The pastor and five of his family members killed in Nicaragua. Paramilitary forces attacked the house of an Evangelical leader, using the “Molotov cocktails” after he refused to allow snipers to use the building to suppress anti-government protests, the newspaper reports evangelicalfocus.com citing Actualidad Evang?lica.
Deep socio-political crisis in Nicaragua led to the deaths of almost 200 people since mid-April this year, reports the Week.
The Evangelical pastor, his wife and four other members of the family (including two children) were killed by members of Pro-government paramilitary group. They threw Molotov cocktails at the pastor’s house and the result burned it. Pastor Oscar Velasquez Pavone (?scar Vel?squez Pav?n) and his wife Maritza Lopez (Maritza L?pez) refused to open his house to the representatives of the Sandinista paramilitary forces who support President Daniel Ortega during clashes with opposition groups across the country.
Representatives of the Sandinistas allegedly wanted to use the third floor of the house of a Christian family that snipers were shooting from there on the participants of the planned demonstration, which Belp to go in the neighborhood.
A paramilitary group set fire to the house, where eight people were inside. The victims of the arson became the pastor Velasquez, his wife Maritza, son Alfredo, daughter Mercedes and grandchildren of Mathias (3 months) and Danieli (3 years). The other two members of the family were able to escape from the house.
Relatives, members of the Evangelical Church and friends mourn slain pastor and his family members. Sunday, 17 June 2018, the Church is “Christian center of the Apostolic Ministry” Bella-Horizonte made the funeral prayer for the victims and called for justice.
Nicaragua is experiencing a severe crisis after the failed reform of social security system, which led to protests against President Ortega in power for 11 years.