Nicaragua Network

1. Drownings up as more Nicaraguans visit beaches this Holy Week
2. New Family Code goes into effect
3. Relations with Costa Rica continue tense with World Court final hearing approaching
4. Nicaragua grows while hemispheric economic growth falters
5. Central Bank reports: Social Security and foreign debt
6. April is vaccination month; 1.7 million children to be vaccinated
7. Forest Institute announces deadline for tree farm and nursery funding proposals

1. Drownings up as more Nicaraguans visit beaches this Holy Week

Nicaragua’s commemoration of Holy Week comes at the hottest and driest time of the year and so, along with attending the religious services and processions that mark Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday, two million people visited bathing spots on the country’s ocean coasts, lakes, and rivers this Holy Week. The Health Ministry reported that 34 people drowned between Palm Sunday and Easter, more by far than last year’s ten deaths by drowning. Last year many people stayed home out of fear of tsunamis when the country was under alert because of a series of earth tremblers. In contrast, other deaths were down from 2014. Traffic deaths this year totaled 12, while 15 people were murdered, down from 20 and 16 respectively last year. Crime in general dropped 34% over last year, according to the National Police who had mobilized 13,000 officers to all the vacation spots and religious processions in the country.

According to the Red Cross and the Police, the majority of those who drowned had drunk too much alcohol and the majority of those who died in traffic accidents were either drivers or passengers on motorcycles. The Red Cross reported that its lifeguards were able to rescue 240 people safely from the water as well as provide first aid to 25 people stung by rays and 56 by jellyfish. Twelve people were stung by a sea creature rare in Nicaraguan waters called Portuguese man-of-war on the beach at El Bluff near Bluefields and treated by doctors for burns and numbness. Twenty of these creatures, that are different from jellyfish, were spotted near El Bluff. The Health Ministry installed 265 mobile health posts at heavily frequented spots around the country where they provided attention to over 8,000 people.

The General Directorate of Migration reported that there were a total of 155,296 border crossings into and out of Nicaragua between Mar. 28 and Apr. 5, with 83,860 of those crossings made by foreign tourists. This was 20.4% more than last year’s Holy Week figure of 128,932. The Costa Rican border crossing at Peñas Blancas carried 42% of that flow while 22% of travelers entered or left via the Managua airport. Many of those crossing from Costa Rica were Costa Ricans looking for lower prices for their family vacations than they could find in their own country where prices have risen beyond the means of many families, according to Diario Extra of San Jose.

The Chamber of Commerce and Services announced on Apr. 7 that sales for its members during Holy Week totaled US$125 million, an increase of US$45 million over last year. The organization’s president, Rosendo Mayorga, said that merchants were very satisfied. Among those who did especially well, according to Mayorga, were those in the areas of lodging, food and drink, beach clothing and equipment, air conditioning and fans, among others. He noted that several things contributed to the increase in sales, including economic growth, early payment of salaries to government workers, more tourism, free busses to the beaches, citizen security, and fewer earth tremblers. Marcial Cabrera of the Federation of Food Service, Agroindustry, Tourism, and Service Workers (FUTATSCON) said, “The expectations of merchants, tourists, and workers were fulfilled because this year the number of tourists who travelled in Nicaragua grew…. There were more sales, more tips, and an important increase in seasonal jobs, more than 10,000 extra workers hired.”

The earth under Nicaragua did not cease moving entirely during Holy Week. Twenty-nine tremblers were recorded in or near the country during the week. According to Wilfried Strauch, adviser to the Institute for Territorial Studies (INETER), this was down substantially from last year. The majority of the quakes were in the Pacific Ocean and all registered less than 4 on the Richter scale. 

Government spokesperson Rosario Murillo reported that 32,000 people had taken advantage of the government’s free busses from Managua neighborhoods to nearby bathing spots. She said that 680 buses took families to enjoy the water at El Trapiche near Tipitapa, Crater Lake Xiloá, and the Granada beaches on Lake Cocibolca (Lake Nicaragua). She said that alcohol was not permitted on the buses which she added did not affect the enjoyment of the vacationing families.

Meanwhile, some 40 boats participated in the April 1^st aquatic Stations of the Cross on Lake Cocibolca. Roland Anglin, director of Popular Art and Traditions at the Nicaraguan Institute of Culture said that the 45 year old tradition includes a lead boat with the statue of Jesus with the cross and other boats that families have decorated with fruit, flowers, and fish. They visit different islands where the residents have prepared the fourteen Stations of the Cross.

Managua Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes said that there was more participation in religious activities during this past Lenten season and Holy Week than in previous years. He said that thousands walked in the Good Friday procession and the Managua cathedral was always full and sometimes overflowing and he noted that there was more security and order in the religious processions than in previous years. In his Easter Sunday sermon, Brenes said, “We must strengthen our faith and our hope in the kingdom that Jesus announced to all those who believe, because he lives and is present among us.” (El Nuevo Diario, Apr. 6, 7; Informe Pastran, Apr. 1, 6, 7; Radio La Primerisima, Apr. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

2. New Family Code goes into effect

On April 8, the new Family Code approved in June of 2014 will go into effect. National Assembly Deputy Carlos Emilio Lopez said at a meeting with UNICEF personnel, “The new Family Code unifies in one body with its own guiding principles all the family laws. It repeals all laws that are in contradiction with its principles while conserving positive measures and adding new aspects. In order to make a decision, a judge must listen to the child in question. That is the heart of the Code.”

The law includes the responsibilities, rights and duties that parents have toward their children to orient them without putting in danger their health, physical and psychological wellbeing, or human dignity. It also says, “Under no circumstance should physical punishment or any type of humiliating treatment be used as a form or correction or discipline.” Parents are urged to promote the values of tolerance, dialogue, participation and respect in interactions with their children.

To mark the entry in force of the law, a march has been organized for Wednesday, the 8^th, by the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman, the Ministry of the Family, the Ministry of Education, Save the Children, UNICEF, and numerous other groups. Marchers will ask the National Assembly to declare Nicaragua a country free of physical punishment and humiliating treatment toward children and adolescents. This demand will be expressed by children representing the Group Promoting Good Treatment [Grupo Promotor del Buen Trato].

Juana Mercedes Delgado of Save the Children said she recognized that eradicating these forms of discipline that are so deeply rooted represents a challenge for society because some “consider that I beat my child because that way I educate him.” But, she said those actions leave marks on children beyond bruises, such as on their cognitive abilities or on their health and the children do not internalize morality but rather act out of fear of punishment. Special Ombudswoman for Children Martha Toruño said that humiliating treatment has been prohibited since 1998 but, “What happens is that the culture is stronger; we have been educated in a culture of violence. There is resistance.” Even with the new Code, there are no penalties for parents who use physical punishment with their children. Delgado recognized that defect but said, “What we are looking for is that in modern societies people should use other resources to educate children, such as good example, because we know that children learn by example.” (Informe Pastran, Apr. 6; El Nuevo Diario, Apr. 6; Radio La Primerisima, Apr. 6)

3. Relations with Costa Rica continue tense with World Court final hearing approaching

As the final presentations on April 14 by Costa Rica and Nicaragua before the International Court of Justice (World Court) at The Hague on the San Juan River border approach, relations between the two countries continue to be tense. On Mar. 22, Henry Mora, president of Costa Rica’s National Assembly, announced that he was cancelling his visit to meet with René Núñez, president of Nicaragua’s National Assembly. Mora said, “What was initially a courtesy visit to Managua in my role as a member of FOPREL [the Forum of Legislative Presidents of Central America and the Caribbean] has sadly been manipulated by some media outlets in Nicaragua that presented my visit as a supposed rapprochement between the two legislatures in the face of the upcoming hearings at The Hague.” He stated that the visit was cancelled “for reasons of state” after “a respectful consultation with the Foreign Ministry.” The previous day, Costa Rican Foreign Minister Manuel Gonzalez had said that the visit “would not help the position of our country and the only one that could gain something was Nicaragua.”

Then, on Mar. 31, Costa Rica began filling in a San Juan River channel on the north side of Harbour Head (land claimed by both Nicaragua and Costa Rica) that had been dredged earlier by Nicaragua which claims treaty rights to dredging of the river. The river belongs to Nicaragua in its entirety with Costa Rica having navigation rights. Eden Pastora, who is in charge of the dredging operations, said that Costa Rica wanted to make noise in the days before the Court hearing because “Costa Rica feels weak [in its case] at The Hague.” On Apr. 6, Pastora said that during the year 2015 he expects to have 15 dredging machines working in the river with the first seven ready to begin operations in May. The next day Costa Rican Foreign Minister Gonzalez said that work on filling the channel had been completed. He reiterated that Costa Rica had notified the World Court and the Secretariat of the Ramsar Wetlands Convention before carrying out the work.

The Court ruling on whether Harbour Head, which the Costa Ricans call Isla Calero, belongs to Nicaragua or Costa Rica should come later this year. (El Nuevo Diario, Mar. 23; Radio La Primerisima, Apr. 1; Informe Pastran, Apr. 6, 7)

4. Nicaragua grows while hemispheric economic growth falters

The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has revised downward its economic growth projections for the region and, with the exception of the United States, for the developed world also. Based on a poor end to 2014 and volatile prices, ECLAC projects one percent growth overall with most of South America at basically zero. ECLAC projects Panama’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth at 6% will lead the region followed by Antigua and Barbados at 5.4% and Nicaragua, Bolivia, and the Dominican Republic at 5.0%. ECLAC attributed Nicaragua’s growth rate to increased external demand for its products and increased internal consumption both in the private and governmental sectors. It estimated that inflation will run at 6.5%, a bit above the 5% goal.

In March, Vice-Managing Director of the IMF Min Zhu said, “Nicaragua has advanced far in recent years to consolidate a stable economy, improving its macroeconomics and reducing its vulnerabilities. An IMF mission headed by Przemek Gajdeczka determined “The Nicaraguan economy continues to register relatively high growth rates in the context of macroeconomic stability.” The IMF mission projected GDP growth for 2015 of 4.6% based on 2014 growth of 4.5% and without taking into consideration the interoceanic canal or the Tumarin hydroelectric project construction. (Informe Pastran, Apr. 7; Radio La Primerisima, Apr. 7)

5. Central Bank reports: Social Security and foreign debt

According to the Central Bank, 710,071 workers were paying into Nicaragua’s Social Security system in 2014, an increase of 5.4% from 2013. Newly signed-up workers were principally from sectors such as retail, hotels, restaurants, and services. (Informe Pastran, Apr. 1)

Nicaragua’s foreign debt grew by 4.2% in 2014, according to the most recent report from the Central Bank. The debt grew from US$9.7 billion in 2013 to US$10.13 billion at the end of 2014.  Private sector debt totaled US$5.3 billion while public sector debt totaled US$4.79 billion. The increase was in private sector debt while public sector debt declined by US$72.3 million. According to the Central Bank, Nicaragua’s total foreign debt in 2014 corresponded to 85.8% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which was a drop of 3.7% from 2013. According to the Bank, Nicaragua’s GDP reached US$11.8 billion in 2014. (El Nuevo Diario, Apr. 1; Radio La Primerisima, Mar. 31)

6. April is vaccination month; 1.7 million children to be vaccinated

During the month of April, 27,000 health brigade volunteers will administer 1.7 million children’s vaccinations against 14 illnesses. Children will be protected against polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis, pneumonia, measles, rubella, mumps, diarrhea, and tuberculosis, among others. Presidential spokesperson Rosario Murillo said the first two weeks will concentrate on rural areas and then on Apr. 25-26, 3,844 vaccination centers will be open throughout the country. The final week will seek to reach those families that were not reached through the other efforts. On April 25, Francisco Becerra, Assistant Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), will be present in Matagalpa to inaugurate the urban campaign and award Nicaragua the PAHO Immunization Award as part of World Immunization Week. (Radio La Primerisima, Apr. 7; El Nuevo Diario, Apr. 7; Informe Pastran, Apr. 7)

7. Forest Institute announces deadline for tree farm and nursery funding proposals

The National Forest Institute (INAFOR) announced a May 4 deadline for small producers to make funding proposals for the second year of a pilot project to establish tree farms and nurseries and add value to timber products in the departments of Boaco, Chontales, and the South Caribbean Autonomous Region. The goal of the project, which is funded by the European Union, is to give small producers incentives for reforestation and diversification of their family economy.  Farmer Juan Sequeira of San Jose de la Vega said the project is good “because it requires that we protect the sources of water; it improves our economy, and the trees give us oxygen.” He said last year he planted a hectare of trees and plans to increase it each year “for the future of our children.” Freddy Guzman of Caño Blanco, Boaco, said that in the past year his neighbors have received cedar, mahogany, pochote, and acacia through the nursery established on his property. “We have been trained by INAFOR. All the effort is hard [but] we will benefit in the long run.” (El Nuevo Diario, Apr. 7)