Nicaraguan Catholic Bishop Rolando Alvarez was released from prison late on Monday, a diplomatic source said, marking a possible turning point in the government’s prolonged crackdown on the Catholic Church.
The diplomatic source said on Tuesday that negotiations between the government and the country’s Catholic bishops were going on over Alvarez’s future, and the prelate was at the Catholic episcopal compound in the capital.
The source, who declined to be identified, added that talks included the possibility that the bishop might be expelled from the Central American country or otherwise sent into exile.
The government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday’s release of Alvarez after normal business hours.