Nicaragua police end deadly church siege after Catholic Church intervenes

Police in Nicaragua have ended the siege of a church where opposition supporters had sought refuge after being attacked by riot police and pro-government militias, the BBC reported.

Doctors have been allowed to treat the injured inside the church in the city of Masaya, where two people have died.

Around 30 people who were inside the church were released after an intervention by the local Catholic Church.

More than 100 people have been killed in Nicaragua amid violence over the past six weeks.

The auxiliary bishop of Managua, Monsignor Silvio José Báez, praised the local priest in Masaya, Edwing Roman, and a human rights lawyer and campaigner, Álvaro Leiva, for their efforts in negotiating with the authorities.

And he urged President Daniel Ortega to end the crackdown on protests against his government.

Earlier, Monsignor Báez took to social media to warn people to stay indoors, because there were reports of snipers on the streets of Masaya.

'The priests in Masaya have told me that the San Miguel parish is surrounded by anti-riot police,' he wrote on Twitter.

'There are injured and detained people inside. No more repression in Masaya!'

Masaya, which is some 20km (12 miles) south of Managua, was one of several cities where opposition activists clashed with police yesterday.

The unrest in Nicaragua was sparked by cuts to pensions and social security.

Hours after the measure was signed into law by Ortega in April, pensioners and students took to the streets in protest.

Many people were killed in the following days. Most of the victims were university students. Human rights groups say the police acted with brutality.

Ortega revoked the legislation, but by then he himself had become the focus of the protests, according to the BBC, with the opposition and young activists are demanding his resignation.

Ortega, the former Sandinista rebel leader, is in his third consecutive term in power.

He was re-elected in 2016, after the constitution was changed in order to allow him to stand again.

Talks between the government and the opposition, which were mediated by Nicaragua's Catholic Church, broke down last week.

Several bishops taking part in the talks received death threats, which the Churchclaimed came from the government and official media.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) visited Nicaragua last month, saying that it had seen grave violations of human rights during the protests.

News
Christian ethos in NI schools will be maintained, Education Minister promises after RE ruling
Christian ethos in NI schools will be maintained, Education Minister promises after RE ruling

Some schools were concerned that they could not put on the traditional Nativity play after the UK Supreme Court ruling.

What is Advent Sunday and why do churches mark it?
What is Advent Sunday and why do churches mark it?

The fourth Sunday before Christmas is called Advent Sunday. It falls at the start of December, or sometimes as in 2025, at the end of November. In churches of many denominations, Advent marks the coming of the Christmas season. This is the story …

Who was St Andrew and why is he important?
Who was St Andrew and why is he important?

30 November is St Andrew’s day. He was the brother of St Peter, the first of Jesus’s disciples, and later an Apostle. This is the story …

Kidnapped Anglican priest dies in captivity in Nigeria
Kidnapped Anglican priest dies in captivity in Nigeria

Amid a rash of mass kidnappings in Nigeria, an Anglican priest in Nigeria abducted along with his wife and daughter has died in captivity, leaders of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion announced on Wednesday.