The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) condemns the recent wave of attacks and threats by the Daniel Ortega regime against the Catholic Church in Nicaragua. They demand that the dictatorship put an end to the repression against the people.
In addition, the agency rejected the repressive action of the Ortega-Murillo administration, which, through the Nicaraguan Institute of Telecommunications and Post Office (TELCOR) – the country’s communications regulator – ordered the elimination of cable television programming from the grid. the signal of the Catholic Channel, the official communication medium of the Nicaraguan Catholic Church.
In a releasethe IACHR revealed that “although the elimination of the channel was publicly announced by one of the main telecommunications companies (Claro Nicaragua) in the country on May 20, at least four other large cable operators and a number of undetermined number of local operators so, in accordance with current regulations, they were forced to eliminate the aforementioned channel.
Related news: Ortega Regime Orders Claro to Eliminate Canal Católico
The recent onslaught by the Ortega dictatorship came after reports of persecution and harassment against religious leaders, which intensified in the third week of May. In addition, there was “fear and secrecy in the cable operators to give additional information about the situation,” said the regional entity.
“Likewise, these events occur in a context of persecution, harassment, harassment, police siege and stigmatizing statements by the highest state authorities and police officers against members of the Catholic Church,” he adds.
Recently the Police have started a wave of siege against Catholic priests, among them is the father Harvey Padilla, parish priest of the San Juan Bautista church in Masaya, Father Uriel Vallejo, parish priest in Sébaco, Matagalpa, and from Thursday, May 19, Monsignor Roland Alvarez, Bishop of the Diocese of Matagalpa.
According to what is established in article 12.3 of the American Convention, “the order to exclude Canal Católico from the programming grid could constitute an arbitrary limitation on the dissemination of religion and beliefs and, considering the current context, could also represent retaliation against the church for its role as mediator and companion of the victims of the human rights crisis,” the agency said.
The IACHR demanded that the Ortega-Murillo administration cease the constant attacks against the Catholic Church and urged the presidential couple “to refrain from using their powers in telecommunications as an indirect measure to limit or prevent the circulation of information, ideas and opinions”.
In addition, he demanded that the Ortega regime “reestablish the transmission permit of the Catholic Channel and thus guarantee the diversity and plurality of voices.”
