Ortega Orders Arrest of Former Ambassador Edgar Parrales
By Octavio Enriquez (Confidencial)
HAVANA TIMES – Edgar Parrales, a former representative of Nicaragua before the Organization of American States (OAS) of the Sandinista government in the 1980s, was abducted this Monday by the police, reported his family. For years, the former priest has been a courageous political analyst often consulted by the media.
Parrales is 79 years old, he is one of the most knowledgeable sources on religious and diplomatic issues and he offered his opinions without hiding his identity as other experts do to protect their safety, amid the repressive escalation established by the Ortega regime since last May.
His wife, Carmen Dolores Cordova, said that the analyst was arrested when he left his house in Los Robles to go to the bank. “It was about two in the afternoon, he yelled they are taking me against my will,” she said.
Briefly, she explained that the detention is “a bomb” for the health of her husband, who must be careful with his feeding, because ten years ago he underwent surgery on the large intestine. Cordova assured that if he stops eating, his digestive system will become imbalanced.
He was under surveillance
The wife of the former ambassador also confirmed that for months their home has been under surveillance by Ortega’s agents.
Last Friday, Parrales gave an interview to Confidencial where he analyzed the Government’s latest decision to remove the dean of the diplomatic corps from the Apostolic Nuncio Waldemar Stalislaw Sommertag, which the ecclesiastical expert called an affront to the Catholic Church, “an act of revenge.”
“The Episcopal Conference has an attitude of non-confrontation with the Government, but of defense of ethical, moral and civic values that are in line with the religion. Since the international community has been practically cornering them (the Government), they are upset,” Parrales said in that interview.
Ortega’s decision to remove the deanship from the representative of Pope Francis in Nicaragua, was made possible through his reform by decree of the State protocol.
Parrales also referred in other media to the consequences that Nicaragua’s exit from the OAS could bring to the country. The process lasts two years and paves the way for the suspension of the country in the body, according to experts consulted by Confidencial.
The analyst joins the over 40 detainees since last May, held incommunicado, prior to the bogus voting on November 7th. Ortega assigned himself a fourth consecutive term, with his wife again as VP, eliminating political competition by arresting seven presidential candidates vying to run against him.