The exiled priest Erick Díaz said during a mass with exiled political prisoners, natives of Jinotega, that the Nicaraguan Catholic Church cannot remain silent in the face of the abuses of the Daniel Ortega regime in Nicaragua.
«The Church could not remain silent when the first Nicaraguans were exiled, the Church could not remain silent when they murdered more than 356 young people, the Church could not remain silent when we looked at the brother who was going through pain, the Church only asked peace as is its mission, the Church also asked for justice and freedom, because that has been the church, “he said yesterday, February 19.
From the early hours of Sunday morning, Nicaraguans living in Indianapolis and Chicago began to mobilize in small caravans carrying the blue and white flag, others with the United States flag, to go to the Santa María del Lago parish to participate in the mass where three released political prisoners would be present, two from Jinotega and one from Santo Domingos, Chontales.
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During his homily, Father Díaz assured that since the arrival of the 222 exiled political prisoners, “the Church has been present with each exile, it has been welcoming and supporting with its institutions, with its solidarity, throughout the territories . This is the beauty of the Church », he affirmed.
Torn from the mountain, taken to jail and exile
The religious denounced that thousands of Nicaraguans have had to leave Nicaragua, “for the simple fact of wanting a dignified country for all.” He recalled that all these actions of demands for citizen rights have led many Nicaraguans into exile.
“They have taken away their citizenship and belonging to the homeland, but we Nicaraguans are known, we characterize ourselves as honest, hard-working, fighting, and seasoned people,” he said.
Two of the exiled political prisoners who arrived in this state and who were at Father Erick Díaz’s mass yesterday are humble peasants from the deep mountains of the micro-region of Ayapal, municipality of San José de Bocay, in Jinotega.
Yerlin Uriel Cruz Soto was captured by the police at his home, transferred from Ayapal, then taken to the police unit in the city of Jinotega. There he was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of conspiracy to undermine national integrity and propagation of false news through technology to the detriment of the Nicaraguan State.
Cruz Soto was among the 222 political prisoners exiled and stripped of their citizenship. He arrived in the United States without knowing what to do, he has no family and now he lives thanks to the solidarity of the exiles living in Chicago.
Another victim of the Ortega regime is Antonio Sevilla Zelaya, who spent three years in prison, allegedly for illegal possession of firearms, was tortured, and because of the beatings he received, he lost the hearing in one of his ears.
“First of all, I thank God who gives me the opportunity to be free, this government of this country (United States) and human rights who watch over the difficulties we go through. In prison, I did not have access to talk to other detainees, nor to sunbathe, when my brother came to visit me they gave me 10 minutes, it was very hard for me, in my forty years I had never been in prison, “he recounted.
According to Sevilla Zelaya, the regime’s police were violent towards him. «They crushed me, they lost this side (points to one of his ears with his hands), I only hear from here, (points to his other ear), I was left dead (unconscious) and there were no medicines for me. It was hard », he says very close to breaking.
«I am Nicaraguan and we will return»
The activity ended with a cultural afternoon with Nicaraguan dances and songs. The political prisoners stressed each for their part that they denied having lost their nationality. “I am from Ayapal and no one takes that away, neither law, nor anything,” said Sevilla.
«I do not deny myself my address and I have faith in God that one day I will return to Nicaragua, because it is my country. As long as we are alive and we are free, we are going to think about returning, because we are Nicaraguans, “he maintained.
By United Voices
