Nicaragua Network

1. Canal briefs: route modification, jobs, US and HKND on transparency, Al Jazeera English
2. Government outlines commitments for 2015
3. High winds cause power outages and fires and halt boat transportation
4. Government continues to prepare for natural disasters and forest fires
5. 2014 femicides reported
6. Clean energy production exceeds early estimates

1. Canal briefs: route modification, jobs, US and HKND on transparency, Al Jazeera English

On Jan. 12, Telemaco Talavera, spokesperson for the Inter-Oceanic Canal Commission, announced a small change to the route of the shipping canal across Nicaragua. He said that it will not pass through the community of El Tule in the Department of Rio San Juan but rather to the south of the community in order to avoid affecting the San Miguelito wetlands and impacting the nearby population. The total territory that will be used for the canal was lowered from 675 square miles to 323 square miles. Talavera repeated a previous announcement that the port on the Caribbean side of the canal will be constructed on land built out from the coast with earth from the excavations for the channel.

Meanwhile, discussions continued about exactly how many Nicaraguan jobs can be expected during the construction of the canal. The latest estimate by the HKND Group, the Chinese company that holds the concession for the canal, is that the building of the canal will create 50,000 job openings, half of which will be for Nicaraguans and the other half Chinese and other nationalities. Economist Adolfo Acevedo, known for his opposition to the government of President Daniel Ortega, noted that the UN Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean estimates that between 2015 and 2020, some 353,200 Nicaraguans will enter the labor force and therefore those 25,000 canal jobs will absorb barely 7% of those workers. He went on to say that Chinese workers are likely to import their food and other needs directly from China and save their salaries or send much of that money home to their families rather than spend it in Nicaragua, thus reducing the amount of indirect employment.

However, Roberto Gonzalez, general secretary of the Sandinista Workers Central (CST), noted that the subprojects, including ports, roads, hotels, airports, and housing, will require Nicaraguan workers in large numbers and he added that, after they are built, those facilities will require as many as 250,000 permanent workers.

On Jan. 6, the United States Embassy in Managua issued a statement saying that embassy personnel had “listened to groups supporting the [canal] project as well as those who opposed it” and urged that all of the steps of the project, including feasibility and environmental studies, financing and the rest “be carried out in an open and transparent way.” The statement asked for clarity on the bidding process for US companies and those of other nationalities and indicated the embassy was closely following the methodology for resolving property disputes.

On Jan. 10, the HKND Group released a reply which stated that HKND is committed to “the open, transparent and international nature of the Project, and we strive to include both local and international companies in the development of the Project.” The statement then provided a list of what it said were “examples of our efforts to achieve these goals,” including publication on the company’s web page of information from ongoing studies, meetings with key international agencies such as the Wildlife Conservation Society, Fauna & Flora International, RAMSAR Convention on Wetlands, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank to seek “their comment on environmental and social considerations.” The reply listed the meetings that HKND and the Nicaraguan Canal Commission held in July and October with citizens along the canal route, with indigenous communities and with representatives of different sectors of Nicaraguan society, including business people, workers, and the Autonomous Regional Council of the South Caribbean. The statement said that “tender for the initial construction work… is carried out by invitation to multiple Nicaraguan and Chinese companies” and that for more substantial work HKND will “welcome regional and international companies… and ensure the fairness and openness of the process to all parties.” The statement noted, however, that “the financing, technical feasibility studies and the environmental and social impact assessment of the Project are still ongoing” and the company will inform the public of the results of the studies “in due course.”

On Jan. 7, the Al Jazeera English network program “The Stream” covered the Nicaraguan canal with a panel that included Monica Lopez of the Popul Na Foundation in Managua, Suyen Barahona of the Sandinista Renovation Movement, also in Managua, Margaret Myers of the Inter-American Dialogue, and Katherine Hoyt of the Alliance for Global Justice / Nicaragua Network (editor of this Bulletin), the latter two based in the US. Lopez, an environmental lawyer, said that groups opposed to the canal had held 18 forums on the canal but neither HKND nor the government had responded to invitations to participate. Barahona said that the National Assembly had approved the concession to HKND without a clear understanding of the economic and environmental consequences for the country. Myers said that the president of the HKND group was only known for his telecommunications company. Hoyt pointed out that major international companies were doing the environmental and feasibility studies and that the results of those studies were not yet certain. While she expressed grave concern about possible impacts on Lake Cocibolca (Lake Nicaragua), she said that, given the record of the Ortega government in managing projects and producing economic stability, growth, and poverty reduction, if the studies turn out to be positive the canal could bring substantial benefit to Nicaragua. (El Nuevo Diario, Jan. 6; Radio La Primerisima, Jan. 10, 12; La Prensa, Jan. 9; http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/201501070116-0024472)

2. Government outlines commitments for 2015

The government of President Daniel Ortega outlined plans for 2015, highlighting commitments in the areas of property titles, affordable housing construction, expansion of access to potable water, electrification of rural communities and many others.  In a document released on Jan. 10 the government said that the goal for 2015 is to issue 35,000 more property titles, moving toward fulfilling a commitment to issue 150,000 titles between 2012 and the end of 2016. So far, 68,000 titles have been issued to families who did not have titles to the properties on which they had built their houses. The government committed to building or improving 13,078 houses for low-income families in 2015 moving toward a goal of 77,854 between 2012 and 2016, with 36,440 homes built or improved so far. With regard to electrification, the plan for 2015 is to provide electric power to 73,265 more homes, adding to the 146,307 already connected and working toward the goal of providing light to 306,125 homes between 2012 and 2016. The goal for the National Reforestation Campaign is to replant 72,000 acres this year. A total of 139,000 acres have been reforested since 2012 toward the goal of 260,000 by the end of 2016.

The government plans to hire 1,768 new teachers in 2015 in addition to the 2,664 hired since 2012. A projected 5,000 classrooms will be built, repaired, or enlarged in 2015 in addition to the 11,904 built or improved since 2012. The goal for the period 2012 to 2016 is 20,950. Sixty-seven thousand new or repaired desks will be provided to classrooms in 2015 in addition to 362,526 built or repaired since 2012. The government hopes to provide integral attention to 9,057 young people in 2015 as part of programs to prevent juvenile gang involvement. The goal is to assist 45,000 by the end of 2016 with 27,396 young people having participated in programs since 2012. Between 2012 and 2014, 34,488 working children are participating or have participated in programs providing them with schooling and health care. With the goal for 2016 of 39,000 already almost achieved, the 2015 goal is to help 20,138 more children.

The two Zero Hunger programs, the Food Production Package and the Healthy Yard (Patio Saludable) Program, have new yearly goals. The Food Production Package (which provides a pregnant cow or pig, chickens, seeds, tools, and fencing for women and families with access to rural land) hopes to assist 11,848 new families in 2015 but with only 40,142 new families added to the program between 2012 and 2014, the 2016 goal of 200,000 would appear difficult to reach. (The report does not say how many families participated before 2012.) The Healthy Yard Program, which provides fruit trees and vegetable seeds to urban families, has a goal of 20,600 additional families with 242,818 families having participated in the program and a goal of 463,318 families by the end of 2016. (Radio La Primerisima, Jan. 10; El Nuevo Diario, Jan. 12)

3. High winds cause power outages and fires and halt boat transportation

Much of Nicaragua was subject to high winds last week with resulting power outages and restrictions on boat travel on lakes and oceans. On Tuesday, Jan. 6, the Nicaraguan Institute for Territorial Studies warned of seven foot waves and the Navy told owners of fishing boats weighing less than 100 tons to stay in port on both coasts and both of the country’s large lakes. In the cities and towns, residents were told not to burn garbage as the 30 mph winds could easily cause fires to spread to surrounding buildings. The energy distribution company Disnorte-Dissur said that the recurring power outages around the country were due to “the falling of trees and branches on the wires breaking them and even causing the poles to fall.” Also on Jan. 6, boat travel from the port of San Jorge to Ometepe Island in Lake Cocibolca (Lake Nicaragua) was suspended. In Somoto a fire caused by downed wires caused an estimated US$60,000 in damages at a lumber mill, destroying both machinery and lumber. There were other smaller fires caused by the winds reported in other parts of the country. A tornado passed through part of Teustepe, in the Department of Boaco, carrying off the roofs of several homes, but no one was injured.

By Thursday, Jan. 8, winds had calmed somewhat but residents of Esteli, Nueva Segovia, Jinotega, and Matagalpa got out their sweaters because a cold wave hit areas of higher elevation and hospitals reported an increase in serious bronchitis and other respiratory ailments among the very young and very old. By Friday, Jan. 9, the winds had died down enough for authorities to reopen transportation by ferries and other boats on Lake Cocibolca. (Radio La Primerisima, Jan. 6, 7, 9; El Nuevo Diario, Jan. 6, 8, 10; La Prensa, Jan. 7, 9)

4. Government continues to prepare for natural disasters and forest fires

The National System for Prevention, Mitigation and Response to Disasters (SINAPRED) announced that it has in place its action plan in the event of any natural disasters in 2015. It will promote a culture of prevention, care, and protection of the family in conjunction with regional, departmental, and municipal disaster prevention committees, Human Development Councils, Family and Community Life Cabinets, and the Sandinista Youth.  Youth brigades on a neighborhood level will be trained to assist residents and find first responders in the event of a disaster, as well as to learn fire control and use of equipment.  Six of the municipal committees are prepared to respond in event of a tsunami. SINAPRED will also continue to organize disaster drills in public sector institutions in order to strengthen survival skills around the country. The agency will also assist 50 municipal committees in the development of local contingency plans. SINAPRED will also prepare up-to-date maps of communities that are most at risk.

In related news, the National Forestry Institute (INAFOR) announced its plan, in preparation for the forest and agricultural fire season, in the zones of major risk. The plan prioritizes fire prevention during the dry season which runs from November to May. Government bodies and volunteer organizations will conduct 400 assemblies and 20,000 house visits. “The fundamental objective is to reduce the number of forest fires,” said INAFOR director William Schwartz. He said the assemblies and house visits will be chosen based on past fire statistics. Prioritized departments include: Nueva Segovia, Madriz, Esteli, Leon, Chinandega, Rio San Juan, Managua and the North Caribbean Autonomous Region. Last year INAFOR reported 339 forest and agricultural fires which burned 25,000 hectares of forest. Schwartz said the goal for this year is to limit the number of fires to 200 and territory burned to 15,000 hectares. “We do not want them, but it is clear that we will have fires,” he said. (Radio La Primerisima, Jan 8; La Prensa, Jan. 9)

5. 2014 femicides reported

The Femicides National Observatory of the Network of Women Against Violence (RMCV), in its 2014 report stated that there had been 75 femicides in Nicaragua in 2014. The majority of murders were committed by spouses, boyfriends, and former partners and 46 were committed in the homes of the victims. RMCV National Liaison Reyna Rodriguez said that this was an increase over 2013 when 73 women were murdered, one of which was a foreigner. In 2014 there were four foreign women murdered in addition to the 75 Nicaraguans. The report included the following statistics for previous years:  2012 – 85; 2011 – 76; 2010 – 89; 2009 – 79.

Rodriguez decried the effect on children, some of whom witnessed their mother’s murder, and said that the murders were more cruel and violent with 28 cases involving knives or machetes and 24 involving guns. Fifty-seven children under 15 years old lost their mothers. The report did not explain the increase in femicides over 2013, but ruled out a lack of going to the authorities. She said 130 to 140 complaints a week are filed by women against their abusers and that seven of those murdered had filed complaints. She said that the challenge for 2015 is for the government to allocate funding for preventative and educational campaigns “to prevent this scourge” in the schools and family, and for the Inter-Institutional Commission for the Struggle Against Violence to invite women’s groups to work with it. The government did implement such a campaign last year according to officials.

Eight of last year’s accused murderers have been convicted while 27 are fugitives. Thirty-three await trial and five committed suicide to evade justice. Government figures list 67 murders of women in Nicaragua in 2014. [According to United Nations reports, murder is the leading cause death for young women in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. The UN High Commission on Human Rights reported that El Salvador recorded 647 murders of women in 2011, the most recent year for which statistics were available. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/femicide-rise-central-america-article-1.1552233] (El Nuevo Diario, Jan. 10; La Prensa, Jan. 9)

6. Clean energy production exceeds early estimates

The final report from the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) on the percentage of electricity produced from renewable resources in 2014 was higher than the earlier estimated 47% and reached 52.44%, an increase over 2013 of about one and a half percent. MEM Minister Emilio Rappaccioli reported that 9.66% of electricity was produced at hydroelectric plants, 15.25% at geothermal plants, 6.81% from biomass (sugar cane), and 20.72% from wind power. The goal for 2015 is to achieve 53.99% green energy production rising to 86% in 2020. That is the year that the Tumarin hydroelectric project, being built by the Brazilian company Queiroz Galvao, will come online with its 253 megawatt capacity. The Climascopio 2013 report ranked Nicaragua third behind Brazil and Chile in Latin America as most attractive for clean energy investment (Radio La Primerisima, Jan. 6)