wfn.org | Nicaragua Security Increased for Pope's Visit

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     ALC Director                  Latin American and Caribbean 
  foshige@alc.org.pe              Communication Agency Telephone
    (51-1) 2211488                    Jose Maria Eguren 189
   Telefax 2212877                         Lima 18 Peru

 030/96
 
MANAGUA, Nicaragua, Jan. 20 (ALC). Six thousand police and military
officers will protect Pope John Paul the II in his second visit to
Nicaragua next February 7. This group will also include first aid brigades
from the Red Cross and the Ministry of Health.
 
Preparations for the Pope's visit began several weeks ago. However, the
religious atmosphere created by the event has not managed to counteract the
enormous social problems confronted by this Central American nation with 4
million inhabitants.
 
Election campaigns have reopened old wounds. This has been compounded by
student protests and demonstrations on the part of a growing unemployed
sector. 
 
Julio Orozco, university leader, announced that he plans to send a letter
to the Pope to inform him about the struggle and about the chaotic
situation in the country faced by the least favoured groups due to the
current crisis. 
 
Cardinal Miguel Obando y Bravo called on the police to act prudently after
student and union leaders denounced that security forces were preparing an
operation to seize weapons and detain Sandinista or former Contra activists
who were planning protests before the Pope's arrival.
 
As the visit draws near security efforts are increasing. However, the
Government Ministry recently denied the existence of such operation.
 
Cardinal Obando stated that at least 1 million people are expected for the
Pope's welcome after reiterating his request that police act with
"sufficient prudence and maturity, without mistreating anyone."
 
"We are men of faith, hope, and we trust that the Lord will protect the
Pope and the people will also protect him. I do not believe there will be
any obstacles," he affirmed.
 
A week ago preparations for the Pope's visit confronted the difficulty of
not having a "Pope mobile," an armoured car used by the head of the
Catholic Church during his visit. Cardinal Obando informed the public that
one would be borrowed from Chile although the ideal "would have been to
build one here."
 
The Pope will leave Rome February 5 en route to Guatemala were he will stay
for two days in order to participate in a Eucharistic Concentration in
Valle de Maria in Esquipulas and another in the Campo de Marte in Guatemala
city. The following day he will travel to Nicaragua and return to Guatemala
the same night. On Feb. 8 he will visit El Salvador and will travel to
Venezuela the following day.  (END).
 
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