(CNN Spanish) – From exile and through a video published on May 10 on his YouTube channel, Monsignor Silvio José Báez, auxiliary bishop of Managua, a critic of the government of Daniel Ortega, expressed that in Nicaragua those in power promote the contagion of coronaviruses because they have not canceled massive concentrations nor do they provide information on the progress of the pandemic.
According to Báez, “it is a regime that has not given clear information, with technical language that can be understood; Not enough testing has been done, there has been no strategy to deal with the pandemic. Hospitals are overwhelmed. “
“This week I have talked with some doctors and some have cried on the other end of the call. Many are suffering with fear; They fear that their titles will be annulled, they fear losing their jobs, and this is what they earn a little to support their families. ”
Five former Nicaraguan Health Ministers sent a letter to the WHO Director, Tedros Ghebreyesus, and to the PAHO Director, Carissa Etienne, on May 11, stating that: “In Nicaragua, no prevention and containment actions were carried out. In the current phase, mitigation work has not been carried out either. This situation is even more serious, considering the limited capacity of the public health system. “
In the communication, the ex-officials express their concern for the health personnel who have worked without means of prevention and, according to the former ministers, they are being forced, under threat of sanctions, to manipulate health information to deny or decrease cases and deaths. “To date, there are a considerable number of professionals infected in the health units, weakening the conditions for the care of those who need them, and there are professionals dismissed on suspicion of having transparently informed the families.” For this reason, they asked to take the necessary measures to curb the impact of the pandemic.
The Nicaraguan government has not officially reacted to this communication from the former ministers. We consulted the government’s Communication Council, but they still do not respond.
During the last appearance on May 5, the secretary general of the Ministry of Health reported that they had 4 positive cases of covid-19 and 16 patients under observation. Covid-19 infected health professionals were not reported.
The World Health Organization until May 9 maintains 16 positive cases of coronavirus and 5 deaths in the country.
Michael G. Kozak, Assistant Secretary of State for US Interim Western Hemisphere Affairs, expressed through his Twitter account that “there are numerous and credible reports of a greater spread of covid-19 in Nicaragua than indicated by official figures. Ortega should adjust to the reality that Nicaraguans live, fulfill the obligations of his mandate and protect the people of Nicaragua. “
During his last presentation on television on April 30, Daniel Ortega indicated that a higher number of infections and deaths was inevitable, but expressed that more people die from chronic diseases and traffic accidents than from coronaviruses and that he could not paralyze the country due to the impact on the economy.
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