TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2007
Nicaragua Network Hotline (August 21, 2007)
Topics covered in this hotline include:1. Ortega ups criticisms of US while Santos makes unexpected visit to Washington
2. Exportation opportunities and health care: the benefits ALBA is bringing to Nicaragua
3. Justice Committee begins consultations on CPCs
4. Controversy over Supreme Court ruling on Bolaños' National Assembly seat erupts
1. Ortega ups criticisms of US while Santos makes unexpected visit to Washington
On Aug. 13 the President Daniel Ortega said the attacks on the twin towers on September 11 2001 can be considered "insignificant" in comparison with the "true genocide committed [by the US government] in Hiroshima and Nagasaki" at the end of World War II. Ortega classified the dropping of atomic bombs on the two Japanese cities as "the greatest terrorist act in the history of humanity." The previous week there were world-wide commemorations of the August 6 and 9, 1945 destruction of the two Japanese cities that resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and radiation caused illness that persists to this day.
On Aug. 14 US Ambassador Paul Trivelli described Ortega's comments as "disappointing" saying that Ortega had "minimized all the pain" which resulted from the 9/11 attacks. Trivelli should not lecture a Nicaraguan about “pain” when the US-sponsored Somoza dictatorship killed 40,000 before it was overthrown in 1979 and the US-created and funded contra war caused another 40,000 deaths, primarily to civilians.
Ortega made these comments at the 28th anniversary of the founding of the Nicaraguan Air Force. During the same speech Ortega went on to cast doubt on the true agenda of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) within Nicaragua saying that the DEA wants to carry out unilateral operations within the country, something that, as President of the Republic, he would not allow.
Ortega said that it is essential that "all anti drug operations in Nicaragua are coordinated by the National Police and / or the Nicaraguan army." Ortega said the national public security forces are better equipped than the DEA to coordinate anti drugs operations in the country because the national institutions understand the psychological and cultural details of Nicaraguan society and know the national terrain better.
Ortega went on to say that "we must be careful with the DEA as it has its own agenda .. which goes beyond the interests of Nicaragua." According to the President "terrible things have been discovered in operations carried out by the DEA." Ortega went on, "it's true that the DEA has more information [about drug trafficking] than any other institution [operating in the region], but it also has an undeclared agenda which goes beyond the fight against drugs."
These comments come just days after Ortega claimed that the US army has intentions of opening a military base in Nicaragua, something the Nicaraguan President said he would not allow. Trivelli, who denied those previous claims, also denied that the DEA has ever, or would ever, carry out a unilateral operation in Nicaragua. "Like in the other countries of the region, the DEA has an office in Nicaragua from which information is shared" with the national public security forces, said Trivelli. "Ironically, my government has excellent relations" with the Nicaraguan army and police force, he added.
Meanwhile, on Aug. 15 the spokeswoman of the Nicaraguan Foreign Ministry, Vilma Aburto, made an unexpected announcement that the Foreign Minister Samuel Santos had left Managua that morning for Washington D.C. "to hold a number of meetings." Aburto did not reveal any further details about Santos' trip to the US saying his agenda had not been confirmed. From Washington Santos traveled to Guatemala. Details about the agenda of this second trip were not revealed.
2. Export opportunities and health care: the benefits ALBA is bringing to Nicaragua
On Aug. 17 President Daniel Ortega gave details of the new export opportunities which are being created for Nicaraguan cattle and dairy farmers as a result of the agreements signed with Venezuela as part of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA). According to Ortega, who spoke at a forum attended by numerous cattle and dairy farmer associations in Managua, Venezuela plans to import significant quantities of cattle, beef, milk and pork sausages from Nicaragua.
Ortega announced that a Venezuelan corporation is ready to sign a contract to import 1,000 tons of beef from the San Martin slaughterhouse situated in Nandaime. The Venezuelan government hopes to import up to 4,000 tons of beef from Nicaragua, however, and is in the process of looking to sign contracts with other Nicaraguan slaughterhouses. On top of this, Venezuela plans to import up to 10,000 calves, 28,000 tons of pork sausages and "as much milk as is available" from Nicaraguan producers. According to Ortega, boats with the capacity to transport up to 1,400 calves will be sent from Venezuela during the coming months.
Ortega went on to say that the Venezuelan government plans to finance Nicaraguan cattle and dairy farmers through the Venezuelan National Social and Economic Development Bank (BANDES) which already has a branch in Managua. Ortega told the cattle and dairy farming associations to "be prepared" to meet the Venezuelan demands which will stimulate and encourage the economic activity of the sector.
During the meeting the farming associations made a series of demands on the government including the creation of a production bank to finance cattle and dairy farming, greater judicial security for farmers' properties, improvements to rural roads and the opening up of markets in El Salvador and Mexico to which countries Nicaraguan farmers are currently unable to export. Ortega responded to the demands saying he had already sent a legislative proposal to the National Assembly for the creation of a production bank to finance cattle and dairy farmers. He also said that he is in the process of speaking to the Mexican and Salvadoran governments about the possibility of reestablishing export opportunities for Nicaraguan farmers.
Meanwhile, four Nicaraguan children traveled to Caracas on Aug. 14 where they will receive heart surgery in the Latin American Children Cardiologist Center. The four children aged between six and sixteen will receive surgery to correct congenital heart disorders. The operations, which are worth between US$10,000 and US$15,000, are being financed by the Venezuelan government as part of the agreements signed between Nicaragua and Venezuela when Nicaragua became a member of ALBA in January of this year. The Ministry of Health (MINSA) announced that 76 Nicaraguan children will travel to Venezuela to receive heart surgery as part of the same program during the course of the next two years.
So far over 12,000 Nicaraguans with cataracts and other eyesight problems have been attended free of charge as part of Operation Miracle at the Ophthalmological Hospital in Ciudad Sandino. This program, also part of ALBA, has been made possible in Nicaragua as a result of Venezuelan and Cuban funding. While the Venezuelan government has financed the administration of the program, medical expertise is offered by Cuban doctors and the Cuban government has donated US$4 million worth of specialized equipment to the center. Since the program was initiated in Nicaragua a year and a half ago over 5,000 cataract operations have taken place, according to the Director of Operation Miracle in Nicaragua Luis Aviles.
3. Justice Committee begins consultations on CPCs
On Aug. 16 the National Assembly's Justice Committee began a series of consultations with civil society organizations about a an amendment to the Law of State Organization which would have the effect of blocking the formation of Councils of Citizen Power (CPCs). The amendment is proposed by the Constitutional Liberal Party (PLC) and the Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance (ALN) which together hold a majority of seats in the National Assembly. The CPCs are a center piece of the Ortega government's professed commitment to popular democracy in rural communities and urban neighborhoods across the country. According to government spokeswomen Rosario Murillo the CPCs will act as a direct link between the population and government ministries and agencies, thus facilitating grassroots consultation on issues affecting any given community or neighborhoods.
According to the political parties opposed to the government program, Ortega plans to use the CPCs to substitute for, or impede, functions of local government and government institutions and also to administer government funds. The two Liberal Party factions, which have agreed on little else, also say that the implementation of the CPCs will violate law 475, the Law of Citizen Participation, through which a system of civil society participation is already in place in communities and neighborhoods across Nicaragua. If the CPCs are successful and produce meaningful direct citizen participation in decisions of government and the implementation of government programs, that will have a direct political benefit for the FSLN in future elections. The parties are positioning themselves now for municipal elections in November.
Silvio Prado of the Network for Democracy and Local Development believes that it is legally impossible to obstruct the implementation of the CPCs given that they are not "obligatory spaces of participation for citizens or government institutions." Prado, who met with the Justice Committee on Aug. 16, said that the success or failure of the CPCs will depend on the "political will" of governmental institutions and of civil society at a grassroots level because, legally no individual or institution is obliged to partake in this government plan to encourage "direct democracy." Contrary to the arguments of the opposition parties, Prado does not believe that the CPCs will come to replace or impede the activities of other citizen participation structures already in place. The position of the Nicaragua Network has been that if the CPCs open democratic spaces for Nicaragua's citizens they will succeed and if they don't, people won't participate and they will fail.
Deputy Jose Pallais, member of the Justice Committee announced on Aug. 16 that Daniel Ortega will meet with the National Assembly committee on Aug. 20 to explain the political and legal functions of the CPCs.
4. Controversy over Supreme Court ruling on Bolaños' National Assembly seat erupts
The recent Supreme Court ruling to suspend position of National Assembly Deputy Alejandro Bolaños Davis has been the source of much controversy within political circles this week. The Supreme Court ordered the Directorate Board of the National Assembly to replace Bolaños with his substitute deputy Stanford Cash after confirming that Bolaños (nephew of former president Enrique Bolaños) is really a US citizen and had falsified his birth certificate so as to pass as a Nicaraguan citizen. Many Nicaraguans have dual citizenship in the US and Nicaragua, but Nicaraguan law requires that political office holders have only Nicaraguan citizenship. A number of officeholders have been removed from office going back to the Chamorro government and a number of candidates have been denied ballot position due to dual citizenship.
Bolaños Davis, a member Nicaragua Liberal Alliance (ALN) bench, blames the "pact" between former president Arnoldo Aleman and President Daniel Ortega for the suspension of his position. He described what has taken place as an "institutionalized injustice."
According to those political players opposed to the government the recent Supreme Court ruling is an act of revenge on Bolaños who recently accused a number of Sandinista party (FSLN) leaders of being involved in a corruption scandal to do with a private investment project in Tola, Rivas. Former president of the Sandinista Renovation Movement Dora Maria Tellez described the ruling as "shameful" saying the Supreme Court has neither the legal nor the constitutional right to take away a political position from someone who was elected by a popular vote. It is unclear why the Supreme Court, rather than the Supreme Electoral Council, issued the ruling. The Supreme Electoral Council is the fourth branch of government responsible for elections.
ALN leader Eduardo Montealegre believes that the "pact" will not stop with Bolaños but will look to take away positions of power from other deputies and political leaders that threaten Aleman's position within the Constitutional Liberal Party (PLC). "We make a call to all the PLC deputies, to the PLC conventions, to civil society and to the media; let's work together to defend democracy in this country. Because this isn't just about one deputy, this is about all those Nicaraguans who look to defend true democratic spaces," said Montealegre.
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