A letter of faith and solidarity

I have read and am pleasantly surprised by the open letter written to the Nicaraguan government and signed by more than 400 people of different faiths expressing their solidarity with our suffering.  As the mother of Ana Margarita Vijil and the grandmother of Tamara Davila, both political prisoners who have been held in isolation with no communication for exactly 10 months and thinking of the other 180 political prisoners and their families, I want to express my deepest gratitude for the generosity of the letter.

I am deeply touched by the gesture of people who, without knowing us, identify with our suffering and the terrible situation that we are facing. They share the pain of the families of the dead, the suffering of those injured during the conflict and the suffering of the migrants who have been forced to leave their country as a result of the conflict that began in 2018.

The letter demonstrates how faith and solidarity crosses borders and strengthens the spirit. In my Catholic faith we speak of the “communion of saints” which is the spiritual union of the living and the dead. In this case it is the union expressed by people who believe in justice and stand in solidarity with their sisters and brothers who suffer. There is strength in that spiritual connection.

Today is Holy Monday and it is my 78th birthday.  Tomorrow is April 12th, and it is my great granddaughter’s 6th birthday, and she will not be able to be with her mother Tamara.  During these ten long months in isolation my great granddaughter has not been allowed to see her mother which is torture, cruel and inhumane for her and for the whole family.

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In the midst of my pain, the compassion reflected in the letter serves as a healing salve on my broken heart. This Holy Week as we commemorate the Death and Resurrection of our Lord, I carry my own personal cross and I stand in solidarity with all those who suffer like me. I am grateful for the generous gesture of so many people who, without knowing us, have raised their voice in favor of justice.

My plea is that the government stop the repression and begin to practice compassion towards its people. The power is in their hands. My plea is for freedom of all the political prisoners because they are innocent. I ask the God of Life, wholeheartedly, to show God’s justice and mercy during this Holy Week.

This article was originally published in Spanish in Confidencial and translated by Havana Times