AMERICA/NICARAGUA - Mgr. Alvarez Lagos:"Nicaragua is not at war! Buying tanks is contrary to our reality"

Monday, 2 May 2016 bishops   politics   poverty  

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Matagalpa (Agenzia Fides) - "Nicaragua is not at war, Nicaragua does not want war, Nicaragua does not need war, nor heavy combat weapons", said the Bishop of Matagalpa, His Exc. Mgr. Rolando Jose Álvarez Lagos, criticizing the announced purchase of tanks by Daniel Ortega’s government, initiative which he described "contrary to the national reality". Mgr. Alvarez spoke on this issue after the Mass in honor of St. Joseph the Worker, the patron saint of the parish that bears the name of the saint in the municipality of El Tuma-La Dalia, in Matagalpa, celebrated yesterday, May 1.
"We recognize the participation of the army in Nicaragua in humanitarian work, as the fact of protecting agricultural production, cattle raising and even to bring medical assistance to the population, but the militarization of some rural communities has caused fear and panic among the rural population, which is why the announced purchase of tanks is totally contrary to the national reality", said the Bishop in the note sent to Fides from a local source. According to Mgr. Alvarez the money to be spent on the purchase of tanks "could be used to build hospitals, schools, roads, encourage investment and employment. This purchase, as a result, is obsolete and out of context" he concluded.
Data from the local press highlights that Nicaragua wants to purchase 50 T-72 tanks and 62 T-55 tanks, making the Nicaraguan army the largest ground military power in Central America. (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 02/05/2016)


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