvarez was not among the 222 political prisoners the Nicaraguan government released to US custody on 9 February; Ortega said Álvarez had refused to board the flight to the United States. Álvarez had been scheduled to stand trial a week later, but on 10 February the government announced that Álvarez had been declared a traitor, stripped of his citizenship, and sentenced to 26 years in prison. On 14 January 2024, Ortega freed Álvarez and expelled him from Nicaragua. Álvarez, along with Bishop Isidoro del Carmen Mora Ortega, 15 priests, and two seminarians were exiled to Vatican City.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Alvarez, Rolando 1966 births Living people People from Managua Bishops appointed by Pope Benedict XVI Roman Catholic bishops of Matagalpa Nicaraguan Roman Catholic bishops Nicaraguan anti-communists Dissidents Pontifical Lateran University alumni Pontifical Gregorian University alumni University of Salamanca alumni Nicaraguan prisoners and detainees Political prisoners in Nicaragua Stateless people Opposition to Daniel Ortega People who lost Nicaraguan citizenship