Nicaragua Network

1. US grants property waiver; Commerce official visits
2. Colombia and Costa Rica protest Nicaragua’s oil and gas exploration
3. Agreement with European Union goes into effect
4. Heavy rains cause evacuations and hunger
5. Health ministry attacks two diseases
6. ALBA summit proposes alternative economic zone
7. Managua faithful celebrate feast of St. Dominic of Guzman
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1. US grants property waiver; Commerce official visits

US Ambassador Phyllis Powers announced on Aug. 2 that Secretary of State John Kerry had approved for another year the “property waiver.” The waiver is necessary for US aid and votes for grants and loans from international financial institutions to continue based on a US law that prohibits aid to countries that have expropriated the property of US citizens. Powers hand delivered the letter from Kerry to Foreign Minister Samuel Santos.  The letter stated that Nicaragua is “working hard” to resolve property claims and that the US is “satisfied” with the progress. Powers said, “We are satisfied because there is progress and they are working closely with us on all the cases.” She said that over the past 20 years Nicaragua has resolved 2,000 cases and that those pending are the last ones. 

Attorney General Hernan Estrada said that the process transcends the government and involves non-governmental organizations, the private business sector, and workers.  Estrada said that Nicaragua has resolved 66 cases this year for a little more than US$4.5 million. There remain 236 claims filed by 135 claimants yet to be resolved. [Many of the remaining cases are from people or descendents of people who committed crimes against humanity as part of the Somoza dictatorship and National Guard. Even the right-wing governments of 1990-2006 would not settle with those claimants.] While granting the waiver, the US embassy also expressed concern over what it claims are recent land invasions of properties owned by US citizens.

In related news, Walter Bastian, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Western Hemisphere at the U.S. Department of Commerce, visited Nicaragua last week and met with government and business leaders.  Bastian said that Nicaragua, under the DR-CAFTA trade agreement with the US, “has had impressive success in generating exports, especially in the textile industry, to the United States.”  He added that Nicaragua “is now at an international level where it can compete” with or without the trade privileges known by their initials TPL which are due to expire at the end of 2014. [Under CAFTA, Nicaragua was granted a Tariff Preference Level (TPL) that allows apparel made of certain fibers to enter the U.S. duty free if it is assembled in Nicaragua, regardless of the origin of the fabrics.]

Bastian also said that he was “fascinated” by the idea of the shipping canal, saying that “We are going to talk to US businesspeople to make sure that they are up-to-date on the development of this project.”  (La Prensa, Aug. 2; El Nuevo Diario, Aug. 3; Informe Pastran, July 30, Aug. 5)

2. Colombia and Costa Rica protest Nicaragua’s oil and gas exploration

Speaking on July 31 at a gathering marking the 34th anniversary of Nicaragua’s Air Force, President Daniel Ortega rejected protests from the governments of Colombia and Costa Rica over Nicaragua’s oil and gas exploration in the Caribbean.  The Ministry of Energy and Mining recently approved concessions for exploration to two United States companies and expected to approve others to Spanish companies.  Referring to Colombia’s protests, Ortega said that the concessions were in conformity with the Nov. 2012 decision of the World Court, which greatly expanded Nicaragua’s territorial waters in the Caribbean, and that the exploration would respect the Sea Flower Biosphere Reserve, part of which is in Colombian waters and part in waters belonging to Nicaragua.  “What is left to be done?” Ortega asked. “Come to an agreement with Colombia,” he stated, “dialogue, negotiate about how to best administer the ruling in conformity with how it was laid out by the International Court of Justice at The Hague.”  And with relation to Costa Rica, he said, “They are losing sight of the fact that what Nicaragua is doing is following the clear limits of the Court.”

Meanwhile, the government of Colombia released a statement saying that it “emphatically rejects the intention of Nicaragua to offer exploration rights in areas that do not belong to it, in clear violation of the sovereignty of Colombia, affecting the preservation of the marine environment of this area of the Caribbean.” Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said that “in the next few weeks” his government would reveal what actions it would take with relation to the World Court’s decision and Nicaragua’s oil exploration efforts.  As the nine month anniversary of the decision approaches, Colombia still has not revealed if it will accept the ruling. Analysts noted that if Santos accepts the Court’s ruling he will likely lose his chance for reelection and his principal rival, former President Alvaro Uribe (who publically rejects the Court’s decision) will be strengthened.

Meanwhile, the Costa Rican Foreign Ministry told the San Jose daily La Nacion that Costa Rica was preparing to present to companies and governments a document saying that “Nicaragua is offering to give concessions for exploration in blocks that invade Costa Rican marine space so that they will be aware of this situation and not bid on those blocks.” Arnoldo Brenes, a Foreign Ministry official, said, “The oil companies logically will not want to go into areas that another country claims or where there is an actual or potential conflict because that could mean the loss of any investment they might make.”  And Costa Rican Foreign Minister Enrique Castillo denounced the recent purchase by Nicaragua of six patrol boats from Russia saying that, “We believe that this is linked to Nicaragua’s expansionist policies.”  Informe Pastran noted, “The Costa Rican authorities appear to have a phobia against Nicaragua because they follow every move and feel threatened by everything.”  (Informe Pastran, Aug. 1, 2; Radio La Primerisima, July 31; La Prensa, Aug. 2)

3. Agreement with European Union goes into effect

The Association Accord (known as AdA from its initials in Spanish) between the countries of Central America and the European Union went into effect on August 1 for three countries, according to a spokesperson for the European Commission.  Karl de Gucht said, “I am happy that Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama are taking this step and I hope that the other member countries will join shortly.”  The agreement, which has three “pillars” –free trade, economic assistance, and political dialogue – was signed by the participating countries in June of last year and approved by the European Parliament in December.  According to Gucht, Guatemala, El Salvador and Costa Rica “have not yet finished with the formalities.” The European Union is the second largest trade partner of the Central American region after the United States with an exchange of goods totaling US$18. 48 billion each year.  Costa Rica sells the most to the EU, a total of US$8.448 billion annually but is currently in a dispute with Italy over cheese which has held up its joining the pact.  In the case of Guatemala, the legislature was late in approving the agreement.

Christopher Campbell, ambassador of the United Kingdom to Nicaragua, said that the AdA will deepen bilateral relations between the two countries.  “We are working,” he said, “with Nicaragua to improve the possibilities for doing business in and with Nicaragua.”  The balance of trade between the two countries currently favors Nicaragua with the UK exporting a total of US$8.4 million to Nicaragua in 2012 while Nicaragua exported US$40.4 million to the UK.  The principal products Nicaragua purchases from the UK are food products, specialized industrial machinery, energy generating machinery, and medical and pharmaceutical products.  Nicaragua exports seafood, fruit, vegetables, coffee and shoes to the UK. (El Nuevo Diario, Aug. 1, 3; Informe Pastran, Aug. 2; La Prensa, Aug. 2)

4. Heavy rains cause evacuations and hunger

Heavy rainfall and rising rivers in various parts of the country have prompted the National System for the Prevention of Disasters (SINAPRED) to evacuate families in areas of flooding who lack food due to the heavy rains. The World Food Program (WFP) and the Sandinista government are distributing food, especially in Prinzapolka, one of Nicaragua’s poorest municipalities. Helmut W. Rauch, WFP’s representative in Nicaragua, said that October and November will be very hard for the people in the affected zone because they will not have a harvest this year. While most houses are on stilts, many families lost their canoes, their only means of transportation, to the currents. Thirty days of food have been distributed to 6,079 people on the Prinzapolka and Bambana rivers. SINAPRED asked WFP to help with the distribution of food, clothing, boots, hammocks and hygiene products. Distribution to all the affected communities will require travelling 170 kilometers by boat. Government spokesperson Rosario Murillo said that 117 families (702 people) have been evacuated. Also among the hardest hit areas have been the Rio Indio in the Department of Rio San Juan, and Bluefields and Pearl Lagoon in the South Atlantic Autonomous Region. Bluefields had 8.9 in. of rain over the weekend. (Radio La Primerisima, Aug. 5; La Prensa, Aug. 2)

5. Health ministry attacks two diseases

On Aug. 5, the Ministry of Health (MINSA) announced a rodent eradication campaign. Rat urine spreads the bacteria that causes leptospirosis, an illness that causes fever, headache, muscle, joint and bone pains, kidney failure and hemorrhaging. Ten people died in 2010 and this year 100 people have been affected although there were no statistics available on deaths. The disease also affects domestic animals. Carlos Saenz, MINSA director of vigilance, announced that the Ministry will distribute over 51,000 pounds of the rat poison Biorat in 836 communities in 120 municipalities.

At the same time MINSA is preparing for a massive fumigation effort to kill mosquitoes to prevent the spread of dengue fever which has been at the epidemic stage for 30 weeks now. The ministry will distribute more than a million flyers with health information in concert with the fumigation campaign.  MINSA has 350 backpack fumigators and the government recently purchased 70 fumigation machines. Over 1,000 people have received training as fumigators for the campaign called Operation Sweep. This year 2,005 cases of dengue have been reported, a 67% increase over last year. Six people have died. Operation Sweep will begin on Aug. 9 with the help of the population organized in the family cabinets, solidarity promoters of the Sandinista Youth, and other activists.

Health Minister Sonia Castro also reported the existence of H1N1 influenza in the country and 83,722 cases of pneumonia, 127 of which were fatal.  That is a drop of 17% over last year in number of cases and a 25% drop in fatalities. (Radio La Primerisima, July 31, Aug. 5)

6. ALBA summit proposes alternative economic zone

President Daniel Ortega last week attended a summit meeting of the member countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our Americas (ALBA) in Guayaquil, Ecuador.  At the meeting the ALBA heads of state agreed to establish a commission “to put together a proposal for the creation of a Complementary Economic Zone among the countries of ALBA, Mercosur and Petrocaribe” as an alternative to the neo-liberal free trade model of the Alliance of the Pacific which includes Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile.  Nicaraguan government spokesperson Rosario Murillo, who accompanied Ortega on the trip, said that the ALBA leaders “had been 16 months without a summit meeting and it was important to have private meetings and interchanges about the different experiences of our governments and our peoples.”

The ALBA countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Venezuela while the Mercosur countries are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela and Bolivia. The members of Petrocaribe are Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Venezuela.

President Rafael Correa, host of the gathering, said, “It is necessary for us to create a new world order where human beings, the world’s peoples, not capital, reign supreme.  In Latin America things have changed.”  He added that “While it is true that we have not been able to solve all our problems, the hegemonic groups no longer rule.”  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said, referring to the proposed Complimentary Economic Zone, “We have confirmed the need to have a block of economic, social and political integration” to guarantee the rights of the people to quality education and free public health care. Bolivia’s President Evo Morales said, “For the first time I feel that anti-imperialist presidents and governments are organized to accompany our people and social movements to confront the [imperial] policies of hunger, looting, and invasion.”

Also attending the summit as special guests were representatives from Argentina, Brazil, Guayana, Haiti, Surinam, and Uruguay.  A new multinational television network covered the event (as did Telesur) which was carried live in Ecuador, Bolivia, Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.  (Informe Pastran, July 30, 31; Radio La Primerisima, July 30, 31; Aug. 1)

7. Managua faithful celebrate feast of St. Dominic of Guzman

The people of Managua officially began celebrating St. Dominic of Guzman as their patron saint in 1885 but some historians believe the custom may go back to the 1820s.  At any rate, a small statue of the early 13^th century founder of the Dominican order was found in the hills south of Managua known as Las Sierritas and the faithful claimed him as the patron of the city.  Each year the statue is brought down from its altar in a church in Las Sierritas for a ten day visit to the capital city accompanied by processions, music, prayers, promises, and not a little partying.  On Aug. 1, tens of thousands of people accompanied the statue on its procession into the city to the Church of Santo Domingo and on each of the following days the statue on its wooden throne was taken to a different neighborhood carried on the shoulders of the faithful with different traditional activities each day.  Managua Archbishop Leopoldo Brenes asked the press to focus on the many who celebrate the saint’s day with veneration and not on the few who take advantage of a day off work to get drunk.  “You are here,” he told the media, “because the people are coming to an encounter with St. Dominic who takes us to Christ.”  El Nuevo Diario noted that with this comment the archbishop was also answering those who call the festivities honoring the small wooden statue “pagan.”

Also in honor of St. Dominic, on Aug. 1 there was a parade of 2,500 (La Prensa said 3,200) pure bred horses and their riders from all over Central America and the United States and floats prepared by different organizations.  The parade of horses and riders is as old as the processions on foot but was separated geographically from the procession in recent times because of the threat of injury from the combination of horses and pedestrians.  Eight people were hurt when a city water tanker truck lost its brakes and ran into a crowd of people but, in the main, the festivities were peaceful. On August 10 the statue will be returned to the little church in Las Sierritas. (El Nuevo Diario, Aug. 1; Radio La Primerisima, Aug. 1; La Prensa, Aug. 2)