Mayor Michael Bloomberg was endorsed last Saturday by the Association of Hispanic Ministers, an ecumenical organization representing 300 Latino clergy members. The endorsement was announced outside of the Missionary Church of Christ in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

“Mike Bloomberg has not only improved schools and created jobs, but he has ensured that all in New York, no matter where they come from, have access to the benefits of that success,” said Bishop Julio Mercado, who identified himself as the president of the Association of Hispanic Ministers.

Mercado added that Bloomberg has assured “all New Yorkers will benefit from the opportunities that this city offers in their own languages, and that is why we are backing him for four more years.”

“Everyone here wants to create a city of opportunity, a place where people work hard and follow their dreams. And to create that city of opportunities means breaking the old barriers,” said Bloomberg, thanking the association for its support.

State Senator Rubén Díaz, meanwhile, said that he is unaware of the existence of the organization endorsing Bloomberg. Díaz, who is also a pastor of the Bronx Christian Church, added that the only organization of Hispanic clergy is the one that he presides over – the Organization of Hispanic Ministers of New York.

When asked about his backing of mayoral candidates Bloomberg and Fernando Ferrer, Díaz said that “neither of the two has anything to offer either biblically or spiritually,” but socially, Ferrer’s platform matches the needs of the community more closely than that of Bloomberg.

“I supported Bloomberg because I thought that he would do a better job. But he disappointed me, particularly because of what he is done against the interests of the elderly and in the field of education,” Díaz said, adding that those are his reasons for believing that Ferrer is a better option, and that he has been advising the pastors in his organization based on those reasons.

Finally, Diaz said that he knows Bishop Julio Mercado, but that the organization he claims to lead does not exist.

“It bothers me deeply that he’s trying to confuse the community,” he added.

Assembly Member Rubén Díaz, son of the minister, said that the endorsement of Bloomberg by an organization that he has never heard of is mysterious

“I was raised in the church environment, and in the past 30 years, the only organization is the Organization of Hispanic Ministers, where my father presides.”

Rubén Díaz, Jr. added: “Millionaire Bloomberg is throwing money at community leaders to buy their support, but at the same time, he’s being surprised by non-existent organizations popping up to fill their pockets.”