TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2012
Nicaragua News Bulletin (November 20, 2012)
1. World Court gives Colombia the islands, Nicaragua the waters2. Challenges continue to Nov. 4th elections
3. Two die in plane crash over Lake Nicaragua
4. EU grants Nicaragua €8 million for volcano and colonial tourism
5. Unemployment declines steadily, especially among women
6. Health centers to be improved
7. National Assembly opens exhibit on Cuban Five
1. World Court gives Colombia the islands, Nicaragua the waters
In what was called by one commentator a decision worthy of King Solomon, the World Court on Monday Nov. 19 ruled that while the Caribbean islands that had been under Colombian jurisdiction for years should remain with that country, Nicaragua has the right to extend its Caribbean territorial waters 200 miles out on the continental shelf from its shores. Colombia retains waters around the islands remaining under its authority which are San Andres, Catalina, and Providencia (confirmed as belonging to Colombia in a 2007 ruling) along with the smaller cays of Serrano, Roncador, Quitasueño, Albuquerque, Este Sudeste, Serranilla, Bajonuevo and Baja Sueño (some which emerge from the sea only at low tide). Colombia had claimed that its territorial waters extended from its coasts to the 82nd meridian west longitude, leaving Nicaragua with only a 66 nautical mile exclusive economic zone. The Court, however, placed the border between the two countries' territorial waters in some places as far east as the 80th meridian, in a clear loss for Colombia. This has resulted in the rejection by Colombian President Jose Manuel Santos of that portion of the ruling, according to a communiqué released late Monday. President Daniel Ortega was scheduled to speak on the ruling Monday night.
The case began in 2001 when Nicaragua entered a claim for the islands of the San Andres Archipelago and for a new delimitation of the maritime borders between it and Colombia. In 1928, Colombia and Nicaragua (the latter occupied by forces of the United States) had signed the Barcenas-Meneses Esguerra Treaty which gave Colombia the waters and islands east of the 82nd meridian, but in 1980 that treaty was declared null and void by the Sandinista revolutionary government. In 2007, the World Court issued a partial ruling in the case saying that the islands of San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina belonged to Colombia but postponing a ruling on territorial waters and ownership of the cays. Colombia asked the Court to divide the waters between the two countries west from the coasts of the islands while Nicaragua asked that the division be west from the coast of Colombia. And, in this, Nicaragua prevailed. The disputed waters are a rich fisheries resource and have potential for petroleum production.
The room where the ruling was read by Court President Peter Tomka held only 80 persons including the judges, advisors, negotiators, and journalists. Oddly, in the case of a dispute between two Spanish-speaking countries, the ruling was read in English and French, the official languages of the Court. [Read the ruling at: http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?p1=3&p2=3&case=124&code=nicol&p3=4 Scroll to bottom.]
While Colombian legal scholars questioned their country's chances for a favorable ruling, the government of Colombia had expressed optimism with the Foreign Ministry saying, “We are very confident that the Court will reject the pretension of Nicaragua of enclosing the archipelago in an enclave and will fix the [border] line to the east of it.” However, the Court did just that, giving Nicaragua sovereignty over the waters around the archipelago. Nicaraguan analysts were universally optimistic, some even saw the possibility that the Court would give their country the smaller cays, but that did not happen; the cays remain with Colombia. (Radio La Primerisima, Nov. 16, 18, 19; La Prensa, Nov. 17, 18, 19; El Nuevo Diario, Nov. 18, 19; Informe Pastran, Nov. 19)
2. Challenges continue to Nov. 4th elections
The Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) on Nov. 13 issued electoral results in six municipalities disputed by two opposition Liberal parties, giving all the towns to the Sandinista Party. The Independent Liberal Party (PLI) is challenging the results in Matiguas, Ciudad Dario and El Almendro while the Constitutional Liberal Party (PLC) is filing challenges for Nueva Guinea, La Cruz de Rio Grande and La Trinidad. The CSE has until Nov. 20 to resolve the challenges. The Sandinista Party won 134 of the total of 153 municipalities in the local elections which were held on Nov. 4.
PLC members continued to hold marches and demonstrations in Nueva Guinea while the PLI continued its demands in Matiguas. On Nov. 19, there was a clash between police and protesters in Nueva Guinea resulting in 50 people detained and five police officers wounded. There may have been wounded among the protesters as well but that could not be confirmed by La Prensa which reported the encounter. Sixteen women and four men were later released by the authorities. The protesters supported PLI mayor and candidate for reelection Denis Obando who continues to insist that he and not the Sandinista candidate Claribel Castillo was the winner.
In Matiguas, Oscar Sobalvarro, known as “Comandante Ruben” in the counterrevolution in the 1980s, said, “In Matiguas the contra was born and here a new contra could be born, that is the reality.” PLI candidate Ricardo Castillo, who insists that he won, was also in the contra and was known as “Comandante Mozote.” However, Informe Pastran noted that the FSLN ran a popular local engineer who in the past had been in the opposition and added that, in fact, the Liberal vote in total was greater than the Sandinista vote but that vote was divided between the two parties with the much smaller PLC vote robbing the PLI of victory.
Because in so many localities a united opposition would have defeated the Sandinistas, discussions of opposition unity have begun again. The PLI had hoped to defeat the PLC (note last week's Bulletin) and claim leadership of the opposition but the PLC, even though it is also internally divided, showed itself to be alive and kicking. For example, in the Department of Chontales, the PLC vote increased from the presidential elections of 2011 while the PLI vote decreased. (Total Liberal vote in both elections surpassed the Sandinista vote in Chontales.) A group convened by Fabio Gadea Mantilla, who lost the presidential election last year to President Daniel Ortega, met with opposition figures for breakfast at El Eskimo restaurant in Managua last week. Members of the PLC were not present nor were supporters of recognized PLI leader Eduardo Montealegre.
Meanwhile, commentaries continued about the results of a CID-Gallup Central America-wide poll (reported last week) which showed that 55% of Nicaraguans felt that their country was on the right track, the next highest being El Salvador at 41%. Marcos Valle, director of the National Institute for Development Information (INIDE), said Nicaraguans have shown a clear change in perceptions about the future over the last two years in many surveys by different polling firms. “We are growing economically a little over 4%,” he said, adding “but in contrast with other countries where this growth remains in the hands of an elite, here there is economic growth with social distribution, with a reduction in social inequality.” (La Prensa, Nov. 14, 15, 16, 18, 19; Informe Pastran, Nov. 15, 16; Radio La Primerisima, Nov. 13)
3. Two die in plane crash over Lake Nicaragua
On Nov. 15, a plane with three people aboard crashed into Lake Cocibolca (Lake Nicaragua) killing the pilot, Nicaraguan Army Air Force Capt. Wilberto Martinez Tercero, Rt., and National Police Officer Luis Irias Mendez. The co-pilot, Audi Wilson Caceres, survived. The plane belonged to the Airport Administration Company of Nicaragua and was flying the route from Managua to San Juan de Nicaragua when it crashed in the lake not far from Acoyapa, Chontales. (La Prensa, Nov. 15; Radio La Primerisima, Nov. 16)
4. EU grants Nicaragua €8 million for volcano and colonial tourism
The European Union (EU) awarded €8 million to Nicaragua (about US$10.17 million) to promote the tourism routes of its volcanoes and colonial cities. The head of the European Commission delegation to Central America and Panama, Francisco Javier Sandomingo, said at a press conference that Nicaragua will be able to improve the potential of its rural tourism, and it is hoped it will enable it to consolidate its position as an international tourist destination. “From the European Union we are committed to the development of tourism in Nicaragua as an engine of economic growth and, in turn, as a way of promoting the country's sustainable development,” Sandomingo said. He added that the EU “has a long experience in tourism development, a key sector in the economy of some of our countries.”
Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (Intur) head Mario Salinas, told the same news conference that the main beneficiaries of these funds will be small and medium entrepreneurs in Nicaragua's Pacific coast region along the route of the volcanoes. Salinas said investments will be made to strengthen the “public-private framework” of the industry, namely, the improvement of infrastructure to attract foreign tourists. The president of the Nicaraguan Chamber of Tourism (Cantur), Leonardo Torre, estimated that the disbursement will benefit about 80,000 small tourism businesses located in the departments of Chinandega, Leon, Managua, Masaya, Granada and Rivas.
Spain and Luxembourg are the two countries sponsoring the project. Spain will support the businesses related to the colonial route and Luxemburg those on the volcanoes route, according to authorities. Nicaragua was the only country benefited from the EU disbursement, “Perhaps because it is the one with the most volcanoes and colonial sites,” Salinas said. Tourism has become a major source of income for Nicaragua and in 2011 generated US$400 million. During that year, 1.1 million foreign tourists visited the country. The Nicaraguan government's goal with this project is to increase the visits of tourists and tourism income to US$600 million. (La Prensa, Nov. 13)
5. Unemployment declines steadily, especially among women
During 2012, Nicaragua's unemployment rate has been falling progressively from 6.6% in the first quarter, to 6.3% in the second quarter, and to 5.7% in the third quarter, while employment of women was what grew most, as indicated by a government report. Women's employment showed the highest growth at 14.1% in rural areas and 8.9% nationally. Only in Managua was employment growth higher for men (5.3%) than for women (4.8%).
According to the bulletin “United, Nicaragua Triumphs”, the rapid growth in employment of women, especially in the rural areas, reflects the effectiveness of social programs implemented by the government of President Daniel Ortega especially Zero Hunger, which has been a real factor in the progress of rural areas, with significant reduction of poverty and hunger there. The Ongoing Household Survey, quoted by the official gazette, stated that during the third quarter of this year the growth in the employed population was highest in rural areas (6.0%) compared to Managua's (5.1%), other urban areas (4.9%) and the national level (5.4%).
The economic sectors with the most employment during in the third quarter were: agriculture, livestock, hunting and forestry with 963,974 persons (32.3%); wholesale and retail commerce, 645,285 (12.3%); manufacturing, 321,314 (10.6%); hotels and restaurants, 172,184 (5.7%); other community, social and personal activities, 167,499 (5.5%); private households with domestic service, 130,321 (4.3%) and construction with 127,331persons (4.2%). Overall, in that period 155,336 new jobs were created. (Radio La Primerísima, Nov. 14)
6. Health centers to be improved
The Ministry of Health announced a multi-million dollar investment in the renovation of health facilities in the rural areas of the department of Jinotega. The project will extend from 2013 to 2015. Dr. Eduardo Canales, director of the Local System of Integral Health Care (SILAIS), said that the United States, Venezuela, Luxembourg, Finland, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Cuba and others, are collaborating on providing much of the funding for the project. “The countries that are supporting the Government of Nicaragua do so because they know we are doing things right and there is a guarantee that money and resources are going to be well managed and will result in quality health care for rural dwellers of Jinotega,” Canales said. He added, “This is good news for residents, mainly those from the rural area of the department, as health centers, in addition to being expanded, will become twenty beds hospitals with boarding for patients and operating rooms.” Several maternity waiting homes will also be built in the rural area of Jinotega to prevent maternal deaths.
In Ayapal, 40 kilometers north of San José de Bocay, a US$1.6 million health center will be built while the health center at San José de Bocay will undergo a complete remodeling and be provided with twenty beds, operating rooms and, in addition to general practitioners, specialists will be hired to attend to the population, according to Canales. “With the hospital infrastructure renewed and well-equipped, it is hoped that with each passing month we will see a reduction in dengue, leptospirosis and other diseases, and that the country will not have to declare health emergencies,” he added. He highlighted the importance of having in Bocay specialists in pediatrics, gynecology, internal medicine, anesthesiology, surgery and surgical technicians so that rural residents requiring specialized medical care will not have to be taken to the city of Jinotega. (La Prensa, Nov. 14)
7. National Assembly opens exhibit on Cuban Five
Edwin Castro, head of the Sandinista bench in the National Assembly, said that Nicaraguans also raised their voices to demand the release of the five Cuban anti-terrorists unjustly convicted in the United States. The only crime committed by these men, he said, was to seek peace and work to prevent unnecessary deaths and terrorism. Castro spoke at the Nov. 13 opening of an exhibition on the Cuban Five at the National Assembly building in Managua. The exhibition, he said, will remain at the Assembly for two weeks, and will then move on to universities, state agencies, and the 134 municipalities won by the Sandinistas in the Nov. 4 local elections.
Castro said, “I'm sure other municipalities will open their doors to this exposition because, beyond the love held by Nicaraguans for the Cubans, the case against Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez and René Gonzalez is reprehensible in every aspect.” He noted that the event coincided with the vote in the General Assembly of the United Nations for the twenty-first time on the resolution condemning the blockade of Cuba by the United States. He called the policy, which was rejected by 186 countries and backed only by the United States, Israel, and the Marshall Islands, as criminal.
National Assembly President René Nuñez said the exhibition aims to help expand knowledge of history among deputies and the Central American people about the campaign to return the Cuban Five to their families in Cuba. (Radio La Primerisima, Nov. 13)
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