A guard mans the access to the Jesuit Central American University (UCA) in Managua, Nicaragua August 16, 2023. REUTERS/Stringer
ROME (Reuters) - The superior general of the worldwide Jesuit religious order has condemned the closure of the order's university in Nicaragua as part of a government attempt to "suffocate" the Catholic Church and other civic institutions in the Central American country.
In a letter sent to the order's Central American leader, Father Arturo Sosa said the government's accusations against the prestigious university were "totally false" and part of a wider government program of "slander" against those defending freedom. The letter was sent late on Thursday night and reviewed by Reuters.
The United States has condemned the confiscation of the university's assets as a further erosion of democracy.
(This story has been corrected to fix the first name of the order leader to Arturo from Antonio, in paragraph 2)
(Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)
