Last weekend paramilitaries in Nicaragua attacked the car, which drove local Catholic Bishop.
According to representatives of local human rights organizations, protests against President Daniel Ortega, began on 18 April this year, resulted in the deaths of more than 300 people. The Catholic bishops of the country signaled the attempt of peace talks between the government and opposition groups, reports the Christian megaportal invictory.com with reference to Week.
Bishop Juan Abelardo Mata Guevara (Juan Abelardo Mata Guevara), the head of the diocese of estelí, was attacked in his car at a police checkpoint in Nindirí, approximately 15 miles Southeast of Managua. This occurred on 15 July. The Prelate returned home after committing the Mass. Paramilitaries have damaged the tires and the Windows of the car, which drove Bishop and fired the car.
Along with his driver, the Bishop took refuge in a house that was surrounded by supporters of Ortega. Military verbally abused for 90 minutes. The Prelate could leave the house only after the intervention of the Archdiocese of Managua, which contacted the government, and then to the place of conflict sent to the General Commissioner Ramon Avellana (Avellan Ramon) to ensure the physical safety of the Bishop. Bishop Mata Guevara of Esteli is back in only with the onset of night time.
Bishop Juan Abelardo Mata Guevara is among intermediaries and witnesses in the national dialogue between the government and the opposition.
Also on Sunday, July 15, cardinal Leopoldo Jose Brenes, Solorzano (Leopoldo Jos? Brenes Solorzano), head of the Archdiocese of Managua, reported with regret about another incident: “police and paramilitaries” entered the parish Church and claimed “various facilities of the parish and the priest Jairo Velazquez (Jairo Velasquez)”, which, however, he remained unharmed.
In his statement, cardinal Brenes, Solorzano again urged the government and police to abandon “attacks on the population” and to respect “the Church and guardianship and personal property of priests, which is used in humanitarian activities.”
The Nicaraguan Catholic bishops have declared July 20 a day of prayer and fasting across the country “in compensation for the desecration committed in recent months.”
The statement of the Episcopal conference of Nicaragua, dated 14 July said that since the beginning of the mediation between the government and the opposition in April this year “we witnessed the lack of government political will to sincere dialogue and the search for the real processes, which will lead us to true democracy”. The prelates stated that Ortega’s government refused “to address the Central themes of the agenda of democratization” and floated the paramilitaries. The bishops condemned the repression by the police and paramilitary forces, the attacks “legally and morally condemned”. They have to “sow terror in people, who proved to be peaceful”, say the bishops.
The crisis in Nicaragua began after President Daniel Ortega announced the upcoming social and pension reforms. The changes were soon reversed the face of widespread protests. However, the confrontation between protesters and authorities intensified after security forces killed more than 40 protesters. Anti-government protesters were thrown at security forces from among the regular police, Riot police, paramilitary forces and Pro-government activists. At the same time, the government of Nicaragua stated that the protesters themselves are killing their supporters in order to destabilize the Ortega administration. However, the Catholic Church in Nicaragua acknowledged the justice of the complaints of the protesters.