The Blue and White National Unity (Unab) demanded from the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo a “Stop the repressive escalation!” after the recent events of religious persecution of the bishops and priests of the Catholic Church; independent media; non-governmental organizations and the opposition that resists from Nicaragua.
At a press conference, the opposition organization pointed out that this new attack by the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship “is part of its totalitarian desire to eliminate any independent space” that seeks to restrict religious freedom, association and expression that are enshrined in the Constitution. Politics of the Republic of Nicaragua.
«The most relevant expression of this escalation has been the raid last Friday, August 19, of the Episcopal Curia of Matagalpa, followed by the arrest of Bishop Rolando Álvarez and his six companions, including four priests, after two weeks of confinement fenced by the regime’s police forces,” said Enrique Martínez, a member of the Political Council of Unab.
Unab’s demands
The opposition organization reiterates its demands to the dictatorship such as the release of all political prisoners, which would already number more than 200, the end of isolation, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment until they are released. “The state of exception is in fact maintained throughout the national territory and the regime, incapable of governing, only represses through the use of brute force,” said Martínez de la Unab.
They also demanded from Ortega the “full and unequivocal fulfillment of the commitments signed by the regime in the frustrated dialogue of March 2019 and the safe and guaranteed return of all exiles.”
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Unab thanked Pope Francis for his attention to the situation that Nicaragua is experiencing in recent months, mainly due to the kidnapping of the Bishop of Matagalpa, Monsignor Rolando Álvarez. The opponents expressed their solidarity with the cardinal, the ten priests imprisoned by the dictatorship and the Catholic parishioners who are deprived of the physical presence of their pastors who are in captivity.
In addition, they renewed their call to the international community to act decisively in the face of the seriousness of the events that are taking place in Nicaragua, going beyond declarations to actions to weaken the dictatorship.
In its repressive escalation against the Church, the dictatorship ordered priests to be besieged, chapels to be desecrated, Catholic media outlets to be closed, and the bishop of Matagalpa to be imprisoned in his home in Managua.
