CHURCH FEARS FURTHER GRN REPRISALS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01370R000801050013-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 30, 2010
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: July 10, 1984
• Content Type: CABLE

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0 10200OZ JUL 84
FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1434
INFO RUEHLR/CONTADORA COLLECTIVE
RUFHEB/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 082
RUFHOL/AMEMBASSY BONN 439
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 211
RUFHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON 175
RUEHLD/AMEMBASSY LONDON 380
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 336
RUDKSNQ/AMEMBASSY OSLO 068
RUFHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 495
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 590
RUDKSA/AMEMBASSY SOFIA 091
RUDKFMQ/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 125
RUDKGPQ/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 107
RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 116
RUFHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 461
RUEOEHA/USCINCSO QUARRY HTS PN
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C O N F I DENT I A L MANAGUA 3751
ED 1)35: DEVL: 7/10/90
TAGS: PGOV SHUM NU
SUBJECT: CHURCH FEARS FURTHER GRN REPRISALS
1. SUMMARY: FATHER EDDY MONDRAGON OF THE CASA CURAL TOLD POLOFF
JULY 10 THAT NINE OF THE TEN EXPELLED PRIESTS HAD LEFT NICARAGUA
FOR COSTA RICA JULY 9, WHERE THEY WERE MET BY THE ARCHBISHOP.
THE TENTH WAS STILL OT ACCOUNTED FOR, AND PRESUMABLY HAD
NOT YETIBEEN LOCATED BY IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES . MONDRAGON
STATED THE GRN HAD WARNED RADIO CATOLICA IT WOULD BE SHUT
DOWN AFTER THE STATION CHOSE TO PLAY RELIGIOUS MUSIC IN
SUPPORT OF THE EXPELLED PRIESTS INSTEAD OF SCHEDULED
PROGRAMMING. HE ALSO SAID THE CURIA FEARED CHURCH SPOKESMAN
BISMARCK CARBALLO WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO RE-ENTER THE COUNTRY.
ARCHBISHOP OBANDO Y BRAVO AND OTHER CHURCH OFFICIALS TOLD
CODEL NICHBLS THAT A TOTAL OF SIXTEEN PRIESTS AND THREE NUNS
HAD BEEN EXPELLED BY THE GRN AS A REYULT OF THE CHURCH'S
STAND FOR INDEPENDENCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS. ARCHDIOCESAN
PRIESTS WILL MEET TODAY AND TOMORROW TO DECIDE ON A RESPONSE
TO THE GRN'S ACTIONS.(END SUMMARY.)
2. FATHER EDDY MONDRAGON TOLD POLOFF THAT NINE OF THE TEN
PRIESTS HAD BEEN INFORMED JULY 9 BY IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS
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THAT THEIR RESIDENCY HAD BEEN CANCELLD AND HAD BEEN FORCED
TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE AIRPORT FOR IMMEDIATE DEPARTURE TO SAN
JOSE WITHOUT BEING GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE PERSONAL OR PROFESS-
IONAL ARRANGEMENTS. THE TENTH PRIEST, TO HIS KNOWLEDGE ,HAD NOT
YET BEEN LOCATED BY IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES AND WAS STILL
IN NICARAGUA. MONDRAGON STATED THATONLY SOME OF THE PRIESTS
HAD ACTUALLY PARTICIPATED IN THE JULY 9 MARCH IN SUPPORT OF
ACCUSED PRIEST FATHER PENA, AND THAT AT LEAST THREE HAD HAD
NO CONNECTION WITH THE EVENT. THE PRIESTS CAME FROM VARIOUS
PARISHES WITHIN THE ARCHDIOCESE, SOME OF WHICH ARE LOCATED
OUTSIDE THE CITY OF MANAGUA. ONE-EXPELLED PRIEST, FATHER
HUERTAS, WAS THE SECOND PRIEST TO BE EXPELLED FROM THE
MONIMBO AREA OF MASAYA.
3. MONDRAGON SAID HE FEARED REPRISALS HAD NOT YET ENDED.
HE REPORTED THAT RADIO CATOLICA, IN A GESTURE OF SUPPORT,
HAD CHOSEN TO PLAY RELIGIOUS MUSIC INSTEAD OF SCHEDULED
PROGRAMMING. THE GRN OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS WAS AT THAT
MOMENT WARNING THE STATION THAT IT WOULD BE SHUT DOWN IF
IT CONTINUED. THE CURIA HAD ALSO RECEIVED INDICATIONS,
HE YAID, THAT CHURCH SPOKESMAN MONSIGNOR BISMARCK CARBALLO,
CURRENTLY TRAVELING OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY AND SCHEULED TO
RETURN SOMETIME NEXT WEEK, WOULD NOT BE PERMITTED TO RE-
ENTER THE COUNTRY. FATHER PENA'S CASE MIGHT ALSO BE AFFECTED
BY THE ACTIONS, AS IT APPEARED HE WOULD BE PROCESSED BEFORE
THE ANTI-SOMOCIST POPULAR TRIBUNALS, THE PRIEST STATED.
4. SPEAK`TQ CON! NIClOLS, ARCHBISHOP OBANDO Y BRAVO
LAIBIMEO'RIE *eCEft'`IRN ACTONS AND DECLARED THE FSLN
WANTED TO DELIVER A "MORTAL BLOW" AGAINST THE CHURCH.
AUXILIARY BISHOP BOSCO VIVAS ADDED THAT SINCE THE REVOLUTION
THE GRN HAD EXPELLED A TOTAL OF SIXTEEN PRIESTS AND THRREE
NUNS. LITTLE BY LITTLE, HE STATED, GRN ACTS OF CONFRONTATION
WERE BECOMING MORE OVERT AND HARSHER, ESPECIALLY IN MANAGUA.
HE CITED THE ROSTER OF ACCUSATONS MADE AGAINST CHURCH
LEADERS, INCLUDING CASES OF BISHOPS CHARGED WITH ARMS
TRAFFICKING AND THE INCIDENT I WHICHOBANDO Y BRAVO WAS
ACCUSED OF PLANNING AN ANTI-GOVERNMENT DEMONSTRATION WHEN
OBANDO WAS IN FACT OUT OF THE COUNTRY. MONSIGNOR QUINTANILLO,
VICARATE OF CARAZO, ADDED THAT OBANDO'S POSTURE AND THE
RESPECT HE EARNED FROM NICARAGUANS ACROSS THE SOCIAL AND
ECONOMIC SPECTRUMS THREATENED THE GRN. FOR THAT REASON
THEY REACTED SO STRONGLY AGAINST HIM, AND FOR THAT REASON
THE CHURCH WOULD CONTINUE TO SUPPORT HIM.
5. VIVAS THEN READ A TELEGRAM OF SUPPORT RECEIVED BY THE
CURIA FROM THE VATICAN. PARTIAL PARAPHRASED TEXT FOLLOWS:
"... THESE EVENTS ARE EXTREMELY GRAVE AND PAINFUL AS THEY
DEPRIVE THE ARCHDIOCESE OF HARDWORKING PRIESTS. THE HOLY
SEE NOTES WITH SOME SURPRISE THE RAPID ACTION OF THE
GOVERNMENT OF NIARAGUA IN THE SENSE THAT ONLY A FEW HOURS
AFTER YESTERDAY'S DEMONSTRATON, AND WITHOUT ADVISING
EITHER THE EMBASSIES OR THE BISHOPS, THE GRN HAD ARRESTED
AND EXPELLED TEN PRIESTS,WHILE THESE SAME AUTHORITIES DID
NOT ACT WITH SUCH RAPIDITY WHEN MANAGUA CHURCHES WERE BEING
ATTACKED BY TURBAS."
6. VIVAS TOLD POLOFF AFTERWARDS THAT THE DIOCESAN PRIESTS
WERE MEETING JULY 10 TO DECIDE ON A COURSE OF ACTON IN
RESPONSE TO THE DXPULSION.
BERGOLD
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CONFIDENTIAL
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