The Catholic Church-mediated dialogue in Nicaragua between the Sandinista government of President Daniel Ortega and anti-government protesters has broken down in acrimony.
The president of the bishops’ conference, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes announced late on Wednesday that a decision was made to suspend the process indefinitely. “Given that on this fourth day of dialogue no consensus has been achieved, the bishops are suspending the plenary dialogue,” Cardinal Brenes said. “But they suggest a mixed commission, three from each side, to seek consensus and overcome the impasse.”
Protests erupted in Nicaragua in April after the government of Mr Ortega announced an increase in fees for the country's social security system, which critics say was poorly run and rife with corruption. A heavy-handed government response kept the protests going and swelled its ranks, especially with students and farmers, some of whom had grievances over possibly being displaced by the construction of an inter-oceanic canal.
Announcing its offer earlier this month of acting as mediator, the Church leadership set a deadline of one month on reaching agreements in the dialogue, otherwise it would suspend participation. “We hope that the dialogue covers the strength of institutions in the country with the objective to mark the path towards democratisation. With the good will of both sides, careful listening, and proposals, we hope to reach important agreements that translate into concrete decisions,” the bishops’ conference said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the start of the dialogue last week, that began at the Our Lady of Fatima Inter-diocesan seminary in the west of the capital Managua. “The Secretary-General welcomes the start of a national dialogue led by the Catholic Church in Nicaragua,” said UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, in a statement issued on Friday 18 May. “At the same time, the Secretary-General remains concerned about recent violence and calls on all Nicaraguans to abide by the rule of law, respect for human rights and the peaceful resolution of differences.”
Bishop Juan Mata Guevara of Esteli, the conference secretary-general, told Mr Ortega at the 16 May opening session of the dialogue: “I ask you, Mr President, that you rethink with your Cabinet the path you have taken. It has started - I say this with pain - a non-armed revolution. If you want to dismantle the revolution, it is not a matter of pressure, of rubber bullets or lead bullets.”
Shouts of “killer” could be heard at the opening session as the names of the dead were read. “This is not a roundtable for dialogue,” student leader Lesther Aleman said, addressing the president and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo. “This is a roundtable to negotiate your departure, and you know it.”
On Wednesday negotiations came to a practical halt as opposition sectors – which include private sector representatives and student leaders – demanded the resignation of Mr Ortega, elections and a constituent assembly to reform the constitution.
The bishops suggested a mixed commission of six people: three from the government, and one each from the universities, civil society and the business sector.
The government argued these demands were far outside the realm of the dialogues and Foreign Minister Denis Moncada, who headed the government delegation, said the opposition was using the dialogues to push towards a “soft coup”.
The opposition proposals included a road map to democratic elections, including reforms to the electoral law, moving up elections and prohibiting presidential re-election. “The agenda leads us to one point: a coup d’etat, because it is a map to change the government outside of the constitution and the law,” said Mr Moncada.
On Monday, the bishops denounced death threats against an outspoken bishop, who has voiced support for the students. In a statement dated 22 May, the bishops’ conference said priests and bishops were the objects of “discredit and death threats ... particularly our brother Auxiliary Bishop Silvio Jose Baez of Managua, via journalists and official media outlets and anonymous accounts on social media such as Twitter and Facebook”.
The statement, signed by Bishop Juan Mata Guevara, continued: “In spite of the threats, we remind the aggressors we are a collegial body, and if a bishop or priest is attacked, the Church is attacked. In this decisive hour, we will not give up accompanying all of the Nicaraguan people, who under the blue and white of our flag, have taken to the streets to demand their rights.”
In a report released Monday, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights found that Ortega government violated protesters’ human rights during the unrest, with at least 76 people dead, nearly 900 injured and hundreds arrested. Many of the protesters were students.
The rights commission called for the government to ensure that deadly weapons are not used against protesters, and also said it found evidence of torture, arbitrary arrests and media censorship.
Mr Ortega held power in Nicaragua from the triumph of the Sandinista revolution in 1979 until 1990, when he lost an election, and has been in power since winning back the presidency in 2007.
A poll published May 16 by CID Gallup showed 69 per cent of Nicaraguans want Mr Ortega and Ms Murillo to resign.