Nicaraguan priest arrested because his driver was allegedly drunk

A Catholic priest critical of the Nicaraguan government has been arrested and held incommunicado after his driver was accused of drunkenness.

According to the federal government, Father Pedro Abelardo Méndez Pérez and his driver Luis David Ñamendi Suárez were stopped on 19 June at a police checkpoint. Both men were allegedly drunk and located to be over the limit.

There were arrested for the “crime of exposing people to danger, by threatening the safety of individuals and their families, violating the Transit Law”.

Religious rights organisation Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), has identified that, even when the accusations are true, Nicaraguan law stipulates that only the driving force be arrested for such against the law. Furthermore, the law states that an individual found to be drink driving in such a way could also be held in custody for as much as 12 hours. Father Pérez and his driver haven’t been heard from for over every week now.

This is just not Father Pérez’s first brush with the authorities. He was threatened with violence in 2018 after criticising the federal government’s response to political unrest during which quite a few people were killed.

In 2023 Father Pérez has also publicly called for the discharge of Bishop Rolando José Álvarez Lagos, who on the time was serving a 26-year prison sentence for treason. The bishop was subsequently exiled to the Vatican.

Religious freedom is increasingly under threat in Nicaragua. Pastors and church leaders are sometimes subject to intensive surveillance and have been arbitrarily detained. Many are required to report weekly to the police and can’t leave their local area without government permission.

In some cases church leaders have been arrested and no news has been provided as to their status. In August last 12 months two Catholic lay leaders were arrested. Nine months later they’ve not been heard from by their families and there is no such thing as a proof that they’re even alive.

Anna Lee Stangl, Director of Advocacy at CSW said, “Given that Father Pedro Abelardo Méndez Pérez was not driving, the Nicaraguan authorities had no grounds upon which to arrest him for supposedly violating the Transit Law. Even were the fees based in truth, the driving force of the vehicle, Luis David Ñamendi Suárez, should only have been detained for a maximum of 12 hours.

“The Nicaraguan government must immediately release Father Pedro Abelardo Méndez Pérez and his driver. We urge the international community to extend pressure on the Nicaraguan government through the use of targeted sanctions against those accountable for violations of freedom of faith or belief, and to push for the discharge of all political prisoners.”