Mothers and relatives of civilians murdered by the Nicaraguan Ortega-Murillo dictatorship remembered their loved ones at a special mass on the 1st June 2025 in Costa Rica
Newsroom (June 03, 2025, 10:30, Gaudium Press) In a powerful homily on Sunday, June 1, Father Rafael Aragón of San Isidro Labrador Church in Coronado, Costa Rica, denounced Nicaraguan Vice President Rosario Murillo during a Mass commemorating the mothers of those killed in the May 30, 2018, massacre. The service, attended by dozens of exiled Nicaraguan mothers, became a rallying cry for justice against the Ortega-Murillo regime.
“How Can a Woman Preach Love While Promoting Hatred?”
Addressing a packed congregation, Father Aragón directed sharp criticism at Murillo, questioning her rhetoric of peace amid the regime’s brutal repression.
“How can a woman promote hatred and revenge against people in her own circle and still spout off words of love and peace every day?” he asked. “One can only understand this from a mentality filled with cynicism and absolute inhumanity.”
The priest, a longtime advocate for Nicaraguan exiles, spoke as grieving mothers held photos of their slain children—many of them young protesters killed in the 2018 crackdown.
“No Leader Can Rule with Bloodstained Hands”
Aragón condemned the Ortega-Murillo government’s authoritarianism, stating that true leadership cannot coexist with exclusion and violence.
“Touching God with hands stained with blood and a heart filled with hate cannot be a positive sign for the future of a people,” he said. “No one can consider themselves a leader if their mentality is to exclude others, denying the very identity of their citizens.”
His words resonated deeply with attendees, many of whom remain displaced in Costa Rica, still seeking accountability for the crimes committed by the regime.
Justice, Memory, and Solidarity
Following the Mass, the parish hosted an exhibition of portraits honoring victims of state violence, alongside a symbolic rally and cultural event. The Mothers of April Association (AMA) reaffirmed its demand for justice, declaring, “Our right to live in freedom, with faith and free thought, has not expired due to exile or repression.”
A proclamation from the opposition coalition Blue and White National Unity (UNAB) was also read, expressing solidarity with grieving families and political prisoners. The event highlighted the transnational nature of Nicaragua’s struggle, with simultaneous commemorations held in the U.S., Spain, and other countries with large Nicaraguan diasporas.
“Peace Cannot Be Built on Forgetting”
Reflecting on Nicaragua’s history of conflict, Father Aragón recalled his work in the 1990s with mothers who lost children on both sides of the civil war. While some found reconciliation, he stressed that true peace requires justice.
“This reconciliation does not invalidate the need for justice to overcome abuses of power,” he said. “Forgetting is not an option.”
The Mass concluded with a quiet gathering outside the church, where families stood in solidarity—a testament to their unbroken resolve in the face of tyranny.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from La Prensani
Related Images:
