Nicaragua

The fightback
User avatar
blindpig
Posts: 10592
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 5:44 pm
Location: Turtle Island
Contact:

Re: Nicaragua

Post by blindpig » Fri Oct 30, 2020 1:36 pm

NicaNotes: Branding Nicaraguan meat as ‘conflict beef’ is the latest political attack on a country already suffering from illegal US sanctions
October 29, 2020
Earlier this year Nicaragua’s opposition and its supporters in the international media were promoting stories about the Sandinista government’s “failure” to address the Covid-19 pandemic. This backfired when Nicaragua became the first country in Central America to get the virus under control. Next they claimed that Sandinista supporters were attacking Catholic churches, but then it emerged that an opposition politician had paid for one of the robberies that took place. The latest effort to malign Daniel Ortega’s government tries to link Nicaragua’s beef exports to the United States with land conflicts in its remote Caribbean forests



John Perry, writing from Masaya, Nicaragua, picks up the story.



Nicaraguan cattle ranchers, spurred by a surge in beef exports to the United States, are alleged to be attacking indigenous communities in eastern Nicaragua, destroying “pristine jungle,” forcing people to flee and killing those who resist, according to Reveal News. In a related report on PBS Newshour, beef imported from Nicaragua during the pandemic is said to “come at a high human cost,” while the Center for Investigative Reporting calls the imports “conflict beef.” These claims are based on allegations by the Oakland Institute in California, whose director Anuradha Mittal says that “the supply chain of beef from Nicaragua is anything but clean.”

These reports make false links between land conflicts and meat exports, creating an image that Nicaragua (like, for example, Brazil) is carelessly or deliberately allowing indigenous lands and rainforest to be destroyed while the government does nothing about it. Cattle ranchers’ violence and exploitation are supposedly driven by increased exports to the US. The reality is very different from this disturbing but simplistic picture.

First, Nicaraguan trade unions and cattle farming associations point out that the vast majority of cattle production is in areas that are distant from Nicaragua’s remaining forests, which are protected reserves. The region discussed in the news items, Región Autónoma Caribe Norte (RACN), in the north-east of the country, is the largest in Nicaragua, with about a quarter of the country’s land area, but is sparsely populated (it has only 7% of the total population). It is a mixture of forest and farmland and has a relatively small proportion of the country’s cattle (about 10%).

Second, cattle movement in Nicaragua is carefully controlled, with animals bearing tags showing their origin. The executive director of the Nicaraguan Chamber of the Meat Industry, Juan Bautista Velásquez, said that meat for export comes from farms certified by the Institute for Agricultural Safety and Health (IPSA). The institute made a new statement (in Spanish) setting out the precautions it takes in full, even though neither Reveal nor PBS made any apparent attempt to obtain a statement from IPSA. The head of the National Livestock Commission added: “The animals that are taken to slaughterhouses are ones that are properly identified and from outside the country’s natural reserves.” Given the remoteness of the indigenous areas and difficulty of access, it would be very difficult for cattle from disputed lands to be able to enter the supply chain for exports. PBS Newshour’s report, which begins with images of packs of beef for sale in US supermarkets, gives a highly misleading impression.

Third, the fact that that there are land conflicts in the RACN region is well recognized by the Nicaraguan government, which has been taking active steps to tackle them. Ground-breaking laws have given communal land rights to indigenous communities across the region. A special army battalion exists to tackle deforestation. There has been considerable investment in schools, health centers and roads serving remote communities. Violent incidents have been investigated and in many cases the culprits have been tracked down.

Nevertheless, the government faces huge difficulties. Nicaragua has the largest area of tropical forest north of the Amazon, yet is one of the poorest countries in the hemisphere, with limited resources to deal with the extension of the agricultural frontier or defense of land rights in remote areas. The conflicts in indigenous communities have existed for decades and are often complex – sometimes involving illegal land sales, local corruption or clashes between different indigenous groups.

Undoubtedly more could be done to tackle the problems but it is completely wrong to represent the Sandinista government as either negligent or complicit in the land occupations that take place. Even if the government had the strongest determination possible to stop the land invasions and protect indigenous communities, the lack of resources caused by the US economic war against it and the battering taken by the economy in the violent coup attempt in 2018 and in the pandemic of 2020, would make success difficult if not impossible.

By making a completely false link between the land conflicts in remote areas and the growth of meat exports to the United States, the media are fueling the US government’s regime change agenda for Nicaragua, which has been reinforced by President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in recent statements, and which is evident in the open support by USAID and other agencies for opposition parties and groups in Nicaragua. If suggestions in the Reveal and PBS reports that US producers or supermarkets should boycott Nicaraguan beef were followed through, there would be further damage to poor communities in Nicaragua – potentially on a massive scale. The livelihoods of 140,000 producers and 600,000 workers would be at risk.

Neither the Reveal report nor the PBS Newshour items make clear that the source of their material – the Oakland Institute – is openly hostile to the Nicaraguan government, producing reports with titles such as “Nicaragua’s Failed Revolution.” Its director Anuradha Mittal refuses to engage with Nicaraguan groups or individuals who question their research, including groups with deep knowledge of Nicaraguan agriculture. She failed to respond to an email asking for proof of her claims. Neither of the other two sources for the pieces are unbiased: Lottie Cunningham Wren’s organization has received US government funding and Camilo Castro Belli is a committed supporter of Nicaragua’s opposition.

Once again, knowingly or otherwise, US media are complicit in attempts by Nicaraguan opposition groups and the US government to undermine Nicaragua’s Sandinista government. Reveal has a deserved reputation in progressive circles for its work in exposing immigration abuses, conditions faced by Amazon workers, and other issues: it should pay much more careful attention to the sources of its reports on Nicaragua.

https://afgj.org/nicanotes-branding-nic ... -sanctions
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

User avatar
blindpig
Posts: 10592
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 5:44 pm
Location: Turtle Island
Contact:

Re: Nicaragua

Post by blindpig » Thu Nov 12, 2020 2:32 pm

NicaNotes: Hurricane Eta: Nicaragua Prioritizes Saving and Improving Lives
November 5, 2020
By Nan McCurdy

ImageImage

How is it that there were only two lives lost during a level 4 Hurricane that affected Nicaragua beginning Nov. 2 on the Caribbean Coast? Nicaragua is constantly preparing and training people to save lives in disasters: thousands of people have participated in simulations for hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and more, and this happens a number of times during the year in every municipality.

Nicaragua is among the first countries in Latin America and the Caribbean with the best disaster risk management, according to a study conducted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in August 2020.

On Oct. 30 the National Institute of Emergency Preparedness, INPAE, was inaugurated to consolidate the training and preparation activities of the population developed by SINAPRED, The National System for Prevention, Mitigation and Attention to Disasters. It was inaugurated on the anniversary of one of the hardest days during Hurricane Mitch in 1998 when thousands of lives were lost in a mudslide, in part, because the government at the time would not declare an emergency and send in rescue teams. President Arnoldo Aleman, in particular, wouldn’t believe the Sandinista mayor of Posoltega despite her repeated calls for help to rescue people stuck in the mud.

What have been some of the important factors in Nicaragua’s preparedness for Hurricane ETA? An enormous one is the presence of several good highways from the center of the country to the Caribbean Coast, just finished in the last two years. This makes it much easier to quickly move vehicles, gasoline for trucks and boats, food and medical equipment just ahead of a disaster.

Moving people out of the way of the hurricane is essential to saving lives. Two days ahead of time, Oct. 31, some 120 fishermen were evacuated from the Miskito Keys to Bilwi by military personnel. On November 1 the people who live in the Keys were evacuated. The eye of the hurricane went right through the Miskito Keys the night of Nov. 2.

The other life-saver is moving people to safe shelters in strong buildings out of flood zones. On Nov. 2 10,000 people were moved to shelters in Bilwi and another 10,000 in Prinzapolka and nearly another 10,000 in other Caribbean Coast municipalities to protect lives.

The Navy evacuated 2,059 in other parts of the Caribbean Coast: 325 people were evacuated from Wawa Bar on the Caribbean; 1,285 people from Cabo Viejo, on the Caribbean near the Honduran border, were evacuated to the community of Wankawala; 138 people were evacuated from the mouth of Río Grande, Sandy Bay, Sirpi, Walpa, inland to Karawala; and 142 people from Tasbapounie evacuated to Orinoco. A search and rescue mission of 6 people was carried out at Barra Wawa Bar. And 163 fishermen who were in Cayos Perlas were evacuated to Laguna de Perlas.

The torrential downpours on November 4 have caused the flooding of some neighborhoods in Jinotega, San José de Bocay and Wiwilí where 27 people were evacuated by the army. The strong currents of the Wamblán River dragged down the suspension bridge.

To save lives you must also have food and first response supplies in place before the disaster hits. The government sent many food caravans between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2. Trucks were loaded with food, blankets, mats, hammocks, thick plastic, and personal hygiene kits. And on Nov. 3 food, mattresses, blankets, hammocks, food, plastic and hygiene kits were sent to the evacuated families in Rosita, Bonanza and Prinzapolka because flooding is expected in these areas.

The other area in which the country must be well-prepared ahead of time is in health care. Ministry of Health authorities announced on Nov. 3 that in the city of Bilwi there are eight medical brigades mobilizing where medical attention is needed and the New Dawn mobile Hospital is functioning. Two emergency surgeries and two deliveries of babies had been performed by the morning of Nov. 3. “We are supplied with medicines, laboratory supplies, replacement material, oxygen, fuel, and food for our patients for a period of 45 days,” said Dr. Sonia Castro. She went on to say that they have “217 activated medical command posts are available as well as supplies and equipment for care; there are 1,670 medicine kits to attend 1,000 people per kit. And we have transportation and brigades for the transfer of patients in risk situations. We have 92 functioning power plants for the health units.”

The Health Minister Martha Reyes, announced the actions developed to confront Hurricane ETA, as a priority of the government. “We have 11 medical brigades in Waspán downstream and upstream and in Prinzapolka in the sector of Silibila. We have attended 119 pregnant women, 64 people with chronic diseases and 52 people with disabilities. We have organized 325 Brigades with 6,500 Health Partners. We have visited 4,650 homes in vulnerable locations. We visited all 153 municipalities to review the functioning of the local Emergency Health Plan.”

Writing on Nov. 4 there are still downpours in many places but the worst of the hurricane is over. Photos show the destruction of many homes, power lines, and more. But people are safe, have food and medical attention, and families will soon begin to receive plastic tarps and other items so that many can move back to their homes. The government has mobilized to help the people by supplying their emergency needs and soon officials will begin projects of home repairs and the building of new homes for those who lost their dwellings. The good thing is that the Nicaraguan government has the political will to organize supplies and workers to provide for the people in their time of need; the bad thing is that they have so much practice attending to disasters because of the country’s location in a zone of hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions!

https://afgj.org/nicanotes-hurricane-et ... ving-lives
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

User avatar
blindpig
Posts: 10592
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 5:44 pm
Location: Turtle Island
Contact:

Re: Nicaragua

Post by blindpig » Fri Nov 13, 2020 12:34 pm

NICANOTES
NicaNotes: More Money for Coup Groups from US Agency for International Development
November 12, 2020
By Nan McCurdy

Organizations that led the coup attempt in 2018 against the constitutional government of President Daniel Ortega, continue to receive foreign funding from the United States and some European countries. The latest information on USAID funding of the US-directed opposition was made available by journalist William Grigsby on Radio La Primerísima’s Sin Fronteras Magazine.

USAID fiscal year 2021 (Oct. 1, 2020-Sept. 30, 2021) foreign assistance includes “funds to support the restoration of democracy and human rights in the region.” This document shows funding of US$13.4 million dollars bringing USAID funding of the Nicaraguan opposition since 2017 to US$102.27 million.

Just the wealthy Chamorro family – Juan Sebastian, Cristiana and Carlos Fernando – received US$3.87 million. The Violeta Barrios de Chamorro Foundation managed by Christiana Chamorro received the largest amount, US$1.6 million for the rest of 2020 and 2021. Through this foundation, the US finances some twenty-five media and TV and radio shows including La Prensa and Channel 10 known for their vociferous anti-Sandinismo. Juan Sebastian Chamorro, whose NGO is FUNIDES, receives US$1.37 million. Carlos Fernando Chamorro with his media empire Grupo Cinco, which includes Confidencial, receives US$901,471.

William Grigsby in his Nov. 10 article said that “the abuse, hypocrisy and lack of democracy of the Chamorro family was once again exposed with the release of a series of documents proving that they receive funding from the United States and other European governments to illegally enrich themselves and cause disorder in Nicaragua.”

The latest documents and screenshots here show the amount of money given to the Violeta Barrios de Chamorro Foundation from 2014 to 2020 – US$4.39 million. If you add in the latest donation of US$1.6, the total is US$5.99– or almost six million dollars just for the Violeta Barrios de Chamorro Foundation.

The Chamorro gang is the darling of the Yankees

The amount of money to finance coup activities through media has increased considerably in the last two years to the Chamorro Foundation which focuses on disinformation through online, print, radio and television. In 2020 and 2021 the amount given to them was US$2.59 million.

This funding is part of the US orchestrated plan called RAIN to destabilize and if possible overthrow the Nicaraguan government leaked from the US embassy in Managua in July and includes a USAID contract to hire a company to head up the destabilization plan. While the document, Responsive Assistance in Nicaragua, tries to portray its intentions as democratic, it is a disturbing example of US intervention in another nation’s internal affairs.

There is also a substantial amount of funding for organizations that work on the Caribbean Coast. US$1.7 million was given recently to three organizations: the Foundation for the Autonomy and Development of the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua (FADCANIC) received US$457,759; the Nidia White Women’s Movement Association has a budget of half a million dollars from the US for the period 2020-2021 and the Association for the Development of the Atlantic Coast has a similar budget of US$785,341 for its political activities in 2020-2021. This is particularly interesting as The Oakland Institute received nearly a million dollars in 2018 for their work including the disinformation campaign to attempt to damage Nicaragua’s environmental reputation on the Caribbean Coast.

Organizations that continue to receive USAID financing for their electoral destabilization activities are: Grupo Ética y Transparencia, which has a grant of US$1 million for the election year of 2021 and Hagamos Democracia, which has a grant of US$1.1 million. Both organizations have worked in opposition to the Sandinista party, at least in the last four elections. Movimiento Por Nicaragua, the NGO of Violeta Granera, is receiving US$601,124.

The so-called Permanent Commission of Human Rights headed by the Marcos Carmona (accused of criminal activities) received US$825,671; the Nicaraguan Association for Human Rights (ANDPH) headed by Alvaro Leiva received US$701,032. The board of directors of ANDPH denounced Leiva for stealing nearly half a million dollars and accused him of inflating the number of deaths during the 2018 coup attempt as a tactic to get more US funding.

The United States government portrays this aid as supporting democracy but it is targeted against one side in the political arena of a foreign country and would never be allowed in the US. Why should it be allowed in any other country?

https://afgj.org/nicanotes-more-money-f ... evelopment
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

User avatar
blindpig
Posts: 10592
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 5:44 pm
Location: Turtle Island
Contact:

Re: Nicaragua

Post by blindpig » Thu Nov 19, 2020 3:10 pm

NICANOTES
NicaNotes: Nicaragua Hit by Two Giant Hurricanes in Two Weeks—Donate to Help!
November 18, 2020
Nicaragua and Central America just got slammed by the second hurricane in two weeks, with Hurricane Iota, the strongest in history to hit Nicaragua when it made landfall just 15 miles south of where Hurricane Eta made landfall less than two weeks ago.

Again, Nicaragua was the most prepared country in the region. Seventy thousand people were evacuated from the danger zone, but two devastating hurricanes within two weeks would tax the resources of the wealthy nations, much less Nicaragua, the second poorest country in the hemisphere.

“Almost the entire country is in a national emergency, because it has been one hurricane after another, and this impacts all of Central America,” President Daniel Ortega said, according to state media.

The Alliance for Global Justice and allied solidarity groups are raising emergency funds through the existing Nicaragua Solidarity Fund “Padre Miguel D’Escoto Brockmann”. The hardest hit part of the country is the North Caribbean Autonomous Region, home to the Miskito and Mayagna people and the largest extant rainforest north of the Amazon. Both Eta and Iota made landfall just miles south of the regional capital of Bilwi/Puerto Cabezas.

Disaster officials estimate that 80,000 families have been uprooted or otherwise affected. The damage is catastrophic and widespread. Nicaragua is going to need help to rebuild. The US NICA Act has cut it off from most multilateral loans so it is up to you and me to help make up the difference. Please make a tax-deductible contribution today at https://bit.ly/nicaraguasolidarityfund or send a check to Alliance for Global Justice, 225 E 26th St., Ste. 1, Tucson, AZ 85713. Put “Nicaragua Hurricane Recovery” in the memo line.



Hurricanes strike the Mosquito Coast of Nicaragua and Honduras

By John Perry

Central America’s “Mosquito Coast” is aptly but mistakenly named. In fact it’s home to the Miskitu people, and stretches between Honduras and Nicaragua. The border is at a point which juts out into the Caribbean and was called Cabo Gracias a Dios (“Thanks to God Cape”) by Christopher Columbus for the shelter it provided on his last voyage. As the storm that became Hurricane Eta formed above the seas of Venezuela on October 30, it headed directly west towards the cape 2,000 kilometres away, following the track of Hurricane Edith in 1971, Mitch (the deadliest Atlantic hurricane in over 200 years) in 1998, Felix in 2007, Ida in 2009 and many other lesser cyclones.

Eta swung south as it approached, devastating coastal settlements and then, at hurricane force 4, turned inland to Nicaragua at Wawa Bar on November 3, destroying the Miskito village. At the nearby port of Bilwí 77 houses collapsed and 803 were damaged. As the winds weakened, heavy rains began and ten rivers broke their banks. A day later, heading northwest, Eta crossed into Honduras.

Nicaraguan authorities had five days’ notice of Eta’s arrival and Honduras had six. Nicaragua’s disaster agency announced its plans on October 30, and next day lorries were carrying roofing materials, mattresses and food to Bilwí. 30,000 people were evacuated and moved into stronger buildings such as churches and schools. Two people died: artisan gold miners working despite the warnings, buried by a mudslide.

In Honduras, where the Covid-19 epidemic is still at full strength, November 4 was to be the start of a traditional holiday that the government hoped would lift the public mood. Faced with warnings of up to 60cm [24 inches] of rain, their preoccupation became whether or not to let the holiday go ahead, rather than preparing for the emergency. By the time festivities were cancelled on November 2 coastal settlements were already flooded yet a “red alert” covering the region came only the same day.

On the following day, the valley which holds Honduras’s second city, San Pedro Sula, began to flood. NGOs warned that a “catastrophe” was happening and people should save themselves. A red alert was issued only when 400,000 people had fled their homes, collected on the roofs of buildings, and began sending video clips of the water lapping at their feet. One, Julio Guerrero, appealing for help on Facebook, blamed the government for his likely drowning and that of “thousands of Hondurans.”

He was eventually rescued along with many who spent as much as 30 hours stranded in heavy rain. By November 16, the official death toll had reached 125 with many more still missing; nearly three million people had property destroyed, including in many cases their homes; 21 road bridges were destroyed, one swept away dramatically by rising waters, and 51 major roads rendered unusable.

Recriminations began. The minister responsible for dealing with disasters, whose nickname is “Killa”, blamed the victims for not leaving their homes quickly enough. Journalists who had criticised the government for encouraging people to travel during the holiday week despite the pandemic, then attacked it for prevaricating while the disaster unfurled. Well-known presenters from channels Televicentro and Une TV made stinging comparisons of Honduras’s inaction with Nicaragua’s early preparations. When officials blamed the pandemic for depleting the public coffers, journalists blamed the corruption which has siphoned off much of the international aid which Honduras has received to deal with it. The Honduras Solidarity Network in its Honduras Now podcast pointed out that “only the people save the people.”

Honduras was in crisis, of course, before it was hit by Eta. The president, Juan Orlando Hernández, is running a narco-state having fraudulently gained re-election in 2017. The murder of Berta Cáceres in 2016 brought no respite in attacks on human rights defenders: in the midst of the pandemic five members of an indigenous coastal community fighting tourism developments were kidnapped and have yet to reappear. Well before Covid-19 arrived, the health service had been stripped of funding, partly via a gigantic fraud to fund the ruling party’s election campaigns.

In a sense, both Juan Orlando Hernández in Honduras and Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua took calculated risks when the pandemic began in March. Ortega backed his investment in 19 new hospitals and a community-based health system to ride the crisis without imposing a highly damaging lockdown. Hernández knew his health service wouldn’t cope and enforced a strict lockdown in which police regularly used violence. Nicaragua appears to have emerged from the pandemic having officially registered 5,600 virus cases (opposition sources claim the real total is 10,900). Honduras reached 100,000 cases as Eta arrived. In conditions after the deluge, the virus is likely to proliferate.
Image
Hurricane Iota hits Nicaragua’s Caribbean Coast. Photo: Equipo JP+ on El 19 Digital
https://www.el19digital.com/articulos/v ... caraguense
As I write this, the floods that had started to recede after Eta’s departure have been renewed – and made worse still – by Hurricane Iota. It hit almost the same spot of Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast on Monday as a category 5 hurricane and has made its way inland affecting almost all of Nicaragua before entering Honduras. Already the rains are heavier and the flooding more widespread than was the case ten days ago. The combined effects of both hurricanes are devastating despite a new effort to mobilise supplies and evacuate people in Nicaragua, and what appears to have been a better response on the part of authorities in Honduras than they managed in the wake of Eta. The extent of the damage will be known over the next few days.

An earlier version of this appeared in the London Review of Books blog.

Briefs

By Nan McCurdy

Government Prepared to Rebuild after the Disaster of Two Hurricanes
Iota has left Nicaragua with disastrous consequences, Nicaragua’s Vice President Rosario Murillo said on the night of Nov. 17. She said that as of 6 p.m. Nov. 17, there are 62,914 people housed in 683 shelters, where they are assisted by 41,000 members of community brigades, the Army, the National Police and the fire department, as part of the government’s prevention and risk management model. She said the Government is preparing plans for the reconstruction of all areas affected by the winds and rains of Iota. The Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) plans to provide part of the affected families with technology packages for planting, cultivating and harvesting food.

The Minister of Energy and Mines, Salvador Mansell, has already prepared the program for the installation of “small irrigation systems to grow vegetables on the Caribbean Coast,” he explained. He noted that roofing for 2,000 homes has been moved by sea and by road, and hundreds of stoves and gas tanks have already been sent to Las Minas “to distribute to families who have lost their belongings.” When the Wawa River goes down, a new shipment of galvanized roofing will be sent.

Among the damages to infrastructure, Murillo mentioned three destroyed bridges: in the Puerto Viejo community, municipality of Waslala; in the Bana Cruz community, Siuna; and the Rosa Grande bridge, located between Siuna and Waslala. Transportation and Infrastructure Ministry brigades are already working to reestablish vehicular and human traffic. The Vice President reminded people that the danger has not passed since the rains and flooding will continue for 24 hours and there is a risk of landslides. She urged the population to take precautions and protect themselves to avoid more deaths. (Radio La Primerisima, 17 Nov. 2020)

Severe Damage to Homes and Forests
The night of Nov. 16 Hurricane Iota entered Nicaragua with 162 miles per hour winds between Halouver and Wawa Bar, north Caribbean Coast, near where Eta hit, devastating Bilwi and adjacent areas. The powerful winds swept away the forests in the northern part of Prinzapolka. At 3:30 am on the 17th the hurricane hit the whole area of the Mining Triangle with sustained winds of 130 miles per hour. The first reports from Bilwi at dawn indicated that the city was severely affected, with hundreds of homes damaged and more than 20 totally destroyed. The Nikko River has been flooded as never before. Although the winds have passed, the flood-danger is beginning. To see photos of the hurricane’s damage, go here. (Radio La Primerisima, 17 Nov. 2020)

Dead and Disappeared in a Landslide
Authorities confirmed the death of at least four people after a landslide on Nov. 17 in the Los Roque sector of the municipality of El Tuma-La Dalia. The dead are: Martha Hernández, 34, and her children, seven months and nine years old; and Karen Martínez, two years old. The rescue brigade made up of members of the Army, Police, Fire Department, other agencies, and the community entered the Peñas de Blanca Massif and the preliminary information is that there are people missing. The FSLN Political Secretary Pedro Haslam said that the search and rescue of the other people continues. He explained that these families in previous years were offered help to relocate because they were in a risk zone, but they did not accept it. They were visited a few days before and told to leave the place before the arrival of the Hurricane, but they decided to stay. (Radio La Primerisima, 18 Nov. 2020)

Description of First Dead and Missing
Six people died between Nov. 16 and 17 and three others are missing as a result of the intense downpours falling over much of the country. Three girls were swept away by a river in Santa Teresa, Carazo. A father and son died in the region of El Jilguero, in the municipality of Wiwilí. The two, identified as Carlos Carazo and his son Francisco had already been evacuated but returned to their homes to get clothes and a landslide occurred along the way, burying them. The volunteers of the Municipal Committee for the Prevention of Disasters (COMUPRED) managed to rescue the two bodies.

In the community of La Piñuela, in the Department of Carazo, an entire family was swept away by the sudden flooding of the river on whose banks they had their home. Daniela Umaña, 8 years old, and David Umaña, 5 years old, died and their bodies were rescued. Luz Chávez, Juana Canales, 20 years old, Yahosca Canales, 12 years old and María Canales, 9 years old, were also swept away by the powerful current and only Luz could be rescued. The parents of the children were not in their homes at the time of the tragedy. In El Chipote Zero, municipality of Quilalí, María Duarte fell into a river when the currents carried away a large part of her home. Carlos López, 41 years old, was carried away by the river in Santa Ana, Jinotega. (Radio la Primerisima, 17 Nov. 2020)

Central America Demands Climate Justice
The region’s leaders and the president of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), Dante Mossi, held a video conference on Nov. 16 to discuss how the hurricanes in the isthmus are an effect of climate change. The presidents of Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, and representatives of El Salvador, Belize and the Dominican Republic asked CABEI to act as a regional intermediary for financing of recovery, restoration and adaptation plans for the region from the serious damages it is suffering as a result of climate change.

Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega explained the situation which Nicaragua is suffering in less than two weeks from the onslaught of two hurricanes, including Iota whose winds exceeded 162 miles per hour. Damage from Eta is estimated to total US$179.8 million dollars. “There is no way to avoid a hurricane but there are ways to protect the population. There are no ways to prevent or stop an earthquake, or a tsunami, but there are ways to create interregional cooperation mechanisms to face this kind of event,” Ortega said. Vice President Rosario Murillo stated that “The presidents have proposed a special plan to confront the consequences of these catastrophes that have been hitting us one after another.” She explained that this is a plan “that will allow all of Central America to rebuild, restore and adapt to climate change. We say it is a demand of the people, climate justice.” She said that the countries of the region have done nothing to contribute to the problem. Such damage comes to Central America “as a result of the world they call developed and that should be governed by the principles of climate justice,” said Murillo. She noted that the rich countries must “compensate those who deserve compensation because we cannot continue to receive disasters, we continue to see the destruction of our natural resources and nothing is done from the centers of power, nothing is done to help restore, adapt, to rebuild.” (Radio La Primerisima, 16 Nov. 2020)

Waspam Was Prepared for Iota
Rose Cunningham, mayor of Waspam, said that Waspam was prepared with food and water for 15 days. She indicated that the soil was saturated due to the recent passage of Eta, therefore, so there were already problems of flooding in 14 communities. Twenty-one shelters were activated with more than 5,000 people installed there after the passage of Eta, and churches and schools were available to attend to the ravages of Iota, the second hurricane that the families of the 115 communities of Waspam would face. (Radio La Primerisima, 16 Nov. 2020)

Families from Bismuna and Cabo Viejo Transferred to Shelters
The Humanitarian and Rescue Unit “Comandante William Ramírez Solórzano” of the Army, in coordination with State institutions, in preparation for Hurricane Iota, evacuated 449 people from the communities of Bismuna and Cabo Viejo by river and land to shelters in Waspam. Likewise, 387 people were transported from the docks of Bilwis and Lamlaya to the shelters of the URACAAN and BICU Universities, among them 168 minors, evacuated by sea from the coastal communities of Wawa Bar and Wouhnta. Fifty-six tons of humanitarian aid sent by the Government were unloaded in the warehouses of SINAPRED in Bilwi. (Radio La Primerisima, 16 Nov. 2020)

Preparations for Hurricane Iota
The first families evacuated by the Sandinista government from their homes in the community of Bihmona arrived in Waspam on Nov. 13 in preparation for Iota. More than 200 families were expected to arrive at Waspam from Bihmona. The Safe Site Commission and the Security Commission of the Waspam Municipality were in charge of the transfer and shelter of the Bihmona families, guaranteeing adequate conditions of accommodation and food. On Nov. 13 and 14 the Army unloaded tons of food in Waspam. The entire community of Wawa Bar, hard hit by flooding from Eta was evacuated to Bilwi.

The Sandinista government also sent a caravan of ambulances and other Red Cross vehicles to Waspam at dawn Nov. 15 with food, hygiene kits and water to assist families. On Nov. 14 dozens of families evacuated from Cayos Miskito, Cabo Gracias a Dios and other indigenous communities located on the banks of the Coco River, which serves as a natural border with Honduras, arrived at Waspam. In the area of Laguna de Perlas 250 people evacuated to Tasbapaunie. In the Río Grande municipality, all the people in the Karawala keys were evacuated. As with Hurricane Eta, those working in the Keys have been taken to safety in advance as have left their boats. (Radio La Primerisima 14, 15 Nov. 2020)

Money Awarded to Nicaragua for Protected Areas on the Caribbean Coast
The US$115 million that Nicaragua will receive from the Green Climate Fund will be used to strengthen the management and administration of protected areas, said the head of The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Marena, Sumaya Castillo on Nov. 12. She said that these resources and other financing provided by international entities will be directed to 15 protected areas prioritizing the Caribbean zone. More than 54 ecological parks and 80 private wildlife reserves have been declared this year by MARENA. (Radio La Primerisima, 12 Nov. 2020

https://afgj.org/nicanotes-nicaragua-hi ... te-to-help

Where would you rather be during a hurricane, all things being equal, Puerto Rico or Nicaragua?
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

User avatar
blindpig
Posts: 10592
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 5:44 pm
Location: Turtle Island
Contact:

Re: Nicaragua

Post by blindpig » Wed Nov 25, 2020 3:00 pm

Image
Government of Nicaragua has sent more than 267 thousand zinc sheets to families affected by IOTA and ETA
Posted by Central Redaction | Nov 23, 2020 | Featured , National

Government of Nicaragua has sent more than 267 thousand zinc sheets to families affected by IOTA and ETA
The vice president of Nicaragua, Rosario Murillo, reported that so far 267,370 sheets of zinc have been sent to the areas that were affected by hurricanes IOTA and ETA.

"The count so far of roofing plans that have been sent to the affected areas is 267,370 sheets of zinc, to recover roofs and start there, little kitchens, mats, hammocks, belongings have been sent, for those who lost all", emphasized.

"We move forward in the hope of recovery, all together, always united in love, in Christian fraternity and solidarity," he remarked.

Return of families
In her speech at noon, the vice president stressed that "progress continues in the return of families to their communities, their little places, of the 32,117 that were sheltered."

"Today we have in Waspam, still 964, in Bilwi 570 and in Prinzanpolka 225, for a total of 1,749 families and 8,746 brothers and sisters who we serve with Christian love, solidarity," he added.

Report on the work of the institutions
In addition, the vice president said that "95.13 of the homes that did not have energy, already have energy, we need 4,241 homes in rural areas of the Caribbean Coast, which we are serving."

He remarked on the restitution of 95 percent of the restitution of the telephone service.

"The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure (MTI) on a field visit, ensuring that the roads are usable and safe," he said.

"Ministry of the Family (MIFAM) attending to those who are in shelters and bringing joy to children," he said.

«I am working on Puerto Cabezas, to guarantee that this is used today. Our brothers working, that integration among the working people; a people that has been affected and a government that is part of the people with all Christian and solidarity components, that serves families with love and respect , "he concluded.

https://barricada.com.ni/gobierno-de-ni ... ota-y-eta/

Google Translator

**************************************

MINSA - Coronavirus Situation as of November 24, 2020
Submitted by tortilla on Tue, 11/24/2020 - 11:18


MINISTRY OF CITIZEN POWER FOR HEALTH



Coronavirus Situation as of November 24, 10:00 am Weekly Report.


During this week that includes November 17 to 24, we have attended and given Responsible and Careful Follow-up to 59 Nicaraguans with confirmed COVID-19.



In the same way, 50 of those who were in Responsible and Careful Monitoring have complied with the established period.



Since the beginning of the pandemic until today, we have assisted and given Responsible and Careful Follow-up to 4,629 people. We continue working to provide care for Nicaraguan families.



People who have been in Responsible and Careful Follow-up for COVID-19 have frequently had associated conditions such as: arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, heart disease, immunodeficiency syndrome, chronic kidney failure, history of stroke, pulmonary tuberculosis and chronic lung diseases.



This week there was 1 death attributable to COVID-19 and there were other deaths in people who have been under follow-up, due to pulmonary thromboembolism, diabetes mellitus, acute myocardial infarction, hypertensive crisis and bacterial pneumonias.



To date we have achieved the recovery of 4,410 Nicaraguans.



We continue working, in the prevention and care of people, In the Name of God!

http://www.tortillaconsal.com/tortilla/node/10760

Google Translator
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

User avatar
blindpig
Posts: 10592
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 5:44 pm
Location: Turtle Island
Contact:

Re: Nicaragua

Post by blindpig » Sat Dec 05, 2020 2:39 pm

NICANOTES, NICARAGUA
WEBINAR: How US Unconventional Warfare in Nicaragua Utilizes Human Rights Organizations
December 4, 2020
Sunday, December 6
1 PM Pacific US ~~~ 3 PM Nicaragua ~~~ 4 PM Eastern US ~~~ 9 PM Greenwich UK

Speakers:
Camilo Mejia, Nicaraguan analyst and writer residing in the US, former Amnesty International prisoner of conscience
John Perry, long-time investigator, writer and Nicaragua resident

This webinar will examine the role played by international and local human rights organizations within US-supported destabilization efforts in Nicaragua. The speakers will present evidence and arguments that this role is significant: Millions of US government and corporate dollars are spent on three such Nicaraguan organizations, and Amnesty International and other global organizations produce totally unbalanced reports which malign Nicaragua.

Please join us for this revealing webinar.
REGISTER HERE
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_1EX ... 9b7pvvnpKg

Image
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

User avatar
blindpig
Posts: 10592
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 5:44 pm
Location: Turtle Island
Contact:

Re: Nicaragua

Post by blindpig » Fri Dec 18, 2020 2:08 pm

NICANOTES
NicaNotes: Infrastructure Advances Improve Lives of All Nicaraguans
December 17, 2020
By Nan McCurdy

Image

During the neoliberal governments from 1990 to 2007, the Nicaraguan population suffered lack of electricity an average of five to twelve hours a day. Electricity was needed to pump water so Nicaraguans had even more hours without the precious liquid. In my Managua neighborhood, Ciudad Jardin, we prepared for the outages with candles, kerosene and stored water. We sat outside together in the dark in the early evenings – one good thing – and the kids played. But the frequent electricity cuts ruined refrigerators, televisions, etc. because, when the electricity returned, it would often spike.

I recently talked with some Hondurans who confirm that this is part of their suffering even today. They were visiting Nicaragua as tourists and could not believe the permanent electricity and water, as well as the great roads and bridges that make life more secure and save time.

An Inter-American Development Bank evaluation highlights that between 2008 and 2018, Nicaragua went from 15th to 9th place out of 19 Latin American countries in terms of infrastructure development and services. In terms of infrastructure and service quality, Nicaragua registered a percentage change of +43%, the third best change after Ecuador and Bolivia and the best in Central America. Nicaragua is also one of the countries with the fewest electricity blackouts and one of the best in potable water supply. In transportation, Nicaragua is in the fifth place in best roads in Latin America and first in Central America.

The year 2019 ended with 97.15% electricity coverage. While I was at the Majagual beach, San Juan del Sur, in December 2018, I witnessed the installation of electricity in the part of the village that had not yet receive it. Workers not only installed the lines, but provided basic installations inside the house and left the family with at least two light sockets and two plugs.

And this year, 2020, some US$117 million is being invested in 512 projects to guarantee more than 98.4% electricity coverage by December 2020. This includes more than 4,000 solar panels installed on the Caribbean Coast and in the Rio San Juan Department. Also, a memorandum of understanding was signed with EPR Solar in 2019 to build a 100 MW plant. This year a 50 MW plant in San Benito began functioning.

The president of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), Dante Mossi said, “Nicaragua will be the second country in Latin America to achieve 100% national coverage, a historic accomplishment that demonstrates the commitment of the Government to guarantee this basic right for the population. We must acknowledge and congratulate Nicaragua for obtaining US$115 million in funding from the United Nations Green Climate Fund to manage the effects of climate change. Approval of funds at this scale by the Green Climate Fund is unprecedented for the region and a clear recognition of Nicaragua’s work on environmental protection, as well as adaptation and mitigation of the effects of climate change. We have a lot to learn from the Nicaraguan experience,” Mossi said.

The Sandinista government has taken the country from 26% renewable energy in 2007 to 74.4% on Nov. 25, an advancement that few wealthy countries have achieved.

A commission of the OPEC Fund for International Development visited the municipality of El Tortuguero, in the South Caribbean Autonomous Region, where an electricity substation will be built, valued at US$20 million. This electricity substation will benefit the populations of El Tortuguero, La Cruz del Río Grande, Laguna de Perlas and El Ayote on the Atlantic Coast.

In 2020 there was the announcement of a new agreement with a US company, New Fortress Energy LLC, to build a natural gas-based energy plant in Puerto Sandino. This 300-megawatt plant will be part of the national interconnection system and will compensate for wind and solar energy variations. New Fortress CEO Wes Edens said, “Nicaragua has the economic and stability parameters for large-scale investments. It is a sign of our confidence in Nicaragua. We will also invest in training personnel so that they can manage the plant.” The construction will cost US$700 million.

There is also exciting news around potable water: In February the water company, ENACA, announced that drinkable water and sanitation will reach 95% of the population by 2023. In 2007 only 65% of homes had drinking water service. Currently about 91.5% of homes have service. In 2007 only 30% of homes in urban areas had sewage connections while now, 54% of homes in urban areas have sewage connections. By 2023, connections will reach 95% of urban homes. In 2020 US$115 million was invested in 41 water and sanitation projects.

ENACAL began operation of the new drinking water project in Bilwi, Puerto Cabezas, in the North Caribbean Autonomous Region on August 20. Water was installed in the homes of 16,000 families providing service 24 hours a day. US$30 million was invested from funds from the Inter-American Development Bank.

In October 2020 Nicaragua and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) began a mega wastewater project in Bluefields. This project will invest US$34 million over 24 months, generating 1,200 jobs. The drinking water project in Bluefields is near completion and will improve the lives of about 12,700 people.

Major investment in commercial and tourist ports took place in 2020 improving technical and operational capabilities, as well as remodeling of facilities. The Nicaraguan Port Authority president said that US$30.8 million is being invested, US$3.3 million from the Port Authority and US$27.5 million covered by foreign investment.

On Oct. 13, the head of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI), Oscar Mojica, announced that from 2006 to 2019, 4,590 km (2,852 miles) of new paved roads were built, an increase of 600%. In 2006 there were only 617 km (383 miles) of roads in good condition.

The Bluefields – Nueva Guinea highway, inaugurated in 2019, for the first time allows road connection between the Atlantic and Pacific. The El Rama-San Ramón highway was inaugurated on Oct. 8 and it completes the connection between the Central Highlands and the South Caribbean. A major road between Granada and Malacatoya that benefits 40,000 inhabitants of the Granada department was also finished in 2020.

In 2020 more than US$300 million was invested to build 214 km of rural roads using hydraulic concrete to improve access and circulation in productive areas of the country.

There was also a record investment of US$214 million spent in Managua for roads, water and sanitation and infrastructure in 700 neighborhoods. This includes the multi-million-dollar expansion of the John Paul II beltway around Managua. Managua mayor Reyna Rueda said “We have 601 new streets and we maintained 33.46 kilometers of the road network and built six vehicular bridges.”

Rueda also announced the reconstruction of 13 Child Development Centers and improvements and maintenance in nine Managua markets, the construction of more than 2,000 homes as part of the Bismarck Martinez housing project, the expansion of the capital’s existing garbage landfill, and the construction of a new municipal cemetery.

The Ministry of Education will close 2020 with 74% of schools improved or rebuilt as well as fourteen new schools.

In August construction began on the “Francisco Meza Rojas” Primary Hospital in Malpaisillo, León Department, benefiting 33,000 inhabitants. The hospital in Quilalí will be finished in June 2021. It will provide primary care in pediatrics, surgery, internal medicine, physical therapy, nutrition and more to 52,700 inhabitants of Quilalí, located 264 kilometers north of Managua. Nicaragua has built 18 new hospitals and seven more are currently under construction.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) ranked Nicaragua as the fourth country in Latin America in terms of health investment. The IDB report “Latin America Post Covid-19,” details that Nicaragua invests 5.2% of its GDP in health, while Costa Rica spends 5.6%.

Despite the coercive and illegal economic measures known as sanctions applied by the US, infrastructure in Nicaragua has improved enormously since 2007 in electricity, water, roads, schools, hospitals and more. International banks recognize that Nicaragua has excellent, transparent execution of project resources, in other words, it does a lot with the money it has as well as the money it borrows in order to bring maximum benefits to the population.

(Source: NicaNotes issues during 2020.)

Briefs

By Nan McCurdy

Exports Again Break Records
Nicaragua’s exports established a new record of US$2.7 billion, according to official figures from the Center for Export Processing (CETREX), confirming the projection that Nicaragua could close 2020 at US$3 billion. Exports are positive for economic reactivation, the trade balance, productivity and employment. Five products led exports until November, gold, beef, coffee, sugar, and beans, followed by peanuts, farmed shrimp, fresh white cheese, lobsters, tobacco and fish. (Informe Pastran, 9 Dec. 2020)

IMF Loan Announced
The Central Bank reported that the International Monetary Fund will loan Nicaragua US$186.77 million to help with its response to the coronavirus pandemic. The funds will be used to finance an emergency health care program (40% of the resources) and an emergency food program (10%), to be implemented with the assistance of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the World Food Program (WFP), respectively. Some funds will be channeled as support for other pandemic-related expenditures. (Informe Pastran, 9 Dec. 2020)

US$300 Million Loan from CABEI
A loan from the Central America Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) to finance the implementation of the Program for Economic Reactivation and Social Protection has been approved. In the discussion about the CABEI Loan, National Assembly Deputy Wálmaro Gutiérrez, said that the US$300 million are for the emergency caused by COVID-19 and for economic reactivation after the hurricanes. Informe Pastran, 9 Dec. 2020

Corn Island Solar Plant Wins Award
On December 4, Spanish company Solartia received the International Project of the Year Award at Solar & Storage Live, the largest renewable energy event in the UK, for the Caribbean Pride project: a hybrid micro-grid in Corn Island, Nicaragua. The project was executed by the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the water company ENATREL. This award recognizes the best international solar energy and energy storage project for its impact and development. Located on Corn Island, Nicaragua, a small island of 12.9 square kilometers in the Caribbean Sea, Caribbean Pride is a hybrid micro-grid that has improved the quality of life of more than 8,000 people who now enjoy clean and affordable energy. (Informe Pastran, 11 Dec. 2020)

WFP Recognizes Government Hurricane Preparation
The director for Latin America and the Caribbean of the World Food Program (WFP), Miguel Barreto, recognized the preparation work done by the Nicaraguan government to prevent deaths with the onslaught of hurricanes Eta and Iota, reported Prensa Latina. Barreto ended a three-day visit to Nicaragua on Dec. 12, during which he visited the area of hurricane impact. “I am pleasantly surprised by the effort that was made in the preparation stage,” the senior official of the United Nations agency told local media at the airport. He emphasized that the anticipatory work was essential to avoiding loss of life. Barreto added that the World Food Program is working alongside the government in the School Feeding Program. (Informe Pastran, 14 Dec. 2020)

CABEI Loan for Biosphere Reserves
On Dec. 15 the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) approved a loan of US$84 million for the Bio-CLIMA Project: Integrated Climate Action to Reduce Deforestation and Strengthen Resilience in the Bosawás and Río San Juan Biosphere Reserves. The resources will help combat climate change by reducing emissions from deforestation, forest degradation and livestock, as well as by improving carbon stocks. It will directly impact the vulnerable population of the Caribbean supporting adaptation and reducing the negative effects that climate change has on their livelihoods, improving living standards, generating jobs, reducing poverty. Dante Mossi, stated that “the execution of Bio-CLIMA is very relevant due to the serious damages caused by hurricanes Eta and Iota. It is estimated to benefit 665,821 inhabitants.” Bio-CLIMA will allow Nicaragua to increase its carbon absorption capacity by 14% in relation to the reference scenario for 2030 by promoting agro-ecological production of permanent crops under tree shade, which are more resistant to the impacts of climate change; reducing grazing and introducing cocoa agroforestry and silvopastoral systems, establishing planted forests on idle or degraded forest land; prioritizing the use of natural regeneration of native tree species; restoring and conserving ecosystems. (Informe Pastran, 15 Dec. 2020)

Muy Muy-Matiguás-Rio Blanco Highway
On Dec. 17 the government will inaugurate the second section of the Muy Muy – Matiguás – Río Blanco highway, in the Department of Matagalpa. The government invested US$17 million in the 17 km. of hydraulic concrete generating 164 jobs and benefitting 60,000 people. (Nicaragua Sandino, 15 Dec. 2020)

Leon Drinking Water Project
The Nicaraguan water company began the improvement and expansion of the drinking water system in the city of León, an investment of US$38.7 million financed by Nicaragua and by the Central America Bank for Economic Integration. On completion in 2022, the 57,870 families (with a total of 318,285 people) in León will have good potable water. (Informe Pastran, 9 Dec. 2020)

World Bank Loan for Covid-19 Response
The World Bank announced Dec. 10 the approval of a US$320 million loan to support the Nicaragua Covid-19 Prevention and Management Plan. The Representative in Nicaragua, Kinnon Scott, stated that “the Bank will be working closely with the Government and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), to support the response to the pandemic being implemented to mitigate the effects of the emergency and promote economic recovery.” The loan will be used to purchase medicines, laboratory and hospital equipment to strengthen the healthcare system and support the population, according to the Bank. (Nicaragua News, 11 Dec. 2020)

Ortega Accuses US of Contracting Terrorists for 2021 Elections
Forbes Magazine covered the Dec. 11 speech of President Daniel Ortega at the graduation ceremony for Army cadets in which he accused the United States of looking for “terrorists” to “put in a president” who would serve US interests in the elections scheduled for 2021 in Nicaragua. Ortega said that the United States “is conspiring, looking for ways to bring together all the terrorists, the coup-plotters, those who brutally murdered and burned [Sandinistas] in April 2018, giving them money [Note: Since 2017, USAID has provided the Nicaraguan opposition with more than US$102 million], and trying to unite them so that in the 2021 elections they can put a president in who will be at their service, down on their knees, in the face of imperialist policy.” In his speech Ortega stated that “We are facing a country that has been unmasking itself before the world. They want to give democracy lessons in all parts of the world, to decide which party should win in all parts of the world. They should look in their own mirror, there [in the US] they are fighting among themselves and accusing each other of fraud (…) They are shameless. With what authority do they decide which elections in other countries are democratic? We have never harmed the United States, but the Yankees and some European powers feel they have the right to treat us as if we were a colony. Sandino’s killers are in the north, they are still in the north.” (Forbes, 14 Dec. 2020; https://forbescentroamerica.com/2020/12 ... nicaragua/ )

Tribute Paid to Victims and Heroes of 2018 Attempted Coup
The National Assembly honored the victims and heroes of the 2018 US-supported terrorism, on Dec. 10 in the framework of International Human Rights Day. Dr. Gustavo Porras said that this is the first special session with real content on the subject of human rights. “It is for the defense of the human rights of our terrorism victims.” Inspector Damaris Martinez, a police woman who was a victim of terrorism, gave details about what happened to her during the attempted coup in 2018. An officer with seven years of service in the National Police and the mother of two children, Martínez described the humiliations to which she was subjected by the US-led terrorist groups. She said that she has the honor of speaking on behalf of the 22 police officers who were killed in the attempted coup. She recalled Francisca Aguilar and Lieutenant Zaira López as well as the more than 400 police officers shot by the terrorist groups with firearms and who are still undergoing medical and psychological treatment.

Martinez said that at about 11:00 am on April 20, 2018, she was in front of the traffic lights of the National University of Engineering (UNI), when a group of armed and hooded people attacked the police from inside that campus. She added that she was hit by mortars in her intimate parts and legs, resulting in third, second and first degree burns for which she had to be taken to the hospital. “When I woke up I only remember that I told a doctor, don’t let me die,” said Martinez.

Manuela Flores is the grandmother of Carlos Miranda, murdered on April 11, 2018, in the Mayor’s Office of District 6 of Managua. She said that Carlos was the only son of her youngest daughter and asked that “justice be done against the terrorists that took the life of my 19-year-old grandson and so many of the country’s children.” “Those terrorist coup plotters got nowhere because the people of Nicaragua decided that they want peace; we have a government that supports us in all aspects – in health, in education in everything,” she stated. More than one hundred family members of people killed as well as survivors of torture were present in the National Assembly on the 72nd anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Radio La Primerisima, 7 Dec. 2020

Advances in Rights of Indigenous Communities
For Ronald Whittingham, Law 28 – the “Statute of Autonomy of the Regions of the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua,” approved on August 9, 1987, represents a great advance for his people since it “recognizes the right to education, health, and housing.” Whittingham is President of the Indigenous and Afro-descendant Territorial Government of the Karatá community in the municipality of Bilwi on the Northern Caribbean Coast. He added that with the issuance of Law 445 – Communal Property Regime of the Indigenous Peoples and Ethnic Communities of the Autonomous Regions of the Atlantic Coast, the right to possess title to their lands was recognized. Whittingham described the law as “the governing body for the titling of lands,” having titled so far 36.5% of the Indigenous territory.

Since 1905 there was no ownership of the lands, only the right of possession, those who had dominion were the governments. It was with the arrival of the Sandinista Front [in 2007] that the process of demarcation began and the Indigenous people were recognized as the owners. The demarcation establishes that in order to conclude the process of restitution of rights to Indigenous people, colonists must be evicted from the demarcated and titled territories, a process with the legal name “saneamiento.” Whittingham said that the saneamiento stage is a very complicated issue, since there are “Indigenous from the same communities who have sold land, sometimes up to 500 manzanas (1,250 acres),” despite the fact that Law 445 clearly states that Indigenous lands are not to be sold or given away, but can be leased.” He concluded by saying that these problems are the responsibility of the community, as “it is the community that has to decide how to solve the problems for the saneamiento stage to be effective.” See video here: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/noticias ... indigenas/ (Radio La Primerisima, 13 Dec. 2020)

Campaign against Forest and Agricultural Fires
The Nicaragua Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (MARENA) announced the beginning of a campaign for the prevention and control of forest and agricultural fires in the National System of Protected Areas. The campaign includes activities to strengthen the network of environmental observers to ensure early detection of fires, reforestation campaigns and environmental training for communities living in protected areas. (Nicaragua News, 14 Dec. 2020)

Quilalí Hospital on Target
The new primary hospital in Quilalí is on target to be finished in June of 2021. It will provide primary care in pediatrics, surgery, internal medicine, physical therapy, nutrition and care with natural medicine and relaxation therapies to the 52,700 inhabitants of Quilalí, located 264 kilometers north of Managua. The hospital will have equipment such as fluid infusion pumps, x-ray, mammography, cryotherapy, electrocardiography, among others. (Radio La Primerisima, 14 Dec. 2020)

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

User avatar
blindpig
Posts: 10592
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 5:44 pm
Location: Turtle Island
Contact:

Re: Nicaragua

Post by blindpig » Thu Dec 24, 2020 2:07 pm

Yes to Sovereignty, No to Sanctions! Delegation to Nicaragua
December 23, 2020

Image

Join our solidarity delegation to Nicaragua to study the impact of the US sanctions regime and how the Nicaraguan government, its people, and the Sandinista Popular Revolution organize to defend theirsovereignty.Our delegation will start in the capital city of Managua where we will begin our study of the history and successes of the Sandinista Popular Revolution, as well as the current context of the US unconventional warfare against Nicaragua through tools like sanctions and media manipulation. We will then travel north to the mountainswhere we see food sovereignty in action (an arm against sanctions) with the Rural Workers’ Association (ATC) andhow Nicaragua is building energy sovereignty and resilience to climate change. We’ll finish the delegation in the northern autonomous region of the Caribbean Coast where we’ll look at issues of indigenous and afrodescendant rights. This is an amazing opportunity to meet with different sectors of the Nicaraguan population, including workers, farmers, women, youth, and journalists, as well as representatives of the Nicaraguan government.This delegation isco-organizedby theSanctions Kill! Coalition(full list of endorsers here) andtheFriends of the ATC solidarity network.

Key Delegation DetailsWhen:Saturday February 13thto Tuesday February 23rd, 2021 (new dates!)Where:We will begin our trip in the city of Managua, Nicaragua’s capital. We will then visit the northern mountainous region including rural farming communities.We will then travel (by plane) to the Bilwi/Puerto Cabezas, along the northern part of Nicaragua’s Caribbean Coast.Lodging will take place in ATC schools, locally-run hotels, and rural family homestays.Who:Curious about how the Nicaraguan government and people are prepared to face sanctions? Committed to theSandinista Revolution, peasant and worker rights, and internationalist solidarity? We’d love for you to travel with us! Most of all, we want delegates who extend this experience to their own communities upon returning homethrough a specific project.Cost:Sliding scale, $1000-$1500. Trip fee includes lodging(shared rooms), meals, in-country transport(including in-country flight to Bilwi), translation, and staff coordination. You are responsible for international arrival (or other travel plans to Nicaragua) and personal expenses. We can provide ideas to help delegates fundraise to cover their trip fee. Note: We are offering delegation scholarships. The higher-end delegation fee helps fund thesescholarships. Thanks for your solidarity to make this trip available to others who in other circumstances wouldn’t be able to participate.Optional two-night Caribbean Coast add-on: $275(Covers travel to the beautiful Corn Island in the Caribbean Coast, plus two nights and breakfast in hotel)Interested in applying? Please email info.friendsatc@gmail.comand teri@codepink.orgfor an application.Applications deadline extended to Saturday January 2nd. A final note about COVID-19: Nicaragua has had massive success at controlling the COVID-19 pandemic and we will work to follow sanitary measures during the delegation; all travelers entering Nicaragua must bring proof of a negative COVID-19 test completed 72 hours or less before arrival.

https://afgj.org/yes-to-sovereignty-no- ... -nicaragua
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

User avatar
blindpig
Posts: 10592
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 5:44 pm
Location: Turtle Island
Contact:

Re: Nicaragua

Post by blindpig » Fri Jan 15, 2021 2:27 pm

NICANOTES
NicaNotes: Unelectable coup mongers
January 14, 2021
By Fabrizio Casari

[This article was previously published in Spanish by Radio La Primerisima and in English by Tortilla con Sal on Jan. 9, 2021.]

Trump, as he leaves the scene, has decreed new sanctions against Nicaragua. Totally in line with his profile, it must be said: illegitimate, in open violation of international law, and an offense to the system of international relations for its illicit interference in the internal politics of the Central American country. Although of little practical effect for the individuals affected who have no interest in the United States, from a general economic point of view they do make sense and serve to achieve two results.

The first result is economic. They frighten national and foreign investors, and so affect the movement of national and especially foreign capital. This slows down the generation of new companies and limits the trade network. Objective? This also slows down the economy’s systemic development and pushes the country more towards exclusive growth of the informal economy, thus reducing the country’s economic ambitions and modernization.

The second result is entirely political. In the case of Nicaragua, illegal coercive measures are part of the destabilization project that began with the attempted coup d’état in 2018. They show the will of the United States to subvert the country’s political and institutional order, and they feed the rhetoric of the political opposition that calls for such measures constantly. The shared project is to create a climate of adversity including violence, political chaos and economic boycotts as the menu for the latest season of subversion. The objective? To sabotage the elections planned for November 2021.

New coup plan
With funds from USAID and other organizations (that pretend to be neutral but, as they themselves recognize, are playing a practical role supporting the CIA) the coup promoters are working on a new coup plan to make the government use force and then call for international solidarity against the “repression”. Washington seeks to destabilize Nicaragua so it wants a volatile electoral campaign to which it is adding economic sanctions, diplomatic aggression, along with overtures of peace mixed with threats of war. The objective is for the country to reach November in chaos, such that voting will take place in a climate of little international confidence, with a scenario that media will immediately report as “civil war,” feeding coup-mongering lies of a generalized rebellion.

The response of the Sandinista government has complicated the joint operation between the coup promoters and the US, introducing a law that declares the “ineligibility of those who direct or finance an attempted coup d’état, alter the constitutional order, call for the invasion of the country, or welcome or call for sanctions, embargoes or military intervention against the country.” This directly invokes the country’s Constitution, which states “Independence, sovereignty and national self-determination are inalienable rights of the Nicaraguan people and nation.” Any foreign interference in Nicaragua’s internal affairs or any attempt to undermine these rights is an attack on the lives of the people, such that it is the duty of all Nicaraguans to defend and preserve this right.

Image
The Nicaraguan National Assembly (Photo: noticias.asamblea.gob.ni)

The law, now approved, applies this principle. And if anyone believes that this is merely legislative vindictiveness against the opposition, they need to know that it is not. In fact, identical terminology appears in Law 192, approved on February 10, 1995 by the neo-liberal government of Violeta Chamorro. The law, therefore, is by no means a political conspiracy, but rather a result of the political season and consistent with constitutional norms.

The law puts the finger on the incompatibility between institutional functions and an association with foreign interests. This means the following: those who promote an alternative political current, a strong criticism, a political project opposed to Sandinismo, have had and will have all the necessary space to propose it to the nation. But those who think they can operate as a fifth column or as an internal US front to destabilize the country will not get their way. The opposition coup mongers protest, but it is difficult for them to claim freedom of expression: in any country in the world, allying oneself with foreigners attacking your country is called colluding with the enemy.

Avoiding a year of horror
While waiting to see if, what and how US policy may change with the new Biden administration, the White House in the hands of Trump has proposed with the coup plotters in Nicaragua a plan similar to the one used for Venezuela that would be activated for the Nicaraguan elections in November. Basically, these are the steps: first, not recognizing the vote and the elected president; then raise the level of violence and chaos in the country and declare a political crisis; then set up a domestic legislative front that presents itself as an institutional counterweight and seeks international recognition while appointing an interim president in the United States who asks the international community to recognize them as de facto president with the support of the OAS and the EU. These bodies have already offered repeated expressions of political hostility towards the Sandinista government. A Nicaraguan Guaidó would be sought. These, in short, are the ingredients of the new coup attempt.

The new law intervened to nip this subversive plan in the bud. With it, the Nicaraguan legislature has warned the United States: you will not be able to elect your mercenaries to the National Assembly so that they can later use their institutional role as part of a new coup strategy.

In fact, the confirmation of independence and national sovereignty on the legislative level serves to eliminate the United States and its subversive initiatives from Nicaragua’s elections, thus protecting the electoral campaign as the focus of the national political argument, and respecting the legal and constitutional framework that regulates the country’s institutional integrity. Therefore, it is not only legitimate, but imperative, to prevent the appearance among the electoral candidates of those political subjects or forces conspiring with the United States in a coordinated and operational way while also depending on them both politically and financially.

Moreover, now that patience has run out with the coup promoters’ continued advocacy of a violent overthrow of Nicaragua’s governmental system, other responses are possible in the coming months. They will be responses of varying shapes, directly proportional to the threats.

It is easy to imagine that those who ask for coercive measures may suffer coercive measures in turn, that those who receive money to promote violence will find that their money and violence come to weigh on them. What is certain is that they will not be permitted to transform a fundamental exercise in the democratic life of a country into a subversive adventure, to alter the electoral campaign itself and then its outcome. With the rigor of the law and with force if necessary, tension and terror will not be allowed to affect the voting process. Sandinismo will guarantee that the electoral process is carried out in an orderly and peaceful manner and, as history has shown, will respect and the demand that everyone accepts the result of the ballot boxes.

The armchair gunslingers
Between their hors d’oeuvre and a sip of wine, the beautiful souls of the European Left, the armchair guerrillas and the cocktail strategists, will raise criticisms and doubts because they love the Left that loses, never the one that wins. But there is no room for debate on whether the new laws are appropriate or about their impact on the international scene. Any action to defend peace and legitimate political rivalry is necessary because the US, the OAS and the EU have already decided not to recognize Nicaragua’s democratic process, regardless of the course the electoral campaign may take. They want to delegitimize that electoral process, because doing so delegitimizes Nicaragua’s democratic system, something which is fundamental in order to set in motion an internationally acceptable coup d’état. The goal is not to win or lose an election, but to destroy Sandinismo, and they will leave nothing undone in order to achieve that.

The OAS condemned the enactment of the new Nicaraguan law in defense of national sovereignty, and that was to be expected. In a useless communiqué, it recalled the agreements of technical advice for changes in the electoral law, forgetting that the body’s political and technical credibility and the moral authority of its Secretary General lie dead and buried in Bolivia. The OAS is now an empty shell, a suffocating container of quisling subculture, a ventriloquist’s dummy of the region’s neocolonial leaders, its knees worn out with groveling at the feet of the Empire. It is not a place for dialogue and continental cooperation; it is a political body readily superimposed over the infamous Lima Group, that cabal of Latin American governments some of which are in the hands of the United States, others controlled by narco-traffickers and still others controlled by both.

If there are to be changes in the procedures and norms regarding the Nicaraguan electoral campaign, they will be the result of a sovereign decision to make citizen participation in the vote even more effective than it is already. No foreign power, through its employees, should be allowed to disturb the peace, the elections and the vote of Nicaraguans, the exclusive owners of their nation.

In the last days of 2020, the Nicaraguan National Assembly passed a law transferring the companies that operate the electricity network throughout the country to state ownership. With electrical energy in the hands of the community and no longer destined for private profit, the government’s solidarity and socialist model is further strengthened. And the program of handing over property to Nicaraguan families also continues; in 2020 alone, 26,000 property titles were given to their owners. In the same period, after being passed two months earlier, the law punishing cybercrimes came into force. It updates the list of crimes provided for in previous legislation. It is hardly out of the ordinary, since there are identical laws in force in 57 other countries, but it is an indication of a government that protects its population in socioeconomic terms, as well as the security of each citizen.

It is a further demonstration of how Sandinismo prioritizes political self-determination, economic growth and the extension of social rights. Sandinismo, in fact, is the affirmation of the Law against arbitrariness, of national sovereignty against foreign interference, protecting the country’s integrity against mercenary opportunism, of patriotism against collaborationism, of peace against terrorism.

The right of Nicaragua to give Nicaraguans the future they want is being reaffirmed with the necessary rigor and strength, built on the dream of overcoming hunger and impotence and erasing forever even the idea of surrender. These are dreams that have become principles, ground that is no longer negotiable. Because, for Nicaraguans, the pride of being Sandinistas has become a way of thinking, living and governing. And of winning against whatever enemy they may face.

https://afgj.org/nicanotes-unelectable-coup-mongers
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

User avatar
blindpig
Posts: 10592
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 5:44 pm
Location: Turtle Island
Contact:

Re: Nicaragua

Post by blindpig » Thu Jan 28, 2021 2:21 pm

NicaNotes: A Crucial Year for Nicaragua
January 28, 2021
By Louise Richards

(Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign Action Group-UK)

[This article was originally published by NSCAG on January 20, 2021. https://www.nscag.org/news/article/329/nicaragua-update]

Introduction

2021 is a crucial year for Nicaragua, with national elections due in November.

There are strong indications that President Daniel Ortega and the FSLN (Sandinista National Liberation Front) might again be re-elected with a substantial share of the vote. But what does the US have in store for Nicaragua? Will they try once again to sabotage the elections and subvert the will of the Nicaraguan people? And can Nicaragua once again resist and defend its sovereignty and its right to self-determination against US and other foreign interference?

US Double Standards

On 7 January, responding to the attacks on the US Capitol the previous day, President-elect Joe Biden said that these were ‘An unprecedented assault on our democracy, an assault literally on the citadel of liberty, in the United States

Capitol itself. An assault on the rule of law. An assault on the most sacred of American undertakings: ratifying the will of the people and choosing the leadership of their government.’

At the same time, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted that ‘violence, putting at risk the safety of others…. is intolerable both at home and abroad. Let us swiftly bring justice to the criminals who engaged in this rioting’.

Yet in an incredible, but typical, display of double standards, the US continues to show itself unwilling to respect the will of the Nicaraguan people and allow them to choose their own political authorities. Whilst Biden was happy to refer to the mobs who attacked the Capitol as ‘domestic terrorists’, the US administration gave its full backing to those who carried out similar actions and engaged in extreme violence in Nicaragua during the failed attempted coup in 2018, referring to them as ‘peaceful protesters’.

US aggression continues

In the case of Nicaragua, illegal coercive measures (aka sanctions) are part of the destabilisation project that began with the attempted coup. They show the will of the United States to subvert the country’s political and institutional order, and they feed the rhetoric of the political opposition that calls for such measures constantly. The project is to create a climate of adversity including violence, political chaos and economic boycotts as the menu for the latest season of subversion. The objective? To sabotage holding the elections mandated by the constitution for November 2021.

Donald Trump’s administration kept up a steady stream of sanctions announcements since the November election that handed Joe Biden a win. In December 2020, the U.S. Treasury Department blacklisted officials including the vice president of the Nicaraguan Supreme Court, Marvin Aguilar, ‘in an effort to target those continuing to assist the Ortega government’s efforts to undermine democracy’. In October, Dr Paul Oquist, President Ortega’s close adviser and spokesman on climate change, had been sanctioned.

This drive of sanctions against Nicaragua dates back to December 2018 when Trump signed into law the “Nica Act” (Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality Act), over two years after the draft legislation was first approved by the US House of Representatives in September 2016. The NICA Act was an attempt to use economic pressure to destabilise the country’s government and economy. Its main thrust was to try to cut Nicaragua off from loans and financial or technical assistance from the multilateral-lending institutions such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Central America Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI).

Trump also announced (November 2020) an extension for a further year of an executive order with respect to Nicaragua, stating that the country posed ‘an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States’. This technically means the US may have to take (military or other) action against such threat.

A US State Department Paper Responsive Assistance in Nicaragua (RAIN) was leaked last year detailing how the U.S. plans to involve itself in this year’s Nicaraguan elections. It spelled out how USAID was going to use the opposition, the gangs, and other measures to create an unproductive year for the Nicaraguan administration. The paper lays out how, if President Daniel Ortega does win again, there are plans to overthrow him and his administration through mob violence assisted by US-financed ‘NGOs’ and any other means possible.

With recent polls indicating majority popular support for Daniel Ortega and the FSLN and minimal support for a fragmented and divided opposition, Mike Pompeo met with the Nicaraguan opposition in Costa Rica several times to get them to unite behind one candidate, to put aside their divisions and to focus on the upcoming November elections. And the multi-million-dollar financial support for opposition groups continues.

In the face of continued US aggression, the Nicaraguan government has asserted its determination not to be a US client state in the region, but to be its own sovereign nation and not dance to the tune of the US. This is a reality which the US refuses to accept.

Will things change under Joe Biden?

Whilst the tone, style and substance of Joe Biden may differ markedly from his predecessor, it is unlikely that US policy towards Nicaragua is going to change any time soon. In terms of domestic policy, there are certainly likely to be positive changes related to climate change, labour relations and health, etc. However, following the failed coup in 2018, Biden lined up solidly behind Nicaragua’s right-wing opposition, calling on the international community to take action against President Ortega and falsely laying the blame for the violence at Ortega’s door. He stated at the time that there must be, on the part of the international community, ‘a constant and growing pressure from different fronts to try to change that situation and carry out free elections.’

Vice-President elect Kamala Harris also referred to Ortega as a ‘dictator’ at a September Florida campaign event and in September 2020, referring to Trump’s threatened deportation of asylum seekers, Biden tweeted that ‘Nicaraguan asylum seekers fleeing oppression deserve to have their cases heard. Instead, they’re being deported back into the tyrannical grip of Daniel Ortega without a chance to pursue their claims.’

It is also worth noting that the NICA Act and subsequent sanctions against Nicaragua have been unanimously supported to date by Democrats and Republicans alike.

Nicaragua’s 2021 elections

A wide–ranging poll carried out by independent polling firm M & R Consultores in December 2020 indicates that the FSLN maintains a big advantage over a fragmented and divided opposition that lacks support and credible leadership. Results from the survey, which looked at voting intentions in the run up to Nicaragua’s elections in November this year, indicated 53.2% support for the FSLN and 8.9% for the opposition

There are many reasons why the FSLN has a good chance to win in November.

Elections in 2006 saw the FSLN under President Ortega return to power after 16 years of neo-liberal government and, with his return, the beginning of a radical transformation in Nicaraguan society. The privatisation of health and education were immediately reversed, and the Government began to implement social and economic policies which focussed on human development and which were designed to benefit the most impoverished and vulnerable in society. Fifty-eight percent of the 2021 budget has been allocated for social spending, and health, education, housing and equality are regarded as human rights.

Nicaraguan government achievements since 2007

Free and accessible education – not only providing tuition for all but also books and supplies, housing, food and toiletries for university students too poor to provide their own and free school meals for some 1.2 million children (Nicaragua’s population is 6.5 million). More than 7,700 schools have been built or rebuilt and equipped since 2007.
Free health care. Health spending increased by 31.8% from 2006 to 2020. The government has built 18 state of the art hospitals since 2007 and seven more are under construction. Dozens of health clinics have also been built and the number of trained doctors and nurses and technicians has increased from 22,083 to 36,649. The government has established new testing facilities and equipment, more dialysis stations and machines, cancer treatment centres, and have decreased by 68% maternal and 61% infant mortality by establishing maternity wait homes (casas maternas) where pregnant rural women can come for care and be closer to hospitals. Cancer treatment, kidney transplants and dialysis are all free. New chemical labs have been established for making medicines in Nicaragua instead of importing all medications and the government has also established a lab for making vaccines and has a robust vaccination programme that is free. The Nicaraguan model of health care is based around the community with an emphasis on prevention and there is a regular programme of community health fairs and mobile clinics which bring health care directly to all neighbourhoods.

*From 2021 to 2023 over 31,000 affordable homes will be built.

*A social safety net is in place for vulnerable families providing them with food packages and other essentials.

*Low-cost loans are given mainly to women to help them to build small businesses.

*In 2020, financing was provided for 50,000 small household farms, providing jobs and food sovereignty and enabling products to be sold, thereby providing families with an income (Nicaragua is now 90% self-sufficient in food)

*Expanded electricity access, now reaching 98.5% of the nation (almost 100% will be reached by 2025) up from 54% during the neo-liberal years – and leading in the fight against climate change with over 80% renewable (as opposed to less than 25% in 2006)

*5th place in the World Economic Forum Gender Equality Index, the highest ranking non-Nordic country

*Illiteracy (which was 36% in 2006) virtually eliminated

*Potable water in 95% of homes (up from 65% in 2006)

*The best roads in the region (600% more roads paved since 2007) and the creation or improvement of parks, all of which have free internet access

*The reestablishment of women’s police stations specifically devoted to ending violence against women

*The safest country in Central America

*An increase in GDP of 35% over 11 years

In 2020, Nicaragua not only faced the COVID-19 pandemic, but also the effects of two category 4 hurricanes that hit Nicaragua in just two weeks in November. Measures taken by the government kept the coronavirus death rate one of the lowest in the world while the government responded quickly and efficiently to the hurricanes, bringing immediate assistance and relief to those affected.

A return to neo-liberalism?

In 1990, many Nicaraguans were effectively coerced by the US into reluctantly accepting that the Contra war and US embargo would continue if they voted for the FSLN to remain in power. In fact, the US administration declared that it would only send aid to Nicaragua if the US-backed UNO coalition were elected. At the same time, some neighbourhoods reported threats of murder if they voted for the FSLN in the elections. The consequence was that the UNO coalition under Violeta Chamorro won the election with 55% of the vote, with 41% for Daniel Ortega and the FSLN. What followed were 16 years of neoliberal government which brought Nicaragua to its knees.

Successive right-wing governments privatised health, education, electricity and telecommunications. Public spending in all spheres was reduced to a minimum. The public services were decimated and two thirds of public sector workers lost their jobs. The results were that in 2007, the FSLN inherited a country with the highest poverty and extreme poverty rates in the region, with illiteracy and social inequality and with little access to culture or sports. The country was effectively paralysed, with energy blackouts lasting more than 12 hours daily and the worst roads in the region. Parents were forced to choose between sending their kids to school and putting food on the table.

If the US gets its way, the dangers for Nicaragua are clear if one looks at the situation in Honduras. In 2009, a US-backed military coup ousted Honduras’ democratically elected left-wing President Manuel Zelaya and installed a right-wing regime. Violence in the country soared and by 2012 Honduras had the highest murder rate in the world. President Juan Orlando Hernández, a staunch right winger and US ally, has imposed neoliberal economic policies and brutal austerity measures that have significantly boosted poverty and caused inequality to skyrocket. Honduras has become one of the poorest countries in all of Latin America, if not the poorest with 67 percent of the population below the poverty line. Studies show as many as 50 percent of Hondurans are unemployed and a staggering 77 percent of Honduran children live in households that are in poverty; one in five children suffer from chronic malnutrition; and only 58 percent attend school. And poverty is only getting worse. With the military increasingly involved in internal security, and power consolidated under Hernández, the killing of activists has skyrocketed. In 2016, Berta Cáceres, a world-renowned environmental activist and one of the most vocal members of the anti-coup resistance movement, was assassinated. Officers from U.S.-trained Honduran military units have been implicated in her murder.

In Nicaragua, the US-backed opposition has never stooped to involve the poor in their decisions, but instead has run to the U.S. State Department and Congress to ask for their interference and to advocate for sanctions against their own country so as to accomplish their only objective: to seize power. Their intention and that of the US is to create a situation of chaos and dislocation such that it brings about a violent ‘regime change.’ If they and the US succeed in their ambitions, Nicaraguans will almost certainly see a return to the dark days of neo-liberalism and the country is likely to turn into another Honduras, subject to US diktat.

Conclusion

2021 should be a year of recovery for Nicaragua. The economy has been the least damaged in Central America by the pandemic, but to recover from the effects of the pandemic and two hurricanes, not to mention the 2018 attempted coup will require tremendous effort and continuing international support, especially if the Biden administration were to continue with sanctions and regime-change efforts.

Progressive forces around the world must redouble their solidarity efforts to ensure that Nicaragua survives and is allowed, without external interference, to preserve its sovereignty and its right to determine its own future so as to deepen and consolidate its progressive social agenda.

Sources and further reading:

http://www.tortillaconsal.com/tortilla/node/10998

https://jhc–cdca.blogspot.com/2021/01/b ... k–not.html

https://thegrayzone.com/2019/10/24/hond ... on–united/ www.afgj.org

https://afgj.org/nicanotes-a-crucial-year-for-nicaragua
"There is great chaos under heaven; the situation is excellent."

Post Reply