Nicaragua sentences Catholic bishop to 26 years in prison
NPR Online NewsMAR 31 2023
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Ortega's dictatorship has been ripping apart Nicaragua and its democratic institutions for a long time, but his recent treatment of Catholics has reached a new low. Some 200 attacks against Catholic people and their institutions have been reported in the country since 2018 while the Church seeks to bring about peace. Alongside the Pope, the international community must step in to prevent this persecution.
Establishment-critical narrative
Through its willingness to release political prisoners while receiving nothing in return, Ortega has shown that his only goal here is to rid his country of traitors. The word negotiation makes it seem as if these are prisoner exchanges or that the US lifted sanctions in return, but, in reality, those who oppose Ortega have given nothing while the Nicaraguan government has handed over hundreds of people.