Exiled Auxiliary Bishop Silvio Báez of Managua has denounced the “irrationality” and “cruelty” of Nicaragua’s dictatorship, calling them tragic hallmarks of the regime. Forced to leave the country in April 2019 after defending protesters during a violent crackdown that killed over 350 people, Báez spoke to the Nicaraguan newspaper Confidencial from Madrid, Spain. He criticized the regime’s arbitrary decisions and brutality, stating, “One of the most tragic characteristics of this dictatorship is its irrationality. Along with that irrationality is cruelty.”
Reflecting on his 2018 call for then-President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, to end violence and engage in dialogue, Báez said his message remains urgent. “I would repeat it to their faces, the very same thing I told them eight years ago: Be sensible!” he declared, mourning the “bloodshed, sacrificed lives, and immense pain” endured by Nicaraguans, which he hopes will lead to a new chapter in the nation’s history.
The bishop highlighted the ongoing persecution of the Catholic Church by the dictatorship since 2018, including surveillance of priests, expulsion of religious sisters, confiscation of Church property, banning of ordinations, and exile of bishops. Báez now celebrates Mass at St. Agatha Parish in Miami, where the pastor, Father Marcos Antonio Somarriba, and parochial vicar, Father Edwing Román, are also Nicaraguan exiles.
Drawing parallels to biblical narratives, Báez said God hears the cry of the oppressed and never sides with a “pharaoh.” He criticized silence within the Church, urging it to be a “community of the Word” rather than a community of silence. He also expressed solidarity with exiled Bishop Rolando Álvarez, who was unjustly imprisoned before being deported in 2024.
Despite feeling fear at times, Báez emphasized the importance of not letting it paralyze or silence him. He expressed hope for Nicaragua, rooted in faith in God, “When all paths are closed, when everything seems dark, faith gives you inner strength to say, ‘No, it’s not all over.'” He concluded, “The homeland lives in your heart. And I love Nicaragua.”
