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Officials from the Granada Penitentiary System denied that Pastor Rudy Palacios and seven others—most of them his relatives—were being held at the prison, despite media reports claiming they were sent there and charged with “treason” and “undermining national integrity,” a source close to the family told CONFIDENCIAL.
“Family members spent the whole day at the penitentiary standing in a long line, but there was no information that they were there. So, for the family, as of today, they remain disappeared,” the source explained.
At the prison, officials are terse with information, saying things like “we don’t know anything” or “we can’t give any information.” “It seems they are not authorized to disclose anything about them,” the source added.
On Sunday, July 27, a source informed the outlet 100% Noticias that Palacios and his relatives had been taken to “La Granja,” the common name for the Granada prison. They were also told that all were accused in a rapid trial of the alleged crimes of “treason” and “undermining national integrity.”
On the night of July 17, 2025, they were arrested in Carazo, without a warrant, in a simultaneous operation:
- Pastor Rudy Palacios Vargas, 54 years old.
- Jéssica Palacios Vargas, 46 years old.
- Arely Palacios Vargas, 57 years old.
- Pedro José López, Jéssica’s husband.
- Armando Bermudez, Arely’s husband.
- Mauricio Alonso Prieto.
- Mauricio Alonso Prieto (son).
- Olga María Lara Rojas, 42 years old.
Since then, the family has not been able to confirm their whereabouts. They searched for them in Jinotepe but were told they were not there. In Managua, they looked at the District III police station and the Judicial Aid station, El Chipote, but received no answers.
At District III, they were even told to go to Plaza El Sol to report them as “disappeared,” despite the fact that police officers were the ones who took them.
Two of the Carazo detainees are cancer survivors
Family and friends are extremely worried about the health of Pastor Rudy Palacios and his sister Jessica, both cancer survivors. Jessica underwent surgery last year, and her condition requires regular check-ups.
They have faced this situation amid ongoing police harassment since 2018, which has intensified in recent months with the imposition of “house arrest” and “city arrest” measures.
“Last year the visits became more frequent; it was no longer just monthly visits—they took him to the police for interrogation. This year they started coming every 15 days, and in the last month it was weekly,” the source said.
In July 2018, Pastor Rudy Palacios left the country. He went into exile through the northern border but returned shortly before the pandemic began. He was placed under house arrest and was not allowed to leave his home.
The harsh treatment of him and his family is due to their past ties to the Sandinista Front. His sister Jessica served as a councilor for that party, and Olga María also held a similar position in the Jinotepe municipal government. In 2021, the pastor—who was then the departmental president of the Democratic Restoration Party (PRD) in Carazo—was detained for several hours on his way to a meeting.
However, neither Armando Bermúdez nor Pedro López have any known political activity. Sources believe they are collateral damage because they live with Arely and Jessica Palacios Vargas, respectively.
After the arrest and disappearance of this family group, all their homes are under surveillance by plainclothes police. Despite fearing further reprisals, family members continue to inquire about them at the prisons.
“Until we see them, for us they remain disappeared,” the source concluded.
