TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2009

Nicaragua Network Hotline (December 22, 2009)

1. ALBA successes enumerated
2. Latest poll shows lack of confidence in government institutions but support for social programs
3. Extreme poverty decreased
4. Project Love has rescued more than 12,000 children
5. Government develops bean resistant to drought

Topic 1: ALBA successes enumerated

Rafael Paniagua, general manager of ALBA of Nicaragua, S.A. (ALBANISA), which supervises many of the projects of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) in Nicaragua, reported that the nine ALBA projects in Nicaragua have benefited more than 3.97 million people and generated directly or indirectly 134,000 jobs. In two years ALBA has added 290 megawatts of daily electricity generation, 57 % of the country's needs, which ended the daily blackouts in the country. That was followed by four more electricity producing plants.

“ALBA has done what has not been done in Nicaragua in a century,” Paniagua said, adding, “ALBA has produced results and that's why they throw stones at us.” He went on to list the subsidy to public transportation noting, “The price [of a Managua bus ride] should be between US$0.30 and US$0.35,” but is only US$0.13. Two million passengers daily benefit from this subsidy. “The aid from ALBA does get to the people,” he stated. He was reacting to reports by the conservative newspaper La Prensa which claimed that ALBA has only benefitted President Daniel Ortega and his inner circle of economic interests. La Prensa wrote, “President Ortega became the cattle king of Nicaragua,” professing dismay that the ALBA Group companies are not state entities but rather private corporations. Given the way the three neoliberal governments that followed the 1990 Sandinista electoral defeat dismantled Sandinista programs that favored the poor majority, it is logical that the ALBA cooperative trade programs are being administered through corporations that will not be affected by a future change in government.

Antonio Jose Contreras, vice-president of ALBA Foods of Nicaragua (ALBALINISA), noted that more than 22,000 small and medium scale farmers have benefited by the export of their products worth more than US$123 million to Venezuela. These products, including 16,000 tons of meat, more than 3,000 tons of black beans, more than 15,000 tons of milk, 6,000 head of cattle, and 5,673 tons of coffee during the previous 18 months. The National Rice Program purchased for export US$6.9 million in rice. For next year, ALBA companies expect to invest around US$130 million in two milk processing plants (one in Chontales and the other in Matagalpa), two industrial slaughter houses and a plant to produce corn flour.

Topic 2: Latest poll shows lack of confidence in government institutions but support for social programs

More than half of Nicaraguans recognize the efforts of the government of President Daniel Ortega to improve health services and education in the country but do not see progress in other areas. This is according to an M&R Consultants poll of 1,600 Nicaraguans conducted between Nov. 27 and Dec. 5 in all 16 departments and the two autonomous regions. Only four in ten people approved of the overall performance of the Ortega government but 52.1% thought that the quality of and access to education had improved and 51% said that health services were better in the nation's hospitals and health centers.

The Sandinista Party (FSLN) continues to be the largest party with 32.3% identifying themselves as Sandinistas; 12.1% identified with the Constitutional Liberal Party (PLC), while 6.4% were followers of the “Let's Go with Eduardo” Movement (MVE) of Eduardo Montealegre, and 1.7% supported the Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS) while only 0.4% support the National Liberal Alliance (ALN). No party preference was claimed by 46.8%, down substantially from September, when 54.1% said they were independents. All of the major parties grew in the percentage of people who identified with them with the PLC growing the most: from 8.5% to 12.1%. The number who identified with the FSLN grew by 2%.

A high 65.1% disapproved of the performance of the National Assembly while only 13.9% approved. A similar number, 62.7%, were of the opinion that the Supreme Court responded to political interests. A 78.9% majority thought the law should be changed to mandate that a candidate win 50% plus one in the popular vote to be elected president on the first round. And 62.7% disapproved of the performance of the magistrates of the Supreme Electoral Council while 58.6% said they believed the municipal elections of 2008 were not transparent.

The Nicaraguan Army came out on top in the favorable performance ratings with 81.6%; 65.4% saw the Catholic Church favorably; 61.8% viewed the communications media favorably; 55.9% rated the National Police favorably; the evangelical churches rated 54.8% favorable; and non-governmental organizations 52.4% favorable. The Superior Council on Private Enterprise at 27.9% favorable and the Nicaraguan-American Chamber of Commerce at 23.8%, trailed other institutions.

When asked about opposition leaders, 33.8% saw Eduardo Montealegre as the top leader of the opposition, up by 8.9 percentage points from a September poll. Arnoldo Aleman, leader of the PLC, however, saw a drop of two points to 22.4%. Montealegre was stronger with younger people in urban and semi-rural areas while Aleman was stronger with older people and in rural areas. Women preferred Montealegre while men liked Aleman.

Topic 3: Extreme poverty decreased

The rates of unemployment and extreme poverty have diminished significantly according to the Continuing Household Survey conducted by the National Institute of Information and Development (INIDE) in July through September of this year. The survey included 7,500 urban and rural households and was compiled with the assistance of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

Those living in extreme poverty have decreased from 35.7% of the population in 2005 to 28.5% in 2009, a decrease of 7.2%. The methodology applied to study the index of extreme poverty measured “unsatisfied basic needs" such as overcrowded housing, lack of basic services, low education, inadequate housing and economic dependency. Extreme poverty was reduced by 4.9% in Managua and 5.2% in other urban areas, but the major decrease in extreme poverty took place in rural areas where the reduction was 9.9%. Preliminary unemployment results indicated a national level of 7.5 %; 11.1% in Managua, 8.9% urban, and 3.7% rural. Armando Rodríguez Serrano, director of INIDE, said that the unemployment rate drops significantly during the harvest seasons and rises at other times of the year. The survey evidently did not include underemployment, apparently counting those in the informal sector as being employed.

Rodriguez said the decrease in extreme poverty is attributable to the social programs of the Sandinista government since January 2007. He cited as examples, Zero Usury, Zero Hunger, Plan Roofing, free education, and others. While the government has made major inroads into three of the five measurements of extreme poverty, household overcrowding and access to basic services did not show a significant drop. As during the first Sandinista government of the 1980s, government programs are focused on improving the lot of rural residents, in part to slow migration to the cities. This is perhaps a reason that the political class, concentrated in Managua, does not recognize the effect of Sandinista government poverty reduction programs.

Topic 4: Project Love has rescued more than 12,000 children

Vice Minister of the Family, Adolescents and Children (MIFAMILIA) Marcia Ramirez, reported that the Government of President Daniel Ortega through Project Love has rescued 12,000 at-risk children and integrated them into the school system. Ramirez said they've “restored the right to a name” to 2,000 children to whom they have issued birth certificates. She also reported that 5,000 children were cared for in Child Development Centers and another 87,000 in 76 Community Child Centers nationwide.
Of the 3,000 children in the child protection centers of Project Love, one thousand have returned to their own family or been placed with a foster family. MIFAMILIA also is working to expand the services at the child protection centers so that those institutions can help other at-risk children during the day.

Ramirez said that in 2010 MIFAMILIA plans to rescue 25,000 at-risk children. “We are going to add attention to high risk children in [Managua's] Eastern Market who have been abandoned and become addicts. We'll coordinate with organizations that specialize in drug treatment and other organizations that provide vocational training,” he said. The existing Child Development Center at Eastern Market will be improved and a new one built.

In answer to criticism that Project Love is only “an intention to have a program” because there are still children selling mangos at street lights, Ramirez pointed out that children cannot be removed from the streets by decree. She noted the achievement of 10,000 street children returning to school. The day following Ramirez' report, the Inter-American Development Bank announced a US$15 million loan for MIFAMILIA programs.

Topic 5: Government develops bean resistant to drought

The Sandinista government's Nicaraguan Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), has developed a new variety of drought resistant red bean, named INTA SSAN Drought. The bean was developed by crossing varieties that tolerated drought and high temperatures. It has been tested on farms in areas of low rainfall and with poor soils, yielding 30% more than beans currently used. It is also resistant to several common plant diseases and stands erect so that the pods do not come in contact with the ground. In taste and preparation tests it was accepted by the producing families for its rapid cooking, flavor, color and thickness of broth.

El INTA SSAN Drought was released Dec. 16 during an event with 200 national and local government officials, international aid groups, seed cooperatives, agricultural extension workers, and farmers in the department of Masaya. It is one of the projects of the government of President Daniel Ortega to guarantee food security for Nicaraguans. Most of Nicaragua's beans are grown by small farmers. Annually Nicaraguans consume 55 pounds of beans per person, making them a major part of their diet. Nicaraguan beans are also now exported to the other countries of Central America, to the United States and to South America unlike previously when domestic production was less than consumption.

This hotline is prepared from the Nicaragua News Service and other sources. To receive a more extensive weekly summary of the news from Nicaragua by e-mail or postal service, send a check for $60.00 to Nicaragua Network, 1247 E St., SE, Washington, DC 20003. We can be reached by phone at 202-544-9355. Our web site is: www.nicanet.org. To subscribe to the Hotline, send an e-mail to nicanet@afgj.org.

Labels: Archives Hotline