Tag: arbitrary detention

‘I knew I had no choice’: An interview with Nicaraguan exile Santos Julio Sevilla Rivera

Posted on by cswpress in Latin America, Nicaragua

‘The guards told us not to pray. We did it in silence because God heard us.’

Santos Julio Sevilla Rivera was born in San Sebastián de Yalí, Jinotega, Nicaragua on 9 January 1969. He was born with an irreversible visual impairment due to severe advanced myopia. His vision was very limited even with corrective lenses, but this did not prevent him from being very active, cheerful and well-known in his community.  

He moved to Estelí in 1983 because of the armed conflict between the government of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) and the insurgent groups known as the Contras, In 1998 he was invited to a spiritual retreat by Father Sixto Muñoz Ilario Rodriguez. The experience was very positive and inspired him to become involved in volunteer service to the Catholic Church through music. He volunteered in four parishes, primarily in the Saint Francis of Assisi parish. He formed friendships with the local priests, and he dedicated himself to supporting the choir committedly. 

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‘Sabía que no tenía opción’:  Una entrevista con un exiliado nicaragüense, Santos Julio Sevilla Rivera.

Posted on by cswpress in español, Latin America ES, Nicaragua ES

‘Los guardias nos dijeron que no rezáramos. Lo hicimos en silencio, porque Dios nos escuchaba.’

Santos Julio Sevilla Rivera nació en San Sebastián de Yalí, Jinotega, Nicaragua, el 9 de enero de 1969. Nació con una discapacidad visual irreversible debido a una miopía grave y avanzada. Su visión era muy limitada incluso con lentes correctivos, pero esto no le impidió ser una persona muy activa, alegre y conocida en su comunidad.

Se trasladó a Estelí en 1983 debido al conflicto armado entre el gobierno del Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN) y los grupos insurgentes conocidos como la Contra. En 1998, fue invitado a un retiro espiritual por el sacerdote Sixto Muñoz Ilario Rodríguez. La experiencia resultó muy positiva y lo inspiró a participar como voluntario en la Iglesia Católica a través de la música. Prestó servicio voluntario en cuatro parroquias, principalmente en la de San Francisco de Asís. Entabló amistad con los sacerdotes locales y se dedicó con gran compromiso a apoyar al coro.

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‘God will not get you out of here’: A pastor’s experience of detention in Venezuela

Posted on by cswpress in Latin America, Venezuela

In May 2026, evangelical pastor Armando Montero* received a summons from the country’s security agency.

The pastor, who has a second job as a software developer had been asked give evidence in a case against a former client of his, for whom he had designed a piece of software to manage sales for a digital raffle business offering vehicles and apartments as prizes.

The model had become increasingly popular. Numerous influencers replicated it, and some later came under investigation for alleged links to money-laundering operations. When authorities launched raids against those involved in these raffle schemes, Armando’s former client left the country, despite his business apparently operating legally, holding the necessary permits and meeting its tax obligations.

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«Dios no te va a sacar de aquí»: la experiencia de un pastor detenido en Venezuela

Posted on by cswpress in español, Latin America ES, Venezuela ES

En mayo de 2026, el pastor evangélico Armando Montero* recibió una citación de un organismo de seguridad del Estado.

El pastor, que además trabaja como desarrollador de software, fue convocado para rendir declaración en un caso relacionado con un antiguo cliente para quien había diseñado un programa destinado a gestionar las ventas de un negocio de rifas digitales que ofrecía vehículos y apartamentos como premios.

Este modelo de negocio se había vuelto cada vez más popular. Numerosos influencers lo replicaron, pero después terminaron siendo investigados por presuntos vínculos con operaciones de lavado de dinero. Cuando las autoridades realizaron allanamientos contra personas involucradas en estos esquemas de rifas, el antiguo cliente de Armando abandonó el país, a pesar de que —aparentemente— su empresa operaba de manera legal, contaba con los permisos necesarios y cumplía con sus obligaciones tributarias.

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As hard as it may be to hold the Nicaraguan government to account, the world has not forgotten Pastor Efren Antonio Vílchez López

Posted on by cswpress in Latin America, Nicaragua

‘They closed the embassy around three or four years ago but didn’t really tell anyone.’

I think I actually laughed when I heard it. I was standing in the reception of a building I was just then discovering was the former site of the Nicaraguan Embassy in London, having made an hour and a half journey to Kensington to deliver a letter calling for the release of Protestant Pastor Efren Antonio Vílchez López.

From the way the receptionist explained it I got the sense that this sort of thing had happened before, which lessened but did not entirely eliminate the embarrassment on my part. Some frantic Googling revealed that while, yes, there were some mentions of the closure online – particularly if you added ‘closed’ to your search terms – most results listed the address as the building I was now standing disgruntledly outside, with the panel that pops up when you search for these things still listing its opening hours as 11am-4pm Monday to Friday.

Continue reading “As hard as it may be to hold the Nicaraguan government to account, the world has not forgotten Pastor Efren Antonio Vílchez López” →