Nicanet - The Nicaragua Network

Nicaragua Network Hotlines for August 2, 2006

News topics covered in this Hotline include:

Topic 1: Electoral Council Denies Failure to Distribute Voter ID Cards Efficiently

On July 25 hundreds of young people protested outside the central office of the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) against what they described as the institution's failure to manufacture and distribute voter identification cards efficiently. Nicaraguan citizens over the age of 16 are eligible to vote but must have a voter ID card. August 6 is the deadline for voter registration for the November 5 election.

The protest was organized by the group Movement for Nicaragua which claims that over 800,000 Nicaraguan citizens, the majority of which are young people, do not have ID cards and therefore will be unable to vote. Apparently 500,000 of these have not applied for an ID card while the other 300,000 have applied and are waiting for their cards to be manufactured.

The Movement for Nicaragua, a group which was formed and is funded by the International Republican Institute, a core group of the US National Endowment for Democracy supports National Liberal Alliance (ALN) and US presidential favorite Eduardo Montealegre. It also accused the Sandinista and Constitutional Liberal Party (PLC)-controlled CSE of selecting which ID card applications to process based on political preference.

Previously on July 24 the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP) offered to help the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) in a campaign to encourage young people to apply for an ID card. On July 27 President Enrique Bolańos repeated the figures put out by the Movement for Nicaragua saying at least 800,000 people, mainly youth, do not have ID cards before going on to repeat COSEP's call for the CSE to initiate a campaign to encourage ID card application among young people

On July 26 the President of the CSE Roberto Rivas defended his institution and accused the Movement for Nicaragua, COSEP and central government carrying out a campaign to discredit the CSE during this crucial electoral period. According to Rivas the figure of 800,000 Nicaraguan citizens without ID cards is false saying it does not comply with the information gathered during the National Census carried out in 2005. He also claimed that the list of citizens who supposedly do not have ID cards which was presented by the Movement for Nicaragua included citizens under the age of 16 as well as citizens who already have ID cards. Rivas went on to say that two of the citizens who took part in the protest against the CSE on July 25 admitted to a CSE official that they had been paid to participate.

According to CSE officials working in Municipal Electoral Council (CEM) offices across the country the offices are staying open extra hours as well as during the weekends so as to give citizens the chance to hand in any last minute ID card applications.

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Topic 2: Eight People Will Lose Sight in One or Both Eyes After US Medical Brigade Operations

At least eight of the 35 people from poor neighborhoods and villages in and around Esteli, who were operated on for cataracts free of charge by the US military medical brigade “Helping Hands,” will lose sight in one or both eyes due to infection apparently caused by shoddy medical practices. The tragic news broke on July 27 and was confirmed by the Dr. Norman Jiron of the Ministry of Health.

Dr. Jiron refused to answer questions about a nine month old baby boy who died a few days after being operated on by the same brigade to correct a harelip. “All I can say is that we are investigating both cases.”

On July 28 it emerged that some of the medicines used by the brigade were out of date which may have contributed to the tragic outcome. Dr. Jiron confirmed this although he said the reasons behind the infections developed by the patients is still being investigated.

The case has provoked outrage in the media with some outlets claiming that the “Helping Hands” brigade send inexperienced or student doctors to practice on Nicaraguans while. "Helping Hands" is obviously a US government attempt to counteract "Mission Miracle," an FSLN program which has sent hundreds of Nicaraguans to Cuba and Venezuela where they have received successful cataract operations free of charge. The US program has instead only further highlighted the excellent medical care given by Cuba and Venezuela.

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Topic 3: Government Conditions Support for Oil Agreement on Cancellation of Debt

President of the Nicaraguan Energy Institute David Castillo sent a letter to President Enrique Bolaños and Managua Mayor Dionisio Marenco on July 24 urging both men to unite forces and clear the way for the importation of Venezuelan oil with preferential payment conditions as part of the agreement between the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA and the Association of Nicaraguan Local Government AMUNIC. In his letter Castillo said the deal would bring “great benefits to the Nicaragua population” such as the “immediate decrease of 15% in electricity rates.” Castillo warned that the international price of oil is about to experience another “sharp increase” which will bring further chaos to the national economy and further suffering for the population.

President Bolaños has refused to allow the use of the state company Petronic's off shore storage tanks which would allow the oil to be directly imported to Nicaragua. Bolaños does not want FSLN presidential candidate Daniel Ortega, who negotiated the preferential oil deal to get credit for lowering energy costs. On July 26, however, the President of the Nicaraguan Central Bank (BCN) Mario Arana said the government is “willing to support the oil deal” between PDVSA and AMUNIC adding “it is totally false that the government is prohibiting the use of Petronic's storage tanks.” Several radio stations proceeded to announce the government's decision to allow the direct importation of the Venezuelan oil. What many radio journalists decided to omit, however, was the fact that the government was actually conditioning its support of the deal on Venezuela's cancelling of the US$31.3 million debt Nicaragua has with the South American nation. That is like looking a gift horse in the mouth and poking him in the eye!

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Topic 4: Halleslevens: Foreign Ministry Must Look Into Honduran Military Base

Omar Halleslevens, chief of the Nicaraguan Army, called on the Foreign Minister to investigate a military base which the Honduran Army plans to build with help from the US military on Cabo Gracias a Dios on the Nicaraguan-Honduran border. According to the Honduran press the base will strengthen the fight against international terrorism and drug dealing. Halleslevens wants details on the base which is rumored to include an airstrip and storage tanks for gasoline. Tens of thousands of Nicaraguans were killed in the 1980’s by contra mercenaries based in Honduras who were organized and funded by the US government and who launched terrorist attacks against the civilian population

Indigenous Miskito communities from the Waspam region located on the border, have expressed their concern about the construction of the military base. Avelino Poncio, leader of the Bismona community, said he recommends the Nicaraguan Army reinforce its troops in the area “before we see the first confrontations between Honduran soldiers and Miskitos who cultivate the land on Cabo Gracias a Dios.” The Indigenous communities of Waspam were some of the most affected during the contra war of the 1980s and say they feel “fearful” about the return of a military presence in the region. Ancestral territory of the Miskito spans the Caribbean Coast of Honduras and Nicaragua.

Also feeling threatened are fishermen from Waspam and Bilwi who say the persecution they suffer from the Honduran military when attempting to carry out their daily labor on the Coco River (which marks the border between Nicaragua and Honduras) is likely to increase. Local fishermen claim that the biggest fishing boats on the Coco River belong to high ranking officers of the Honduran Army. Some say they fear they could even be killed by armed officials who could accuse them of being drug traffickers.

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Topic 5: Bolano's Proposes Budget Supplemental Bill For "Unforeseen Expenditures"ť

On July 25 President Bolanos proposed the National Assembly approve a $85.7 million budget supplemental to provide the funds to "comply by the agreements" of salary increases for doctors and teachers, to subsidize public transport in Managua and to leave “reserves for any unforeseen last minute expenditure.” His failure to give any further details about what type of unforeseen expenditure he was talking about caused suspicion among his political opponents.

Members of the Constitutional Liberal Party (PLC) and the Sandinista party (FSLN) demand that the appropriate amounts of money be put aside for the National University Council (CNU) and the Supreme Court of Justice which should be allocated 6% and 4% of the national budget respectively according to the Nicaraguan constitution.

Monica Baltodano, National Assembly candidate for the Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS), said, "Historically confidential expenditures have been used to fund electoral campaigns." Wilfredo Navarro, PLC deputy and President of the Assembly's Economic Commission, shares Baltodano's suspicion but assures that the commission will not allow such a move. It is unclear where the extra money would come from and why the IMF would suddenly accept a budget increase that they have previously opposed adamantly.

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Topic 6: WTO: Government Should Improve Infrastructure to Make Country More "Competitive"

On July 24 the World Trade Organization (WTO) issued a report in which it recommended the Nicaraguan government improve the country's infrastructure, consolidate the financial system and lower the price of telecommunications to order to allow competitiveness on the international market. The multilateral organization expressed concern over the number of preferential agreements Nicaragua has with other countries considering the poor state of the roads and ports as well as the excessive port fees.

According to the WTO Nicaragua experienced an average of 3.7% overall economic growth between 1997 and 2005. The Central Nicaraguan Bank (BCN) predicts 3.7% growth for 2006. In 2005 the Nicaraguan economy experienced an overall growth of 3.5% compared to the Latin American average of 5% according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL).

The WTO says the Nicaraguan economy is weak due to the country's large internal debt, excessive "dollarization" of the economy and political instability which acts as a disincentive to investors.

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This hotline is prepared from the Nicaragua News Service and other sources. To receive a more extensive weekly summary of the news from Nicaragua by e-mail or postal service, send a check for $60.00 to Nicaragua Network, 1247 E St., SE, Washington, DC 20003. We can be reached by phone at 202-544-9355.