Nicaragua Network

1. Drug operation goes wrong resulting in three civilian deaths
2. Few resources to protect nature reserves
3. Police and politicians injured in confrontation at Supreme Electoral Council
4. Caribbean Coast briefs: flooded rivers; indigenous elections; Rosita roadblock
5. Social policy briefs: XO laptops; another casa materna; electricity; English; traffic deaths; dengue
6. Final report of UN Millennium Goals notes progress, including Nicaragua

1. Drug operation goes wrong resulting in three civilian deaths

On Monday morning, July 13, Head of the National Police Aminta Granera said that the Police and the country are in mourning after a tragic incident Saturday night when a drug operation went horribly wrong. She said that the officers involved had been detained and that the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Republic was investigating the case. Granera said the officers “acted in an irresponsible manner, violating established procedures for this type of operation.” She added, “It was a monstrous error and I am here with humility to say to you that we are going to do justice in this case. This is not our spirit [of the National Police]; we are here to serve.”

On July 11, fourteen National Police officers, out of uniform, wearing balaclavas, and carrying high powered rifles, were waiting for a car with a shipment of cocaine on Las Jagüitas road in a Managua neighborhood.  When Milton Reyes, the driver of a vehicle similar to the one they were looking for, unaware that they were police, did not stop at a shouted order, the officers shot into the vehicle where, instead of drug dealers, a family was returning from a religious service. Killed were Aura Reyes, age ten; Jose Reyes, age eleven; and Katherine Ramirez, age 22. Wounded were Miriam Guzman, age five, and Axel Reyes, age twelve.

Before leaving for a meeting of the Nicaraguan Bishops Conference, Managua Auxiliary Bishop Silvio Baez said, “The most serious thing about the crime on Saturday is that it was not an isolated incident…. The Police must examine their conduct, their protocol for the use of their weapons, respect for human rights, for citizens, and for the law.” Members of the political opposition were harsher, calling for the resignation of Granera and even, in the case of Independent Liberal Party (PLI) President Eduardo Montealegre, the resignation of President Daniel Ortega.

First Lady and Communications Coordinator Rosario Murillo said, “We want to send to the families of these brothers and sisters the affection of us all in the team of our Comandante Daniel. May God accompany us in these moments when we need strength, the strength that our faith can give us.” Attending the wake for the victims were Managua Mayor Daysi Torres, Minister of the Family Marcia Ramirez, and Health Minister Sonia Castro. (El Nuevo Diario, July 12, 13; Informe Pastran, July 13)

2. Few resources to protect nature reserves

Nicaragua does not have enough people assigned to protect its 72 nature reserves and protected areas according to several environmental scientists who spoke to El Nuevo Diario last week. Victor Campos, deputy director of the Humboldt Center in Managua, said, “Without fear of making a mistake, I can say that more than 50% of the protected areas in the country are registered only on paper without any level of actual protection.” Presidential environmental advisor Jaime Incer Barquero said that, “With the government’s decision to lift the prohibition on logging the nation’s pine forests, loggers have destroyed every forest they can find.”

Edgar Castillo of the Center for Understanding Nature (CEN) recognized the efforts of some municipalities like La Dalia which has hired two forest rangers to watch over the Cua-Bocay section of the Bosawas Nature Reserve buffer zone, but he said, “The municipalities are mainly concerned with day to day matters and infrastructure projects but not in environmental planning. There is no inventory of conditions in the protected areas and financing is not linked directly with sustainable environmental criteria.” Nicaragua has only 359 park rangers who guard only 22 of the nation’s reserves, according to the Ministry of the Environment, which has expressed agreement with the scientists.

Alan Bolt, also of CEN, said, “Let’s be clear about the problem of the nature reserves; it is not a question just of the government. It is a national question; it’s a question of everyone taking up the challenge of restoring the forests. We need professionals who want to go into the countryside to find solutions and design sustainability measures that help farmers to see conservation as a development opportunity.” (El Nuevo Diario, July 12)

3. Police and politicians injured in confrontation at Supreme Electoral Council

A demonstration on July 8 in front of the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) that was organized by the Independent Liberal Party (PLI) ended in violence when demonstrators broke apart the police barriers used to close off the street and used the metal tubing to attack police guards who blocked their passage. Six police officers and nine demonstrators were injured. Demonstrations demanding changes in the country’s electoral system have been held weekly at the CSE recently but this is the first to turn violent. Several members of the National Assembly were detained by the Police but released shortly thereafter. PLI leaders said that they would continue their Wednesday protests.

Managua Archbishop Leopoldo Brenes lamented the incident and said government authorities, political leaders and party sympathizers “should not lose sight of the fact that our nation requires an inclusive spirit and a capacity for dialogue in order to prevent a return to painful times in our recent history that we have overcome.” Businessman Cesar Zamora said that he believes President Daniel Ortega should negotiate with that part of the opposition that has said it wants dialogue. He said that the business community will not tire of working for a more democratic country but it does not share the idea of those who want confrontation and economic destruction.

The United States Embassy in Managua released a note which said, “We are concerned by the reports of violence surrounding scheduled demonstrations in front of the Consejo Supremo Electoral (CSE) in Managua. The United States supports the rights of all Nicaraguans to assemble peacefully, and freely express their views and opinions, including with respect to the importance of free, fair, and transparent elections.”

The violence came less than a week after the National Assembly elected former Housing Minister Judith Silva to a vacancy on the Supreme Electoral Council with only Sandinista Party votes. On July 7, the day before the demonstration at the CSE, Jose Adan Aguerri, president of the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP) and an ally of the government on economic issues, questioned the lack of equilibrium on the CSE, noting that “it did not give out the best signal.” He said, “We see evidence that the commitment to dialogue and consensus, well noted in the economic field, is turning out to be insufficient in the political arena.” He added, “The governing [Sandinista] party should lead the way as it has done with economic dialogue but also the opposition parties have to open up to different positions than the ones they have taken so far without any positive result.” (El Nuevo Diario, July 9; Informe Pastran, July 7, 9, 10)

4. Caribbean Coast briefs: flooded rivers; indigenous elections; Rosita roadblock

The torrential rains that have fallen in recent days over much of Nicaragua and brought hope to farmers have also caused rivers to rise in the North and South Caribbean Autonomous Regions. Nearly 100 families were forced to evacuate to the House of Culture in Rama when the Escondido, Siquia and Rama rivers rose over their banks. Rama Mayor Lorenzo Alaniz said that the city would relocate the families to sites less vulnerable to flooding. Port Arlen Siu on the Escondido in Rama was closed to larger vessels. In Nueva Guinea, the town of Puerto Principe was returning to normal as flood levels of the Caño Chiquito River dropped. Residents were beginning to clean the mud and water from their homes. The police were attempting to recover six weapons that had fallen into the river when a boat carrying a 35 member medical brigade that the officers were accompanying capsized. One nurse was injured and the weapons lost. Also in Nueva Guinea, fourteen year old Jorleny Ramirez died when she was hit by lightning in the kitchen of her home.  (El Nuevo Diario, July 11, 12)

Elections for new territorial government authorities in two indigenous territories, Twi Waupasa and Tasba Pri,in the municipality of Puerto Cabezas in the North Caribbean Autonomous Region will be held on July 26. There have been conflicts in the two communities over who won elections for territorial president resulting in two deaths in Tasba Pri. The elections are being organized by the Autonomous Regional University of the North Atlantic Caribbean (URACCAN) and the Bluefields Indian and Caribbean University (BICU). The Pastoral Council in coordination with the religious leaders of each community will serve as electoral observers. Government coordinator for Puerto Cabezas Carlos Aleman said that once the new authorities were elected they would call for a meeting of the community with the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the Ministry of the Environment to resolve the situation of the roadblock at the community of Sahsa, located on the road from Bilwi to Rosita. More than two weeks ago, community members put up the roadblock to demand the revoking of the mining concession to the Avaluz, S.A. company. (El Nuevo Diario, July 11)

Meanwhile, the roadblock and freight and passenger transportation strike at Rosita have been going on for thirteen days and are beginning to cause scarcities of necessities such as chicken, vegetables, and gasoline. Gold mines in the area are functioning at minimal capacity due to the roadblock. There have been violent encounters between truckers who do not support the strike and those who have set up the roadblock. Strike leader Victor Olivas said, “We want to make clear that our demands are social, not political as some have wanted people to believe. We are asking for improvements to secondary roads which are not passable. There are other groups that have other demands but we have decided that each group should make its own demands.” Other demands include the revoking of changes to the Rosita-Managua and Bonanza- Managua bus schedules and the issuing of 103 intercity transportation concessions for the region that have already been paid for. Talks on July 6 were not successful because the strikers wanted higher level government officials to attend. (El Nuevo Diario, July 13)

5. Social policy briefs: XO laptops; another casa materna; electricity; English; traffic deaths; dengue

The One Laptop per Child program is delivering 1,250 XO computers to teachers and students in Corn Island. Rodrigo Zamora, Director of the Zamora Terán Foundation, said the computers are fitted with various educational programs and free internet access to improve the quality of education for students.  The program is a joint effort of the Ministry of Education and the Zamora Terán Foundation.

Last week the Nicaragua Ministry of Health inaugurated the "Veronica Lacayo" Maternity Wait Home (casa materna) in the Department of León. Karla Zamora, head of the new casa materna, said it will provide comprehensive health care attention for women including sexual and reproductive education, nutrition, hygiene and special care for newborns.

Government Communications Coordinator Rosario Murillo said that 340 people in 60 homes in several communities in the municipality of Somotillo in the Department of Chinandega now have electricity thanks to a government investment of US$111,000 while 800 residents of 158 homes in other Chinandega communities will also soon have electricity after an expenditure of US$481,500.

The Nicaraguan Association of English Teachers (ANPI) is organizing workshops to strengthen capabilities of educators to teach English. The purpose of the workshops is to equip high school graduates with basic English language skills. ANPI reported that more than 1,200 teachers are participating in the first stage of the training, which is being carried out in all the 153 municipalities of the country.

The National Police reported that in the first half of this year, 332 persons died as a result of traffic accidents. This marked a slight drop of 18 deaths from the same time last year. The police spokesperson said that it was the hope of the institution that with changes in driver and pedestrian behavior the number of deaths would continue to decline.

During the first six months of this year, the Ministry of Health reported a 77 percent decline in the number of dengue cases compared to the same period in 2014. Communication Coordinator Rosario Murillo said 843 dengue cases were recorded in 2014, while 193 cases were reported in the first semester of this year. However, on July 14, the first death this year from dengue was reported in Managua. An eleven year old girl died on July 11 and her sister is ill with the same disease. (Nicaragua News, July 8, 10; El Nuevo Diario, July 14; Informe Pastran, July 7, 10)

6. Final report of UN Millennium Goals notes progress, including Nicaragua

As reported last week, Nicaragua isone of the ten countries in Latin America and te Caribbean that have achieved the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of reducing the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by half. This is according to the final report on the UNMDGs released last week by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. The report noted that the effort over fifteen years to achieve eight objectives had achieved considerable success around the world with even the poorest countries achieving progress in reducing poverty and its effects.

With 39% of the seats in the National Assembly occupied by women and 57% of other high-level posts occupied by women, Nicaragua achieved the goal of politically empowering women. Nicaragua has reduced maternal deaths from 160 per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 40 in 2014, thus fulfilling the goal of reducing those deaths by three-quarters. While Nicaragua has reduced the number of people with insufficient food from 2.3 million in 1990 to 1.19 million in 2014, that number is still the highest in Central America. The Food and Agriculture Organization has reported that Nicaragua also has made progress in reducing malnutrition in children under five with only 5.7% suffering from chronic and severe malnutrition.

A series of government programs have contributed to these improvements. The school meal program, which reaches a million children each day, has helped reduce childhood malnutrition. The construction of maternity wait homes (casas maternas) in towns throughout Nicaragua where rural women with problem pregnancies can stay before giving birth in a hospital have contributed to lowering the maternal death rate.  Zero Hunger, which provides farm animals, seeds, and tools to poor farming families, has increased family food consumption. Zero Usury and CRISSOL provide financing for small farms and businesses, increasing family income. The government also encourages small farmers and producers to join together in cooperatives and is expanding technical education programs in rural areas, both of which can increase family incomes over the medium to long term. (Informe Pastran, July 8; Nicaragua News, July 9)