The people of Nicaragua call a pilgrimage for the support of bishops

Patricia Ynestroza-Vatican City

While the The population prepares this pilgrimage to express its support to the religious face of physical aggression and slander suffered by the government, the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua is still waiting for a response from Daniel Ortega, if he still wants them mediators. in the national dialogue

A national dialogue has been stopped since July 8

In an interview with Foxnews, Ortega said that he would remain in power until 2021, when the Commission of the national dialogue had asked him to they will advance the elections without running him. Ortega told US media that this week everything is back to normal. That churches and clergy have never been attacked.

Monsignor Carlos Avilés, adviser to the National Dialogue Commission during his interview, said that it was a sovereign lie and a lie. I do not know who he is addressing and to whom he wants to present this image, says the prelate and recalls that two nights ago, in Jinotega, three people were killed by police and repression paramilitary in a neighborhood of this northern city. "I do not know in which country he lives (Ortega) because on the contrary this week was the one of the greatest anguish, because people, paramilitaries, I speak of hooded civilians, supported by the police with weapons of war of high caliber attacking young people and taking people out, kidnapping them, you can not say that they are prisoners because the police took them, but the hoods. So, I do not know in what country, or who speaks Daniel Ortega.

In addition, Bishop Avilés recalled that there are six priests of the diocese of Managua who are threatened with death, the parish of Monimbó, to María Magdalena.They broke all the crystals The parish of Santiago Jinotepe, this Wednesday, July 25, which is the feast of Santiago, also shot on the parish of Diriamba, and in Managua, the parish of Jesus of the Divine Mercy, the cathedral was besieged, only because, he adds, we are opening the tempo to protect the faithful who flee and suffer. "So I do not know in which country this president lives and what image he wants to present and in front of whom … All he said is wrong … There is an open persecution of the Church." He said that bishops are leaders of the coup and that anyone who supports people who walk in protest is a terrorist, so we are all terrorists because we have humanly and peacefully opened doors to people who run, who are flee and who are hurt. "

Ortega, in Foxnews' interview, says that he plans to stay in power until the end of 2021, invokes an institutionality and obeys the Constitution, he who was elected unconstitutionally, says Bishop Aviles, the Constitution already prohibits a third or fourth re-election of this president, and he changed the Constitution by a decree to Elections were "manipulated" and the electoral process was denounced internationally " and as no we are a small country, nobody pays attention to us, but the elections that he won were rigged by the Supreme Electoral Council who came to prepare a fraud, years ago, then that is more unconstitutional than him " . That's why the majority of people ask, says the bishop, that just as it happened irregularly, that the laws be changed, that he anticipates the elections and that he can leave the country in peace, that there are more than 350 dead and we do not want that.

The Church will be on the side of the people with pacifism and radical humanism

The dialogue is stopped. The bishops are still waiting for President Ortega to invite them to resume the dialogue. In this regard, the bishops question the role of the Church in this dialogue.

The Church will always choose the word, for dialogue, it will never close, it will always invoke to speak as rational beings, as thinking beings. You can never resort to violence and urge violence. That is why the Church maintains this attitude of appeal to dialogue, calling consciences. The last message of the bishops to the government called on the conscience to all the parts of the government, to whom it has the responsibility to decide, to the police, so that they become aware, so that they reflect on the command that you will not kill, that is for all things. "The church will always stand on the side of the people, supporting it, helping it, with radical pacifism and radical humanism.Help anyone who comes into our temples, help and offer all that he may. "

The Church Will not Shut Up

Civil society and academic movements call on the population to participate in a pilgrimage, bishops next Saturday, July 28 in Managua. How can we avoid that once again, when they meet in demonstrations, they are marked by violence.

Mons Avilés said that only the appeal to the government to withdraw forces from clashes and police and paramilitary forces, because the violence is unilateral, organized civil society exercises a fundamental civil right, c 39 is protesting peacefully and this can not be denied. And always in peaceful surroundings you can call the authorities not to repress, not to violate this fundamental right.

The prelate also said that there are many years that there is no peace, living with illegality and lack of institutionality. The only ones who still speak are the president and the vice president, no mayor-mayor, no one but the two. There is never a report of anyone, because that is what the president wants. The judicial and electoral system is folded at once, they have bent the police, the courts, all foreigners, there is no difference of institutions that balance the power. And that's what people claim. There is no work, health care and quality public education, not indoctrination of what interests them.

Another appeal to the international community

Mons. Avilés asks the international community to pay some attention to Nicaragua, to show its solidarity, to support it, that it is not a war of two armed factions. It is a peaceful proposal that is violently repressed and unpunished, he said, we all feel frustrated, frightened. We call for solidarity from the international community and we continue to press the Nicaraguan government to do what is necessary for the democratization of the country. That's what we ask. Enter a third millennium in peace, in development, where there is education and health.