The International Christian Service for Solidarity with the Peoples of Latin America “Óscar Romero” (SICSAL) expressed its condemnation of the human rights violations committed since 2018 by the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, against the Nicaraguan population.
“The information that continually reaches us from Nicaragua, the news and the testimonies of people who have had to go into exile or migrate to defend their lives and protect themselves from the constant violations of human rights promoted by the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo with processes of The imprisonment and criminalization of human rights defenders, priests, religious men and women, journalists, political activists and grassroots organizations are a mistake that astonishes us,” SICSAL stated in a statement of solidarity with Nicaragua, published on May 13.
The members of SICSAL, who had a solidarity link with Catholics from the Nicaraguan base during the time of the Sandinista revolution (1979-1990), also expressed their concern about the manipulation of the figure of God that the Ortega regime is carrying out, in particular , Vice President Rosario Murillo.
Related news: Member of the European Parliament requests proof of life of Monsignor Rolando Álvarez
«We are also concerned about the abusive use of religious language aimed at manipulating the conscience of the most impoverished people. For us to believe in God is to practice justice. Using religion for the purpose of legitimizing projects contrary to human dignity and the fundamental rights of the people is blasphemy, if we properly read the message of the Bible”, say grassroots Catholics from various parts of Spain, Belgium and Milan (Italy). ) agglutinated in SICSAL.
They condemn attacks against the church and imprisonment against Monsignor Álvarez
SICSAL condemned the religious persecution undertaken by the Ortega-Murillo family regime against the Nicaraguan Church and praised the “courageous actions” of Bishop Rolando Álvarez, sentenced to 26 years in prison and stripped of his nationality for alleged “treason against the homeland” and “dissemination of false news” against Ortega.
“We are surprised by the repressive actions and violations of the most basic human rights undertaken against the people and at this time against the Catholic Church and the sectors of society that are critical of the neoliberal and capitalist policies promoted by the regime. In this sense, we express our solidarity with the besieged, repressed and unjustly imprisoned pastoral agents, especially with Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, Bishop of Matagalpa, for his courageous prophetic actions alongside the most vulnerable in society”, reads the part core of the statement.
SICSAL members demanded the release of Bishop Álvarez and all the people detained for political reasons in the country and called for an end to the harassment against Nicaraguan Catholics and human rights defenders.
“May the peace that this people yearn for so much be conquered as the fruit of justice. We demand the Ortega y Murillo regime to cease the persecution and criminalization of human rights defenders, the women’s movement, the Catholic Church, and to release political prisoners, including the Bishop of Matagalpa Monsignor Rolando Álvarez,” the statement concluded.
The solidarity statement is supported by the grassroots Catholics of SICSAL in Barcelona, Cantabria, Linares, Murcia, Tarragona, Terrasa, Torrejón de Ardoz (Community of Madrid), Valladolid, Vigo (Galicia), Belgium and Milan (Italy).
