TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 09, 2010
Nicaragua News Bulletin (November 9, 2010)
1. OAS Secretary General visits Nicaragua and Costa Rica to mediate San Juan dispute2. Parties register for next year's elections
3. Indigenous complain they're left out of port negotiations
4. More than 60,000 to graduate from high school
5. RAAN and Jinotega communities call for food emergency alert
6. Nicaraguans note Rep. Ros-Lehtinen's rise to chair of Foreign Affairs Committee
7. Leptospirosis cases falling off
8. Recycling advances in Leon and Ciudad Sandino
9. Hydroelectric plants to be modernized
1. OAS Secretary General visits Nicaragua and Costa Rica to mediate San Juan dispute
On Nov. 8, Jose Miguel Insulza, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), completed a visit of several days to Costa Rica and Nicaragua during which he met with the presidents of both countries and flew by helicopter in two separate flights over both sides of the contested area of the San Juan River. Since Nicaragua began dredging in the river, Costa Rican authorities have alleged environmental damage and that the Nicaraguan Army has entered its territory. Nicaragua maintains that the area in question is part of its territory according to the Cañas Jerez Treaty, arbitrations under that Treaty, and the World Court decision of 2009 which confirmed the southern bank of the river as the border.
After the second helicopter flight, Costa Rican geographer Leonardo Salazar, who had accompanied Insulza and his team on the Costa Rican flight, said that they did not see Nicaraguan troops in Costa Rican territory. Insulza said, “I believe that the solution lies, as President [Daniel] Ortega said, in dialogue that permits advancing to putting down the border markers along the entire border and in that way seeing all the problems that could exist.” It is the formation of banks and islands and the closing and opening up of channels over the 150 years since the Treaty that appear to have caused the problems between the two countries.
On Nov. 3, the OAS had held an extraordinary session called by Costa Rica to consider the issue. The OAS decided on Nov. 4 that the issue should be resolved bilaterally between the two parties (a victory for the Nicaraguan position) and that Secretary General Insulza would travel the next day to Costa Rica and Nicaragua to investigate the issues and promote an agreement.
Meanwhile, all political parties in the National Assembly united to support the government's efforts to defend Nicaragua's San Juan River border and the dredging process. The Assembly unanimously passed a resolution of support and decided to hold a session, on Nov. 10, in the city of San Carlos, where the San Juan leaves Lake Cocibolca (Nicaragua) and begins its route to the Atlantic. After the session, the Assembly leadership will take a helicopter flight over the area in conflict. Hugo Torres, a Deputy from the Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS), said, “Why has Costa Rica reacted this way to the dredging? Because if the river runs out of its old mouth, without a doubt a lot of water will not go through the Rio Colorado [a branch of the delta that runs through Costa Rica].” He went on to say, “Costa Rica has developed a tourism infrastructure there and, besides that, there are crops and cattle pastures.”
Modern technology has been involved in the dispute. President Laura Chinchilla and her Foreign Minister Rene Castro have used Facebook and Twitter to post their updates. The Costa Rican government asked Google Maps to change the boundary on its web page because it matched the border as Nicaragua saw it. Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Samuel Santos sent a letter asking Google to keep the map as it was. On Nov. 5, on Google's Latin America blog, public policy manager Daniel Helft said Google would look into updating the map but added that, “While it is true that Google maps are of the highest quality… at no time should they be used as a reference at the moment of deciding to take military actions between two nations.” (La Prensa, Nov. 3, 4, 8; Radio La Primerisima, Nov. 3, 4, 7, 8; El Nuevo Diario, Nov. 4, 6, 8,)
2. Parties register for next year's elections
Eighteen political parties registered last week with the Supreme Electoral Council indicating intentions to participate in the November 2011 presidential and National Assembly elections. Many were expected to form alliances but all wanted to register to avoid losing their legal status as recognized political parties. El Nuevo Diario (END) laid out what the daily saw as four possible alliances in the race for the presidency and seats in the legislature. A number of small parties will be joining the governing Sandinista Party in supporting the reelection of President Daniel Ortega. Another group of parties will join the Constitutional Liberal Party (PLC) behind former President Arnoldo Aleman. The candidacy of broadcaster Fabio Gadea Mantilla is supported by both wings of the Independent Liberal Party-PLI- (one of which includes Eduardo Montealegre and his supporters) and other parties, including the Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS). And finally, a number of parties may go it alone, including the Conservative Party and the Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance (ALN), but these could also join those behind Aleman, according to END.
Meanwhile, a rebellion is growing within the PLC against the candidacy of Aleman. More than one thousand local PLC leaders gathered in Ciudad Dario, Matagalpa, on Nov. 6 and proclaimed their support for Gadea Mantilla. Several said that they had been threatened with expulsion from the party for abandoning the PLC leader. Norlan Davila of Yali read a proclamation from his municipality demanding that Aleman abandon his candidacy in answer to the “clamor of the population.” The proclamation said Aleman's candidacy would “lead this party to a sure failure, thus achieving the goals of the [Sandinista] Front.”
Gadea also spoke in Leon, where he did not have the support of local PLC leaders, but was accompanied by leaders of other parties, including Eduardo Montealegre (now of the PLI) and Victor Hugo Tinoco of the MRS. Gadea called on visiting OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza to tell Daniel Ortega that he should not violate the constitution by running for reelection. As to his plans for governing if he were elected president, Gadea promises honest government.
Leaders of the Christian Democratic Union (UDC), which has been allied with the Sandinista Party since 1996, are in the process of deciding whether to continue the alliance for the 2011 elections. Valentin Ruiz said that any party with which the UDC might ally itself must hold goals of answering the social and economic demands of the people and he noted particularly the increase in the education budget under the Sandinistas. However, he also said that democratic processes were important to his party. Another party leader, Agustin Jarquin, added that “We can't advance in social policies and achievements for the people if we do it in detriment to the democratic system.” The party will hold a convention on Dec. 12. (El Nuevo Diario, Nov.5, 7; La Prensa, Nov. 6; Radio La Primerisima, Nov. 7)
3. Indigenous complain they're left out of port negotiations
The Rama and Creole territorial governments in the South Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAS) have issued a denunciation complaining that they have been excluded from negotiations between South Korean companies and the national government concerning plans to build a deep water port at the indigenous community of Monkey Point. Monkey Point has been seen by both neoliberal and Sandinista governments as the top candidate for an Atlantic port which would serve as the Eastern terminus of a high speed railroad (called a dry canal) connecting it to a port on the Pacific. Despite one of the strongest autonomy laws in the world, successive national governments have historically failed to include the original peoples of the Caribbean Coast in their planning processes. This is one more failure in that regard.
The denunciation said that South Korean companies Dongmyeong Engineering and Ox Investment Finance Co. have signed a letter of intent with the national government to construct the deep water port. It went on to say that they have been ignored in negotiations regarding projects in their traditional territory as guaranteed under the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People approved by Nicaragua in 2007, as well as their property rights under the Nicaraguan Constitution. President Daniel Ortega presented them with communal title to the land just this past June. The denunciation said they were not necessarily opposed to the project, which would bring jobs to the Caribbean Coast, but they need to be involved in the planning in order to protect their property and cultural rights.
Interest in constructing the port has been expressed by several nations and companies, but the South Korean offer is the best to date. They have offered to invest US$500 million at 6.5% interest, a reduction from their original offer of 12%, over 10 years. Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast exports must now be shipped from ports in Honduras and Costa Rica at an added cost estimated at US$150 million per year. The National Assembly would have to approve the loan agreement, and that approval is uncertain. (Radio La Primerisima, Nov. 2: El Nuevo Diario, Nov. 4, 6, 7)
4. More than 60,000 to graduate from high school
In December, some 63,000 students will receive their high school diplomas, which represents an 85% completion rate. Some 29,000 are from Managua, with the rest from the other departments. The government is working to expand vocational and technical training so that graduates will be able to continue to develop professionally.
"We need to generate technical experts in order to further develop the country," said Education Minister Miriam Raudez. She said that all relevant governmental institutions are developing strategies for making technical training one of the fundamental pillars of professional development.
Meanwhile, as part of the "Battle for the Sixth Grade," the goal is for 300,000 students who dropped out to be brought back into the educational system. Raudez said rural schools, where there are still many students who make it only to the fourth grade, would see an increase of 50,000 students.
Overall enrollment this year reached 1.6 million students, with a historic 95% retention rate. The new education plan includes the training of more teachers and to attain this goal the Ministry is using workshops, long-distance conferences, and other techniques. (Radio La Primerisima, Nov. 5)
5. RAAN and Jinotega communities call for food emergency alert
Leaders of 62 North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN) communities along the Rio Coco, including indigenous leaders in Waspam, have appealed to the government to declare a food emergency. Authorities in the municipality of San Jose de Bocay, in the department of Jinotega, have also declared a red alert in 43 communities due to food shortages. They are calling for national government and international help in the crisis created by several months of heavy rains which destroyed local food production. They are asking for immediate food supplies and seeds for planting. With the assistance of the environmental organization, the Humboldt Center, local authorities estimate that the rains destroyed 80% of the region's rice harvest, 76% of its corn, 45% of bananas and plantains, 37% of its root crops, and 19% of its cacao. The Humboldt Center reported that in some communities over one-third of the population is suffering from severe malnutrition. (El Nuevo Diario, Nov. 6; Radio La Primerisima, Nov. 4)
6. Nicaraguans note Rep. Ros-Lehtinen's rise to chair of Foreign Affairs Committee
Nicaraguan commentators noted that the Republican victory in the U.S. mid-term elections resulted in anti-Sandinista Florida Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen taking over the chairmanship of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The headline on the web page of Radio La Primerisima was “Rabid anti-Sandinista will chair committee in US Congress.” Alfredo Cesar, vice-president of the Conservative Party, said that the Republican chairwoman and her committee could pressure Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Arturo Valenzuela on Nicaragua especially with relation to assistance funding. Former foreign minister and current National Assembly Deputy Francisco Aguirre Sacasa said that if there is not robust national and international observation of next year's elections there will be serious pressure on President Daniel Ortega from the Republicans. (Radio La Primerisima, Nov. 4; El Nuevo Diario, Nov. 4)
7. Leptospirosis cases falling off
According to the Ministry of Health, a four year old girl died on Nov. 8 of Leptospirosis, bringing the total of deaths to 17 and the number of confirmed cases to 536. The last previous death was on Oct. 15, which seems to indicate that cases of the disease, caused by exposure to flood waters contaminated with rodent and other animal urine, have finally fallen off. The government reported that 4.3 million doses of a prophylactic antibiotic had been given out, including first, second, and third doses. Nearly 350,000 homes throughout the country have been treated with a rat control product. (Radio La Primerisima, Nov. 7)
8. Recycling advances in Leon and Ciudad Sandino
The Nicaraguan investment agency ProNicaragua announced that the US recycling company, Sky Enterprises, has signed an exclusive 15 year contract to develop a recycling center which will help reduce landfill trash. The company, which has 20 years of experience in Los Angeles, will invest about US$600,000 to serve 10 municipalities in Leon and Chinandega. It will have the capacity to process 300 tons of recycled trash a day and employ more than 200 people in the next six months. The first phase of the project will involve hiring experts to educate the communities about the advantages of recycling for health and environmental quality.
In a related story, popular organizations in the Ciudad Sandino neighborhood of Valle Santa Rosa have cleaned up their community by obtaining eight barrels to collect plastic for recycling. With private and public assistance they have bought an additional seven barrels and are in the process of educating surrounding communities about the benefits of recycling. They hope, in partnership with private businesses, to obtain receptacles that will allow different types of recyclables to be collected in separate bins. (La Prensa, Nov. 4: El Nuevo Diario, Nov. 6)
9. Hydroelectric plants to be modernized
The state-owned Nicaraguan Electricity Company (ENEL) announced on Nov. 6 the signing of contracts for the modernization of two of the nation's hydroelectric plants, the Central American Hydroelectric Plant (in the Department of Jinotega) and the Carlos Fonseca Amador Plant (in the Department of Matagalpa), each of which produced 50 megawatts of electricity. Loans for a total of US$62.6 million from the Inter-American Development Bank and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration will make possible the updating of the dams and generating equipment. ENEL officials noted that the project is part of the commitment of the government to transform electricity production from petroleum based sources to renewable sources. (Radio La Primerisima, Nov. 6)
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