Nicaragua

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blindpig
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Re: Nicaragua

Post by blindpig » Sat Dec 07, 2024 3:13 pm

NicaNotes: Biden declares another “national emergency” because of the threat posed by tiny Nicaragua
December 5, 2024
By John Perry

(John Perry is based in Masaya, Nicaragua, and writes for the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, London Review of Books, FAIR, Covert Action Magazine and others. This article was first published in Popular Resistance on Nov. 26, 2024.)

In the dying days of his administration, President Biden must have needed a reminder by his officials on November 22. He had to decide whether Nicaragua still posed an “unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States”. Presumably he agreed that it did, because he renewed its status as a “national security threat” for a further year, repeating the designation that first began under the last Trump presidency.

As figures from the Latin America Security and Defense Network show, this “threat” comes from a state which spends less of its national income on defense than almost any other country in the hemisphere. It even spends slightly less than neighboring Costa Rica, which has no army. Its total national income (GDP) is the equivalent of a small US city. Its seven million people have the second lowest income per capita in the region.

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The map shows comparative figures for Latin American military spending. The first number shows the percentage of national income spent on the military in each country. Source: REDAL, 2024 Atlas Comparativo de la Defensa en América Latina y el Caribe.

What “unusual and extraordinary threat” does Nicaragua pose to a country with 50 times its population and the world’s biggest military budget, whose southern border is in any case nearly 2,000 miles away? According to the White House press release, the first threat is the Nicaraguan government’s “violent response” to a coup attempt that took place over six years ago and was, it omits to mention, instigated by the US. This attempted justification turns the story of what happened on its head. The uprising that shook Nicaragua lasted roughly three months, resulted officially in 251 deaths (including 22 police officers; others put the total deaths as higher) and over 2,000 injured. It allegedly “caused $1 billion in economic damages,” and led to an economic collapse. (After years of continuous growth, GDP fell by 3.4% in 2018). What other government would not have responded to such a damaging attack on its country?

In Washington’s view, further “threats” arise because Nicaragua’s government is “undermining democracy”, using “indiscriminate violence” against its citizens and destabilizing its economy through “corruption”. Quite apart from the fact that these are gross distortions of reality in Nicaragua and are in any case blatantly hypocritical, nothing in the press release shows how – even if true – these conditions could present any threat to the US, let alone an “unusual and extraordinary” one.

Or could it be something else? Recently, in response to Nicaragua’s support for Palestinian liberation, the Israeli regime has made allegations that “radical Iranian forces and terror groups operate freely” in the country, again with no evidence, presumably hoping to encourage Washington to add Nicaragua to the list of “state sponsors of terrorism”. However, this is not mentioned in the White House press release.

Nevertheless, perhaps Nicaragua’s “threat” to the US comes from its international relations? General Laura Richardson, until recently the head of the US Southern Command, put the blame for Russia’s “malign activities” in the region on its links with Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela. Nicaragua’s growing relationship with China is also seen as a problematic, with Taiwan warning that China’s planned deep-water port for Bluefields in Nicaragua will be its “naval outpost” in Central America. However, Nicaragua is hardly alone in developing close links with major powers seen by Washington as key adversaries. Peru’s Chinese-built port is also viewed as a threat by General Richardson. Many other countries in the region, including Brazil, now have close ties with China and, to a lesser extent, Russia. In part, the drive behind these links is a desire to be less dependent on the US and insure against its economic sanctions.

Of course, if any country is showing threatening behavior here, it is the US itself. Its sponsoring of the 2018 coup attempt involved the US embassy in Managua and funding from bodies like USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy, which (as they boasted at the time) trained 8,000 young Nicaraguans to take part in the coup. Washington has been trying to undermine Nicaragua’s Sandinista government since the moment it returned to power in 2007. It has repeatedly refused to acknowledge the outcomes of democratic elections, scores of Nicaraguan officials have been sanctioned, development loans via bodies like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund have been blocked for the last six years, Nicaragua’s government has been falsely accused of “preying on migrants”, and its people have been encouraged to migrate to the US. The State Department advises tourists not to visit a country which, according to an international Gallup poll, is “the most peaceful place on earth”.

Nicaragua has suffered 17 years of continuous bullying by its near neighbor but this, of course, is only a short episode in a history of US intervention that began in 1854 when US warships were sent to threaten Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast. Later it included two decades of the country’s occupation by US Marines, Washington’s support for the Somoza dictatorship for four more decades and then, under the Reagan administration, its sponsoring of the “Contra” war which cost 30,000 Nicaraguan lives in the 1980s. Reparations ordered by the World Court for the economic damage caused by that war were, of course, never paid.

So, not only is Washington the guilty party in terms of threatening behavior, but Biden’s declaration and his administration’s policies towards Nicaragua augment this by labelling Nicaragua as a pariah state, which holds “pantomime” elections and where its people flee “communism” and “political persecution”. This labelling is, of course, then repeated by corporate media.

In 2025, Nicaragua can expect new threats from Washington. Marco Rubio is penciled in as the Trump administration’s Secretary of State, acting as Trump’s “sharpshooter” against governments such as those in Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela. One target is likely to be the remittances sent by migrants in the US. As in neighboring Central American countries, they account for a quarter of Nicaragua’s national income, and could soon fall both because Trump plans to tax them and because he promises to deport large tranches of those migrants, who will return, jobless, to their home countries.

Those searching for evidence of the “threat” which the country poses to US interests might usefully look at developments in Nicaragua itself. For example, a recent report by the UN’s Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) showed that it is one of the countries in the region that invests most, proportionate to its population, in public health services. Health care is free in Nicaragua and it has by far the largest number of public hospitals in Central America, many of them recently built or modernized. ECLAC’s figures show that life expectancy in Nicaragua is one of the longest in Latin America, despite its income per capita being among the lowest. ECLAC showed that Nicaragua spends a high proportion of its national budget on social investment, and this is reflected not only in comprehensive health care, but in its advances in education, social housing, transport, electricity and drinking water coverage and its transition to renewable energy. The Sandinista government’s current plan to reduce poverty shows that its initial efforts led to it falling from 48.3 per cent of Nicaraguans in 2005 to 24.9 per cent in 2016. Clearly those who planned the 2018 coup attempt saw the “threat” presented by improved public services, since their violence deliberately targeted town halls, health centers, universities, schools and facilities for pregnant women (casas maternas).

In 1985, at the height of the Contra war, the aid agency Oxfam published a book entitled Nicaragua: The Threat of a Good Example? At the time, Nicaragua’s achievements in raising literacy levels, improving food security and bringing public services to remote rural areas were legendary, but necessarily much limited by a US trade embargo and the US-funded attacks on health and education facilities and their workers. Perhaps in 2024, after a popularly elected government has had 17 years to develop public services and reduce poverty, with results obvious to all, Nicaragua really is the “good example” that Washington finds so threatening.

* * * * *

Briefs
By Nan McCurdy
Highway Linking Corinto and Bilwi Complete!
The last section of the 557 kilometer-long strategic inter-oceanic corridor of the North Caribbean Coast is now complete. The road begins at the Port of Corinto on the Pacific coast and ends in Bilwi on the Caribbean coast. The Ministry of Construction and Transportation (MTI) announced the completion of the third section of the Sahsa-Puerto Cabezas highway, 25 kilometers long. With this section this 86 kilometer road is completed and this completes the connectivity between the Pacific and Atlantic coasts in the north of Nicaragua. The construction of this road provides a definitive solution to the historical isolation of 563,088 Indigenous and Afro-descendant people of the Autonomous Region of the Northern Caribbean Coast. This new section also will boost the growth of agricultural and fishing production as well as mining and contributes to the reduction of travel times and costs, strengthens national sovereignty and the security of Nicaraguan families. (La Primerisima, 3 December 2024)

Immigration Law Reformed
On Nov. 28 the National Assembly approved the “Reform to the General Law of Migration and Foreigners and Addition to the Penal Code,” with the purpose of strengthening the country’s legal framework in these areas. According to sponsors of the initiative, the reform will strengthen border controls, including rules governing the state’s ability to grant, deny and cancel the entry, stay, and residence of immigrants and regulate the acquiring of Nicaraguan nationality. Business visas are included in accordance with the goal of promoting investment and bilateral agreements. The new law states that anyone who enters the country in an irregular manner with the purpose of undermining the constitutional order of the country or conspiring to commit terrorist acts or economic destabilization shall be guilty of a crime and punished with two to six years prison time and a fine. National Assembly Deputy Patricia Sanchez said that the reform allows a modernization and updating of the legal framework of the General Directorate of Immigration and Foreigners. The amended articles reinforce the prevention of labor exploitation of migrants by reducing the period for employers to inform the migratory authority about the hiring of citizens of other nationalities. To see the entire newly reformed law: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/reforman ... gratorias/ (La Primerisima, 28 November 2024)

Expansion and Improvement of León’s Water System Almost Complete
ENACAL (Nicaragua’s water and sewerage company) reported that the project for the expansion, improvement and modernization of the potable water system of the city of León is in its final stages, reaching 97% completion to date. The 198 kilometers of pipelines, construction of 18 wells and 12 tanks will be completed in the first months of 2025. This will substantially improve service to some 48,200 families. The project has received financial support from the government of Nicaragua and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI). See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/casi-lis ... a-en-leon/ (La Primerisima, 27 November 2024)

Camilo Ortega Hospital in Juigalpa Renovated
The Ministry of Health concluded the renovation work, including the replacement of the roof of the inpatient area, of the Comandante Camilo Ortega Hospital in Juigalpa, Chontales. This will provide better conditions for attending the 117,000 patients who receive care and treatment in this health center every year. The work included the aforementioned replacement of the roof, ceiling maintenance, installation of gutters and downspouts for rainwater drainage in the hospitalization, general services, laboratory and imaging areas. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/rehabili ... -juigalpa/ (La Primerisima, 27 November 2024)

Much Excitement Over Arrival of Buses for Intercity Transportation
On Dec. 3rd, 400 buses and minibuses from the People’s Republic of China arrived in the capital to be distributed among the different intercity transportation cooperatives. Vice President Rosario Murillo reported that next week the government will be delivering the buses for the communities of the North and South Caribbean Coast. “With this we are honoring the memory of the Guerrilla Commander and Priest Gaspar García Laviana.” Murillo explained that “Dec. 11 is another anniversary of his transition to another plane of life. But the martyrs live and vibrate now in the hearts and lives of everyone. Why? Because every achievement, every step forward, they are there as the sun that illuminates us and never goes down.” In closing, Murillo reiterated that “These buses come to the families of the Autonomous Regions of the Caribbean Coast because we have peace and security that we proudly safeguard and defend, that we lovingly take care of.” Victor Zuniga, driver of one of the units, said, “We are proud of how this government has worked tirelessly with other nations to provide better transportation. Before, the units were in terrible condition. Today everything is different.” (La Primerisima, 3 December 2024)

Nicaragua Speaks Up at Meeting to Fight Desertification
The government of Nicaragua raised its voice before the powerful of the global north who ignore their historical responsibilities, demanding the creation of fair conditions that allow developing countries to face global environmental challenges. The Nicaraguan representative, Mohamed Lashtar, presented Nicaragua’s position during the final session of the High-Level Ministerial Segment at the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) which took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from December 2 to 13, 2024.

Discussing the fight against desertification and drought, Lashtar said that climate change has become the climate crisis and that Mother Earth has been stripped of her protective elements. He emphasized that Nicaragua has been adopting policies that contribute to balance, development, and environmental sustainability with the active participation of families and communities. He denounced the capitalist model as the main cause of climate inequality and he called for justice under the principle of common responsibilities, demanding greater technological and financial efforts to create fair conditions that allow developing countries to face the climate crisis, promote multilateralism and a holistic approach to protect Mother Earth.

Rezq Basheer-Salimia, Head of the Palestinian Delegation to COP16 thanked Nicaragua and President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo for the unconditional support of the Palestinian cause, conveying fraternal greetings to the people and government of Nicaragua. Several delegations highlighted the courage of Nicaragua in firmly supporting Palestine and its solidarity with Gaza, advocating for peace, solidarity, stability and global security.

The Nicaraguan delegation participated in the high-level ministerial segments on drought resilience, finance, and migration due to the effects of land degradation and drought. The delegation was composed of Mohamed Lashtar, Minister Advisor to the President for Africa, Middle East and Arab Countries and Jonathan Gonzalez, Climate Change Specialist of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARENA) of Nicaragua. (La Primerisima, 3 December 2024)

Rock FM Celebrates 17 Years with Tribute to the Best National Metal Music
The most-listened to metal-rock radio station in Nicaragua, Rock FM, celebrated its 17th anniversary at the Polideportivo Alexis Argüello Stadium (an indoor sports and music venue) with a concert of the best exponents of national rock. This 11-hour marathon rock concert included only Nicaraguan bands like Decadencia, Coraje, Mofockos, Inanimate Like Corpses, Xibalba, Excelsyum, Omnífono, La Cegua, Carga Cerrada, and Momotombo on the stage and it closed with the band Ciclos. In total 23 national bands participated, each with five songs that they had written. Rock FM sponsors this concert yearly on their anniversary to promote national bands and the rock genre. As part of the event there was a Rock Fair Expo where products alluding to rock, including t-shirts, key chains, clothes and food, were offered. Rock FM is one of the most popular radio stations in Nicaragua with a complete programming of rock music in all its styles from Latin America, Europe, the US and more. Federico Rojas, lead singer of the band Momotombo, said that these concerts have reactivated the national rock movement, which he categorizes as good news. “I had not participated in a national event for a while and now to be able to come and see so many bands, some of them new, shows that there is a future; it is an excellent event.” All the bands that played are Nicaraguan and each one interpreted their own melodies making the platform that promotes these concerts every year more and more attractive. Rock FM promises a rock tour throughout the country in 2025. (19Digital, 30 November 2024)

https://afgj.org/nicanotes-biden-declar ... -nicaragua

The threat of a good example again...We know what they're afraid of.
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

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Re: Nicaragua

Post by blindpig » Mon Dec 16, 2024 3:08 pm

NicaNotes: “If You’re Not Studying, It’s Because You Don’t Want To”
December 12, 2024
By Becca Renk

(Originally from Idaho, Becca Renk has lived in Ciudad Sandino, Nicaragua, for more than 20 years, working in sustainable community development with the Jubilee House Community and its project, the Center for Development in Central America. Becca coordinates the Casa Benjamin Linder solidarity project in Managua.)

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There are a multitude of opportunities available through the free education system in Nicaragua including free technical degrees available for those 14 years and older in everything from motorcycle mechanic to chef, veterinary technician to alternative energy tech.

The Right to Exist

I’m giving my new neighbor Wilmer a ride into town. He’s from the interior of Nicaragua, Siuna. To make conversation, I ask about horses. Wilmer explains to me the attributes of horses versus mules and donkeys, the relative cost of each animal and the cost of breeding a mare with a donkey.

The conversation moves on to food crops – Wilmer fills me in on the dates for bean, corn and rice harvests in different parts of the country and the price per pound for each crop on the farm versus the market. He tells me he’s headed up north at the end of the year to work the bean harvest.

Wilmer will take a bus all the way to the end of the line, then walk three hours and cross several rivers to get to his house. He is 18 years old and he’s only spent three months in a schoolroom in his whole life.

“I can read,” he says, “but I can’t write.”

Wilmer hasn’t been able to register for school, social benefits, or work a formal job because he doesn’t have a birth certificate. He was born at the end of the neoliberal era when it was very common to not register babies’ births at all.

The right to have a name is one of the many rights that the current Nicaraguan government has been restoring to its people since returning to office in 2007. Today, registering a baby’s birth is a free process available at hospitals where 97% of births now take place. Municipal governments also have a program providing free legal services for citizens whose birth was never registered.

The Right to Education

To take advantage of this program, Wilmer has come to stay with his mother in our rural village near Managua. He hopes to have his birth certificate before the end of the year. Once he is in the system, the local principal has ensured him that he can enroll for the new school year in high school on Saturdays. He is excited about the possibilities this will provide him.

Between 1990 and 2006, the neoliberal educational model in Nicaragua considered the public school system as useful only in creating future clients, viewing the poor as a source of cheap labor and not worthy of investment in their education. Public school funding was slashed, including even the daily glass of milk given to children during the 1980s. In the 1990s, the wealthy sent their children to private schools while public classrooms deteriorated to the point of being useless, and children had to bring their own desks or sit on the floor to receive their lessons.

As a consequence of these policies, by 2006, nearly a quarter of the country was unable to read or write. This is a particularly shameful statistic following on the triumphant National Literacy Crusade in 1980 that had managed to lower the 50.3% illiteracy under the Somoza dictatorship to 12.9% in a matter of months.

Economists agree that the progress of a country is dependent on education. According to the World Bank, earnings increase by 10% with each year of schooling received, a higher increase than any other individual action could provide.

Idaho Dead Last in Educational Spending

In the United States, education spending falls short of benchmarks set by international organizations such as UNESCO, of which the U.S. is a member. The U.S. puts just 12.7% of public funding toward education, well below the international standard of 15%, while spending 43% of the annual Federal budget on military spending.

When I graduated from public school in Idaho, the state spent less money per student on education than any other state in the nation. Thirty years later, that is still true. In the interim, things have actually gotten worse: the No Child Left Behind Act focused curriculum on teaching for standardized tests, and the charter school movement led to an exodus of creativity and public-school funding to the private sector. As a result of these policies, today 27.6% of Idahoans have a high school diploma, but no college education; and in my rural hometown, 15% of the adult population didn’t graduate high school at all.

Nicaragua’s Investment in Education

Eighteen years ago, when the Sandinista government came back into office, more than half of Nicaragua’s population was under the age of 21. It was clear that without a significant investment in education, the economy and society were not going to advance.

Nicaragua opted to make educational investment as a pillar in its poverty reduction programs, and that investment has risen every year since. In 2024, 53 cents of every dollar Nicaragua spent was on social programs, with education representing 19.5% of the country’s overall budget, well above UNESCO’s international standard of 15%. Nicaragua’s total military spending is only 3% of the national budget.

In this small country of seven million people, the educational investment has been huge. Since 2007, all existing classrooms been remodeled, and 9,000 more have been built new; all teachers have been trained and 10,000 new teachers have been added; 1.25 million school desks have been purchased and 1.2 million schoolchildren get a hot meal daily.

In addition to infrastructure investments, the Nicaraguan government has also invested in people: seniors graduating high school now receive a cash bonus from the government of $82. This year, the bonus was given to 63,717 students, adding up to a total investment of $5.24 million.

The results of these policies? Nicaragua has been declared free of illiteracy, the school retention rate is now over 92%, and Nicaragua is number one in the world for women and girl’s education.

“If You’re Not Studying, It’s Because You Don’t Want To”

Wilmer’s option to attend Saturday school in rural areas is just one of a multitude of opportunities now available through the free education system in Nicaragua. There are accelerated classes on weekends to finish high school in two years, short courses available in each municipality, and free technical degrees available for those 14 years and older in everything from motorcycle mechanic to chef, veterinary technician to alternative energy tech. Additionally, there are more than 400 university degree courses available at free universities around the country, with in-person, low residence and online options available in rural areas.

When talking to Nicaraguans about the variety of educational options, the phrase I hear most is, “Nowadays, if you’re not studying, it’s because you don’t want to.” Thanks to free third-level education and improved opportunities, since 2006, the percentage of population with a university degree in Nicaragua has risen from 9% to 19%.

Spoiled for Options in Nicaragua

Our daughters attended public school in Nicaragua from preschool right through high school. When they graduated, we considered sending them to live with their grandparents in Idaho to continue their education. But in rural north Idaho, in-person university classes are at least an hour’s drive, and the closest four-year degree available is at the University of Idaho three hours away in Moscow. Even with in-state tuition, the cost of U of I is estimated at around $25,000 per year.

Given the lack of options in north Idaho and the quality of choices available for free in Nicaragua, the decision is a no-brainer. After taking a gap year, our daughter Orla is one of nearly 62,000 applicants to public university this year. Just in the past few years, there has been a marked increase in the number of public universities and campuses around the country, so this year there is a single application for all the public universities.

In order to apply, a few weeks ago Orla went online and entered her student ID number into the online application. Her full name and grades from high school automatically popped up. She then entered her top three choices for majors, which she picked from a catalog of over 400 options, aided by an online quiz that matched her interests with available careers. Orla then entered her preferences for morning, afternoon, evening, Saturday and Sunday options and put in her contact information.

This week, the results will be available online: students are accepted to a program based on grades and are placed in the program at the university closest to them. If they aren’t accepted to their top three choices, they are given a list of degree courses that still have available places, and are given the option to enroll in one of those courses. The only cost ever for public university from application right through graduation, is a one-time fee to issue a diploma which is a maximum charge of $40.

As Wilmer makes the long trip home for the holidays, I know he will be fine. I’ve rarely met someone with such street smarts, despite coming from a place where there are no streets. But Wilmer has to work very hard just to survive. When he comes back from harvesting beans in January, birth certificate in hand, the new school year will be starting. I imagine him adding formal education to all his intelligence, and I know that nothing will be able to stop Wilmer.

* * * * *

Briefs
By Nan McCurdy
Millions of Plants for Reforestation
As a result of the “Verde que te quiero verde” (Green, I love you green) National Reforestation Campaign, 22,902,125 forest and fruit plants have been produced in 2024 through 3,585 nurseries throughout the country. Thanks to this initiative, 5,745,960 of the plants have been planted and established in protected areas and environmental restoration zones. Also, as part of the campaign, 2,376,848 plants have been delivered to campaign participants around the country. This action is part of the country’s commitment to the protection of natural resources and the recovery of essential ecosystems for the well-being of the communities. The National Reforestation Campaign is being developed with the objective of restoring degraded areas and facing the challenges that result from climate change. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/veintido ... s-en-2024/ (La Primerisima, 8 December 2024)

Nicaragua Moves Toward Food Sovereignty with 112% Growth since 3007
Food sovereignty is understood as the power of the state to guarantee the production of the food most consumed by the inhabitants of a country. In this scenario, Nicaragua stands out as a nation with high agricultural production and potential, consolidating itself as one of the main food producers in Central America. According to official statistics, Nicaragua produces more than 85% of the food it consumes. Entrepreneurs in the pork, poultry, livestock and other agricultural sectors discussed the work being done to boost production levels through genetic improvement plans and pest control. From 2006 to 2023, according to official statistics, production grew by 112.5%, which allows one to say that Nicaragua went from subsistence agriculture to an agriculture that supplies national markets and has agro-export capacity. Omar Cardoza, manager of a poultry farm, said: “We have a state-of-the-art poultry house, which has sensors that allow climate control of the chickens for their comfort. We have sensors for the food, so that they always have food and water, as well as ventilation or heating, if necessary. And we make the food concentrate ourselves.” Wilber Juarez, the Institute for Agricultural Protection and Health (IPSA)’s Director of Animal Health, said, “In 2022 and part of 2023, the Americas were hit hard by increased cases and high mortality rates from avian influenza. Nicaragua was one of the few countries that were able to mitigate its effects. That was thanks to our monitoring system and the effort that has been made by the central government, through IPSA and the other institutions of the system, in coordination with producers.” Castillo continued, “How can we achieve food security? From 2007 until now, we have grown 112%. For example, in agriculture, we have grown 125%, and in livestock, 100%. This gives you an idea of the results that our government has had. As part of the strategy, we are producing 101 types of crops, and there is no lack of food in our country. Food security has to do with having food availability everywhere.” (TN8, 7 December, 2024)

Exports bring in US$7.5 Billion in 2024
Nicaragua’s exports are expected to close this year at US$7.5 billion, as reported by the general director of foreign trade of the Ministry of Development, Industry and Commerce (MIFIC), Maricruz Prieto. She specified that the main destination market is the United States, at 48%, followed by Central America, then Mexico, the European Union, Canada and China. She said that the primary export items are garments, gold, automotive harnesses, coffee, other agricultural products, beef, sugar and seafood. She pointed out that there will be a growth in exports, but at a slightly slower rate than last year. However, there has been growth – in 2023 exports closed with US$7.3 billion. She said that next year export growth is expected to be between 3 and 5%. She pointed out that the plans are to diversify to more products. For example, with coffee – begin to give it greater added value and export more roasted coffee instead of unroasted green coffee beans. Regarding prices, she said that they have been stable. In the case of seafood, the international price has dropped quite a lot, although it is an important product in the export basket. She added that the price of coffee has been very good and it is one of the products that has maintained its value and has risen in some markets. (La Primerisima, 10 December 2024)

Nearly 1,000 Inmates Graduate in Different Educational Modalities
On Dec. 9th, 894 inmates graduated in different educational systems in the Penitentiary Systems of the whole country, as reported by Deputy Commissioner Rodrigo Garcia, director of the Penitentiary System of Tipitapa. He said that in La Modelo Penitentiary System, 25 inmates earned their high school diplomas. “These are tangible results of the educational policies promoted by the state. Eighteen percent of the entire prison population is involved in various study programs and we hope to expand this next year,” Garcia said. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/casi-mil ... dalidades/ (La Primerisima, 9 December 2024)

President Daniel Ortega Calls for World Peace
“We are committed to peace, and we call for peace to those who have the power to promote and make wars,” said President Daniel Ortega.” He particularly urged the promotion of peace to the powers that could launch atomic bombs. “At the end of the day, as history has shown, no matter how much power they have, in the end the victory belongs to the people.” He recalled the experience of Vietnam, and the young Americans who died in that Asian nation. “In the end, Vietnam managed to expel the U.S. troops and we do not forget the image at the U.S. embassy when the helicopters were coming down to take away the personnel … in other words, a humiliation for a power like the United States,” he recalled. The President stated that this happens because Washington cares little about the fact that American youth will give their lives for causes that are not just, and do not bring benefits to the American people, but on the contrary bring pain to the peoples they invade.

Ortega went on to say that “Syria is a country that is deeply divided and only a miracle will help there. But even being skeptical, we join the calls for peace made by many peoples and organizations in the world,” he said. In Syria the war has been about taking over a strategic area with petroleum. “God must want peace to come to Syria, but unfortunately the diabolical attitude of those who continue to dispute lands that belong to other peoples weighs more heavily,” he emphasized. (La Primerisima, 9 December 2024)

Granada — Tourism Capital of Nicaragua
The colonial city of Granada, founded in 1524, was declared a national treasure and tourism capital of the country in a decree from President Daniel Ortega. In 1856 the city was attacked and burned by U.S. invaders, making it a symbol of resistance for Nicaraguans. With half a millennium of existence, Granada preserves the richness of its architecture, art and ancestral traditions. After a morning full of joy, thousands of families from Granada and visitors gathered at the Monument of the 500 years of the city. People ate the traditional vigorón, in this case “El Vigorón Más Grande de Nicaragua” (the biggest vigorón in Nicaragua). In total, there were 85 quintals of yuca, 550 pounds of pork rinds, four drums of mimbro (bilimbi), six of vinegar and one of “Congo” chili, which resulted in more than 5,000 servings of vigorón; accompanied by corn chicha drink. The mayor of the city, Gladys Medina, said that the sharing of this vigorón with the city is “a way of honoring the gastronomic tradition of Granada. We have more activities for this day, all focused on making this an unforgettable celebration.” (TN8 and La Primerisima, 7 December 2024)

https://afgj.org/nicanotes-if-youre-not ... nt-want-to

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Nicaragua Canal
December 16, 11:17

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The Nicaraguan authorities say they want to invite Russia to implement the Nicaraguan Canal project as an alternative to the Panama Canal. Nicaragua also expects the participation of China and another group of countries interested in diversifying trade flows through the Caribbean.

This project periodically pops up, but faces obvious financial difficulties, as well as American pressure, since the United States is not at all interested in the emergence of a transport corridor to the Pacific Ocean that is not under their control. It can be expected that under Trump, US pressure on Nicaragua to overthrow the current government will increase.

Of course, if China is ready to finance most of the construction costs, it would be advantageous for Russia to participate in this project.

https://colonelcassad.livejournal.com/9554495.html

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A project I'd rather not see because of the environmental damage. More to the point: why more and more trans-oceanic trade? Seems there are two primary reason to accept the additional cost of this trade: product availability and the cost of labor. Hard to argue with availability, you can't grow bananas in Canada and some minerals are not universally available, for example. But Labor: why should workers doing the same job be paid less in some countries? Most manufacturing can be done almost anywhere and anyplace benefits from that value-added activity. It was the cost of labor which impelled US capital to off-shore manufacturing, the Chinese didn't put a gun to anybody's head. Their situation, on several levels, made the differential feasible and the political situation made it necessary. True, their workers were paid less than US workers but they had more social and state support too. The Chinese took advantage of US capital's greed to their benefit and our detriment, quite a coup. I salute them. But in a better world, a socialist world, such competition of workers would be abolished and the costs of shipping could be greatly reduced along with the environmental costs.
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

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Re: Nicaragua

Post by blindpig » Thu Jan 02, 2025 3:54 pm

How the Human Rights Industry Manufactures Consent for “Regime Change”
By John Perry - January 2, 2025

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[Source: rumble.com]

In the words of the United Nations, “human rights” range from “the most fundamental—the right to life—to those that make life worth living, such as the rights to food, education, work, health, and liberty.” These rights are supposed to be “inherent to us all.” But this lofty ambition has become distorted, not only by the UN itself but by the whole of what Alfred de Zayas calls the “Human Rights Industry.”

This industry, headed by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), has multiple layers that include UN “expert groups” and “rapporteurs,” regional commissions like (in the Western Hemisphere) the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, international NGOs such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, and tens of thousands of other non-governmental organizations.

In part, this industry still attempts to defend real human rights—the most topical example being the remarkable work of the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese. But, take almost any other country as an example—such as the much less publicized case of Nicaragua—and the real purpose of most of the human rights industry is exposed.

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[Source: theodoresbooks.com]

This purpose, I argue, is what Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman in their 1988 book described as “manufacturing consent,” that is, promoting people’s acceptance of government policies on the basis of a partial picture of issues (in this case, human rights), denying them access to alternative views which would lead them to oppose such policies. The relevant U.S. government policy here is regime change.

In Nicaragua’s case, U.S. regime-change attempts have a long history. Most recently, the country was the subject of a U.S.-funded coup attempt in 2018. Since then it has also suffered U.S. sanctions, which have cost it an estimated $2.5-3.5 billion in lost aid for poverty-reduction projects.

Elections held in 2021 prompted further U.S. intervention and, when Daniel Ortega was re-elected, Washington labeled the election a “sham” and then escalated its attacks. None of these interventions, not even the unilateral sanctions which are contrary to international law, appears in any published “human rights” reports, despite the very obvious damage they have inflicted on ordinary Nicaraguans. Indeed, a feature common to all such reports is that they focus on the rights only of those opposed to the Sandinista government.

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Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has been the target of a U.S. regime-change operation that includes the spreading of disinformation about human rights in Nicaragua. [Source: newsweek.com]

The UNHRC has just published its periodic review of Nicaragua’s human rights record. Such reviews are supposed to show a country’s progress toward genuine human rights, as defined by the UN. Civil society groups are encouraged to make submissions about a country’s human rights, supposedly to allow the UNHRC to get a rounded picture.

Nicaragua has made huge advances in social and economic rights since 2007 under its Sandinista government. Just one example, highlighted in a new report from the respected international body, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, is that Nicaragua is devoting a larger proportion of its budget to public health than most Latin American countries, and that one of the direct benefits is high life expectancy compared with the majority of the other, wealthier countries. But hardly any good news of this kind—of which Nicaragua has plenty—appears in the UN’s report.

In the hope that the UNHCR might want to present a balanced picture, I joined a small voluntary group, Friends of Latin America, which compiled and submitted first-hand evidence to the periodic review. The group had done this (successfully) to an earlier review on Cuba. However, our submission was rejected, on the spurious grounds that the evidence was not first-hand.

When we complained that this was untrue, the reason for rejection was changed to say we had made no recommendations (which is not required by the UN’s own guidelines). But by then, the periodic review had been published. Not unexpectedly, the majority of the civil society evidence it cited supports the U.S. narrative about Nicaragua, that its government is attacking, not defending, human rights.

Who submits this evidence?
Much of the evidence accepted by UNHCR comes from dozens of NGOs that champion Nicaraguan “human rights” but which are actually based in the U.S. and Costa Rica, including more than 20 operating under the banner Coalición Nicaragua Lucha. Their evidence is by definition second-hand!

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Coalición Nicaragua Lucha. reflects the cooperation of the political left. It presents itself as an activist group committed to progressive causes, but aligns ultimately with U.S. imperialism. [Source: 100noticias.com]

Several have roots in NGOs originally based in Nicaragua but subsequently closed. For example, the Colectivo de Derechos Humanos Nicaragua Nunca Más was established with funding from a small NGO, the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH, for its initials in Spanish), which in the build-up to the coup attempt was awarded a staggering $23 million by various European institutions, some with government connections.

The re-established NGO has conducted a highly questionable campaign around alleged systematic murders in rural Nicaragua. I investigated the background and funding of CENIDH and other NGOs in detail in 2019 for The Grayzone. Like the other NGOs, Nunca Más does not declare where its money comes from, but in 2021 it received a “democracy award” from the U.S. government-funded National Endowment for Democracy, a CIA offshoot that specializes in regime-change operations and political propaganda.

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[Source: articulo.com]

Nicaragua’s “human rights” champions lost their NGO status and were forced to close by the government after the coup attempt was defeated. While this was inevitably portrayed as “persecution” by the corporate media, the behavior of these bodies suggested they were little more than foreign-funded propaganda outfits.

Their role, which they executed successfully, was to exaggerate the numbers killed in the coup attempt and to blame all the deaths on the government. For example, Coalición Nicaragua Lucha repeated the lie that 350 people were killed during “peaceful demonstrations” in 2018, denying the reality of horrendous opposition violence that resulted in the deaths of 22 police officers and of large numbers of government supporters and innocent bystanders.

Selectivity in compiling evidence on human rights is not new. Nicaragua’s first human rights NGO, the Permanent Commission on Human Rights, made wildly unjustified claims of human rights abuses by the revolutionary Sandinista government in the 1980s.

Another NGO, ANPDH, was set up by the Reagan administration in Miami, specifically to defend the “Contra” forces against the many accusations that they were victimizing civilians. It is now based in Costa Rica.

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Right-wing Nicaraguan NGOs have their roots in Reagan-era regime-change and terrorist operations targeting Nicaragua’s left-leaning Sandinista government. [Source: 100noticias.com]


International human rights bodies refuse to acknowledge errors in their work

More interesting and alarming is how the contamination of human rights work extends to international bodies, whether well-known NGOs like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, or the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (an offshoot of the Organization of American States, or OAS) or the UNHCR itself. All of these bodies utilize evidence provided by the local “human rights” NGOs, apparently without questioning its veracity.

Nor do these bodies respond if a lay person points out the errors, omissions and outright lies promulgated by these NGOs. I have found that emails to such international bodies routinely go unanswered, evidence of errors in published reports is ignored and, when official complaint mechanisms are used, nothing happens. The rest of this article gives examples from my personal experiences of dealing with such bodies, from 2018 until now.

During and immediately after the coup attempt, Amnesty International (AI) published two reports on Nicaragua that relied heavily on “evidence” from local NGOs. A group of activists working with the Alliance for Global Justice (AfGJ), alarmed at AI’s obvious bias, researched and prepared a response to the second report, which AI pejoratively titled Instilling Terror.

Our report, Dismissing the Truth, showed in detail the bias, omissions and errors in AI’s material. For example, it unraveled the story of a police officer who, according to AI, was killed by his fellow officers.

This unlikely explanation of his murder had been offered by his estranged mother, an opposition supporter, via a local NGO. In reality there was convincing evidence, including from his partner (also a police officer), that he was killed by an opposition sniper.

Several attempts were made to engage with AI about its report, including a formal complaint via its published procedures and the offer to discuss it at their London headquarters. There was never anything more than a peremptory response.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) was one of several bodies invited by the government, in good faith, to visit Nicaragua in 2018 and investigate the human rights situation. After such a visit, IACHR’s GIEI-Nicaragua (Grupo Interdisciplinario de Expertos Independientes) presented a detailed analysis of deaths that occurred on May 30, 2018, when two large marches were held in Managua, one by the opposition and one by Sandinista supporters.

Yet the published material and a video reconstruction (since removed from its website) only examined in detail the deaths among government opponents, referring only briefly to the several Sandinista deaths and not at all to the many injuries to police officers.

Crucially, its report was shown to have ignored and manipulated evidence from its own experts. It omitted evidence of the use of firearms by the opposition, manipulated the analysis of a weapons expert, and concluded that the protesters were killed by the police.

As a result of the report’s gross distortions of the May 30 events, a large number of organizations and individuals wrote to the IACHR and separately made a formal complaint to the OAS, but received only a brief reply. Nevertheless, for Spanish newspaper El Pais and for the BBC, the reconstruction proved that the police were the killers.

In another example, from March 2021, the IACHR held an open session on Indigenous people’s rights in Nicaragua, to which no democratically elected representatives of Indigenous communities were invited, only spokespeople from two opposition-oriented NGOs. One was a recipient of USAID finance. The AfGJ, which discovered by chance that the hearing would take place yet managed to make a submission by the deadline, was not called to give evidence, nor was its submission even mentioned. In July 2024, the IACHR held another session in which only opposition-oriented NGOs took part.

Perhaps the most egregious example of partiality comes from the UN itself. In 2022, the UNHCR established a “Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua” (GHREN) which, in February 2023, published a highly biased report. It went so far as to argue that Nicaragua’s government had committed “crimes against humanity.” The “experts” even went beyond their mandate and recommended further economic sanctions.

A ”collective” of small opposition NGOs had been given open access to the GHREN and clearly had a strong influence on its work. The Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition (consisting of a number of Nicaraguan government-supporting organizations in the Americas and Europe) quickly prepared a detailed critique of the report. For example, they showed how the GHREN’s chronology of events during the coup attempt in the city of Masaya (where I live) omitted almost all opposition violence, including murders, torture and destruction of municipal buildings and Sandinista homes.

When the Coalition accompanied this evidence with a well-supported petition, sent to the UNHCR and its “group of experts,” there was no response. After multiple emails containing further evidence, only a single, one-line reply was received, pointing the Coalition to the material on the GHREN’s website. Since then, further reports have been produced by the GHREN, none with any mention of our submissions.

The real purpose of “expert” groups

In The Human Rights Industry, Alfred de Zayas makes the point that the real purpose behind such expert groups or commissions is “to denigrate and destabilize the targeted government to facilitate undemocratic ‘regime change’ as desired by one or more powerful countries.”

They are part of the “hybrid war arsenal” which such countries employ. He goes on to refer specifically to the GHREN’s report on Nicaragua, labeling it a “political pamphlet” and saying that its accusations of crimes against humanity are undeserving of detailed comment. He duly signed the Coalition’s petition, along with several other human rights lawyers and experts. His signature carries the weight of someone who is, himself, a former UN expert.

It might be argued that little attention is paid to human rights reports about a small country like Nicaragua. However, if a country is being targeted by Washington, legacy media such as The New York Times and The Washington Post do cover them, often embellishing what they say.

For example, the item in the Times on the GHREN’s second report was headed “Nicaragua Nazis: Stunned researchers cite Hitler’s Germany.” Such media reports, carrying a message that Nicaragua is an authoritarian state, echo and reinforce Washington’s message that Nicaragua is a dictatorship or even, as former National Security Adviser John Bolton put it, part of a “troika of tyranny” with other target countries, namely, Cuba and Venezuela.

The real intention of the UNHCR’s “group of experts” can hardly be to appraise and influence the human rights of Nicaraguans. They are not even able to visit the country, because when the Sandinista government found that “experts” sent by the UN or OAS disregarded much of the evidence presented to them, it closed its doors. Real help to Nicaragua might include recommending that the damaging, illegal sanctions imposed on the country be removed (instead of calling for more of them).

As de Zayas says, such “experts” might even make a genuine offer of technical help in the field of human rights. But these groups, and these reports, are not really concerned with the rights of ordinary Nicaraguans, nor are they intended to assist the government. At best, they are concerned only with the rights of a small elite represented in the (mainly exiled) opposition groups. At worst, their purpose is to demonize the government, aiding the process of manufacturing consent for Washington’s aim of regime change in Nicaragua.

https://covertactionmagazine.com/2025/0 ... me-change/

******

NicaNotes: Holiday Reflection
December 19, 2024
By Kathleen Murdock

(Kathleen Murdock is a founding member of the Jubilee House Community from 45 years ago, and has worked with its project in Nicaragua, the Center for Development in Central America, for the past 30 years.)

I am a Christian. Many of you who read this are of different faiths or of no faith. This reflection is about the Christmas story found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke and I hope all of you will bear with me and keep reading.

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Joseph and Mary had gone to Bethlehem to register with the occupying empire. Photo: A street in Ciudad Sandino. Taken by Tom Twigg.

We tend to think of the birth of Jesus in relation to nativity sets (creches), the sweet imps in church playing their roles in the Christmas pageant, and carols like Silent Night and O Little Town of Bethlehem.

From the accounts in the two gospels, we have a much different story altogether with heavier implications.

First, Mary gave birth in a stable; thus, Jesus was born homeless.

Joseph and Mary had gone to Bethlehem to register with the occupying empire (Rome) to pay tribute. They, along with most Israelites, were not wealthy, which means Jesus was born into poverty.

The known people who recognized Jesus’ potential greatness were common folk (shepherds) because that’s who the angels decided to tell, and international scientists who studied astronomy. Jesus was first worshiped by scientists and regular people.

The powerful who discovered his birth were threatened by what they heard and so ordered Jesus’ death as a little one. Being warned, Joseph and Mary whisked Jesus away to Egypt to keep him safe; then Jesus was an immigrant / a refugee.

Many other parents of little boys were not warned and thus helplessly watched as their children were slaughtered at the hands of Roman soldiers. Jesus barely escaped a massacre.

So, when I say I’m a Christian that means I HAVE to write and talk about politics and the threats on the lives of the vulnerable. I have to talk about international politics and occupying forces because Jesus lived under all that. The heartaches, poverty, and massacres that occupying nations impose is evil.

I have to talk about science. Scientists worshiped Jesus as a baby. Scientists followed a star and scientists can show us how we are to follow Jesus regarding so many issues like climate, hunger, water, disease, etc.

I have to talk about economics because Jesus was poor and homeless. I have to talk about policies because Jesus was an immigrant / a refugee.

So many people in the States and across the globe are afraid now. And rightfully so; we are moving into a new world order and there is a mean edge to it.

The angels said, “Be not afraid for we bring tidings of great joy. A child has been born unto you who is Christ the Lord.” That babe grew up and called us to love and love and love. He told us to give and give and give…to heal and heal and heal…to liberate and liberate and liberate. He told us when we do this for others, we do this for him.

We also cannot forget that later he was executed as a threat to the state and the religion of his time…by the powerful.

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Rainbow viewed over El Porvenir water tank. Photo by Tom Twigg.

There is a resurrection coming…until then we do what’s right.

(Like the Seinfeld Show Christianity is about everything and nothing.bp)

* * * * *

Briefs
By Nan McCurdy
Newborn Care Strengthened
On Dec. 16, the Ministry of Health delivered ten new neonatal thermal incubators to the Carlos Marx Hospital in Managua to strengthen the care of premature or low birth weight newborns. The equipment will be installed in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit and will improve the quality of life of more than 200 babies who receive care in this specialized area every year. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/fortalec ... n-managua/ (La Primerisima, 16 December 2024)

New Fully Equipped Mobile Clinics are in Operation
On December 6, 2024, five new fully equipped mobile clinics became operational. This will help the Ministry of Health in serving 1.7 million people living in the departments of Estelí, Nueva Segovia, Masaya, Jinotega and the North Caribbean. These units have two rooms, one for gynecological care and the other for dentistry; they have a dental chair, gynecological bed, portable ultrasound, dental instruments, air conditioning system, hydro-sanitary system, among other things to create a good experience for the patients. See Photos: https://nicaraguasandino.com/entregan-n ... equipadas/ (Nicaragua Sandino, 5 December, 2024)

Patients Suffering with Hip and Knee Problems Undergo Surgery
A total of 55 hip and knee replacement surgeries were performed by Nicaraguan specialists during the mega orthopedic health fair that took place on Dec. 14 at the Camilo Ortega Regional Hospital in Juigalpa, Chontales. During the mega health fair, doctors served 3,919 patients from the department of Chontales. During the activity, injuries to children were treated, as well as problems of the shoulder, knee and ankle joints. Electromyography and X-ray studies were also performed. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/operan-a ... -rodillas/ (La Primerisima, 15 December 2024)

The XXIV ALBA-TCP Summit: Unity and New projects for Latin America
The XXIV Summit of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples’ Trade Treaty (ALBA-TCP) took place in Caracas, Venezuela, on December 14, 2024, in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of its founding. This meeting brought together leaders of member countries, such as Nicaragua, Cuba and Bolivia, as well as Caribbean nations and international representatives, reaffirming their commitment to integration, solidarity and social justice. During the event, important initiatives were approved, highlighting the Agro-ALBA project, focused on the sustainable production of organic food to strengthen food security. In addition, the reactivation of the ALBA Councils of Ministers in key areas such as energy, tourism and health was announced.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said in his speech that “The great productive and economic project known as Agro-ALBA for food sovereignty with organic and healthy food for all the peoples of Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and beyond is born today.” The president of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, underscored the role of ALBA as an integration project that has fought for peace and justice in the region. He also denounced the constant external threats that seek to destabilize member countries. “It is really admirable the energy and effort, the dedication to the defense of the people that is carried out day by day. In spite of the sanctions, in spite of the attacks, in spite of the defamations, the slanders, this is a people loyal to Chávez, loyal to Bolivar. Today, 20 years after its inception, we are more committed than ever to continue moving forward,” Ortega said. “We have to continue incorporating new initiatives such as those we have shared today. And, in the midst of a world where the imperialists of the earth continue to murder the world’s peoples, ALBA, with the flag and soul of Fidel and Chávez, says to you: we will not fail you and we will continue to fight the battle,” he concluded. (TN8, 15 December 2024)

Nicaragua Broke Record in International Loans
“This year, foreign financing reached figures never seen in previous periods, closing with US$1.26 billion,” said National Assembly Deputy Wálmaro Gutiérrez, chair of the Economy and Budget Committee. During 2024, the committee analyzed, consulted, and passed nine international loans exceeding by 29.2% the 2022-2023 period and in absolute terms US$232.2 million more in comparison. Among the main sources of financing during 2024 were the People’s Republic of China with US$850 million; Saudi Arabia’s Fund for Development with US$103 million; and the Development Bank of the Republic of Belarus with US$72.9 million. Some of the approved projects with the greatest expected impact are the US$400 million for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the International Airport in Punta Huete, the US$248 million for the second stage of the Pacific Coastal Highway, US$9.1 million in machinery for the repair of highways and roads nationwide, US$63.8 million for the purchase of machinery for all the mayors’ offices in the country, US$27.3 million for the construction of three butane gas storage spheres, US$68 million for the construction of the Photovoltaic Plant in Matagalpa, US$103 million for the construction of the new Carlos Centeno Hospital in Las Minas, US$70.5 million for the construction project of the Masaya Photovoltaic Plant, and US$33.8 million for SINAPRED for disaster prevention and response. Gutierrez said that these loans strengthen the General Budget of the Republic and the confidence of external officials in Nicaragua’s capacity, execution and development of projects. He added that 2025 augurs an even better year in economic matters, with the stability and security that has been recognized by international economic entities. (La Primerisima, 12 December 2024)

“There are Extra-Regional Interests to Isolate Nicaragua”
On Dec. 12, Foreign Minister Valdrack Jaentschke said that there is a political reason for Nicaragua’s failure to gain appointment of a Nicaraguan as the new Secretary General of the Central American Integration System (SICA), an appointment that corresponds to Nicaragua this year. “There are political interests imposed by some states in SICA, but there are also interests from outside the region which is what has always affected Central America; it has always been the outsider, the invader, the one who wants to create addiction among our countries,” stated Jaentschke in an interview in Studio tn8. “We are absolutely sure they are trying to isolate Nicaragua and we will not allow that. And also, our relations in the world are increasingly with more countries; our economic, political and cooperation relations have expanded,” he added. “There is an attempt at imposition by some countries that is now clear; in a communiqué those outside interests said that they do not agree with Nicaragua taking over the general secretariat of SICA,” Jaentschke said. The Foreign Minister pointed out that the obstructionist attitude began in 2021 with the attempt to impose SICA’s secretary general when by right it now should go to Nicaragua.

In 1991 the Central American Integration System was formed with the purpose of promoting greater unity and integration among Central American countries.

Panama, Belize and the Dominican Republic were added later and so eight countries now form SICA. Jaentschke explained that the Tegucigalpa protocol is the fundamental constitution on which all decisions and actions in SICA are based and among the different protocols are the election of a secretary general which rotates among the members. SICA also includes a president, a council of foreign ministers, as well as the Central American Court of Justice, the Central American Parliament and the Economic Integration System; the latter has functioned more autonomously. (La Primerisima, 12 December 2024)

More Buses and a Plan to Reduce Traffic Accidents
On Dec. 13 President Daniel Ortega announced that a plan is being worked on with the National Police to reduce deaths in traffic accidents. “Motorcyclists [of which there are tens of thousands], those who speed, drive under the influence or drive recklessly should not be surprised when the police stop them; and they could have their driver’s licenses taken away, prohibiting them for a certain period of time from driving” said the President.

During the ceremony to receive 400 new Chinese buses, destined for the Caribbean Coast and several departments of the country, President Ortega reiterated the call for drivers to be more careful, because their lives and those of the passengers are in their hands. “We have many traffic accidents, it is terrible to see the pain of the relatives who see dead, wounded, and seriously injured family and friends lying on the street. So, the responsibility is great for bus drivers; we trust you will be the first to take care of these vehicles, so that there are not so many accidents.”

President Ortega sent a message to President Xi Jinping through Chinese Ambassador Chen Xi, saying on that December 13, on the day of the birth of Camilo Ortega, the Apostle of Unity, in the company of drivers of conscience, 400 buses were delivered to be used by the people of Nicaragua. He said that 250 buses were delivered in October of last year, then in November 250, in May of this year 250, in July 250, in August 100 units and today, and now 400 buses, for a total of 3,000 buses.

Lumberto Campbell, the Coordinator of the Secretariat for Caribbean Coast Affairs, emphasized that attendees were witnessing a historic event with the delivery of so many new buses for the Caribbean Coast. He noted that, “In 2007, the government announced that it was going to create the conditions for connectivity between the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast and the Pacific and there were many doubts … but in the last few years we have fulfilled that promise.” He recalled that, under the Somoza dictatorship and the three neoliberal governments [from 1990 to 2007] the trip from Bilwi on the North Caribbean Coast to Managua took three days, a real odyssey. Going from Bluefields to Managua took a day and a half. Campbell said, “We changed that story with new roads and now it takes less than eight hours to drive from Bluefields to Managua. And last week we inaugurated the last 25 kilometers of hydraulic concrete to have 100 percent of the road paved from Managua to Bilwi. This is only possible because there is … strong leadership that watches out for the benefit of all Nicaraguans, particularly those of the Coast. Today the coastal people are traveling in quality buses, … a dream come true, I only wish my grandfather and my father could see this. It is only possible with a revolution!” (La Primerisima, 13 December 2024)

https://afgj.org/nicanotes-holiday-reflection
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

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Re: Nicaragua

Post by blindpig » Thu Jan 23, 2025 3:18 pm

NicaNotes: How the Human Rights Industry Manufactures Consent for “Regime Change”
January 20, 2025
By John Perry

(John Perry is based in Masaya, Nicaragua, and writes for the Council on Hemispheric Affairs, London Review of Books, FAIR, Covert Action Magazine and others. This article was first published in Covert Action Magazine on January 2, 2025.)

Image
Nicaragua has made huge advances in social and economic rights since 2007 under its Sandinista government. But hardly any good news of this kind—of which Nicaragua has plenty—appears in UN reports.

In the words of the United Nations, “human rights” range from “the most fundamental—the right to life—to those that make life worth living, such as the rights to food, education, work, health, and liberty.” These rights are supposed to be “inherent to us all.” But this lofty ambition has become distorted, not only by the UN itself but by the whole of what Alfred de Zayas calls the “Human Rights Industry.” This industry, headed by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), has multiple layers that include UN “expert groups” and “rapporteurs,” regional commissions like (in the Western Hemisphere) the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, international NGOs such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, and tens of thousands of other non-governmental organizations.

In part, this industry still attempts to defend real human rights—the most topical example being the remarkable work of the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese. But, take almost any other country as an example—such as the much less publicized case of Nicaragua—and the real purpose of most of the human rights industry is exposed.

This purpose, I argue, is what Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman in their 1988 book described as “manufacturing consent,” that is, promoting people’s acceptance of government policies on the basis of a partial picture of issues (in this case, human rights), denying them access to alternative views which would lead them to oppose such policies. The relevant U.S. government policy here is regime change.

In Nicaragua’s case, U.S. regime-change attempts have a long history. Most recently, the country was the subject of a U.S.-funded coup attempt in 2018. Since then it has also suffered U.S. sanctions, which have cost it an estimated $2.5-3.5 billion in lost aid for poverty-reduction projects.

Elections held in 2021 prompted further U.S. intervention and, when Daniel Ortega was re-elected, Washington labeled the election a “sham” and then escalated its attacks. None of these interventions, not even the unilateral sanctions which are contrary to international law, appears in any published “human rights” reports, despite the very obvious damage they have inflicted on ordinary Nicaraguans. Indeed, a feature common to all such reports is that they focus on the rights only of those opposed to the Sandinista government.

The UNHRC has just published its periodic review of Nicaragua’s human rights record. Such reviews are supposed to show a country’s progress toward genuine human rights, as defined by the UN. Civil society groups are encouraged to make submissions about a country’s human rights, supposedly to allow the UNHRC to get a rounded picture.

Nicaragua has made huge advances in social and economic rights since 2007 under its Sandinista government. Just one example, highlighted in a new report from the respected international body, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, is that Nicaragua is devoting a larger proportion of its budget to public health than most Latin American countries, and that one of the direct benefits is high life expectancy compared with the majority of the other, wealthier countries. But hardly any good news of this kind—of which Nicaragua has plenty—appears in the UN’s report.

In the hope that the UNHCR might want to present a balanced picture, I joined a small voluntary group, Friends of Latin America, which compiled and submitted first-hand evidence to the periodic review. The group had done this (successfully) to an earlier review on Cuba. However, our submission on Nicaragua was rejected, on the spurious grounds that the evidence was not first-hand.

When we complained that this was untrue, the reason for rejection was changed to say we had made no recommendations (which is not required by the UN’s own guidelines). But by then, the periodic review had been published. Not unexpectedly, the majority of the civil society evidence it cited supports the U.S. narrative about Nicaragua, that its government is attacking, not defending, human rights.

Who submits this evidence?

Much of the evidence accepted by UNHCR comes from dozens of NGOs that champion Nicaraguan “human rights” but which are actually based in the U.S. and Costa Rica, including more than 20 operating under the banner Coalición Nicaragua Lucha. Their evidence is by definition second-hand! Coalición Nicaragua Lucha reflects the cooptation of the political left. It presents itself as an activist group committed to progressive causes, but aligns ultimately with U.S. imperialism. [Source: 100noticias.com]

Several have roots in NGOs originally based in Nicaragua but subsequently closed. For example, the Colectivo de Derechos Humanos Nicaragua Nunca Más was established with funding from a small NGO, the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH, for its initials in Spanish), which in the build-up to the 2018 coup attempt was awarded a staggering $23 million by various European institutions, some with government connections.

The re-established NGO has conducted a highly questionable campaign around alleged systematic murders in rural Nicaragua. I investigated the background and funding of CENIDH and other NGOs in detail in 2019 for The Grayzone. Like the other NGOs, Nunca Más does not declare where its money comes from, but in 2021 it received a “democracy award” from the U.S. government-funded National Endowment for Democracy, a CIA offshoot that specializes in regime-change operations and political propaganda.

Nicaragua’s “human rights” champions lost their NGO status and were forced to close by the government after the coup attempt was defeated. While this was inevitably portrayed as “persecution” by the corporate media, the behavior of these bodies suggested they were little more than foreign-funded propaganda outfits. Their role, which they executed successfully, was to exaggerate the numbers killed in the coup attempt and to blame all the deaths on the government. For example, Coalición Nicaragua Lucha repeated the lie that 350 people were killed during “peaceful demonstrations” in 2018, denying the reality of horrendous opposition violence that resulted in the deaths of 22 police officers and of large numbers of government supporters and innocent bystanders.

Selectivity in compiling evidence on human rights is not new. Nicaragua’s first human rights NGO, the Permanent Commission on Human Rights, made wildly unjustified claims of human rights abuses by the revolutionary Sandinista government in the 1980s. Another NGO, ANPDH, was set up by the Reagan administration in Miami, specifically to defend the “Contra” forces against the many accusations that they were victimizing civilians. It is now based in Costa Rica.

International human rights bodies refuse to acknowledge errors in their work

More interesting and alarming is how the contamination of human rights work extends to international bodies, whether well-known NGOs like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, or the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (an offshoot of the Organization of American States, or OAS) or the UNHCR itself. All of these bodies utilize evidence provided by the local “human rights” NGOs, apparently without questioning its veracity.

Nor do these bodies respond if a lay person points out the errors, omissions and outright lies promulgated by these NGOs. I have found that emails to such international bodies routinely go unanswered, evidence of errors in published reports is ignored and, when official complaint mechanisms are used, nothing happens. The rest of this article gives examples from my personal experiences of dealing with such bodies, from 2018 until now.

During and immediately after the coup attempt, Amnesty International (AI) published two reports on Nicaragua that relied heavily on “evidence” from local NGOs. A group of activists working with the Alliance for Global Justice (AfGJ), alarmed at AI’s obvious bias, researched and prepared a response to the second report, which AI pejoratively had titled Instilling Terror. Our report, Dismissing the Truth, showed in detail the bias, omissions and errors in AI’s material.

For example, it unraveled the story of a police officer who, according to AI, was killed by his fellow officers. This unlikely explanation of his murder had been offered by his estranged mother, an opposition supporter, via a local NGO. In reality there was convincing evidence, including from his partner (also a police officer), that he was killed by an opposition sniper.

Several attempts were made to engage with AI about its report, including a formal complaint via its published procedures and the offer to discuss it at their London headquarters. There was never anything more than a peremptory response.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) was one of several bodies invited by the government, in good faith, to visit Nicaragua in 2018 and investigate the human rights situation. After such a visit, IACHR’s GIEI-Nicaragua (Grupo Interdisciplinario de Expertos Independientes) presented a detailed analysis of deaths that occurred on May 30, 2018, when two large marches were held in Managua, one by the opposition and one by Sandinista supporters.

Yet the published material and a video reconstruction only examined in detail the deaths among government opponents, referring only briefly to the several Sandinista deaths and not at all to the many injuries to police officers. (The video has since been removed from the website—when you sign up with Vimeo, it says “This page cannot be found”) Crucially, its report was shown to have ignored and manipulated evidence from its own experts. It omitted evidence of the use of firearms by the opposition, manipulated the analysis of a weapons expert, and concluded that the protesters were killed by the police.

As a result of the report’s gross distortions of the May 30 events, a large number of organizations and individuals wrote to the IACHR and separately made a formal complaint to the OAS, but received only a brief reply. Nevertheless, for the Spanish newspaper El Pais and for the BBC, the reconstruction proved that the police were the killers.

In another example, from March 2021, the IACHR held an open session on Indigenous people’s rights in Nicaragua, to which no democratically elected representatives of Indigenous communities were invited, only spokespeople from two opposition-oriented NGOs. One was a recipient of USAID finance. The AfGJ, which discovered by chance that the hearing would take place yet managed to make a submission by the deadline, was not called to give evidence, nor was its submission even mentioned. In July 2024, the IACHR held another session in which only opposition-oriented NGOs took part.

Perhaps the most egregious example of partiality comes from the UN itself. In 2022, the UNHCR established a “Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua” (GHREN) which, in February 2023, published a highly biased report. It went so far as to argue that Nicaragua’s government had committed “crimes against humanity.” The “experts” even went beyond their mandate and recommended further economic sanctions.

A ”collective” of small opposition NGOs had been given open access to the GHREN and clearly had a strong influence on its work. The Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition (consisting of a number of Nicaraguan government-supporting organizations in the Americas and Europe) quickly prepared a detailed critique. For example, they showed how the GHREN’s chronology of events during the coup attempt in the city of Masaya (where I live) omitted almost all opposition violence, including murders, torture and destruction of municipal buildings and Sandinista homes.

When the Coalition accompanied this evidence with a well-supported petition, sent to the UNHCR and its “group of experts,” there was no response. After multiple emails containing further evidence, only a single, one-line reply was received, pointing the Coalition to the material on the GHREN’s website. Since then, further reports have been produced by the GHREN, none with any mention of our submissions.

The real purpose of “expert” groups

In The Human Rights Industry, Alfred de Zayas makes the point that the real purpose behind such expert groups or commissions is “to denigrate and destabilize the targeted government to facilitate undemocratic ‘regime change’ as desired by one or more powerful countries.” They are part of the “hybrid war arsenal” which such countries employ. He goes on to refer specifically to the GHREN’s report on Nicaragua, labeling it a “political pamphlet” and saying that its accusations of crimes against humanity are undeserving of detailed comment. He duly signed the Coalition’s petition, along with several other human rights lawyers and experts. His signature carries the weight of someone who is, himself, a former UN expert.

It might be argued that little attention is paid to human rights reports about a small country like Nicaragua. However, if a country is being targeted by Washington, legacy media such as The New York Times and The Washington Post do cover them, often embellishing what they say. For example, the item in the NYT on the GHREN’s second report was headed “Nicaragua Nazis: Stunned researchers cite Hitler’s Germany.” Such media reports, carrying a message that Nicaragua is an authoritarian state, echo and reinforce Washington’s message that Nicaragua is a dictatorship or even, as former National Security Adviser John Bolton put it, part of a “troika of tyranny” with other target countries, namely, Cuba and Venezuela.

The real intention of the UNHCR’s “group of experts” can hardly be to appraise and influence the human rights of Nicaraguans. They are not even able to visit the country, because when the Sandinista government found that “experts” sent by the UN or OAS disregarded much of the evidence presented to them, it closed its doors. Real help to Nicaragua might include recommending that the damaging, illegal sanctions imposed on the country be removed (instead of calling for more of them).

As de Zayas says, such “experts” might even make a genuine offer of technical help in the field of human rights. But these groups, and these reports, are not really concerned with the rights of ordinary Nicaraguans, nor are they intended to assist the government. At best, they are concerned only with the rights of a small elite represented in the (mainly exiled) opposition groups. At worst, their purpose is to demonize the government, aiding the process of manufacturing consent for Washington’s aim of regime change in Nicaragua.

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Briefs
By Nan McCurdy
The Revolution in Education: 18 Years of Free Education
One of the first measures taken by President Daniel Ortega, when he took office in 2007, was to establish free and quality education in all schools. Since then, the education sector has made significant progress at all levels. Quality education through the professionalization and training of teachers and modernization of the physical and educational infrastructures, just to name a few. Likewise, curricula have been updated with an integral vision of the formation of the human being. New technologies are available in the educational centers; schools have been equipped with computers and free WIFI so that students can expand and update their knowledge. The government has given financial bonuses to students as a recognition of their effort, discipline and development; and to high school graduates to be used for their continuing education. Teachers without teaching certificates have become a thing of the past with the professionalization of thousands of teachers. The budget for the education sector has grown significantly since the Sandinistas took office and increased 12.1 percent for 2025. School enrollment, student retention, and academic performance have grown at all levels. The school lunch program is a factor that contributes to all these things and is part of the restoration of rights in this second stage of the revolution. Higher education and technical education have improved and enrollment has increased due to the economic conditions and stability guaranteed by the revolutionary government. Universities and higher technical education centers were assigned this year a budget of approximately US$258 million. January 11 has been established as National Education Day and on that day activities were carried out around the nation to celebrate this unforgettable day in Nicaragua’s history. (La Primerisima, 11 January 2025)

New York Times Includes Nicaragua in its 52 Places to Visit in 2025
A recent travel article in the New York Times lists Nicaragua as number 14 in its list of 52 places to visit in 2025 and calls the country “A darling of eco-tourists,” The article notes, “The largest country in Central America, Nicaragua, is full of attractions like tropical jungles, picturesque colonial towns, Caribbean islands, and long, sweeping beaches. This year the country will be much easier to explore, with the unveiling of the Costañera highway, a multimillion-dollar project connecting more than 50 beaches and communities on its Emerald Coast along the Pacific, from the Gulf of Fonseca in the north to Playa El Naranjo in the south.” The article adds, “With new nonstop flights from the United States into Managua, you can take in the country’s colonial capital before heading on a road trip along the coastline. Set up digs at the sustainable Rancho Santana, with five beaches on the vast property as well as riding stables and turtle sanctuary.” [Editor’s note: Rancho Santana a very pricy hotel. There are wonderful small hotels all over the coast and horseback riding is easily available. In the editor’s opinion two of the prettiest beaches, right next to each other, 20 minutes north of San Juan del Sur, are Majagual and Madera – the south end of Madera is a surf beach] (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/202 ... -2025.html Ondine Cohane, New York Times, January 2025)

Bertha Calderón Hospital Inaugurates Oncology Outpatient Clinic
Around 20,000 women who receive treatment each year at the Bertha Calderón women’s Hospital in Managua will be received in optimal conditions with the new Isabel Beteta Oncology Outpatient Clinic. The clinic has five consulting rooms, endoscopy services, pharmacy, admission and clinical archive. This is of vital importance for thousands of women fighting cancer. Biopsies for the early diagnosis of breast cancer are frequently taken at this health center, as well as free mammograms. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/el-hospi ... ncologica/ (La Primerisima, 12 January 2025)

Some 177,000 Baby Turtles Released
The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARENA) reported that from January 9 to 12, protected areas guards and members of the Nicaraguan Army released 176,980 baby Olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelis olivaceae) born from eggs laid on the beach of La Flor Wildlife Refuge, in the Department of Rivas. Similar to the turtle release at Chacocente last week, the baby reptiles were carefully transferred from the hatchery of the biological station to the beach to begin their short sprint to the Pacific Ocean. 119 national and international tourists participated in the turtle release. La Flor Wildlife Refuge is one of the main nesting sites for sea turtles, where there is also hiking, camping and releasing of baby turtles. The release of baby turtles is an important action that contributes to the protection of sea turtles, a millenary species in danger of extinction and is part of the efforts of the National Campaign “Together We Conserve Our Sea Turtles,” part of a larger action plan promoted since 2007 by the Sandinista government, in order to strengthen biodiversity conservation policies. This wonder of nature, La Flor Wildlife Refuge, is at kilometer 22 of the road that leads to El Ostional, Municipality of San Juan del Sur. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/mas-de-1 ... ma-semana/ (La Primerisima, 14 January 2025)

Ochomogo Traffic Circle on the Panamerican Highway Ready
The new traffic circle in Ochomogo, Rivas, located in the heart of the South Mesoamerican Corridor on the route to Costa Rica, improves traffic on one of the busiest roads in the country. This traffic circle improves road safety and also transforms the daily lives of thousands of families; 82,714 people from 18 communities now enjoy more agile travel and a definitive solution to congestion in the area. The traffic circle boosts tourism, strengthens local and international trade and opens new doors for entrepreneurs in the region. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/lista-ro ... icano-sur/ (La Primerisima, 13 January 2025)

1,600 Tons of Fresh Tomatoes Exported to El Salvador
The Institute for the Protection of Agricultural Health (IPSA) reported that 1,600 tons of fresh tomatoes were certified for export to El Salvador. The IPSA ensures phytosanitary surveillance in the framework of keeping pests that affect tomato and chili crops under control. According to a press release, in the year 2024 monitoring was carried out through 4,402 trapping services on 2,007 farms and 1,098 other sites nationwide, maintaining the quarantine pest free status. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/exportan ... -salvador/ (La Primerisima, 11 January 2025)

President Ortega Attends Maduro Inauguration in Caracas
At the swearing in of the reelected Venezuelan head of state Nicolás Maduro in Caracas, President Daniel Ortega exalted the importance of youth and shared the story of how Nicaragua has also circumvented the interests of imperial countries. Ortega recalled that President Maduro was a young boy when he started in the social struggles for a dignified and sovereign Venezuela. “And here we have the results … with the strength that Bolivar vindicated, with the strength of the Heroes, of the Martyrs,” Ortega said. He continued, “Here is David, the hero, the revolutionary: Nicolás Maduro Moros – and with him, Chávez, Bolívar and the Venezuelan heroes, long live the youth.” President Ortega recalled that revolutions have been led by young people: “I see an immense majority of young people, of boys, of girls that Rubén Darío in one of his poems described: Youth, divine treasure.” He went on to say, “Honestly, we see in the youth their commitment and their conscience, their dedication to the waging of struggles for sovereignty and independence. There is the strength and the magic of youth and that is why revolutions throughout history have been led by young people. With the youth, with this people and with this party we will continue fighting.”

During his speech he also referred to the history of Nicaragua. He recounted the invasion by US filibuster William Walker and his reinstating slavery a few decades after Nicaragua had achieved its independence from Spain and abolished slavery. He praised the heroism of those who had fought the filibusters at the Battle of San Jacinto including the Indigenous bowmen from Matagalpa and the young Andres Castro who threw stones that downed Yankee invaders. He recalled how the revolutionary poet Fernando Gordillo wrote a poem that is valid today. Ortega said, “Gordillo wrote, ‘throw the stone, throw it because the enemy is the same’ and here the stone has been thrown by all of you brothers and sisters, giving the vote to President Nicolás Maduro. (La Primerisima, 10 January 2025)

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Re: Nicaragua

Post by blindpig » Fri Jan 31, 2025 3:14 pm

NicaNotes: Nicaragua’s Education Revolution: No One Size Fits All
January 23, 2025

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Register here: bit.ly/NicaJan26

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Nicaragua’s Education Revolution: No One Size Fits All
By Becca Renk
(Becca Renk is originally from Idaho, USA. She has lived and worked in sustainable community development in Nicaragua since 2001 with the Jubilee House Community and its project, the Center for Development in Central America; she coordinates the solidarity work of Casa Ben Linder.)

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A half million school children are receiving checks for about $55 to buy supplies for the new school year. Here the checks are being distributed in the South Caribbean Autonomous Region.

In early January, Nicaragua’s Vice President Rosario Murillo announced that 500,000 school children will receive cash from the government to purchase school supplies.

“For this school year, which begins in the last days of January, all children in preschool, first and second grade will receive $55 each for the purchase of supplies to the child’s taste,” Murillo explained. “We think that this way we are better off because everyone will find the backpack and the notebooks they like, the ones that make them happy to start school.” This new initiative is an adjustment of government support for families with school-age kids which has been ongoing since 2007.

Revolutionary and Evolutionary

While Nicaragua’s revolution sticks to its fundamental principles – essentially those laid out by the FSLN’s Historic Program in 1969 – it is not afraid to evolve as well. This is what is meant when we say the Nicaraguan people are “revolutionary and evolutionary” – when a program isn’t working the way it was intended to, that program gets tweaked for improvement or even scrapped altogether in favor of a better way of doing things.

When the Sandinista government first came back into power in January 2007, President Daniel Ortega announced at his inauguration that public school would be free. The government had a huge task ahead of them just to repair the 27,000 completely deteriorated classrooms and train teachers – at that time, 47% of public-school teachers had no formal training. But the government also wanted to make education accessible for all families.

No One Size Fits All

In order to do so, the government started a program to give each student a pair of shoes – the most expensive part of the school uniform. Our daughter Eibhlín was in first grade when she got a pair of these shoes – but they were big enough for a sixth grader! It turned out that the shoe donation, while a great idea, was a logistical nightmare – getting a million pairs of shoes and sending them to each school around the country, it was impossible to hand out the right sizes to each kid. We parents wound up trading shoes within the school as much as possible, some parents even sold the donated shoes for money to buy ones that fit.

As a result, the revolutionary support for families evolved. The shoe plan was scrapped and the Ministry of Education began instead to give out backpacks with school supplies. Each year of elementary school, along with one million other school kids, our daughters received colorful backpacks full of notebooks and other school supplies. This year, the program to support families getting kids ready for school has again been tweaked in order to improve.

Blessings and Victories

In December, the Ministry of Education concluded a six-month long consultation process which involved input from hundreds of thousands of students, teachers and families across the country to create the new National Education Strategy, “Blessings and Victories.” This constantly evolving strategy is based on a student, family and community-led model which informs everything from curriculum to overall pedagogical approach. It’s also a time for families to express themselves on all aspects of education, including things like their preference to pick their kids’ backpacks themselves.

As a result of families’ feedback, the backpack program has this year been traded for a cash transfer. This new program will put $55 in the hands of the families at the time they need to purchase school supplies. This will spread out the $27.4 million investment in education among a wide variety of small and micro businesses around the country, creating a welcome cash infusion for Nicaragua’s economy. Additionally, parents are empowered to spend the money on what their children need most for school: with the C$2,000 they will receive on January 15th, parents can purchase not only a backpack and notebooks, but it will also stretch to purchase a uniform or other needed items.

Graduation Bonus

This school bonus program is similar to the successful unconditional cash transfer program given to high school graduates in Nicaragua. In order to incentivize students to finish high school, the Sandinista government has distributed this special bonus to high school graduates for more than a decade. The transfer checks are made out to the students themselves – they must have their identification card (issued at 16 in Nicaragua) to sign for the check. It is a day of “adulting” – for most, it is the first time they will cash a check in their own name. The first bonuses were $30 each, two years ago the program was adjusted and the bonuses were raised to $82. In 2024, there were 63,717 graduates; the bonus program represented an investment of $5.24 million in Nicaragua’s youth.

Getting your kids back to school is expensive, no matter where you are or what type of school they are in. It’s gratifying to know that this year, the smallest kids in public school in Nicaragua will have the support they need to get them back in class.

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Briefs
By Nan McCurdy
Presidential School Supply Checks Begin for Lower Grades
On Jan. 20 the Sandinista Government began the delivery of the 2,000 Córdoba voucher (US$55) for children in preschool, first and second grade, in all public schools in the country. This money will allow parents to buy school supplies for their children plus uniforms or shoes. The activities at the schools are accompanied by face painting, piñata breaking and colorful festivals through the Leonel Rugama Cultural Movement. The Federation of Secondary School Students and the 19 de Julio Sandinista Youth are in charge of giving out the vouchers. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/inicia-e ... l-escolar/ (La Primerisima, 20 January 2025)

Two Thousand Children Have Heart Surgery in Last Ten Years
Two thousand children have undergone free heart surgery at the heart surgery center located at the Manuel de Jesús Rivera La Mascota Children’s Hospital during its ten years of operation. During this period 79,000 echocardiographic studies have been performed and a total of 103,000 children with heart diseases have been treated. The center has highly trained personnel, high-tech equipment, including an extracorporeal circulation pump and high-resolution echocardiographs; it also has two operating rooms and an intensive care room to provide specialized, quality care to children. With the creation of the Cardiosurgery Center, the government reaffirms its commitment to continue improving the quality of life of children with heart problems. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/dos-mil- ... n-10-anos/
(La Primerisima, 20 January 2025)

Beef Production Exceeded 358 million Pounds in 2024
In 2024, national beef production was at least 358.8 million pounds, 6.9% higher than in 2023. This volume supplied national consumption and also allowed for export growth. In Nicaragua, livestock activity represents one of the main economic motors that contributes to the generation of employment and income throughout the year. Beef is one of Nicaragua’s top exports and generates much needed foreign exchange. The National System of Production, Consumption and Commerce continues to develop programs that promote genetic improvement, cattle herd management and feeding techniques to achieve higher levels of production that are sustainable, profitable and environmentally friendly. (La Primerisima, 17 January 2025)

More than 53,000 Food Packages to be Distributed during January
In January the Government will distribute 53,718 food packages to Mothers of Heroes and Martyrs, people with disabilities, and vulnerable families. According to the program, 20,575 will be distributed to mothers of the fallen revolutionary combatants, 20,643 to people with disabilities and 12,500 to social emergency cases nationwide. The food packages will be distributed between January 27 and 31. (La Primerisima, 17 January 2025)

History Incorporated at All Educational Levels
“History and National Identity” as a fundamental subject in all educational levels is being incorporated in the 2025 school year. Modules and training courses will be developed for students at technical schools and universities, as well as updating the contents of the subject of history to be taught to primary and secondary school students. A training process has been organized for 65,405 university, primary, secondary and technical education teachers to be held from January 14 to 31, 2025, contributing to their knowledge of the history of the struggles of Nicaraguans and of other peoples. (La Primerisima, 17 January 2025)

Study Finds that Nicaraguan Program Increases Marginalized Women’s Income
The family economy program in Nicaragua includes a number of different programs that promote the development of the family economy. It is part of the Ministry of Family, Community, Cooperative and Associative Economy (MEFCCA) with input from INATEC (National Technological Institute). Researchers from Seoul National University and Yonsei University, both in Korea, and from Harvard University, conducted an in-depth evaluation of the Family Economy Small Business Program. This government initiative, launched in 2012, aims to support self-employed individuals in sectors such as agriculture, forestry, and commerce and offers comprehensive business training, skill-building sessions, and market access strategies. A distinctive focus is placed on empowering women by addressing gender-specific barriers and fostering female participation in entrepreneurial activities.

While the program showed no significant impact on the overall earnings of self-employed workers, it had notable benefits on women. Female participants with primary education experienced a 14.5% increase in earnings, while those with secondary education enjoyed an 18.3% rise. These results highlight the program’s ability to generate targeted benefits for marginalized groups. However, for male participants, the program did not lead to statistically significant changes in income. The study offers valuable insights for policymakers in developing countries with high levels of informal self-employment. Targeted interventions, like this program, can play a critical role in empowering marginalized groups like women. By addressing gender-specific barriers, such programs not only improve individual outcomes but also contribute to broader goals of income equality and inclusive economic growth. By enabling women to overcome structural barriers, the program contributed to meaningful improvements in their earnings and work opportunities. See Article: https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/in ... ss-program (Devdiscourse, 19 January 2025)

More than 2,000 New Minibuses and Buses Arrive from China
Vice President Rosario Murillo announced that this week President Daniel Ortega will deliver more than 2,000 minibuses and full-size buses in honor of the poet Rubén Darío (whose birthday is Jan. 18) and General Augusto Sandino (who died on Feb. 21). “Buses and minibuses continue to arrive from the People’s Republic of China; this time we are receiving passenger buses and tourist type buses,” Murillo said. She said that this week President Ortega will be handing over minibuses for the Departments of Masaya, Chinandega, Leon and Carazo. 140 minibuses will also be delivered in the Departments of Boaco and Granada, and in the municipalities of Bilwi, Siuna and Bonanza. She said that the buses for tourism will be for the Caribbean Coast and the San Juan River area. (La Primerisima, 20 January 2025)

Celebration of the Meeting of the Saints in Diriamba
In an atmosphere full of fervor and joy the traditional Meeting of the Saints was celebrated on Jan. 19 in Diriamba. The parishioners gathered to witness the emotional encounter of the venerated statues of Saint Sebastian Martyr, Saint Mark Evangelist and Saint James Apostle. The religious activity was full of culture and tradition, accompanied by the colorful dances of Toro Huaco and El Viejo y la Vieja. Also, the population enjoyed the traditional Picadillo, highlighting the rich gastronomic heritage of Diriamba. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/celebran ... -diriamba/ (La Primerisima, 19 January 2025)

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Re: Nicaragua

Post by blindpig » Wed Feb 05, 2025 3:15 pm

Sandino: The Unique Phenomenon of the Nicaraguan Revolution
Posted by Internationalist 360° on February 4, 2025
Alexander Tuboltsev

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General Sandino [center] and Entourage enroute to Mexico. Photo via U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

By joining the flag of the Sandinista National Liberation Front, the people of Nicaragua have made their historic choice in favor of a sovereign and free path.


The great Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío, who lived in the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries, praised in his poems the beauty of his native country, its tropical forests and turquoise lakes. Darío carried a deep respect for his native land through all his immortal works.

And indeed: Nicaragua is a stunningly beautiful land. Volcanoes, mangroves, Pacific coast, and endemic flora and fauna. And on this blessed land, a socio-political concept was born, which is a unique phenomenon. I’m talking about the ideology of Augusto César Sandino.

Many books have been written about this brave man. He was born in Niquinohomo, Nicaragua, in 1895. In my opinion, it is important to remember that it was in 1895 that the national liberation uprising began in Cuba, led by the great thinker and poet José Martí, who sought to achieve Cuba’s independence from the Spanish colonial empire. Sandino was born on May 18, and on May 19, 1895, José Martí died heroically in battle. These two courageous revolutionaries were separated by time, but in their desire to fight for freedom and independence, they both became models for future generations.

When Augusto Sandino began his national liberation struggle, there were 29 people in his squad. It was in the autumn of 1926, at the very beginning of his revolutionary journey. At the time, Nicaragua was experiencing a difficult situation: various political groups were fighting for power, there was a Constitutionalist war, and the United States was intervening in the country’s internal affairs. Coffee exports were the mainstay of the economy, but only large landowners and American corporations profited from it. The peasants were in distress, and the actions of the US occupation forces caused just indignation among every Nicaraguan patriot. Washington’s military, political, and financial elites extended their colonial expansion to the countries of Central America and the Caribbean (Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti).

In this tragic situation for Nicaragua and its people, Sandino took a brave step. He joined the battle and opposed all those who wanted to plunder the republic with impunity. The dream of the broad masses of Nicaragua about the appearance of fighters against foreign occupiers and corrupt elites has come true. Such fighters have appeared. Taking up rifles and machetes, they rose up to save their homeland. They decided to show that their republic was a country of free people.

Sandino became the head of the guerrilla army and began to fight against the American occupation forces. He had his own ideological program: defending the Motherland and the oppressed people, fighting against foreign aggression, supporting the principles of justice and fraternity, and the unity of Latin American nations. Sandino appreciated the example of such historical figures as Simon Bolivar and Jose de San Martin. These were the heroes of the war for the freedom of Latin America from the Spanish empire, and their lives influenced the formation of the ideals of the great Nicaraguan revolutionary.

Sandino and his movement became the quintessence of patriotic ideas that were developed by many intellectuals, such as José Martí and the Uruguayan philosopher José Enrique Rodó (who actively defended the idea of the cultural identity of Latin America). Like a spark, Sandino ignited the flame of a popular revolution. He died in February 1934, but his socio-political concept became immortal.

He was replaced by new generations. The heroes who continued the cause of resistance in Nicaragua were the patriots of the Sandinista National Liberation Front. And speaking of them, it is important to focus on the figure of a modern revolutionary leader, a follower of Sandino’s ideas. This leader is Daniel Ortega.

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Jubilant Sandinista rebels ride a small tank in the main square of Managua as junta arrives June 20, 1979 to take control of the government. Bettmann / Getty Images

18 years ago, in January 2007, Daniel Ortega assumed the office of President of the Republic of Nicaragua, having previously won the November 2006 elections. Under his leadership, the country entered a new stage of historical development.

Daniel Ortega is a renowned revolutionary leader, a man who, together with the Sandinista National Liberation Front, raised the banner of struggle and resistance in Nicaragua. Since the 60s of the last century, he has been at the forefront of the struggle against the pro-American kleptocratic regime of Somoza and his Western sponsors. It was a revolutionary battle for the freedom of the people and the sovereignty of Nicaragua, and it culminated in victory in July 1979, when the Sandinista National Liberation Front forces entered the capital, Managua. After that, the process of restoring the republic began, which Somoza and his henchmen had been plundering for decades.

Thanks to the Sandinistas, a broad campaign to combat illiteracy was launched and the active development of school education and the construction of new hospitals were launched. At the same time, the United States was trying to destabilize the situation in Nicaragua by using paramilitary groups that received money and weapons from Washington.

Daniel Ortega’s efforts to develop Nicaragua continued after 2007 when the legendary revolutionary became President of the Republic. New programs have been launched to electrify the country and strengthen the public education system. Over the years, Nicaragua’s GDP has grown, and the republic maintains good economic growth rates. Nicaragua has become one of the main supporters of the transition to a new, just, multipolar world order, and is actively developing friendly relations with Russia, China, Venezuela, and Cuba.

By joining the flag of the Sandinista National Liberation Front, the people of Nicaragua have made their historic choice in favor of a sovereign and free path. This means that Augusto Sandino’s heroism still lives in the hearts of millions of people.

These ideas are relevant for the 21st century. What Sandino and his followers talked about remains extremely important in our era. We can briefly list some important elements of this ideological concept:

1. Mass education, accessible to the general public. This is extremely important because literacy and public education are the key to successful national development. The Nicaraguan revolutionaries followed this path from the very beginning, creating new schools and engaging in educational work among the population.

2. Cultural identity. Here we are talking about an original cultural heritage, about the preservation of national history, which is important for every sovereign state. This was confirmed by Sandino himself, who was well aware of the history of Latin American independence fighters of the 19th century, respected and loved the historical and cultural traditions of the Nicaraguan people. The principle of cultural identity is also important for the development of multipolarity in the world.

3. Patriotism, protection of oppressed and disadvantaged people, struggle for justice. These are the great principles that Sandino defended, and they became the basis for many national liberation movements around the world.

https://libya360.wordpress.com/2025/02/ ... evolution/

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NicaNotes: Bread and Roses…and Coffee too! Excerpts from a 1986 Coffee Brigade Diary
January 30, 2025
By Maylin Heard

(Maylin Heard, a peace activist from Bath, England, was a member of one of the ten coffee brigades organised by the UK Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign (NSC) that spent four weeks picking coffee on a state-owned farm the Department of Matagalpa in 1986.)

Part 1 Introduction: In the 1980s, as the US military, economic and political war on Nicaragua intensified, more and more men were being drafted into the military resulting in a shortage of agricultural labourers especially coffee pickers. International brigades from around the world travelled to Nicaragua to help to fill this gap. But even more important was the role of brigadistas when they returned home having acted as witnesses to the realities of the Sandinista Revolution and the suffering and destruction caused by the multifaceted US war. The brigade was called ‘Bread and Roses’, a name originating from a 1912 strike of women textile workers in Massachusetts, calling not only for fair wages but also dignified conditions.

17 November 1986: London to Managua via Moscow, Shannon (Ireland), and Havana on Aeroflot

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‘Carlos Fonseca came from Matagalpa and so is a local hero. There are posters everywhere commemorating the 10th anniversary of his death and urging everyone to remember and stand with him by picking coffee. They shout his name, and everyone shouts back “Presente!”’

After two hours and attempting 101 positions in which to sleep in an airline seat I have decided to give up and try writing instead. It is 4am GMT, and I am en route from Shannon in Ireland to Cuba, where we expect to arrive at 12.30.

This journey started at 7.45am when we left Bath for Heathrow Airport, an hour’s journey. At Heathrow, we were seen off by a representative from the Nicaraguan Embassy and had our photos taken for press releases to be sent to local newspapers in the places we come from. Look out for something in the Bath Chronicle!

The flight from London to Moscow was diabolical but the worst part was the take-off and landing. I had a splitting headache most of the time but was only sick when we landed. The vegetarian lunch that we ordered through the travel agent never materialised and we spent our time scraping rice and peas from the side of beef something or other.

Well, our 3.5 hours stay in Cuba wasn’t so exciting. There wasn’t much that seemed revolutionary in Havana Airport – unlike Sandino Airport in Managua, where the first thing we saw was a large FSLN (Frente Sandinista de Liberacion National) on the side of a mountain. There were military tents and gun emplacements all around the Managua airport. All along the route into town there were revolutionary slogans.

18 November 1986: Settling into our new home in the mountains

We have been warned not to have our photos taken holding the guns of the militia; this is to avoid giving credence to accusations that we are being trained as guerrillas to start a revolution back in the UK! [Margaret Thatcher, a staunch ally of US president Ronald Reagan, was the UK Prime Minister at the time].

We are staying in a cramped hostel, five bunk beds in a dormitory. We have had a briefing with CNASP (the government institution responsible for liaising with international solidarity organisations). We leave for the mountains tomorrow where we will be working on an UPE (state farm) called San Jose, 6km from Matagalpa.

Well it’s 8pm and we are settled into our new home after our 80km trip into the mountains. The bus was amazing but the road not so much! The windows were open, and it was wonderfully breezy. Fantastic scenery. Nearer the UPE, we changed to a lorry as the road was rougher. It was exciting, fantastic, standing in the back of the lorry dodging exotic trees, rocking backwards and forwards along the deep ruts, seeing this indescribable country opening up to us. The air is fresh and clean, and I have already caught the sun [gotten sunburned].

Nicaragua, Central America!

We are not sleeping on shelves in a barn like the two previous UK coffee brigades but housed in a broken-down villa of a general in the armed forces of brutal Somoza dictatorship that ruled Nicaragua for 43 years. He now presumably presides in Miami. [Anastasio Somoza Debayle first fled to the US but was assassinated in Paraguay in Sept. 1980.] The villa is crumbly and basic but wonderful. I am sitting on the porch under a weak electric lamp, (one of only two) while the local kids are playing some energetic games that resemble American football, except there is no ball.

We have established a women’s space with (practically) no bad feeling. We have a reasonable amount of space each and have strung up lines for hanging clothes. There is one shower and one loo and a wash basin. All complete luxury compared to what we were expecting.

There are a few Nicaraguan families in the same villa with us and about 180 people on the UPE altogether. They are very friendly, especially the children. The food is a ten-minute walk uphill – rice, beans, tortilla. Breakfast is at 6am, lunch at 12 noon and dinner at 5pm. When we come back from dinner, it is dark and fireflies are twinkling in the grass. There are bananas, grapefruit, clementines and lemons growing everywhere. It feels much later than it is because it has been dark for so long.

Jane and I continued working on a banner with a very large audience. We now have a logo and our brigade name in Spanish: Pan y Rosas (Bread and Roses) and all our names around the edge.

Hal, our interpreter, went off to agonise over the translation and handed the draft over to Gonzalez who works on the UPE but is also a poet (along with half the population). We had some spare material and tried to persuade the children to make banners too but only one would; it was beautiful, and we hung it up.

19 November 1986: Rows of coffee become a coffee jungle and we learn about Carlos Fonseca.

We are sitting on the porch listening to a Nicaraguan group who have come to play and sing for us: three guitars and a bow (as in bow and arrow). What a day it’s been and we are almost dropping. There are things to discuss about bedtime and getting up times, which widely differ.…but a 6am start it is.

We had been given our instructions and shown which rows to pick. Sounds straightforward, doesn’t it? Well, it was so steep that we had to climb on our hands and knees with day packs on our backs, baskets around our waists, sacks in our hands, and hats on our heads.

Within about three bushes, most of us had converged having ‘lost’ our rows! They seemed to be at such odd angles. Plus, ‘rows’ was a bit of a euphemism, the vegetation was so dense. It was a coffee jungle that we had to tunnel our way through. The coffee is planted under other trees, such as banana, grapefruit, and orange, so it was a real jungle. Add to this the season had not properly begun, and we seemed to average about two beans per bush.

We kept having to shout for Rene, our supervisor, to tell us where we were supposed to be picking. Our conversations went like this ‘This is my row’, ‘Shouldn’t there be two other people between you and me,’ ‘My row has disappeared’. At one point, we were picking on a 60-degree slope in good parts, slippery on wet banana leaves, and we were supposed to get down with all our gear to pick coffee. In fact, we managed about 12 beans between us because that’s all there were!

Some of us went down to the bottom of the slope, where there was a stream with the most amazing turquoise fireflies. Anyway, worse than coming down the slope we were told we had to climb back up. I’m going to have limbs of steel after all this!

Generally, the lingering impression is of the incredible scenery on the slopes, the clear air of the mountains, the amazing trees dripping with fruit, and butterflies bigger than your hand. And when the wind blows, which it does sporadically in quite powerful bursts, it was just like a Rousseau painting, the sense of movement is just awe inspiring.

Our guide Rene had a belt with what looked like a large CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) symbol, Lucia, [a Spanish speaking member of the brigade], explained what it meant to us and he let us take photos of him showing it off when we stopped at a disused swimming pool (miles from anywhere in the middle of the coffee), lost and eating fruit.

We had picked 5 ½ latas [tin cans which hold about 6 lbs. of coffee cherries each] between us, the average for one Nicaraguan when the coffee is riper. After lunch and clothes washing, boot cleaning and showers, some of us went to a meeting at the school.

It was set for 3pm but actually happened at 4.30pm. It was a mixture of boredom when there were long readings and quotes in Spanish and excitement when they were making revolutionary speeches and singing songs. During the meeting, we were told that although Sunday is a day off, any volunteers can pick, and the proceeds will go to our companero/as in El Salvador. They also said that a Carlos Fonseca brigade was being formed, made up of those who on average pick eight latas a day. (Carlos Fonseca was one of the founders of the FSLN, killed in combat 1976.)

The school is one room with long benches painted red and black inside and out. Carlos Fonseca came from Matagalpa and so is a local hero. There are posters everywhere commemorating the 10th anniversary of his death in 1976 and urging everyone to remember and stand with him by picking coffee. They shout his name, and everyone shouts back ‘Presente!’

PS: A journalist from the daily newspaper El Nuevo Diario drove up to interview us today.

To be continued….

If you have memories of your involvement with Nicaragua from years ago, write them down and send them to us! Even better if you have photos! Many of us are getting old and some of us have died! Leave a legacy! Write katherinechoyt@gmail.com.

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Briefs
By Nan McCurdy
More than 1.8 Million Students Return to Class
The Minister of Education, Mendy Aráuz, reported that this school year enrollment has reached more than 1.8 million students at all levels. This figure is important, because one of the priorities of the Sandinista Government has been that no child, young person or adult should be left out of the educational system. In that sense the Minister said that the system, including basic, technical, and professional education, is expanding and diversifying educational programs and fields of study, especially in the countryside. “Hundreds of boys and girls are today starring in these achievements and in the restauration of their right to education,” the Minister said. The Ministry of Education (MINED) distributed food around the country to guarantee the school meal for students, and the US$55 check for school supplies and uniforms was delivered to the children of preschool, first and second grade. Events to inaugurate the school year are being held simultaneously in different educational centers throughout the country. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/mas-de-u ... -a-clases/ (La Primerisima, 27 January 2025)

Victories In Health
1) Maternal mortality has decreased by 79.8%, going from 104 maternal deaths in 2006 to 21 in 2024.
2) Infant mortality has decreased by 52.6%, going from 1,916 children under the age of 1 who died in 2006 to 908 in 2024.
3) Neonatal mortality has decreased by 62.5%, going from 1,352 newborns who died in 2006 to 507 in 2024.
4) Chronic malnutrition in children under five has decreased, going from 21.7% in 2006 to 4.5% in 2024.
5) Cervical cancer mortality has decreased by 14.4%, going from 228 women who died from cervical cancer in 2006 to 195 in 2024.
6) Mother-to-child transmission of HIV has decreased by 98%; in 2006 56 children were infected and in 2024 only 1 child was infected.
7) Vaccination coverage has increased from 88% in 2006 to 95% in 2024.
8) The number of health services provided to the population has increased, going from 8,503,987 in 2006 to 35,956,696 services in 2024.
9) In 2024, 72,161 pregnant women spent their last days/weeks of pregnancy in Maternity Wait Homes, over-complying with the established goal by 8.4%. [This is to assure women from more remote areas can have their babies in a hospital or health center].
10) In 2024, there were 418,963 natural medicine consultations for an over-compliance of 15.4% of the established goal.
11) In 2024, 422,465 visits were made to people with disabilities through the “Everyone has a Voice Program,” surpassing the goal by 2.5%.
12) In 2024, 111,590 CAT scans and 22,249 MRIs were performed, unprecedented numbers, unimaginable without the Revolution.
13) In 2024, 29,700 health fairs were held, providing 6.9 million services.
14) From March 2021, when the first fetal surgery was performed to 2024, 483 fetal surgeries have been carried out. Nicaragua is the only country in Central America that performs this type of surgery for free in the public health system.
15) “Operation Miracle” was launched in 2007 allowing hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans to see more clearly. Between 2007 and 2024, 346,162 ophthalmological surgeries for pterygium and cataracts were performed and more people are treated every year.
16) In 2024, 2,163 nuclear medicine sessions for the treatment of cancer and hyperthyroidism were performed.
17) In 2024, 40,197 radiotherapy sessions as part of cancer treatment were performed.
18) In 2024, 50 heart surgeries were performed.
19) In 2024, 1,163,467 dialysis and hemodialysis sessions were carried out. [There are about 1,000 dialysis machines throughout Nicaragua].
20) In 2024, 31,478 chemotherapy sessions were carried out, primarily on women with breast cancer.
21) In 2024, 251 pacemakers were inserted; in 2006 only 7 Pacemakers were inserted.
22) In 2024, 31 Mega Health Fairs were held (Internal Medicine, Gynecology, Orthopedics and Neurosurgery), providing 181,994 specialized services.
23) The number of health workers increased by 77%, going from 22,083 in 2006 to 38,984 in 2024.
(Government of Reconciliation and National Unity, published in Tortilla con Sal, 10 January 2025)

Nearly 30,000 Babies Born at Vélez Paiz Hospital in Seven Years
The Ministry of Health reported that the Doctor Fernando Vélez Paiz Hospital celebrated seven years of serving the population on January 23 [One of the 26 new hospitals in Nicaragua since the Sandinistas regained the presidency in 2007.] During this time, more than 29,000 babies have been born, 90,000 surgeries have been performed and more than two million consultations have been provided. In this Managua hospital that at times serves the entire country, mammograms, tomographies, X-ray studies, ultrasounds, pathology studies, fluoroscopy studies and laboratory tests have been guaranteed to Nicaraguan families. With this anniversary, the Sandinista government reaffirms its commitment to guarantee modern and quality attention to Nicaraguan families. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/casi-30- ... iete-anos/ (La Primerisima, 23 January 2025)

Loan Approved from India for Quick Impact Projects
A loan of US$1.25 million from the government of India was approved by the plenary of the National Assembly on January 23. Deputy Wálmaro Gutiérrez, president of the Economic Committee of the National Assembly explained that the resources will be destined for quick impact projects, that is to say, works that are not contemplated in the investment plans of institutions or municipalities. This will be the modality of assistance granted by India to the government of Nicaragua. There will be 25 projects during the five years of the agreement, five for each year, and each project will have a financing amount of US$50,000. These funds will be destined for socioeconomic development, including roads, community centers, social infrastructure in health, education, and sanitation, as well as community development. (La Primerisima, 23 January 2025)

Strong Economy Guarantees Fuel and Electricity Subsidies
The prices of fuels and liquefied gas will remain frozen as long as necessary to avoid impacts on the country’s economic sectors and on families, according to the executive president of INE (Nicaraguan Energy Institute), José Antonio Castañeda. He said that President Ortega and Vice President Murillo want to protect families and all economic sectors. He said that all gas stations are being checked every week to ensure that prices are not increased. The Minister pointed out that without this measure a gallon of gasoline would cost US$7 a gallon. From December 23, 2024, to January 15, 2025, there was a 15% increase internationally in the price of a barrel of oil. However, in Nicaragua there was no increase at all to the population. The government has provided subsidies of up to US$8 million in one week; in some weeks it has been less, but what is more important than the amount, is stability and security. In March of this year, it will be three years that fuels or oil derivatives in Nicaragua do not reflect price alterations, despite the increase at international levels.

Santiago Bermúdez, General Director of Electricity and Renewable Resources of the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM), said that another important point is that electricity rates have remained frozen since 2021. In other countries rates have moved up and here they have remained intact, thanks to the government. Bermudez said that all this is due to having a healthy and strong economy; but above all the important thing is the political will that exists in Nicaragua. Finally, officials reiterated that all these measures help the Government of Nicaragua to continue promoting projects for the welfare of the people and so that everyone can live in peace. (La Primerisima, 28 January 2025)

New Fleet of Chinese Buses Arrives in Managua
The 110 new Chinese buses arrived on Jan. 25 in Managua, to be later distributed among the different transportation cooperatives to strengthen intercity transportation. These units left early in the morning from the Julia Herrera de Pomares Logistics Center in the municipality of El Realejo and will be delivered to the coops in the capital next week by President Daniel Ortega. The new batch of vehicles allows Nicaragua to continue renewing, modernizing and transforming transportation, an effort undertaken by the Sandinista Government in order to restore the rights of users and carriers, which almost vanished under the neoliberal governments between 1990 and 2007. The new units are for the intercity routes of Managua, Boaco, Chinandega, Masaya and Río Blanco. The new buses are longer and some of them have a built-in roof-basket and a capacity for 50 passengers. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/llega-a- ... es-chinos/ (La Primerisima, 25 January 2025)

https://afgj.org/nicanotes-bread-and-ro ... gade-diary
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

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