Bishops Conference Press Release June 23

The Bishops Conference have been asked by the Govt to act as Mediators and Witnesses to the National Dialogue. This is their press release from Saturday, June 23, 2018

PRESS RELEASE JUNE 23, 2018

EPISCOPAL CONFERENCE OF NICARAGUA

The Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua on this occasion wants to exalt once again the nobility of the Nicaraguan peope. We profoundly thank our people for their trust and love.

We also want to show our gratitude to the international community that is accompanying Nicaraguans in their struggle for justice, peace, freedom and the democratization of our Country.

We thank the member countries of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States and its president, the Colombian Ambassador to the OAS, Mr. Andrés González, who have met in an extraordinary session to deal with the issue of Nicaragua.

We are grateful to the Secretary General of the OAS, Mr Luis Almagro, for his declaration made in the heart of that Council. Likewise we express our complete support for the Final Report of the Interamerican Commission on Human Rights and its Executive Secretary, Mr. Paulo Abrao.

We hope that the Permanent Council of the OAS, under International Law, continues strengthening the democratic program of the people of Nicaragua, articulated in the National Dialogue.

On the other hand, we reiterate our complete and total willingness to continue our work of Mediation and Witness to the National Dialogue.

Nevertheless, we see as indispensible that to facilitate our work in favor of Nicaraguans, without any exception, we see that it is necessary that the President of the Republic, Daniel Ortega Saavadra, communicate to us officially and formally his acceptance of the proposal that, bringing together the feelings of the immense majority of Nicaraguans, we presented to him on Thursday June 7 about early general elections for March 2019. This would undoubtably allow us to continue in an agile and concrete way with the sessions of the Work roundtables and the Plenary of the National Dialogue, with the national and international support that the democratic path and the dialogue as such has obtained.

So then we call for the work roundtables to meet on Monday at 10am at the Our Lady of Fatima Interdiocesan Seminary to begin to work on the index that we have proposed.

We pray that the Holy Spirit might illuminate the minds of all Nicaraguas, so that we might know how to assume our own historic responsibility in this moment so decisive for our beloved Country.

Issued in our offices, on the twenty third day of the month of June of 2018. Year of the Lord.

[Signature of the 10 Bishops]