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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 MANAGUA 001088 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN SJUSTICE 
DEPT FOR DRL GMAGGIO 
DEPT FOR IRF ABORST 
NSC FOR DFISK 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/21/2018 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KDEM KIRF NU
SUBJECT: NICARAGUA:  CATHOLIC BISHOPS BREAK SILENCE, WARN 
OF 'DARKNESS AND DEATH'S SHADOW' 
 
REF: MANAGUA 955 
 
Classified By: DCM Richard Sanders for reasons 1.4 (b and d) 
 
SUMMARY 
- - - - - 
 
¶1.  (C) In a pastoral letter released August 15, the 
Nicaraguan Episcopal Conference delivered a sharp critique of 
the Ortega government and put on record the Catholic Church's 
deep concern about the deteriorating conditions in the 
country.  The letter also made a strong appeal to all 
Nicaraguans to participate in the November municipal 
elections and to refuse to succumb to indifference and 
apathy.  Without denouncing President Daniel Ortega or any 
political party by name, the bishops warned ominously that 
the country was at risk of falling under the "shadows of 
darkness," authoritarianism, and corruption.  After 
presenting the positive along with the more negative elements 
of the political panorama, the bishops stressed the 
importance of civic participation, government transparency, 
and preserving conditions for a free, fair, and democratic 
electoral process.  Given the current leadership, they worry 
that Nicaragua will be more adversely affected by world 
problems than other countries.  While the Church has 
sometimes been accused of influencing the political arena in 
violation of the secular state, this particular pronouncement 
was welcomed by voices across the political spectrum during a 
week in which the Ortega Administration and its minions 
outdid themselves insulting critics and opponents, and 
demonizing erstwhile allies. END SUMMARY 
 
LIGHTS AND SHADOWS 
- - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶2.  (SBU) To mark the traditional Catholic observance of the 
Feast of the Assumption on August 15, the Episcopal 
Conference of Nicaragua released a pastoral letter rebuking 
the government's administration of the nation's problems, 
particularly those affecting the poor.  Warning of a 
"dangerous" return to authoritarianism and the disappearance 
of ethics in the political community, the bishops exhorted 
all Nicaraguans to remain engaged in the November municipal 
elections.  Titled "Exhortation by the Nicaraguan Bishops 
before the Current Circumstances of the Country and the 2008 
Municipal Elections," the bishops stressed they had a 
pastoral duty to their flock to speak from their faith and 
their heart, and not from a "cold" academic, economic, or 
political viewpoint.  Careful to give credit where credit is 
due, the pastoral letter first acknowledged the few bright 
spots on the horizon, notably the government's efforts to 
address social problems through free healthcare, education, 
and a housing project aimed at the most disadvantaged.  The 
suspension of the energy crisis that had subjected the 
country to daily power outages, and improvements in highway 
repairs were also highlighted.  On the other hand, warned the 
letter, there are currently conditions that could take the 
country into "darkness and the shadow of death" (Luke Ch.1, 
¶V. 79).  They worried that the "dangerous and dark shadow" of 
extreme poverty, hunger, cost of food, escalating oil prices, 
low wages, and other social factors were creating tensions 
that could generate intrafamily violence, abandonment of 
education, cultural stagnation, higher crime, narcotics 
trafficking, illegal land grabs, forced migration, and even 
armed conflict. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Without mentioning Ortega by name, the letter 
rebuked the country's leadership and administration on 
multiple fronts.  Lamenting the lack of "quality" in the 
current government, the bishops observed that the country was 
in the hands of a political system that favored individuals, 
groups in power, and partisan interests which was not only 
disheartening, but "detrimental to the common good." 
Furthermore, the lack of transparency in the management and 
distribution of foreign revenues had not only caused 
consternation and unease among the Nicaraguan people and the 
international donor community, it also signaled the "shadow 
of corruption." 
 
BACK TO AUTHORITARIANISM 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
MANAGUA 00001088  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶4.  (C) The pastoral letter was as much a wake up call to the 
public as a critique of the government's performance.  The 
bishops deemed the government's intolerance of any criticism 
and dissent, closure of democratic spaces, and the 
deterioration of political pluralism as worrisome signs of a 
return to authoritarianism.  They attributed current civic 
indifference and apathy toward the municipal elections and 
other forms of political participation in part to the 
replacement of an "ethical" political discourse to one full 
of "deception, insults...and even slander" and the 
government's systematic attempt to discredit adversaries.  In 
their estimation, a political discourse of vulgarity, 
demagoguery, slander, fanaticism, and repression were 
conducive to dictatorship rather than an authentic democracy. 
Not all forms of criticism, disagreement, and diversity of 
opinions should be seen as an attempt "to destabilize the 
government," they admonished, and anyone who disagrees with 
the political party in power should not be "constantly" 
subjected to insults and recrimination.  Reminding the public 
of the importance of free thought and expression, they also 
proclaimed that the freedom to one's opinion is a fundamental 
human right and a "manifestation of the health of a 
democratic society," contributing to transparency and good 
governance.  (NOTE: During his homily on Sunday August 17 at 
Managua's Metropolitan Cathedral, parish priest Father 
Bismarck Conde reiterated that it was dangerous for the 
government to declare critics as "enemies," asserting that in 
Nicaragua there was a diversity of opinion, and not all 
Nicaraguans "think the same way." END NOTE.) 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The deterioration of social and economic stability 
was also enabling the installation of authoritarianism, 
warned the bishops.  Instead of achieving peace and 
reconciliation, the country was becoming more polarized as a 
result of the confrontational and offensive political 
dialogue.  The constantly negative, combative, and "violent" 
language, used by those in public office was fomenting class 
hatred and division, alienating foreign investment, and 
encouraging exclusion and repression, they observed.  In the 
midst of this creeping "shadow of darkness," the bishops 
exhorted that now more than ever was the time for civic 
activism and election participation. 
 
IMPORTANCE OF CIVIC PARTICIPATION 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The bishops reiterated the importance of the 
citizenry and civic participation throughout the letter. 
Reminding Nicaraguans that their own constitution guarantees 
the right of "every citizen to vote and to be elected," the 
pastoral letter exhorted citizens to take responsibility and 
exercise this right rather than leave the outcome of the 
municipal elections in the "hands of one sector."  Even when 
there were doubts about the transparency of the electoral 
process, citizens must persist with their vote in order to 
elect officials committed to the common good.  They also made 
a call for lay persons and people of faith to become more 
involved in the political field, to promote a more "just 
order for society."  It is important for citizens to have say 
in the political community, quoting Pope John Paul II, in 
order to select the best government officials and "to reject 
those lacking the moral ideals and ethical qualities to 
govern."  According to the bishops, in the absence of proper 
leadership elected by the people through free and fair 
elections, the global crisis will have an even more 
detrimental effect on Nicaragua than on other countries. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  Under the heading "Commitment to Creating the Best 
Electoral Conditions, the pastoral letter then presented an 
outline for how the voters, candidates, election authorities, 
and the media each had a role and responsibility to preserve 
democracy through the electoral process.  They appealed to 
voters to resist the fear of fraud, apathy, partisan 
fanaticism, instability, blackmail, disillusionment, and 
other factors that could adversely affect them at the voting 
booth.  The also reminded them of their obligation to choose 
between "the bad and the good, between the good and the 
best."  The bishops called upon candidates to avoid the 
"injustice" of putting partisan interests ahead of the good 
of the country, and to use language and conduct that 
 
MANAGUA 00001088  003 OF 003 
 
 
demonstrates respect, moderation, realism, and integrity to 
ensure the elections are carried out as "an authentic 
democratic exercise."  They specifically implored candidates 
to not "defraud" the electorate, to set aside their personal 
and partisan interests, and to focus their efforts on 
confronting the serious problems of poverty and hunger. 
 
¶8.  (SBU)  Turning to the Supreme Electoral Council and other 
state institutions, the bishops reminded the authorities of 
their obligation to uphold the law and to guarantee a clean 
and transparent electoral process "based on the truth."  "It 
is time to overcome the temptations that emerge from the 
shadows of evil and to bring to light the moral quality that 
lies within everyone," they counseled.  The bishops also 
advised the media to uphold the truth and adhere to 
objective, professional standards given its influence and 
role in informing the public. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) The letter concluded asserting that the religious 
community also had been called upon to help create and watch 
over a favorable electoral climate and campaign.  The bishops 
explained their pastoral duty was not to interfere in the 
political ambit, but to objectively mediate in preserving 
respect, mutual coexistence, honesty, justice, and peace for 
the people, and to carry out God's work.  They  closed with a 
prayer for the country asking for the divine intervention of 
St. Mary to remove the country from "the shadows of error." 
The letter never mentioned President Ortega nor any member of 
his administration by name.  It was signed by the following 
bishops:  Monsignor Leopoldo Brenes, Archbishop of Managua 
and President of the Episcopal Conference;  Bernardo Hombach, 
Bishop of Granada and Vice President of the Episcopal 
Conference; Juan Abelardo Mata Guevera of Esteli, Socrates 
Rene Sandigo Jiron of Juigalpa, Bosco Vivas Robelo of Leon, 
Jorge Solorzano Perez of Matagalpa, Carlos Enrique Herrera 
Gutierrez of Jinotega, and Pablo Schmitz Simon and David 
Zywiec Sidor both of Bluefields. 
 
NO OFFICIAL COMMENT ON PASTORAL LETTER 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  - - - - 
 
¶10.  (C) Although Daniel Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo, 
who serves inter alia as Director of Communications and 
Citizenry, have been verbally sniping at and insulting their 
critics throughout the week, the FSLN political apparatus 
avoided responding directly to the pastoral letter.  However, 
in a defensive speech delivered in Jinotega the same day the 
pastoral letter became public, President Ortega continued to 
lambaste those who comment negatively about his 
administration, seeking to disparage opponents for simply 
criticizing his governance rather than offering any concrete 
proposals for the country. 
 
COMMENT 
- - - - 
 
¶11.  (C) Although the Nicaraguan Catholic hierarchy, 
particularly Monsignors Brenes and Hombach, have typically 
sought to maintain a distance from the political sphere (ref 
A.), the severity of this pastoral letter signals that the 
Church is no longer content to remain bystanders as the 
country careens from bad to worse with Ortega-Murillo at the 
helm.  Some pundits have deemed the letter "prophetic."  The 
significance of the municipal elections has compelled the top 
church leadership to weigh in before the outcome 
paradoxically paves the way for authoritarianism and greater 
polarization.  The pastoral letter capped off a week of 
intense criticism by local media and outside observers 
against the various mishaps of President Ortega, most notably 
the remarks by former Mexican President Vicente Fox, Swedish 
Ambassador to Nicaragua Eva Zetterburg, and Paraguayan 
Minister for Women Gloria Rubin (septel).  But while it has 
had few inhibitions in unleashing invective against its 
perceived adversaries, it will be difficult for the Ortega 
team to try to discredit the Catholic Church to its advantage. 
 
 
CALLAHAN