AMERICA/NICARAGUA - Mgr. Mata: "The government must defend human rights"

Friday, 13 February 2015

Esteli (Agenzia Fides) - "We have reminded the government its great responsibility to defend human rights (...) and the answer is persecution, violation of laws, murder, destruction": are the strong words used yesterday by the Bishop of Estelí, His Exc. Mgr. Juan Abelardo Mata Guevara, S.D.B., speaking to the local press about the situation in the neighboring diocese of Jinotega.
On January 20, a backpack was handed in a seat of the so-called "armed groups", accused of plotting to overthrow the government, in the district of El Portal, town of Santa María de Pantasma, department of Jinotega. Immediately after delivery, the backpack exploded, killing three people and two were wounded. Despite the Permanent Commission of Human Rights (CPDH) has not yet submitted a final report on the matter, the local community and Mgr. Mata Guevara believe that the army is responsible for this act.
The note sent to Fides reports the declarations of Mgr. Mata: "I met one of the wounded, and although he did not use the word 'army', he told me that there were people in uniform ... As a Church we do not applaud who walks with a gun".
There are some dark aspects, the Bishop said, remembering that on 22 January, the Bishop of Jinotega, His Exc. Mgr. Carlos Herrera, had asked the authorities and the police to clarify the whole affair. Mgr. Mata’s complaint is added to the report of the Centro Nicaragüense de Derechos Humanos (Cenidh). People are losing confidence in the military and in law enforcement.
Mgr. Mata Guevara concluded by stressing that the presence of armed groups in the country does not justify the fact that the rural population of the area is punished in this way, with abandonment, fear, lack of protection, to the point that "even many no longer send their children to school for fear of armed clashes". (CE) (Agenzia Fides 13/02/2015)


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