One Year After The Unjustified Confiscation Of The UCA, Government Repression Continues, The Demand For Justice Increases.
The Central American Province of the Society of Jesus, with deep pain and indignation, but with unshakeable hope and an unwavering demand for justice, finds it necessary:
1. To remember that today marks the first anniversary of the unpunished and unjustified confiscation, by the Government of Nicaragua, of the Central American University, its research centers, libraries, collections of historical documents, catalogs of natural resources, properties, and financial resources.
2. To reiterate that all of this has done inestimable damage to the scientific and cultural heritage of Nicaragua and continues to be a grave violation of the right to education of thousands of young people who were studying at the UCA or intended to do so; to the academic freedom of hundreds of teachers who were contributing to the cultural and scientific development of the country; to the right to work of all university staff; and to the property rights of the Society of Jesus; in addition to being a serious violation of the inalienable right to due legal process and legitimate defense.
3. To emphasize that this aggression is framed in a national context of systematic repression, which lamentably continues to this day, against any person or institution suspected of not agreeing with the regime, including religious institutions of various denominations. This repression has been described as a “crime against humanity” by the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua formed by the United Nations Human Rights Council.
4. To stand in solidarity with all the other victims who have suffered this repression and join with all those who are hoping and demanding that justice be done for them, that what was confiscated be returned and that the damage caused by the current regime be repaired.
5. To continue asking the Government of Nicaragua:
a. To stop the repression, stop committing systematic violations of human rights, and release the political prisoners.
b. To accept the search for a rational solution in which truth, justice, dialogue, academic freedom, and respect for the rule of law prevail.
6. To reiterate the commitment of the Jesuits with the Nicaraguan people in favor of inclusive quality education, inspired by the Gospel of Jesus Christ; and also to gratefully acknowledge the countless expressions of recognition, support, and solidarity that we have received and continue to receive in Nicaragua and worldwide in the face of these growing abuses.
San Salvador, El Salvador, 15 de agosto 2024
original language: Spanish
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