FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 09, 2007
Nicaragua Network Hotline (November 6, 2007)
Topics covered in this Hotline include:1. California jury awards US3.3 million to Nicaraguan banana workers
2. 80,000 health workers take part in national brigade against epidemics
3. Violent protests in Puerto Cabezas but authorities say situation is under control
4. National Assembly approves Ortega's proposal to suspend 2008 CENIS payments
5. Civil society organizations say cost of living increase is "unbearable"
Topic 1: California jury awards US3.3 million to Nicaraguan banana workers
On Nov. 5 a jury in Los Angeles awarded US$3.3 million to six Nicaraguan workers who had said they were sterile as a result of pesticide used on a banana plantation operated by Dole Fresh Fruit Co. The suit accused Dole and Standard Fruit Co., now part of Dole, of acting negligently and of attempting to hide its use of the pesticide DBCP (known as Nemagon or Fumazone) and of hiding the consequences of its use during the 1970s. The pesticide was used to kill a microscopic worm which can damage the roots of the banana trees.
Dow Chemical and Amvac Chemical Corp., producers of the pesticide were also accused of "actively withholding information about the toxicity of DBCP to the reproductive system." Amvac arrived at an agreement before the case went to court to pay the workers US$300,000, according to spokesperson Kelly Kozuma. The six workers, who will receive between US$311,200 and US$834,000, were part of a group of 12 workers who had sued Dole and Dow. The jury found that both companies contributed to the damage caused to the workers.
Topic 2: 80,000 health workers take part in national brigade against epidemics
A national brigade of 80,600 professionals, including public sector and military health workers, final year medical students and members of the National Police, fanned out in areas affected by Hurricane Felix and flooding on Nov. 3 and 4 with the aim of combating the current outbreak of leptospirosis and to prevent further outbreaks of this and other diseases.
The brigade educated 120,000 families, community leaders and community health representatives about the necessary measures to take in order to avoid infection as well as what to do in the event of suspected infection. The members of the brigade also distributed 150,000 liters of chlorine to ensure the quality of drinking water, fumigated homes in an attempt to significantly reduce the mosquito and rat populations, and collected 7,000 cubic meters of solid waste. The efforts of the brigade were concentrated in the areas most affected by the rains of the last two months. The government response is a qualitative improvement over the responses to natural disasters and health crises of the right-wing governments of the preceding 16 years.
Topic 3: Violent protests in Puerto Cabezas but authorities say situation is under control
Despite the government and international response to the destruction of Hurricane Felix on the Caribbean Coast, there continue to be unmet needs and some Coasteños are angry. There were a number of violent outbursts in the city of Bilwi/Puerto Cabezas, capital of the North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN), between Oct. 30 and Nov. 1 caused by a group of inhabitants led by alternate deputy for the Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance (ALN) Jaime Chow. Chow has organized a group of over 1,000 families called "Christmas without a Roof" to demand that central government give them US$2.1 million to buy 100,000 sheets of corrugated iron. The group also demands more food and more medicines from the authorities in charge of distributing aid to those affected by the passing of Hurricane Felix on Sept. 4.
Hundreds of protesters belonging to the Christmas without a Roof movement forced their way into the local government building in Bilwi on Oct. 31 and, according to Mayor Elizabeth Enriquez, caused extensive damage to furniture, windows and computers. The protesters then broke into a warehouse where food and other aid materials are stored. A number of supporters of the indigenous political party YATAMA (to which Enriquez belongs) confronted the protesters and violence broke out. As a result at least eight people were injured. After thirty minutes members of the National Police were able to control the situation and two people were arrested.
Protesters also forced their way onto the runway at Puerto Cabezas airport disrupting commercial and official flights to and from Managua on Oct. 30 and 31. A number of other minor incidents were reported to have taken place in other locations of the city. Mayor Enriquez accused ALN president Eduardo Montealegre of funding and coordinating this civil unrest through Chow. Chow denied this to be true saying that the protests were not of a political nature but reflect the legitimate demands of the population.
Head of the Nicaraguan Army Omar Halleslevens said he was not worried that the recent violence in Bilwi would spiral out of control. According to Halleslevens there has been generalized dissatisfaction among the population since the distribution of food aid began because people are not used to losing their ability to provide their own food.
Meanwhile international aid continues to arrive for the RAAN where over 200,000 people have been directly affected by the devastation and the World Food Program (WFP) has warned of imminent famine. On Nov. 1 the US government donated US$2.9 million worth of food including 2,800 tons or rice and 600 tons of grain. Also on Nov. 1 a shipment of 1,000 tons of food as well as water, medicine, clothing, blankets, diesel and construction materials arrived from Venezuela. This shipment is the first of three which the Venezuelan government plans to send this year as part of its collaboration with the emergency relief effort led by the Nicaraguan government.
On Nov. 2 the French government made a donation of US$425,000 to the World Food Program (WFP), which is working together with the Nicaraguan Ministry of Agriculture to distribute food to 88,000 people in the municipalities of Bilwi, Waspam, Rosita and Bonanza. The WFP said in a statement that the money will be used to buy 356 tons of rice on the Nicaragua market.
Topic 4: National Assembly approves Ortega's proposal to suspend 2008 CENIS payments
After an intense five hour session in the National Assembly, 71 of the 91 deputies voted in favor of President Daniel Ortega's proposal to amend the 2007 and 2008 budgets to provide funds for the immediate reconstruction of 371 kilometers of over 3,000 kilometers of roads destroyed by Hurricane Felix and the 55 days of intense rains that followed.
Last week Ortega proposed the budget amendments in order to liberate US$2.8 million for urgent repairs. He also proposed that US$48 million payment allocated in the 2008 budget to service the internal debt created by the Negotiated Investment Certificates (CENIS) be suspended to allow for further repairs to the national road network. The CENIS were sold to cover losses several years ago when several banks closed due to fraud. Members of the Ortega administration have been negotiating a long term restructuring of the CENIS debt with the private bankers, although so far no concrete agreement has been reached.
Ortega was accompanied by Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Fernando Martinez who explained the urgency with which these roads must be repaired. Among other things it is essential the roads are ready to carry the coffee and other harvests to market, to reestablish access to the numerous communities which have been cut off as a result of the recent natural disasters, and to ensure an end to the leptospirosis outbreak.
Topic 5: Civil society organizations say cost of living increase is "unbearable"
The leaders of the Nicaraguan Community Movement, Enrique Picado, and the National Consumer Defense Network, Gonzalo Salgado, announced a series of grassroots actions protesting the government's inability to resolve the spiraling cost of basic products and services. According to Salgado the cost of many basic products has increased by as much as 100% during 2007 while each month workers salaries are worth less. Salgado said that the Sandinista government "is not fulfilling its promise to protect the poor" and must "implement public policies which stabilize the cost of living index."
"Gas is expensive, food is expensive, transportation is expensive and, to make things worse, the Nicaraguan Energy Institute (INE) has authorized further increases in the price of cooking gas and the electricity rate." At the beginning of October a 100 pound tank of cooking (propane) gas cost US$52.88, by Nov. 3 the price had risen to US$58.40, more than a 10% increase. Meanwhile on Oct. 30 the INE authorized a 9.06% increase in the electricity rate over the next three months for the top 30% of users.
Salgado said the National Consumer Defense Network is preparing a proposal which will be presented to President Daniel Ortega of policies which should be implemented in order to stop the increases in the price of basic products and services. Salgado said the government looks "ridiculous favoring big companies over consumers." Leader of the Nicaraguan Community Movement Enrique Picado said that in neighborhoods across the country his organization has been forming groups to analyze the problem of the "unbearable" increases in the cost of living and the incapacity of the government to resolve the problem.
Meanwhile a group of 100 bakers from Managua met on Oct. 29 to discuss the government's pressure on bakeries to maintain the price of bread at US$0.54 a pound despite the constant rises in the price of ingredients, gas and electricity. (Two weeks ago a 50% increase in the price of bread had been announced, a decision the government tried to block by putting pressure on the national bakeries.) After the meeting a statement was issued suggesting that, instead of putting pressure on bakeries to lower the cost of their produce, the government should pressure Union Fenosa to charge less to their customers, or Agricorp (the biggest distributor of flour in Nicaragua) to lower the price of its product.
Defend Democracy in Costa Rica!
Sign letter to OAS Secretary General!
Investigate Irregularities Now - Don't Certify the CAFTA Vote!
We Need Your Signature by Tuesday afternoon!
On October 7th, the Costa Rican people held an historic referendum to decide the future of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). After three years of country-wide debate, the vast majority of people understood the grave consequences that would befall their unique and beautiful democracy if CAFTA were allowed to be implemented. Because Costa Rica has managed to fend off the multiple attempts to dismantle their very effective social service system, which provides free health care and education, as well as low cost telephone and electric services, their public enterprises continue to be the most desired 'prize' sought after by trans-national corporations.
Faced with a seeming defeat on the referendum, the U.S. and Costa Rican governments poured in massive funding and broke many electoral laws to secure a 'victory' for the referendum. Quest for Peace and Nicaragua Network staff were part of an international delegation that released a report on CAFTA and formed an observer team, and we are outraged at the subversion of democracy, especially by our government.
It is clear that the referendum had so many irregularities; it should not be certified by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal of Costa Rica. We have filed a complaint with them, but feel we must do more. We Call on the Secretary General of the OAS to Defend Democracy in Costa Rica.
Sign on to the letter and help us demand that the Organization of American States (OAS) intervene and pressure the Costa Rican government to delay the certification of the results until a more thorough investigation of the irregularities can be carried out. The letter will be placed as a full-page ad in the major Costa Rican paper Diario Extra this week to send a message of solidarity to the Costa Rican people who are still fighting to stop CAFTA and to amplify our request to the OAS.
We need your support -- and we only have a few days!
Please join with us in helping to defend democracy in Costa Rica. Only with your signature and $20-$100 donation will this ad be realized. The ad will be placed on October 19th before the certification deadline the following day. Please also help us outreach and send along the request to friends, family and colleagues.
Labels: Archives Hotline