Nicaragua Network

1. Assembly to elect high level officials; new mayors sworn in
2. Private sector and dissident Sandinistas at each others’ throats again
3. New poll shows support for government
4. Ortega travels to Caracas to support Chavez
5. Twenty percent of births not registered
6. Nine out of 10 students completed the school year
7. Road improvements set for 2013
8. New sirens to strengthen early alert system
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1. Assembly to elect high level officials; new mayors sworn in

Edwin Castro, leader of the Sandinista (FSLN) bench in the National Assembly, said that progress was being made toward the nomination and confirmation of the many high-level government officials whose terms have run out.  He said that the FSLN would consult with all the other parties: “We have to reach consensus with the deputies because they are the ones who elect them.  This is the dilemma: if we elect them alone, and we could go it alone, it would be an extreme position because automatically those who always criticize will say that it is totalitarian, etc.  But we do have the votes.”  He added that the Sandinistas were prepared to negotiate with all the political parties in the Assembly and that he was optimistic about the results.  At the inaugural session of the Assembly, Assembly President Rene Nuñez said that one of the challenges for this term will be the selection of these officials. He did not give any dates, saying only that work would begin on reaching consensus with the opposition and that the negotiation would not be done through the media.  By March, the total of officials with expired terms will be 61.  They remain in office based on a presidential decree which mandated that they should remain at their posts until their replacements were named.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE), on Jan. 14, completed the swearing in of mayors, deputy mayors, and council members of the nation’s 153 municipalities, who were elected last November.  CSE magistrates began the process in Bilwi and Bluefields on the Caribbean Coast on Jan. 10 and completed it on Jan. 14 in Managua with the mayors and council members of municipalities in the Departments of Managua, Masaya, Carazo, and Granada.  Laws passed in 2011 raised the number of council members substantially—to a total of 6,074 for the entire country—and mandated that half of the posts be filled by women.  The Sandinista Party won the city halls in 134 municipalities, the Independent Liberal Party in 13, the Constitutional Liberal Party in two, the Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance in one, and the regional indigenous party Yatama in three. (El Nuevo Diario, Jan. 14; Radio La Primerisima, Jan.10, 11, 14; Informe Pastran, Jan. 8, 9, 10, 11, 14; La Prensa, Jan. 9, 10)

2. Private sector and dissident Sandinistas at each others’ throats again

A statue of Pedro Joaquin Chamorro, owner/editor of La Prensa newspaper and leader of the opposition to the Somoza family dictatorship, was dedicated on Jan. 10, the 35^th anniversary of his murder.  The stature, by the sculptor and artist Arnoldo Guillen, was commissioned by the government to honor Chamorro.  It will stand in the park carrying his name, located to the west of National Assembly, at the place where he fell to the assassin’s bullets on January 10, 1978.

In that same park, the ongoing differences between the business community and dissident Sandinistas were once again out in the open on Jan. 9, when members of opposition political parties held their own commemoration of the anniversary of Chamorro’s death.   The Patriotic Movement for the Republic (MPR) led by Henry Ruiz and Moises Hassan called on citizens to practice “organized, united and combative civil struggle” against the government of President Daniel Ortega.  Ruiz read the group’s statement which stated that Ortega’s “illegal” government “is permitted, tolerated, and justified by powerful, high level business people, organized in COSEP [the Superior Council of Private Enterprise], who … maintain ties of mutual benefit with Daniel Ortega.” He accused COSEP members of “forging new power relations with the governing family to enrich themselves” and added that Nicaragua was sliding into “political, social and unconstitutional backwardness.”  The MPR statement alleged that the President’s reelection was unconstitutional and the recent municipal elections were marred by fraud which a number of political parties had validated by participating. 

COSEP President Jose Adan Aguerri said, “We, as the private sector, have decided to build, to work, not to destroy or disqualify.”  He said that COSEP respected different positions “but the private sector will continue to bet on dialogue and negotiation as the way to achieve economic growth and investment, the results of which can be seen in this country.”  He said, “We will continue to demand the naming of the officials, we will continue to work for a new electoral law, but we will also continue working to generate more formal sector jobs, attract more investment, more growth for the country….  And this position is not going to change even one millimeter; we shall not be moved.”  He was supported by Yali Molina, president of the Nicaraguan-American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM), who said, “Nicaraguan business people will continue to be committed to Nicaragua, to its development, in spite of the circumstances we may be living through.  What interests us is that Nicaragua not fail economically… and I believe that AMCHAM and other groups like COSEP will move forward to that end.” (Radio La Primerisima, Jan.10, 11, 14; Informe Pastran, Jan. 8, 9, 10, 11, 14; La Prensa, Jan. 9, 10)

3. New poll shows support for government

M&R Consultores released a new poll on Jan. 14 which indicated that most of the population supported the view that government and the private sector should work together for economic growth.  Of those surveyed, 77.4% thought that the private sector was the motor of the economy while 87.9% agreed that the government should facilitate private economic activity and promote investment.  Over 88% thought that, in order to achieve economic growth and raise living standards, it is necessary to strengthen institutions and the rule of law.  Over 65% wanted the government and the private sector to create more jobs and raise salaries.  The percentage that viewed positively the actions of the government of President Daniel Ortega was 67.8%, while 84.6% approved of the way he has handled the conflict with Colombia over the November 2012 World Court decision.  The numbers for Rosario Murillo, First Lady and coordinator of the government Council on Communications and Citizenship, have risen in six years from a 35.2% approval to 66.9% last month.  As Informe Pastran stated, using an old Spanish saying, “Her work as a leader in the government and the FSLN is recognized and admired by Moors and Christians.”

The opposition as a whole only received the support of 8.3%, the FSLN 56.3%, and independents 35.5%.  Of the 56.3% of the FSLN, 18.2% were strong supporters and 19.7% sympathizers for a total of 37.9%, the historical percentage of support for the Sandinistas for many years.  To this was added the 18.4% of “occasional sympathizers,” as the poll called them, who have joined since 2007 and are considered “soft” votes.  As for religious preference, only 52.1% of those surveyed described themselves as Catholic, down from 70.3% in 2003, while 30% said they were evangelicals, and 14.5% said they were believers but without any denomination.  Protestant evangelical churches have made the greatest advances in semi-rural areas, according to the poll, while Catholicism remained strongest in urban areas.

The individuals with the highest favorable ratings in the poll were National Police Director Aminta Granera with 86.8%, Rosario Murillo with 78.9%; President Ortega with 77.8%, and Head of the Army Julio Cesar Aviles with 65.8%. Informe Pastran said it was notable that those with the highest ratings have remained there in spite of strong criticisms in the media.  For example, Murillo is the victim of cruel cartoons in La Prensa, opposition human rights groups accuse the Police of violating human rights, and the Army, headed by Aviles is accused by government opponents of being co-opted.  But their favorable percentages remain high while the negative ratings of opposition politicians continue at record highs with former President Arnoldo Aleman at 63.4% unfavorable and Eduardo Montealegre at 56.4%.  Institutions rated highest by Sandinistas were the Army and the Police, while independents rated the Army highest, followed by social media and non-governmental organizations. Opposition supporters rated the communications media, non-governmental organizations, and the Catholic Church highest.

The poll, carried out between Dec. 17^th and 28^th, sampled 1,600 citizens.  It had a margin of error of 2.5% and a confidence level of 95%. (Radio La Primerisima, Jan. 14; Informe Pastran, Jan. 14; El Nuevo Diario, Jan. 14)

4. Ortega travels to Caracas to support Chavez

President Daniel Ortega travelled to Caracas, Venezuela, to join other heads of state of the members of the Bolivarian Alliance of the Americas (ALBA) for a rally supporting ailing President Hugo Chavez on the day he was scheduled to be inaugurated for a fourth term as president of Venezuela.  The Supreme Court postponed the inauguration because Chavez remains in Cuba recovering from a fourth surgery for abdominal cancer.  Ortega was attacked by both Venezuelan and Nicaraguan opposition for calling the Venezuelan opposition “buzzards,” “instruments of imperialism and enemies of the poor” in his speech to Chavez supporters in the plaza in front of Miraflores Palace.  Venezuelan Vice-President Nicolas Maduro, speaking to representatives of 19 countries gathered at the plaza, said that the government plan of President Chavez would continue, including the support for hemispheric integration through Petrocaribe and the ALBA cooperative trade agreement.  He said, “There is a world to create and for this year which is beginning and for the years to come, we want to ratify in the name of Comandante Chavez the commitment of the Bolivarian government for the 2013-2019 term to the building of this special economic zone.”

Venezuelan opposition legislator Julio Borges said that the gathering of presidents was “a show” and he added, “We don’t want the gringos, or the Cubans, or the Bolivians, or the Nicaraguans, or anybody to stick their noses in the internal problems of the PSUV [United Socialist Party of Venezuela – the party of President Chavez] or in the problem of Venezuela. Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma denounced what he said were Ortega’s “insults and affronts” while Jose Alberto Zambrano of the opposition group COPEI declared him “persona non grata.”  In Nicaragua, opposition leader Eduardo Montealegre said Ortega’s statements were “a barbarity” and the Nicaraguan opposition also accused Ortega of violating the constitution which mandates that the president give an annual report on the state of the nation on Jan. 10, the same day as the gathering in Venezuela.  Ortega has not normally given a speech in the National Assembly on that date; last year he sent a written report at the end of January.  (Informe Pastran, Jan. 10, 11; La Prensa, Jan. 10, 11)

5. Twenty percent of births not registered

According to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) child protection specialist Ana Lucia Silva, 20% of children born in Nicaragua are not inscribed in the civil register. “This is a problem that worries us,” she said, because the children do not legally exist when it comes to obtaining social services and voting. Many street children and child laborers are lack birth certificates. UNICEF has identified 24 mostly very poor and rural municipalities, primarily on the Caribbean Coast, where the problem is most severe. She did praise the government for reducing the number of births without registration from 35% in 2005 to 20% today. She also expressed satisfaction that the National Assembly is close to passing a new law which will replace the civil registry law from 1904. She said that law, instead of facilitating registration of births, created bureaucratic obstacles for parents. UNICEF representative in Nicaragua, Phillippe Barragne-Bigo, said that UNICEF will require US$34 million over the next five years to conduct its work in three areas: early childhood development, inclusive quality education, and special protection for children and adolescents. (Radio La Primerisima, Jan. 10; La Prensa, Jan. 10)

6. Nine out of 10 students completed the school year

Rosario Murillo, coordinator of Communication and Citizenship, reported that Nicaraguan schools achieved a 91% retention rate in 2012 and 89.57% passed tests required to advance to the next grade. Students began the school year numbering 1,648,500. Of those who failed, 188,327 scored high enough to repeat the tests. Murillo said that between Jan. 14-Feb. 8, the school system will implement an extraordinary program to help those who failed one or two tests to pass them on the second attempt. Those who failed three or more tests must repeat the grade.

Murillo said the good results were obtained thanks to the efforts of parents, students, teachers, and a model of responsibility that helps improve the quality of education. “Without education there is no future,” she said. She also credited the Sandinista government programs providing school meals, contributions for uniforms, scholarships, stipends, bonuses, and mentoring by members of the Federation of Secondary Students and by educators. “We are happy but not complacent,” Murillo said, continuing, “We are not satisfied while there are still schools in poor condition; while there are not enough schools; while we do not have desks in good condition; and while parents are unhappy.” And, she added, “We struggle every day to defeat poverty because ending poverty will mean students whose capacity and potential are awakened.” (Radio La Primerisima, Jan. 8; Informe Pastran, Jan. 8)

7. Road improvements set for 2013

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI) will spend US$129.5 million on highway, road, and bridge construction in 2013 which will improve access for farmers from the agricultural producing interior of the country to coastal markets. The ministry will pave 220 kilometers of roads and carry out maintenance on 1,100 kilometers of highways and roads. Vice Minister Jose Amadeo Santana said that rural roads would be a particular priority this year and that funding from the Inter-American Development Bank and Central American Bank for Economic Integration will pay for paving 140 kilometers of roads. World Bank grants, Japanese aid, and Nicaraguan tax money round out funding for the improvements. One of the projects will be to improve the Rio Blanco-Siuna-Bilwi road to ensure access to the Caribbean Coast, he said. Once completed, the road from Managua to Bilwi will reduce travel time from seven days to two or three, according to the vice-minister. Making the road tying the South Atlantic capital of Bluefields to the Pacific Coast an all-weather road is also on the list of priorities as well as bridge maintenance. Other projects will increase tourist access near the Pacific Coast border with Costa Rica and on the Island of Ometepe in Lake Cocibolca. The Ministry is meeting with environmental groups to mitigate the ecological damage that will be caused on the Managua-Masaya highway by incorporating the central boulevard (which is planted with trees) into the lanes of traffic. (Radio La Primerisima, Jan. 8; La Prensa, Jan. 11)

8. New sirens to strengthen early alert system

In the coming days the Sandinista government will install 74 sirens in various communities to strengthen its early alert system for natural disasters, augmenting the radio alert system already in place. Guillermo Gonzalez, Executive Director of the National System of Attention, Mitigation, and Prevention of Disasters (SINAPRED), said that in 2013 an additional 1,500 communities will be trained on how to respond in the face of earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and flooding from heavy rains. Gonzalez said that over 1,000 urban and rural communities have disaster committees and special brigades for disaster response.  SINAPRED, which is composed of multiple state institutions, hopes to perfect its alliance with the population during 2013 through better coordination of government agencies and public education, including education in the schools, according to Gonzalez. (Radio La Primerisima, Jan. 11)