At a press conference held this morning, August 3, more than 70 opposition organizations condemned the “armed assault and the alarming acts” committed by the regime against the Jesus of Divine Mercy church in Sébaco and its parish priest Uriel Vallejos.
“In these moments of pain and anger, we extend our solidarity to all the people of Nicaragua and reiterate our call to the international community, the member states of the Organization of American States, the United Nations, and the Vatican to activate all mechanisms at your disposal to put limits on so many abuses of this dictatorship,” said Ernesto Medina, a member of the organization Espacio de Diálogo y Confluencia de Actores Nicaragüenses.
Related news: Regime continues “war” against the Church: Orders closure of five Catholic stations
Medina questioned that “if there is no respect for the offices of the OAS, nor for the parish houses of the church, what else does the international community want to belligerently assume its role of defending the human rights of a defenseless people that only wants live in peace and democracy?” said the academic, who in turn assured that it is time for international organizations to react and take action.
The organizations asked the “peoples of the world not to leave us alone, silence and inaction make us accomplices.” The virtual conference was focused on denouncing the persecution against the Catholic Church in Sébaco, Matagalpa. Given this, they promised to “work voluntarily and delve into creative, civic and peaceful strategies to achieve the release of political prisoners and the people of Nicaragua as soon as possible.”
This first of August, the Ortega-Murillo dictatorship, through the Nicaraguan Institute of Telecommunications and Post Office (Telcor), ordered the closure of five more stations that were in charge of the Diocese of Matagalpa, directed by Monsignor Rolando Álvarez, one of the bishops persecuted by the Nicaraguan regime.
Related news: Wounded, detained, desecration and shots in the air: this was the police operation against the Church in Sébaco
Radio Hermanos, Radio Stereo Fatima, in Rancho Grande; Radio Our Lady of Lourdes, from La Dalia; Radio Alliens, from San Dionisio; Radio Monte Carmelo, from Río Blanco; and Radio San José, were the six stations annihilated. That same day, the regime also illegally entered the Infant Jesus of Prague chapel, which is adjacent to the Divina Misericordia parish house where Father Uriel Vallejos was staying.
According to images released by the Divina Misericordia parish, where the bells ring as a warning signal, dozens of parishioners came to the place to defend the facilities and equipment of Radio Católica, who were repelled by the police with shots in the air and tear gas.
