The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, invited this Tuesday the religious who are “persecuted” by the government of President Daniel Ortega, in Nicaragua, to take refuge in his country, this during his speech before the UN General Assemblywhich takes place in New York.
“I want to announce that Brazil is opening its doors to welcome the persecuted priests and nuns in Nicaragua,” Bolsonaro stressed.
The president’s statement comes in the context of a persecution launched by the Ortega government against the Catholic Church and its priests, whom has called “devils in cassock” and “coup plotters” for criticizing him after the repression of the 2018 protests that left more than 300 dead.
In 2022, Ortega’s attack against the Catholic Church has intensified by imprisoning more than 11 priests, including a bishopin addition to expel the representative of Pope Francis in Nicaragua, the nuncio Waldemar Stanisław Sommertag.
In the same way Ortega has expelled a group of missionaries of the Mother Teresa of Calcutta order and has banned several religious activities, such as processions, alleging “reasons of security and public order.”
Added to this is the exile of a group of priests critical of Ortega, as Monsignor Silvio Báez and Edwin Román, who are refugees in Miami.
“In Nicaragua there simply is no religious freedom, freedom of expression, freedom of movement or civic mobilization. You live repressed. Not even those close to the dictatorship can get to the airport and take a plane, ”he stressed in a past interview with the voice of america Father Edwin Roman.
Pope Francis has spoken lightly about this situation in Nicaragua and he says he has a dialogue with the Ortega administration.
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