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