UN ‘investigates’ Nicaragua: human rights or capitalist wrongs?
Another example of a supposedly ‘international’ organisation doing the propaganda work of US imperialism.
Workers everywhere are waking up to the hypocrisy of western leaders. The audacity of accusing Nicaragua of committing ‘crimes against humanity’ while the USA and allied western governments are giving every possible support to genocide in Palestine is obscene.
Proletarian writers
Monday 13 May 2024
Many of us today are questioning whose interests our government serves. Perhaps we have always assumed, to one degree or another, that they looked after all our interests – but we’re no longer sure that’s the case.
We might be asking why our infrastructure is crumbling, why utilities, including water, are no longer affordable or safe. Or whether greed might be the cause of the cost of living crisis. What of the future for our children? Does Israel have a moral and legal right to defend itself, as our leaders and the media constantly assert? We may be questioning if the very institutions that we once unwaveringly trusted aren’t in fact corrupt.
The mounting consensus is that there is something desperately wrong with our society and with our world – and there is.
The global capitalist system, with the hegemonic United States at its helm and the rest of the G7 in its wake (Japan, Canada, Britain, France, Italy, Germany) are the source of the rot. The very institutions that pretend to uphold ‘democracy’, ‘freedom’ and ‘liberty’ are as corrupt as the imperialist system they serve.
The United Nations (UN) and its agencies, all the west’s cornucopia of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are all institutions created and manipulated by western geopolitical interests in order to perpetuate the unjust distribution of global wealth. Far from ‘protecting human rights’, the institutions are all about the preservation of imperialist power. Politicians and media, meanwhile, present them in such a way as to manipulate opinion, your opinion, to maintain support for the imperial machinations of the global financiers whom they serve.
That is why we must question the motivations of ‘international institutions’ that infringe the rights of nations that are resisting the might of western imperialism: countries such as Venezuela, Syria, Haiti, Niger, Burkina Faso, Russia, China, the DPRK, Palestine and Nicaragua, to name a few.
Nicaragua under attack
Nicaragua is once again under attack by the imperialist camp, which is employing a variety of techniques to demonise and destroy the country’s democratically elected government merely because it has had the audacity to demand independence, sovereignty and the right to manage its affairs in accordance with the will of its people. Socialist Cuba and socialist-leaning Venezuela face ongoing and severe sanctions for the same reason, and all three are deemed unforgiveable for attempting to take a socialist path (and setting a socialist example) in the ‘backyard’ of the USA.
By crafting narratives that give a semblance of ‘objectivity’, all the while suppressing evidence that contradicts its self-serving storylines, the USA has used the UN to launch a campaign of destabilisation in Nicaragua, thereby hoping to convince the wider world that the human rights of the Nicaraguan people are being grossly violated.
Under US direction, a group of human rights ‘experts’ on Nicaragua (GHREN) was appointed to investigate alleged violations in the country in the period since April 2018. That date was chosen because it marked the start of violent protests, which quickly developed into an attempted coup d’etat. These events were undoubtedly masterminded by the CIA – one of the many destabilisation techniques for use against non-compliant countries in the imperialist toolkit.
The violence lasted for three months and left over 250 people dead, including both opponents and supporters of the government, government officials and 22 police officers.
Using a supposedly ‘independent’ and globally respected institution such as the UN to set up a ‘commission of inquiry’, legal minions under US coercion made a string of accusations concerning the alleged ‘human rights violations’ of the Sandinista government.
With these false accusations widely disseminated by western media, western populations are whipped up, coerced and brainwashed into believing that ‘something should be done’. Then when the USA and its vassals ‘do something’, we are led to believe they are acting for the benefit of the poor Nicaraguan people. In truth, the real aim of all this activity is regime change – the destruction of the country’s chosen government and its replacement by one that will be amenable to western looting and domination.
Remember Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Ukraine. This well-trodden strategy is wearing thin. People everywhere are recognising the tactics for what they are; fraudulent and corrupt methods of coercion and control by a US empire whose hypocritical, tyrannical ‘rules-based order’ is losing traction and support.
United Nations and hegemonic machinations
The GHREN has produced two reports, the first of which contained a plethora of detail regarding the allegations of human rights infringements by the government, but which failed to investigate all the cited events.
The report either omitted completely or mentioned only briefly the many extreme acts of violence by those involved in the US-backed coup attempt, which included senior members of the Catholic Church. Instead, it focused only on alleged human rights violations by government officials and, in collecting evidence, it gave preferential access to several NGOs highly critical of the Nicaraguan government.
Alfred de Zayas, the UN’s first independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, has commented that the GHREN was set up for the purpose of “naming and shaming” the Nicaraguan government, not for carrying out an objective investigation. He is not alone. (UN human rights council again supports US regime change plans for Nicaragua by Alfred de Zayas and John Perry, Nicanotes, 11 April 2024)
A human rights expert who was critical of the first report by the GHREN has worked with the US-based Nicaraguan Solidarity Coalition to respond to a second GHREN report. A letter criticising GHREN’s approach and conclusions was sent to the GHREN and to the president and senior officials of the UN human rights council.
The letter cited the flawed methodology and bias of the report, and contended that important information had been excluded, demonstrating clear violations of the principles of judicial or quasi-judicial investigation. The letter was signed by ten prominent human rights experts and activists, 47 organisations and over 250 individuals in Nicaragua, the USA and Europe, many with long experience of working in and engaging with Nicaragua.
A duplicitous rules-based order
The duplicity of the USA claiming to want to support ‘Nicaragua’s journey back to being a productive democracy’ when for decades it has been actively trying to undermine Nicaraguan democracy through regime-change tactics is scandalous. The USA directly financed and helped plan the violent coup attempt of 2018 that it now says should be investigated. It also tried to undermine Nicaragua’s democratic elections in 2021, and has been imposing ever more illegal economic coercive measures (sanctions) on Nicaragua since the return to power of the Sandinista government.
Sanctions are a much-loved tactic of US imperialism where it wants to bring about regime change. The objective is to coerce a population (through economic hardships ranging from shortages of luxuries to full-on starvation) to rise up and overthrow its government. In the case of Nicaragua, the USA desperately wants the overthrow of Daniel Ortega, the socialist leader who received over 75 percent of the votes when he was elected for the fourth time in 2021.
What is particularly obscene about the US pursuing its enemies under the excuse of ‘human rights’ is that sanctions are one of the worst offenders in this regard. They are an illegal form of collective punishment imposed on the Nicaraguan people because the US ruling class does not approve of the leader they elected.
Sanctions caused Nicaragua to lose over $1.4bn in funding from the World Bank, International Development Bank and the IMF in the three years from 2018-21. In a small country, the resulting budget deficit impacts everything from infrastructure projects to child nutrition and the provision of safe drinking water to rural areas.
It might have once been assumed that responsible institutions such as the G7 purports to be would protect the human rights of ordinary people, no matter where they happened to live. Under the present monopoly capitalist – ie, imperialist – economic order, however, all these institutions have only one real priority: the continuing ability to extract maximum profits from every corner of the globe and every of area of economic activity.
This is why workers everywhere are increasingly waking up to the hypocrisy of western leaders. The audacity of accusing Nicaragua of committing crimes against humanity while the USA and allied western governments are giving every possible support to genocide in Palestine is obscene.
We are witnessing in real time on our social media feeds the evidence of the horrific crimes being committed in Gaza, and our human rights-loving politicians and media are not merely silent, they actively cheer it on. Where is the so-called ‘responsibility to protect’ (R2P) that Tony Blair and Bill Clinton infamously declared in 1999 as they prepared to launch their barbarous regime-change war against Yugoslavia – a war they (falsely) claimed was necessary to prevent the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian population?
Actions and context
We must question why Nicaragua is bring targeted, and why now? Once we understand the motive, we can make sense of the methods being used and understand to what extent its outcomes are legitimate.
Nicaragua is a small, developing and revolutionary country on the doorstep of the USA. Its government practices a people-centred approach to human rights. It was one of the first to call out the genocide underway in Gaza, one of the first national governments to express support for the South African application to the International Court of Justice under the genocide convention, and it is currently taking Germany to the ICJ for providing huge political, financial and military support to Israel whilst being fully aware that the military equipment supplied will be used in the commission of crimes against humanity.
The decisions and actions of Nicaragua’s government, whether in the field of healthcare, education, economic development or climate change, are underpinned by socialist, people-first principles. It provides universal and free healthcare throughout the country, universal and free education from preschool through trade school, university and professional school. Nicaragua is a pioneer in defending the rights of the indigenous and Afro-descendent peoples of the Americas, who have communal title to a third of Nicaragua’s national territory. And it is a global leader in gender equality, ranking first in the world for women in parliament, women’s educational achievement and women in cabinet positions.
Imagine all of this in the backyard of the United States, whose model of ‘freedom and democracy’ has led to half a million homeless on its own streets, debts of $59,000 for students undertaking a four-year bachelor’s degree, and a healthcare system that ranks 69th in the world, just above that of Nicaragua despite the problems caused there by sanctions. So whose human rights are being violated by their own government?
Capitalism is the reason for the endless wars, for genocides, for ever-deeper poverty, for the terrible injustices resulting from capitalist-engendered inequality and insecurity. It is likewise responsible for environmental problems and all the major ills facing society, both in the west and around the world. The economic crisis of global capitalism – imperialism – is the root cause of the perceptible deterioration of our lives and the reckless despoliation of our planet. Those who head this system are intrinsically and systemically corrupt, and the institutions they have created to present a facade of fairness and justice are just as rotten.
It is time we stopped swallowing the whitewashing PR narratives of those who sell their souls to the monopolists and instead ask ourselves: who is benefiting from the present state of affairs?
Solidarity to the government and people of Nicaragua!
https://thecommunists.org/2024/05/13/ne ... st-wrongs/
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NicaNotes: The World Court’s Decision Means All Nations Must Respect International Law
May 9, 2024
Interview of Dr. Carlos Argüello by journalist Juan Cortez of Multinoticias, Channel 4, Managua, on April 30, 2024; translated by Tortilla con Sal.
Juan Cortez: Now, we have the opportunity to talk with Dr. Carlos Argüello, who is Nicaragua’s Representative at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Greetings Dr. Carlos Argüello.
Dr. Carlos Argüello: A very good morning. Greetings.

Dr. Carlos Argüello: “The Court reminded us again of the obligation that Germany has, like all countries that have been helping Israel, to respect the Genocide Convention and the Geneva Conventions on Humanitarian Law.”
Juan Cortez: Doctor, Nicaragua filed an important lawsuit over violation of the Genocide Convention for Germany’s open political, financial and military support for Israel, against Palestine. Can you explain to us, what the Court ruled today?
Dr. Carlos Argüello: Well, today’s was a preliminary ruling. That is, right now what we had requested is a kind of preventive embargo. We filed the lawsuit and at the same time asked for a kind of preventive measure…. And what we have asked right now is that, while the lawsuit is being processed, Germany stop sending weapons to Israel, and that it continue financing the refugee organization, the UNRWA as it is called, which Germany had stopped since January.
So, the court now decided that Germany had basically already complied with that, because it had already resumed financing [of UNRWA], and it demonstrated that it was no longer sending armaments to Israel. So, the Court said that as long as that didn’t change, it wasn’t necessary to give an order banning something that wasn’t happening anymore.
Now, what does that mean? The trial is actually just starting, so right now what we are going to is the part where the evidence is going to be presented and we will get to the bottom of the case.
It is very clear that what the Court was saying or what it has ruled now, they simply were not (…) in violation at this time. But Germany had said that, indeed, in October it had been funding Israel, but that now it had decreased and the funding had practically ceased.
So what the Court’s Order says is that if circumstances change, that is, if Germany starts financing again, then we simply resort to the Court again. This at the same time that the trial is continuing, these are incidental moves within the trial. So, it is not the main trial, the main trial is taking its course right now.
The important thing in this case is that the Court emphasized that it did not give the order right now to desist [in sending arms], because it had already ceased, but it reminded us again of the obligation that Germany has, like all countries that have been helping Israel, to respect the Genocide Convention and the Geneva Conventions on Humanitarian Law.
Because the position is not only that Israel is violating the Genocide Convention, which it is obviously doing. But it is violating all the Laws of War, because to be dropping one-ton bombs on the population is nothing more than a violation of the Laws of War that have existed for centuries; it is not even a matter of recent times.
The Court recalled all this and reminded [Germany] again of the obligation they have to respect. So, in conclusion, the trial is continuing, as the Court itself reaffirmed, because Germany, to cap it all, had asked the Court to say that it should not continue the trial. Obviously, the Court said that the trial is continuing, since the trial is just starting.
So, that’s pretty much the situation right now. For us it is satisfactory, because first, the Court said that we are right to say that Germany, like all countries that are helping Israel, have the obligation to cease doing so and to respect the Conventions that order the cessation of aid to a Country that is committing genocide and violating the Laws of War. So, at that point is where we are more or less so far.
Juan Cortez: As we talk, Doctor Arguello, the genocide against Palestine is continuing. Do you consider that these efforts like Nicaragua’s, with the lawsuit against Germany, are important, to stop, to influence in some way against this barbarism that is being committed against the Palestinian People
Dr. Carlos Argüello: That is actually what we think. The Nicaraguan Presidency had ordered that we use all means by which we could contribute to seek to put an end to this genocide and this massacre being carried out against the Palestinian People.
We consider that what happened just now is a warning not only for Germany because the Court did it in a generalized way; that is, reminding everyone of the obligation they have to respect these laws. So, it is a wake-up call and it is a bid to say “watch out” what they are doing, to all countries, not only to Germany.
Germany is the second largest contributor to Israel, after the United States. [Dr. Argüello explained in other interviews that the suit did not target the US because the US does not recognize the jurisdiction of the Court.] But there are also others, such as the United Kingdom, such as Canada, all these countries have to be clear about what the Court said right now and of what it is reminding us.
Of course, Nicaragua’s intention is to try to stop this collaboration, because if it did not exist, things would probably have been worked out by now and the situation would be completely different.
As we have said on other occasions and has been pointed out in other Forums, what happened in South Africa when Apartheid was in place was that, while all countries continued to collaborate with the racist regime, the racist regime continued to prevail. When the decision was taken and collaboration ceased internationally, the racist regime fell and disappeared. So, we consider that once the support for Israel stops, that may well happen.
Juan Cortez: Doctor, thank you, and do you have any closing comments.
Dr. Carlos Argüello: No. Rather, thank you for your attention. Here we are in the struggle, contributing in whatever way we can to our Palestinian brothers and sisters, who have been such a long-suffering people, that, frankly, need every support from all of us and everything we can do. Thank you very much, and a greeting to everyone.
Juan Cortez: Thank you very much, Dr. Carlos Argüello, and we will be watching the development of this lawsuit by Nicaragua against Germany.
* * *
NicaNotes Briefs
By Nan McCurdy
Great Financial Investment in Solar Energy
As Nicaragua has worked to change its energy matrix, it has made important investments of almost US$5 billion since 2006 which have been recognized at the Central American level. Head of the Ministry of Energy and Mines Salvador Mansell discussed the development of the energy sector in recent years and future projects to be executed. In 2007, Nicaragua’s renewable energy was only 25% of total energy produced, and now the minimum is 70%, although it has on occasion reached 88% [depending on the wind and sun]. Mansell said that, in October, the El Barro project in the Department of Estelí, which is for wind energy, would begin. He also noted, “We have a 15-year projection of projects that we are going to study, that are going to begin; we will be above 200 solar megawatts next year. At this moment, the installed capacity is almost 1,900 solar megawatts.” This system is also connected to the Central American regional system. Mansell said that, in Ometepe, the Dos Volcanes solar plant is being finished, generating 1.5 megawatts, and the airport will be equipped with a small solar plant of 1 megawatt. (La Primerisima, 2 May 2024)
Nicaragua Reiterates Strong Solidarity with Palestine
The Government of Nicaragua reiterated its firm solidarity with the State of Palestine and said that it should be recognized as a full member of the United Nations, to make way for the only just and lasting two-state solution. This is the consensus of more than two thirds of the membership of the United Nations that officially recognizes the State of Palestine. The UN General Assembly met on May 1 to discuss the negative vote of the United States in the Security Council on April 18 to the request of Palestine to become a full member of that body. The Nicaraguan representative, Jaime Hermida, accused the United States of continuing to apply its policy of exceptionalism and obstruction in the Security Council, allowing the genocide and crimes of Israel in the occupied Palestinian and Arab territories. He stated that it is time for the US and European countries to listen to the voices of all humanity crying out for peace, justice and freedom, and to put an end to the unjustifiable policies of denial and exclusion of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. (La Primerisima, 2 May 2024)
Elected Authorities in the North Caribbean Take Office
Within the framework of the Autonomy Regime, 45 regional councilpersons and their respective alternates were sworn in and began their terms in Nicaragua’s North Caribbean Coast. This was in a solemn act presided over by the authorities of the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) with the presence of special guests from the entire region made up of delegates of the Presidency, Indigenous Territorial Governments (GTIs), mayors, military authorities, delegates of the Ministries of Citizen Power and members of the National Students Union (UNEN).
Magistrate Brenda Rocha, President of the Supreme Electoral Council, said that this was the last activity on the calendar of the Caribbean 2024 elections held on March 3rd. She added that it reflected the active participation of the multiethnic coastal people in an atmosphere of joy and tranquility in which gender equity was guaranteed. The magistrates presided over the swearing in and delivery of credentials to each of the regional councilpersons. Following this was the election and swearing in of the new board of the Regional Autonomous Council of the North Caribbean Coast (CRACCN) composed of seven members, with Emilce Vanegas Wade as President. Council members also unanimously elected Carlos José Alemán Cunningham, as Coordinator 2024 – 2029 of the Autonomous Regional Government. The coastal people thus had the privilege of establishing their own government for the effective exercise of the historical rights of the multi-ethnic people. (La Primerisima, 4 May 2024)
Modern Hospital Inaugurated in Wiwilí, Jinotega
On May 4 the Ministry of Health (MINSA) inaugurated the Jorge Navarro Primary Hospital in the municipality of Wiwilí, Department of Jinotega. The Sandinista government invested US$7.62 million in the construction and equipping of this modern health care center, which has five buildings where outpatient and diagnostic services, hospitalization, emergency, administration and general services will be provided. The health personnel will provide care to more than 90,000 people living in Wiwili and the Indigenous territory of Alto Wangky. To celebrate the inauguration of the center, the authorities organized a mega health fair where 23,393 health care services were provided to pregnant women, people with brain, eye and ear disorders, malformations in arteries and veins, spinal hernias, chronic pain, neuralgia, hand, hip and knee problems, among others. During the first hours of operation of the Jorge Navarro Hospital, 11 babies were born. (La Primerisima, 4 May 2024)
Special Plan Monitors Nutritional Status of more than 50,000 Children
The Ministry of Health and Community Network brigades carry out special actions to guarantee improvement in the nutritional status of more than 50,000 children. As part of the National Plan for “Monitoring the Nutritional Status of Children from zero to six years of age,” this year the brigades have provided 749,368 services, including:
-50,639 attentions to children to monitor and improve their nutritional status.
-16,730 visits by the Community Network, as part of the program to monitor and promote growth and development.
– 483,419 house-to-house and school visits to children under six years of age, who were dewormed and received vitamin A, zinc, and micronutrients.
– 7,933 care visits to premature infants.
– 4,946 consults for pregnant women who are being followed up due to low weight gain in their babies.
– 87,471 counseling talks on the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding up to six months of age and continued breastfeeding up to two years of age.
– 58,720 members of the Community Network trained and certified to identify children with nutrition problems and promote healthy lifestyles.
– 39,510 campaigns, nutritional health fairs, and talks held in the communities with parents, teachers, students, pregnant women and community leaders, to exchange experiences about the benefits of breastfeeding, healthy eating and physical activity for growth. (La Primerisima, 6 May 2024)
New Santa Rosa del Peñón Bridge will Strengthen Economic Activity
The Ministry of Construction and Transportation (MTI) has completed the 60-meter-long Santa Rosa del Peñón bridge, benefiting 18,700 people. Uncertainties, insecurities and anxiety in the rainy season will be left behind; this bridge will guarantee that families will have all-weather connectivity with the rest of the country. The bridge will improve the connection between the municipality of Santa Rosa del Peñón and the rest of the Department of León, and will strengthen the growth of the local economy. It will also improve access for agricultural production to national and export markets, boost mining production and promote the social development of the sub-region. See photos:
https://radiolaprimerisima.com/nuevo-pu ... economica/ (La Primerisima, 7 May 2024)
National Day of Dignity Commemorated at Nicaraguan Embassy in Washington
The Nicaraguan Embassy in Washington, DC, commemorated Nicaragua’s National Day of Dignity with the participation of solidarity activists who heard from Nicaragua’s representative before the International Court of Justice, Dr. Carlos Argüello. Chargé d’ Affaires Lautaro Sandino conveyed the greetings of President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo to the large audience, highlighting the example of Nicaragua in taking concrete actions in support of the Palestinian cause. Dr. Argüello spoke about Nicaragua’s motivations in suing Germany before the World Court, explaining at length Nicaragua’s efforts to stop the genocide against the Palestinian people. He emphasized that Nicaragua and its top leadership are contributing in this way to the defense of peace and international law, thus continuing the legacy of General Augusto C. Sandino of national dignity in the face of the maneuvers of U.S. imperialism and its acolytes in the rest of the world. [Editor’s note: The reason why May 4th is called the “Day of Dignity” in Nicaragua is because on this day in 1927, Augusto Sandino, breaking with his former ally Moncada, refused to sign the Espino Negro pact with US emissary Henry Stimson. Later that month Sandino wrote to Moncada, “I am at my post and waiting for you…. I will not sell out nor will I surrender.” And further, “Our enemies from this day forward will not be the forces of the tyrant Diaz [supported by the US occupiers], but rather the Marines of the most powerful empire in history. It is against them that we are going to fight….”] (La Primerisima, 4 May 2024)
Inmates Begin Courses in Agribusiness
On May 2 a new group of prisoners of the national penitentiary system started a degree course in agribusiness. Rene Vargas Artola, director of national penal education, said that it is part of the opportunity that the penitentiary system provides to the inmates, to prepare themselves in university careers. (El 19 Digital, 3 May 2024)
Nicaraguan Youth Express Their Solidarity with Palestine
In Nicaragua, young people joined protests in support of Palestine, marching in Managua and gathering in stadiums. They also expressed their solidarity with U.S. students in the face of more than 2,000 arrests at universities across the U.S. In Costa Rica, young people set up an encampment demanding that the country’s public universities break off relations with Israel. See Photos and video:
https://radiolaprimerisima.com/jovenes- ... palestina/ (RT en Español, 5 May, 2024)
Photo Gallery: Beautiful Stadiums, Courts and Sports Centers
In recent years, Nicaragua has built numerous state-of-the art sports facilities. Here are photographs of some of them in Managua, Estelí, Wiwilí, Masaya, and Tipitapa showing athletes and ordinary citizens enjoying different popular sports:
https://nicaraguasandino.com/galeria-fo ... nicaragua/ (Nicaragua Sandino, 2 May 2024)
Join the NicaNet Google Group
The NicaNet Google Group consists of activists who support the sovereignty of Nicaragua and the revolutionary government of Nicaragua. Membership is free, and open to all who believe in the Sandinista revolution and the Sandinista government. The Google Group is supported by the Nicaragua Network of the Alliance for Global Justice. The Google Group is moderated by Dr. Arnie Matlin, Convener of the Rochester Committee on Latin America. Members are welcome to post to the group. The topic must be totally (or at least primarily) about Nicaragua. The only other restrictions are that we discourage more than one post in a day, except under emergency situations. We encourage people to submit their own postings, but people can send in posts from other people, if it’s obvious that the piece was meant for public viewing. Finally, all entries must be in the form of civil discourse. Ad hominem or ad feminam postings will be rejected. Thank you!
https://afgj.org/nicanotes-the-world-co ... tional-law