Lula classifies the persecution of religious in Nicaragua as a “dispute”

The persecution of religious of the Catholic Church by the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega, in Nicaragua, was classified by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) as just a “dispute”. This statement was made this Tuesday (4th) in an interview with journalists shortly after taking office as the rotating Mercosur presidency, at a ceremony in Puerto Iguazú, Argentina.

The speech took place amid explanations by the president about the need to have a “dialogue” with other countries on the continent, even those where civil liberties are curtailed, such as Nicaragua and Venezuela.

The Central American country has been violating human rights for years, and has engaged in persecution of religious leaders of the Catholic Church for half a decade, in addition to the closure of media outlets. However, even so, Lula does not adopt a more critical tone when dealing with the country’s political regime.

“I made a commitment with Pope Francis to speak with the [presidente da Nicarágua] Daniel Ortega, next week, to talk about the dispute with sectors of the Church. The only thing the Church wants is for Nicaragua to release the bishops”, he said, recalling the promise made to the Catholic leader in June, during a visit to the Vatican.

For the Brazilian president, the “problems of democracy” both in Nicaragua and Venezuela need to be faced, but that the countries cannot be “isolated”. “The defects are multiple, we need to talk to everyone”, he said during the press conference.

Last month, Brazil proposed modifying and softening a draft resolution of the Organization of American States (OAS) that condemns the repression of the government of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua.

Ortega Calls Catholic Church “Mafia”

The Ortega government has already expelled 222 political prisoners from the country, who were transferred to Washington on a plane chartered by the US government, but two of them have refused to leave the country, including Bishop Rolando Álvarez. As a result, the religious was sentenced to 26 prison terms, lost his citizenship and was transferred from house arrest to a prison.

Furthermore, Ortega declared that bilateral relations with the Vatican had been interrupted after having expelled the Nuncio (Vatican Ambassador) Waldemar Stanislaw Sommertag, and the country no longer has an ambassador to the Holy See since September 21, 2021, when Ortega canceled the appointment. by Eliette Ortega Sotomayor.

Nicaragua’s president also described the Catholic Church as a “mafia” and accused it of being undemocratic for not allowing Catholics to elect the pope, cardinals, bishops and priests by direct vote.