Latin American Christian Leaders Express Indignation

Latin American Christian Leaders Express Indignation over U.S. Budget Decisions and Failure to Protect The Poor

08.18.2011
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

We are fellow believers with you in the God who has never ceased reaching out to defend the poor and the excluded. We view with deep concern recent decisions in the United States that will add to the suffering of the most vulnerable members of US society.

As people of faith who have ourselves lived through economic and political turbulence in recent decades, we join with US religious leaders from all Christian faith traditions who are fulfilling their prophetic role by standing in solidarity with the poor. In such times, faith leaders must be true to their vocation and amplify the voices of the vulnerable millions that have been excluded from the heated political debates that have raged in Washington.

Those who govern should know that the decisions made in your country have consequences for the economies of other nations around the world. In the medium and long term, they will affect the lives of millions of people in the countries of the Global South. It seems to us immoral that politicians, with some exceptions, embrace only the interests of the wealthy, preferring to cut social assistance to those in greatest need.

We know the generosity and solidarity of the American people and the assistance programs to the poor that operate through churches and civil society organizations in Latin America. It is therefore inconceivable to us that the wealthy make no effort to take responsibility for the debt generated by the country as a whole. Paying more taxes will not bankrupt them. Cutting social benefits jeopardizes the lives of the retired, the sick and others who are in need. Is this not brutally unjust?

Therefore we, the undersigned Christian leaders of Latin America, write to express our solidarity with the people of the United States, especially those who embrace Christianity, who call for a true and just resolution to this crisis — a crisis that is not only economic, but also, and above all, moral.

We encourage you to join the efforts of various churches, including those called .Circle of Protection.. Our prayers are with you, dear brothers and sisters in the faith. Do not falter in your efforts, although these may be lonely times for people whose prophetic voice the politicians seem not to want to hear.

God is watching the politicians and will not stop telling them: “Give justice to the poor!” (Psalm 82:3)

(Signatories…)

Darío López, Pastor, President CONEP-National Evangelical Council of Peru
Estuardo López, Pastor, President Evangelical Fellowship of Ecuador
Nilton Giese, General Secretary- Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI)
Alberto Solorzano, Pastor, President –Evangelical Fellowship of Honduras
Hugo Armand, President, Federation of Evangelical Churches, Uruguay
Munir Chiquie, Pastor, President Association of United Churches of Cochabamba- Bolivia
Dario Barolin, Executive Secretary, Association of Reformed and Presbyterian Churches of Latin America

(AIPRAL)

César Parra, Pastor, Treasure, Latin American Fellowship of Evangelical Churches (CONELA)
Victor Rey, President- Latin-American Theological Fellowship (FTL)
Jorge Machado, Executive Director – Evangelical Fellowship of Honduras
Eduardo Martínez D, Bishop, Conference of Bishops and Presidents-Lutheran Church, Latin America
Rene Padilla, Theologian, President (e) KAIROS Foundation, Argentina
Harold Segura, Baptist pastor, World Vision – Latin America, Costa Rica
Ruth Alvarado, Coordinator – Micah Network in Latin America.
Clemir Fernandes, Pastor, Coordinator- Evangelical Network of Social Action (RENAS), Brazil
Raúl Sosa, President – Methodist Church of Uruguay
Enrique Pinedo, Pastor, General Secretary- Together for Children Movement – Latin America
Frank De Nully Brown, Bishop of Methodist Church of Argentina
Wellington Santos, Baptist pastor- Brazilian Alliance of Baptist Churches
José Egas, President- Lutheran Church of Ecuador
Cesar Monserrate, President – National Network of Prayer, Ecuador
Erika Izquierdo, Micah Challenge, Latin America
Aldo M. Etchegoyen- Bishop (E) Methodist Church of Argentina
Rafael Goto, Pastor, member of Reparations Council, Perú
Nicolas Panotto- Coordinator- FTL Argentinean Theological Fellowship, Bs As., Argentina
Samuel Carpio, Bishop- Church of God, Ecuador
Odja Barros, Baptist Pastor, Baptist Churches Alliance, Brazil
Daniel Favaro, Pastor, Superintendent – Methodist Church, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
David Aguirre, President- Council of Evangelical Ministers, Ecuador
Juan Gattinoni – Coordinator, Latin American Council of Churches –CLAI Southern Cone
Leonardo Alvarez, Pastor and Musician – New Creation Community, Chile
Moisés Pérez, Pastor – Lutheran Church, México
Noemí Flores, Pentecostal Pastor, Cochabamba-Bolivia.
Gerardo Oberman, President- Reformed Churches of Argentina
Vitalino Similox, General Secretary, Christian Ecumenical Council, Guatemala
Diego Higuita, Executive Secretary, Presbiterian Church, Colombia
Enrique Alva, Pastor, National President, IEP Peruvian Evangelical Church, Peru

Alfonso Wieland, Co-Director- .Peace and Hope International., Peru-USA
Carmen Alvarez, Regional Director – .VIVA Together for Children., Costa Rica
Vilma Balmaceda, Professor, Latin American Network of Christian Lawyers
Fernando Rodríguez , pastor- Free Brothers Church. Ombudsman, Montevideo – Uruguay.
Mario Vásquez, Director-Compassion International in Bolivia.
Eugenio Araiza, Director AMEXTRA Association, México
Alexis Pacheco, Coordinator, Tearfund UK, Central America-Honduras
José Vinces, Pastor, Director- .Paz y Esperanza. , Ecuador.
Yerko Arévalo, Director .VIVA- Together for Children. Bolivia.
Daniel Ruffinatti – President –Evangelical Foundation .SACDEM. Argentina
Franklin David del Cid. Coordinator – Ecumenical observatory of Human Rights, Honduras
Germán Vargas, Director- .Paz y Esperanza. , Peru.
Graciela de Celis – Coordinator- Together for Children Movement – Southern Cone
Germán Zijlstra, Ecumenical Network of Lay Centers-OIKOSNET, Latin America
Rosa Camargo, Coordinator- .Tearfund.-UK, Andean Region, Colombia
Eliana Rolemberg – Director- Ecumenical Coordinator of service, (CESE), Brasil
Carlos Tinajero, Pastor, President- Hands of Compassion Foundation, Ecuador
Eva Morales G, Director- .Paz y Esperanza., Bolivia
Axel Suquen, Director- Vida Association, Guatemala
Alicia Casas Gorgal, Coordinator- CLAVES Programs, Uruguay
Natanael Disla, Baptist Church, Together for Children Movement, República Dominicana

Esteban Voth, Coordinator of Translations, United Bible Society, Latin America
Marcelo Peredo Paz, United Bible Society- Bolivia.
Jesiel Carvajal, Pastor, President, United Bible Society, Ecuador
Alejandro Silva, Director, Biblical League of Peru

Violeta Rocha, Rector- Latin American Biblical University (UBL), Costa Rica
Walter Manzo, Latina American Christian University, Ecuador
Zeneida Campoverde, Dean -Biblical Seminary .Mizpa., Ecuador.
Mercio Meneghetti, Methodist pastor, Director – Instituto Crandon de Montevideo, Uruguay.
Parrish Jacome, Pastor, Dean- Baptist Seminary, Ecuador
Héctor Leites, Director- Biblical Seminary of Faith, Uruguay.
Javier Ulloa, Dean – Baptist Seminary of Mexico
Durvalina B. Bezerra, Missionária e diretora do Seminário Betel Brasileiro, Brasil
Milton Mejía, Professor – Reformed University Corporation, Colombia
Dan Gonzales Ortega, Reverend, Dean .Comunidad Teologica. Mexico
Jose D. Rodríguez, Dean-University Institute ISEDET, Argentina

Luis Cesari, Director- Youth for Christ, Uruguay
Luciano Pereira, Methodist pastor, President – da Missão Judeus por Jesus/ Brasil.
Victor Pío. Director- Mosoj Chasqui Radio, Bolivia
Flavio Conrado, Director, magazine NOVOS DIALOGOS, Brasil
Germán Ricca, Christ for the City Movement, Argentina
Nelsa Zolezzi, Director- Christian Development, Peru
Uton Arroyo, Assembly of God Pastor, President- .Contact. Ministry, Ecuador
Manuel Arguello, Evangelical Community Center .Cielos Abiertos. , Córdoba, Argentina
Hugo Píriz, Coordinator- Christian Movement .Together for the Children., Uruguay.
Héctor Franco, General Secretary – Biblical University Association (ABUA), Argentina.
David Bahena, Coordinator- International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES), Mexico, Central

America and Panama

William Maida Antonio. Christian University Community of Bolivia
Ricardo Wesley M. Borges, Missionary, Christian University Community of Uruguay
Alma Orellana, Pastor, Network of Supportive Women, Ecuador
María Pia Huebe, President, Viva Network, Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Pilar Vicentelo, Director- .Vida Abundante. Christians for Sustainable Development, Perú
Liz Moscoso Bolivar, Habitat for Humanity-Santa Cruz Bolivia.
Nubia Gisela Santos Mangual, Coodinator Women and Gender Justice, CLAI
Malena Manzatto, President. .Pablo Besson. Development Centre, Argentina
Germán Zárate Durier, Coordinador, Deacon Officce, Presbiterian Church Colombia

Samuel Ramirez, President- Indigenous Association of Peruvian Amazonia
Rafael Ahuanari, Director- Fellowship of indigenous evangelical churches of Peruvian Amazonia
Choque Chiqueno, Pastor, Ayoreos Church (Indigenous Group) , Bolivia
Juan Carlos Sánchez, Missionary among indigenous communities in Peru
Victor Vaca, Pastor, Guarani Church, Bolivia
Irma Espinoza, Missionary, Coordinator- Christian Amazonian Networks for Latin America.

Eduardo Arboccó, Pastor and National Secretary, IEP Peruvian Evangelical Church, Peru
Miguel Mamani, Pastor, UCE Church-Villa Israel-Cochabamba-Bolivia.
Rioni Mostacedo, Baptist Pastor, Los Lotes Church, Santa Cruz, Bolivia
Angel Manzo, Pastor- Christian and Missionary Alliance, Ecuador
Eduardo Flores, Pentecostal Pastor, Cochabamba, Bolivia
Rigoberto Ulloa Carbajal. Senior Pastor, Christian Church .Agape.- Honduras
Mercio Meneghetti, Pastor, Methodist Church , Uruguay
Loyda Sanabria, UCE Evangelical Christian United-Cochabamba, Bolivia.
Manuel Velazquez Janampa, Pastor, Evangelical Pentecostal Church, Lima, Peru
Miguel Angel Zandrino, Pastor- Free Brothers Church, Villa María, Argentina
William Vilca, Pastor – Baptist Church .El Buen Samaritano., Santa Cruz-Bolivia.
Benjamin Bravo G, Pastor, Peruvian Evangelical Church (IEP), Peru
Miguel Mamani, Pastor, UCE-Villa Israel-Cochabamba-Bolivia.
Luis Pérez Seggiaro – Pastor – Evangelical Christian Church – Córdoba – Argentina
Elvis Trujillo Pastor .Cristo es la Respuesta., Assembly of God. Huánuco, Peru
Pablo Catania, Pastor, Baptist Church .Alta Gracia., Córdoba, Argentina.
Richard Arias, Pastor, President Austro Pastors Fellowship, Ecuador
Alex Chiang, Pastor, International Preacher, Peru
Juan Carlos La Fuente, Pastor, FTL Coordinator, Bolivia
Jairo Barriga, Executive Secretary, Presbiterio de la Costa Norte, Presbyterian Church, Colombia
Francisco Canelos, CLAI, Latin America Council of Churches
Rolando Perez, Advocacy Director .Peace and Hope International. Peru