No matter how the battle for freedom and democracy of the people of Nicaragua will unfold, the picture taken yesterday in Masaya will remain one of the most symbolic of what has been happening in recent months: Card. Leopoldo Brenes, Archbishop of Managua, his Auxiliary Bishop, Mgr. José Silvio Báez, and the Apostolic Nuncio, Mgr. Waldemar Stanisław Sommertag, accompanied by some priests from the Archdiocese of Managua, make their way through the crowds carrying the Blessed Sacrament in procession. Only a few minutes earlier, panic was palpable in the city of Masaya, known as the cradle of Nicaraguan folklore, a symbol of the Sandinista-led revolution and now symbol of popular action against the Ortega Government. Another day had started, with the city under attack from the Government’s paramilitary and special forces, in a struggle that has been going on for days. The attacks began last Tuesday, after the population had declared a state of rebellion, and left several casualties in the streets.

So yesterday morning, the bishops jumped on a minibus and made a surprise visit to Masaya (which is about thirty kilometres from the capital, in the south-east). This time, the bell towers in Masaya, instead of signalling the arrival of the death squads, rang to welcome the arrival of the bishops, who came – as pointed out by Mgr. Báez – to “prevent another massacre, console our people and pray with them”. Following the procession with the Blessed Sacrament, the delegation was able to enter the police headquarters and speak with Police Chief Ramón Avellán, who was accused by the people of ordering the attacks and the massacres. At the end of the meeting, Card. Brenes told the independent newspaper La Prensa: “We talked for over an hour with police chief Avellán, who has pledged to stop the attacks. The nuncio and myself have demanded the release of all people who have been detained” in recent days. In this regard, the bishops also submitted a detailed list to the authorities. The police chief, Card. Brenes said, “has committed himself to releasing them tomorrow (Friday, editor’s note)”.