In recent interviews with international media, the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva, assured that after his meeting in Rome with Pope Francis, he will speak with his counterpart Daniel Ortega about the release of Monsignor Rolando Álvarez.
His statements, in which he also acknowledges that the bishop’s imprisonment is a mistake, come after the strong criticism his government received for trying to soften the proposed resolution on the violation of human rights in Nicaragua and supporting the Ortega regime in the Organization of American States (OAS).
The specialist in religious matters Israel Gonzalez Espinoza stresses that attempts should be made to exhaust the channels of dialogue with the Ortega regime for the release of Monsignor Álvarez.
“It is an infamy that this man, this religious leader, who is also a bishop, one of the most beloved in the country, is imprisoned simply and simply because of a whim of the Nicaraguan government couple and that all he has done is accompany his people in the midst of difficulties, in the midst of an environment that is increasingly repressive and openly hostile against the Christian faith and against the Catholic Church of Nicaragua.
Lula is a channel to reach Ortega
Lula’s statements are for González a sign of concern from the Holy See for the bishop’s imprisonment. «What Pope Francis is trying to do is make use of the ideological harmony that Lula or people close to him, in the Workers’ Party, may have with representatives or people who are linked to the Ortega regime to send him a message advocating for the release of Monsignor Rolando Alvarez».
«It gives the impression that the Brazilian government tried to persuade the Ortega-Murillo regime to cease the repression and open spaces for a dialogue (…) what must be hoped is that the condemnation of Nicaragua is completely solid and forceful and has the participation of the Brazilian government»affirms the ex-guerrilla Dora María Téllez, in relation to the surprising declarations of the president of the South American country.
«Brazil is clear about the situation in Nicaragua. It is possible that this dialogue was carried out internally between Lula and Ortega, not having a response from the Ortega regime is what could have motivated the public statements of the Brazilian ruler”, Téllez considers.
The political scientist and president of the Foundation for Freedom, Félix Maradiaga, also believes that this is a success on the part of the Brazilian government. «Any head of state that advocates for the freedom of Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, any world leader that advocates for the freedom of a bishop who is arbitrarily kidnapped by a dictatorship, is something that we receive with gratitude.».
«Respect for human dignity, for the freedom of the person, respect for the dignity of each human being must not be subject to an ideology, President Lula’s statements, regardless of his ideology and party affiliation, must be received with pleasure, we hope they give results»Maradiaga reiterated.
