A group of faithful in the Diocese of Matagalpa in Nicaragua came out to defend their bishop from a possible attack by a heavily armed group.

By Robin Gomes

Bishop Rolando José Alvarez Lagos himself recounted that a group of farmers came out and stopped him on the road leading to the village of Terrabona, where he was heading. They warned him that some armed people were lurking hiding trees on the edge of the road, probably intending to target him.

A large group of faithful then accompanied him to the place where the paramilitaries were hiding. The armed group fled on seeing the crowd.

Bishop Alvarez thanked the faithful for accompanying him 'with their clean hands and humanity' and confirmed that he had seen people heavily armed with ammunition. A video also proved what the bishop narrated.

The Bishop of Matagalpa expressed serious concern that civilians were going about with weapons like that of the military and asked the army to make an investigation into their ranks.

Bishop Alvarez received the solidarity, among others, of Card. Leopoldo Jose Brenes Solorzano, Archbishop of Managua and President of the Nicaraguan Bishops’ Conference, who in a brief note expressed his "fraternal closeness and solidarity" to his brother bishop.

Card. Brenes condemned such situations in the country and appealed to the authorities to take the necessary measures and carry out investigations into these very serious events and the presence of armed persons.