"Nicaragua's Escalating Clergy Arrests Draw International Condemnation"

In Nicaragua, the government's crackdown on the Catholic Church continues with the arrest of six priests, including Rev. Pablo Villafranca and Rev. Héctor Treminio, amid accusations of abduction and unjust detention. The arrests are linked to the 2018 protests and are part of a broader conflict between the Sandinista leadership and the Church, with the former seeking control over ecclesiastical appointments. This has led to strained relations with the Vatican, with Pope Francis denouncing the Nicaraguan leadership as a dictatorship.