Nicaragua Network

1. Ortega offers Snowden asylum in Nicaragua
2. RAAS communities challenge canal; botanist gives views 
3. Assembly holds hearings in support of petition to expand territorial waters
4. World Bank praises Nicaragua’s use of international aid
5. Repliegue reenacted by 80,000 Sandinista supporters
6. Rains bring increase in dengue fever
7. Election of officials with expired terms may come in September
8. Sight impaired people receive operations and free transit tickets
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1. Ortega offers Snowden asylum in Nicaragua

During the rally on July 5 at the beginning of the annual reenactment of the nighttime walk of thousands from Managua to Masaya during the Sandinista final offensive of 1979 (called the repliegue), President Daniel Ortega offered political asylum to US citizen and former CIA technician Edward Snowden. Snowden has been in the international transit section of a Moscow airport since the US cancelled his passport after he revealed secret spy programs of the US National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency.  Wikileaks revealed last week that Snowden had sent requests for asylum to 21 countries, including the Latin American countries of Brazil, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia, and Ecuador. Ortega said, “We received a letter sent by Snowden that was delivered to our embassy in Moscow in which he asks for asylum in Nicaragua.”  Ortega then added, “We are open, respectful of the right of asylum and we are clear that if the circumstances permit it we will receive Snowden with pleasure and give him asylum here in Nicaragua.”

In his letter to the Nicaraguan embassy, Snowden said, “I, Edward Snowden, citizen of the United States of America, am writing to request asylum in the Republic of Nicaragua because of the risk of being persecuted by the government of the United States and its agents in relation to my decision to make public serious violations on the part of the government of the United States of its Constitution, specifically of its Fourth and Fifth Amendments, and of various treaties of the United Nations that are binding on my country.”

Also, on July 5, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said that his country would offer asylum to Snowden.  His offer was followed the next day by another offer from Bolivian President Evo Morales.  As the News Bulletin is being written El Nuevo Diario reports that Alexei Pushkov, chair of the foreign relations committee of the Russian legislature, has said that Snowden has accepted the offer of Venezuela.

Earlier in the week, Nicaragua joined the other countries of Latin America in condemning the forced emergency landing of the plane of Bolivian President Evo Morales in Vienna when France, Italy, Spain and Portugal denied him use of their airspace on a return trip to Bolivia after a meeting in Moscow.  Those countries had been told, evidently by US officials, that Snowden was on the Bolivian plane.  The note of July 2 said, “The Government of Reconciliation and National Unity, the Sandinista Government of Nicaragua, denounces and energetically condemns the overbearing, arrogant, domineering, imperialist acts carried out this afternoon against the Constitutional President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Evo Morales.” Along with the presidents of Argentina, Venezuela, Ecuador, Uruguay and others, international organizations including the Organization of American States, the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), and the Bolivarian Alliance of the Peoples of Our Americas (ALBA) condemned the actions.

Meanwhile, in Washington, DC, US Representative Mike Rogers (R-MI), chair of the House Intelligence Committee, threatened the countries that had offered asylum to Snowden.  He said on the Sunday TV show Talk of the Nation that those Latin American countries that offered him protection “enjoy certain trade benefits with the United States. We ought to look at all of that to send a very clear message that we won't put up with this kind of behavior.” Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) told Meet the Press "Clearly any such acceptance of Snowden to any country, any of these three or any other, is going to put them directly against the United States, and they need to know that.” 

In related news, the Brazilian newspaper O Globo published on July 8 a list of countries that were being spied on by the United States which included Nicaragua.  The program, called X-Keyscore captures telephone calls and e-mail messages.  The report also stated that the wireless companies Movistar and Claro allowed the United States to tap into their systems to monitor communications.  Those same companies dominate the mobile phone market in Nicaragua. (La Prensa, July 1, 5, 7; El Nuevo Diario, July 6, 8, 9; Radio La Primerisima, July 2, 3, 6, 7; Informe Pastran, July 3, 8)

2. RAAS communities challenge canal; botanist gives views 

Representatives of the Miskitu, Ulwa, and Creole communities of the South Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAS) presented a demand to the Supreme Court alleging that the law passed by the National Assembly granting a concession for a shipping canal across Nicaragua is unconstitutional because it is damaging to indigenous territories.  Nora Newball, coordinator of the Creole community of Bluefields, said, “It infringes on the rights to the lands titled to and traditionally occupied by the indigenous peoples, as well as their rights to their natural resources.”   She added that the government “unilaterally anticipated consent for future actions that could put the indigenous and African-descendent people in danger.”  She went on to say, “The communal lands are non-transferable and for that reason we believe that they should have been consultation beforehand.”  Meanwhile, Allen Clair Duncan, president of the community of Monkey Point, said that the communal lands “have no price” because of their importance for traditional life.  “There should have been consultation with the indigenous communities because this project could affect this whole population that has its own customs and rhythms of life.”  In answer, presidential policy advisor Paul Oquist said, “We can’t consult about territories before we know the routes.  When we know the route we can consult with the communities.  Each thing in its time.”

In related news, El Nuevo Diario continued its series of interviews with environmental specialists about the canal.  Alain Meyrat, environmental consultant, botanist, and agricultural engineer, said that “You have to consider the social, economic, and environmental effects of a projects and that the positive socioeconomic effect must be much greater that the negative environmental effect, considering beforehand that you have to have taken all the precautions and done all the necessary mitigations to lessen or avoid the negative environmental effect.”  He said that the environmental damage along the route of the canal can be minimized if an influx of human population into the area with resulting deforestation is prevented.  He summarized, “The benefit of the project for the human population would come from the jobs, from the business opportunities and the commercial and financial installations linked to the projects.”

In the case of the water of Lake Cocibolca (Lake Nicaragua), he said that “all Nicaragua will have to be reforested to maintain and improve the level of water in the watersheds that provide water to the two great lakes.”  He added, “If the watersheds are managed well and new areas reforested, the hydrological cycle will be improved as will the quality of the water to the benefit of the populations of the towns, although the water will always have to be treated before drinking.”  He emphasized that rigid measures would be required to make sure that ships did not contaminate the lake with garbage or petroleum products.  He noted that a captain who works for the canal company takes charge of a ship when it passes through a canal and that captain must be vigilant about contamination.  (El Nuevo Diario, July 2; La Prensa, July 3)

3. Assembly holds hearings in support of petition to expand territorial waters

Nicaragua on June 24 presented a petition to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) to extend its territorial waters in the Caribbean Sea beyond the 200 nautical miles allotted to it by the International Court of Justice (World Court) at The Hague in 2012.  Nicaragua is asking for a ruling based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea that would extend its waters to 350 nautical miles and beyond based on the wide extension of its continental shelf into the Caribbean. To do this, Nicaragua has to prove that the area is a natural prolongation of its dry landmass. [To see a map that shows Nicaragua’s continental shelf, go here: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/613/The-Caribbean-Sea]

Last week the National Assembly held hearings on a resolution in support of the petition at which international law expert Norman Miranda testified that, while Colombia contests Nicaragua’s petition based on its dominion over a number of islands in the area, the waters where those islands are located is far from Colombia’s continental shelf and have been considered international waters.  The 2012 World Court ruling gave Colombia sovereignty over San Andres and other smaller islands and limited waters immediately surrounding them but said that Nicaragua had sovereignty over waters at least 200 nautical miles off its Caribbean Coast.

A Colombian official told a Bogota newspaper that the government of President Juan Manuel Santos will send a note to the Secretary General of the United Nations saying that his country will not accept any ruling by the CLCS because it is not a member, not having ratified the Law of the Sea treaty.  The official noted that the Commission will begin consideration of Nicaragua’s petition in January 2014 and will likely take ten years to resolve the issue.  Colombia continues to investigate possible ways to challenge the 2012 World Court decision which is not subject to appeal.  (Radio La Primerisima, July 3; El Nuevo Diario, July 4; Informe Pastran, July 2)

4. World Bank praises Nicaragua’s use of international aid

With well defined policies against poverty, Nicaragua has shown positive results from its use of foreign aid according to World Bank Director for Latin America and the Caribbean Carlos Felipe Jaramillo. Jaramillo noted that the government used the financing in important areas such as water and sanitation, farm-to-market roads, property titles and women’s health and education. Nicaragua hosted a World Bank International Development Association (IDA) international meeting of donor and receptor countries to prepare for the adoption of the World Bank’s 2014-2017 development plan.  President Daniel Ortega met with IDA Managing Director Caroline Anstey, and, according to government spokeswoman Rosario Murillo, the two had a “broad conversation, broad interchange” in which Ortega presented various development proposals. Murillo said that the World Bank Director explicitly recognized “all the economic and social programs, particularly the programs for our women.”  The World Bank has signed a letter with Nicaragua to provide US$400 million next year.

The international meeting included World Bank officials and representatives from 60 countries. This was the first time such a meeting has been held in Latin America.  Camille Nuamah, World Bank representative, said that the decision to hold the meeting in Nicaragua was because of Nicaragua’s good use of the financing.  Bolivia, Honduras, Haiti and Nicaragua are the four Latin American countries that receive aid under IDA.  (Radio La Primerisima, July 3; La Prensa, July 3; Informe Pastran, July 4)

5. Repliegue reenacted by 80,000 Sandinista supporters

The annual re-enactment of the repliegue táctico (tactical retreat) on July 5 drew 80,000 people for the 34^th anniversary who walked with President Daniel Ortega from Managua to Masaya. The march commemorates the June 27, 1979, night-time evacuation of six thousand Managua residents whose neighborhoods were being bombed by Somoza’s dreaded National Guard during the Final Offensive that forced Somoza to flee the country on July 17 and culminated with the Triumph of the Revolution on July 19. Rosario Murillo, coordinator of the Council of Communication and Citizenship called the record turn-out a sign of support for Ortega and the government’s policies. President Ortega, speaking at the end of the nine hour walk said that the Revolution is “guaranteed in the hands of the youth who are full of patriotism” noting the multitude of young people at the head of the march. La Prensa’s coverage focused on a leader of an anti-Sandinista public employees’ union in Masaya who claimed that public employees were forced to participate and to contribute on threat of being fired if they did not. (Radio La Primerisima, July 5; La Prensa, July 5)

6. Rains bring increase in dengue fever

With the beginning of the rains, confirmed cases of the mosquito-borne dengue fever have risen to 1,400, almost double last year’s 777 cases by this date. Still, Dr. Carlos Saenz pointed out that the Sandinista government’s community model of mosquito eradication has significantly decreased spread of the illness. He pointed out that El Salvador has twice as many cases than Nicaragua and Costa Rica has four times as many cases. He called on Nicaraguans to eliminate standing water where mosquitoes may lay eggs and to cooperate with workers carrying out abatement procedures.  Four Nicaraguans have died from hemorrhagic dengue, the most deadly strain of the illness. As of July 2, there had been 17 deaths in Central America from dengue. A few cases of influenza and leptospirosis have also appeared prompting President Daniel Ortega to instruct the Ministry of Health to issue a national epidemic alert. (Informe Pastran, July 2; Radio La Primerisima, July 4; La Prensa, July 3)

7. Election of officials with expired terms may come in September

After a meeting with members of the Economy Committee of the National Assembly, business leaders said that they had hopes that the election by the Assembly of those high officials whose terms have expired (in many cases several years ago) would begin in September.  Jose Adan Aguerri said that by that date all of the officials whose nominations must be approved by the National Assembly—Supreme Electoral Council, Supreme Court, Comptrollers, and others—will have expired. [Before the elections of 2011, no party or alliance could bring together enough votes to achieve the necessary super majority to confirm the officials.  President Daniel Ortega issued a decree in 2010 allowing them to remain in their posts until their successors were named.] Aguerri said, “We are betting that once all have expired, which is in September, there will be one process of negotiation, one approval process, and that should be before the legislative period finishes in December.”  National Assembly President Rene Nuñez had said in January, at the beginning of this year’s legislative period which just concluded its first half, that the elections would take place this year but he did not answer media questions on the subject last week. (El Nuevo Diario, July 2; Informe Pastran, July 2; La Prensa, July 2)

8. Sight impaired people receive operations and free transit tickets

Miracle Mission, the Cuba-Venezuela program to provide free eye surgery (principally cataract and pterygium removal) for low income people has performed 1,638 operations this year at the National Center for Ophthalmology in Managua according to Dr. Francisca Rivas, director of the center. She said that 70% of the patients came to the center from outside Managua. Despite some technical set-backs with air conditioning and electricity, the center achieved 90% of its first semester goal. The center has nine doctors specializing in eye surgery. More than 95,000 Nicaraguans have recovered their eyesight during the six years that Miracle Mission has been operating.

In other news about the sight impaired, 200 blind people affiliated with the Federation of Associations of Disabled Persons (FECONORI) received electronic tickets to pay for rides on Managua busses. FECONORI president David Lopez said the association has 350 people who will be able to make full use of the electronic payment cards. The second phase of card distribution will take place on July 12. Disabled people will receive the cards free. To date, 215,000 electronic tickets have been delivered for sale to transit riders as part of the conversion to pre-paid plastic cards. (Radio La Primerisima, July 5)