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This double News Bulletin covers the news from June 7 through June 20, 2016.

1. Major earthquake hits Chinandega, Leon, and Corinto
2. Political earthquake caused by Supreme Court decisions
3. Nicaragua expels three US government officials
4. One Nicaraguan killed in Orlando, another in coma; Nicaragua expresses condolences
5. Child labor remains an intractable problem
6. Nicaragua works to preserve and expand coral reefs
7. Projections point to good harvest season for vegetables
 

1. Major earthquake hits Chinandega, Leon, and Corinto

On June 9, at 9:25pm a major earthquake registering 6.3 on the Richter scale shook the northwestern departments of Nicaragua and was felt in Honduras and El Salvador as well. The epicenter was 17 kilometers east of Puerto Morazán in the Department of Chinandega at a depth of four kilometers. The quake was felt particularly strongly in the departments of Chinandega and Leon but people throughout Nicaragua felt the trembler. No injuries or deaths were reported. However, houses, schools, hospitals, and churches suffered damage of greater or lesser degree and schools were closed in Chinandega. Cellular networks and land lines surpassed their capacities as Nicaraguans tried to communicate with their families and friends. Government spokeswoman Rosario Murillo said, “We are working on creating an alternative system because in the first ten minutes [after a quake] it is extremely difficult to communicate due to the overload of the lines,” adding that it wasn’t until 3:00am on June 10 that the country’s communications returned to normal.

William Martinez, a geologist at the Nicaraguan Institute for Territorial Studies (INETER), said that volcanologists from INETER were investigating the San Cristobal volcano near the epicenter of the earthquake to determine its connection to the trembler. Wilfried Strauch, also of INETER, said that there was a remote possibility that the seismic activity could be due to movement of magma within the volcano. Two experts from the US Geological Survey (USGS) were assisting scientists at INETER in the analysis of the earthquakes and in monitoring the Masaya volcano. Murillo thanked the Geological Survey for its help and said that USGS experts had promised to continue to work with Nicaraguan scientists and to continue to provide information from monitoring instruments and from satellites. By June 14^th, 2,288 aftershocks had been felt with the strongest registering 5.2 on the Richter scale. Commentators were remembering that the June 9 quake was of the same magnitude that had destroyed Managua in 1972. Managua at that time had a population of over half a million while this quake hit in a lightly populated area.

The government’s first response was to provide shelter for those whose homes were damaged and the urgency was increased because of heavy rains in the days following the quake. Murillo said that there were 32 communities impacted with a total of 37,000 affected persons. Medical brigades were also visiting the area and damage to houses was being evaluated. (Informe Pastran, June 9, 10, 13, 14, 17; El Nuevo Diario, June 9, 10, 13)

2. Political earthquake caused by Supreme Court decisions

On June 8, the Supreme Court issued a ruling resolving the dispute between four political groups over which should control the legally recognized Independent Liberal Party (PLI). [The PLI was founded in 1944 when it broke from Somoza’s Nationalist Liberal Party. Its historical leader is Virgilio Godoy, who served as vice-president of Nicaragua under President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro.] The Court said that the only legal PLI National Executive Council was the one set up in 2011 by leaders of the historical PLI and chaired by Rolin Tobie who has since died and was succeeded by first vice-president Pedro Reyes. The Court called on the Supreme Electoral Council to await the naming of the officials of the party and called on the party to hold a national convention to elect candidates and officials to participate in the upcoming November elections.

Reactions to the ruling were diverse. Reyes himself said, “We are going to be inclusive; we are going to give a chance to the people from the other factions because we are all independent Liberals and we must be in the organization, without any exclusions.” He added that he wanted to include all groups that have disputed the legal recognition of the PLI, including deposed leader Eduardo Montealegre. Within a few days he was joined by Jose Berrios, who was also disputing leadership of the PLI before the court. Reyes and Berrios described their alliance as the United PLI.

Eduardo Montealegre, who took over leadership of the PLI in 2011, said on June 8, “With this ruling, Daniel Ortega is trying to carry out a coup d’état over the opposition because he knows he cannot defeat us at the polls.” [The most recent CID Gallup poll showed 55% sympathize with the Sandinistas and 4% with the PLI.] Jose Adan Aguerri of the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP) said, “This is a grave situation because it creates uncertainty. It does not help in any way the stability and good business climate that the country needs.”

Former National Assembly Deputy for the Liberal Party Enrique Quiñonez said, “Virgilio Godoy, Pedro Reyes, and the other historical leaders were left without a party and they began their struggle. They even held a strike in front of the Supreme Electoral Council. Now we see that in the end justice was done. I saw how they [the Montealegre faction] took over the PLI and removed the members of the party. Those who took control had never been members of the PLI. They didn’t even know the PLI anthem; they didn’t even know there was an anthem, Beautiful Sovereignty. Those who dress themselves in stolen clothes can end up naked in the street.”

On June 14, Moises Hassan, president of the Citizen Action Party (PAC), offered the legal status of his party so that the National Coalition for Democracy which both the PAC and Montealegres’s PLI faction belong to, could run in the elections. But Hassan added that the future of the PAC was uncertain because a faction of his party was challenging his leadership in court. And, on June 17, the Supreme Court ruled that both boards of directors of the PAC were illegal because neither had been elected at meetings with the legal quorum for electing officers established in the party statutes. This left the National Coalition for Democracy with no current member with legal recognition as a political party to run in the elections.

Even before the Court’s ruling on the Citizen Action Party, however, the Coalition announced on June 15 that it was withdrawing from the elections. Members of the Coalition were leaving to join other parties and coalitions. A PLI candidate for the National Assembly in Chinandega, according to Informe Pastran, was negotiating with the Conservative Party, which is a part of the Democratic Unity Alliance (another coalition), to run on its slate. Eduardo Montealegre said that, “We did not retire from the electoral process but rather were expelled by the political system controlled by Daniel Ortega.” Violeta Granera, candidate for vice-president of the Coalition, said that the elections will not be legitimate if her coalition is not on the ballot, adding, “Our struggle has just begun.”

On June 15, former ambassador to the United States Arturo Cruz said that the best outcome would be for Pedro Reyes to come to an agreement with Eduardo Montealegre to go to the elections together using an analogy:  “Reyes has a license to open a bank but doesn’t have the capital to open it while Eduardo Montealegre does have the capital.” And a little perspective was provided by Supreme Court Justice Francisco Rosales, considered a Sandinista, who said on June 16, “In this country there are 17 registered political parties running in the elections so I do not see that the electoral process has lost credibility because of these decisions.” (Informe Pastran, June 8, 9, 15, 16, 17; La Prensa, June 8, 10, 14)

3. Nicaragua expels three US government officials

Nicaragua expelled two US government officials on June 15 for not obtaining the proper documentation to carry out functions which were described by Nicaragua as “tasks of security and certification for Customs and transfer of merchandise” to the United States as part of the fight against terrorism. A note from the Nicaraguan Embassy in Washington to the US State Department said, “This activity was carried out without the knowledge and/or the required coordination with Nicaraguan authorities which, as is easily understood, is very delicate.” The note reiterated the “disposition of the Nicaraguan government to maintain and increase diplomatic, political and trade relations always respecting our national legislation and, in the case of trade, corresponding to the norms for facilitating that trade that have been established between our two countries.” The note emphasized that “The subjects of security, the fight against terrorism, and against organized crime for which our institutions have gained so much effectiveness and prestige, must be dealt with in Nicaragua in coordination with our authorities.”

US Ambassador to Nicaragua Laura Dogu said that the officials were working directly with private businesses carrying out inspections of products so that their export to the United States could be expedited. “Apparently the rules here have changed but no one shared this information with the companies or with the embassy or with the government in Washington. If there are new rules we should understand what they are so that we can work in the framework of those rules because we don’t want to have problems and we want to support the prosperity of Nicaragua.”

Jose Adan Aguerri, president of the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP), said that the expulsion of the two officials caused the suspension of the certification process that facilitates the unimpeded export of coffee and Free Trade Zone goods to the US. He said that, with an eye to preventing future problems, COSEP is working in coordination with the governments of Nicaragua and the US to find solutions to the problem. He added that the US is Nicaragua’s most important trading partner and “we cannot put that at risk.”

The Nicaraguan government also expelled Evan Ellis, a professor at the United States Army War College, as he began a research project on the proposed shipping canal across Nicaragua. Ellis said that three Nicaraguan Migration officials told him that he had not been authorized to enter Nicaragua to obtain information about the canal and would have to leave the country by 5pm on June 14. US Embassy officials did not comment on the expulsion. Ellis is an expert on the relations between Latin American countries and China, Russia and Iran. (El Nuevo Diario, June 17, 18; La Prensa, June 15)

4. One Nicaraguan killed in Orlando, another in coma; Nicaragua expresses condolences

Among the 49 people killed by the shooter in Orlando on June 12 was Nicaraguan Jerald Arthur Wright whose mother is Nicaraguan and whose father is Ecuadoran. Wright, 31, worked at Walt Disney World and was at the night club to celebrate the 21^st birthday of a friend who also died in the attack. Another Nicaraguan Leonel Melendez, Jr., was shot in the head and in the leg and was hospitalized in a coma. Melendez, 39, was born in Managua but has lived in the US since he was seven years old. Melendez worked as a supervisor with Gucci America.

The Nicaraguan government sent a note to Washington saying that it wished “to express its deepest sympathy to the Government and people of the United States, following the horrific attack at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida.” The note added, “Our prayers and affection are with the families and mourning communities. May God comfort them, support them and give them strength.” US Ambassador Laura Dogu expressed her condolences to the family of Jerald Wright and her hopes for the recovery of Leonel Melendez, Jr.

On June 14, the LGBTI community in Nicaragua held a demonstration to protest the killings and show solidarity with the victims and their families. “The LGBTI community is in mourning,” said Silvia Martinez of the LGBTI Nicaraguan Roundtable. Juan Carlos Martinez of the Nicaraguan Sustainable Development Network, said that organizers hoped for the participation of not just the gay community of Managua, “but of all who want to demonstrate against intolerance and terrorism that affect the whole world.” (El Nuevo Diario, June 13, 14, 15, 20; Informe Pastran, June 13)

5. Child labor remains an intractable problem

An examination of efforts to end child labor in Nicaragua showed that the majority of child laborers (54%) are found in the countryside and are engaged in agriculture along with their families. The second highest category is sales in the markets. According to figures from the Nicaraguan Institute for Human Promotion (INPHRU), there are at least 1,100 children working in Managua’s markets, many selling items such as fruit and ice water. INPHRU reports that 135,000 children under the age of 18 work in agriculture. Mayela Cabrera, coordinator of Save the Children’s Education Project, attributed that to the severity of poverty that affects families in rural areas. She did say that the government has made progress in passing laws and implementing public policies to limit work for girls and children under 14 and to protect the rights of adolescent workers. She complimented joint efforts to ensure their schooling and their protection in situations that threaten or violate their rights.

One government program, Fight for the Sixth Grade, works to ensure that everyone gets at least a sixth grade education. Cabrera also said about rural children, “There are cultural patterns that assign work an educational value, hence children begin agricultural work at a young age, usually accompanied by their own families.” Former Ombudsman for Children and Adolescents Carlos Emilio Lopez said it is going to be difficult to change that until poverty is eliminated and there is a change in consciousness among families. The most recent statistics are from 2012 when the National Institute of Development Information reported that, of 1,275,834 children under 18 in the country, 396,118 worked, some paid and others unpaid. (El Nuevo Diario, June 12)

6. Nicaragua works to preserve and expand coral reefs

Coral reefs are abundant in both the Pacific and Caribbean coastal waters off Nicaragua’s coasts. In the Pacific there are abundant small reefs from Chacocente in Jinotepe, Carazo, south to the border with Costa Rica. Coral reefs can be seen a mere three kilometers off the shores of San Juan del Sur. On the Caribbean side, coral reefs are dispersed along the entire length of the two Autonomous Regions, especially near the Miskitos Cays, the Pearl Cays, and Corn Island. There are many more shallow water reefs in the waters which were claimed by Colombia but awarded by the World Court in 2012 to Nicaragua that have not been explored.  Caribbean reefs are more extensive due to the clarity of the water which allows sunlight to penetrate 30 meters down. In the Pacific, light reaches only 15 meters. The Caribbean reefs, which Marine biologist Fabio Buitrago says probably cover 130,000 square kilometers, were declared in 2000 by UNESCO as the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve. Nicaragua has also created five artificial reefs, four in the Pacific and one in the Caribbean which have become rich in biodiversity.

In order to protect the reefs, Buitrago urges Nicaraguans not to throw trash in the rivers, lakes, and lagoons that drain into the oceans and to use products that break down easily and quickly in water. Don’t buy products made of coral, he advised. He also urged the government to promote recreational diving to raise the awareness of Nicaragua’s coral reefs, while at the same time monitoring and controlling them more vigilantly against fishing and other damage. He added that the building of artificial reefs for coral to grow can be seen as a kind of maritime reforestation to preserve both coral and the many species that thrive on coral reefs.  (El Nuevo Diario, June 8)

7. Projections point to good harvest season for vegetables

With the end of the El Niño climate phenomenon, which brought drought to Nicaragua, projections for the 2016-2017 harvest season are very positive with an anticipated harvest of 4.6 hundredweights of vegetables including tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, cabbage, potatoes and carrots, for an 18% increase over last year. If there are excessive rains, those projections would decrease. Tomatoes represent 1.6 hundredweights, double the consumption of the population. The remainder will be exported. Likewise the projection is that Nicaraguan farmers will produce enough onions to satisfy local demand and export a small part of the harvest. The same holds true for other vegetable crops. Farmers will satisfy domestic needs and still have a percentage of their crop that can be exported.  (El Nuevo Diario, June 20)

This double News Bulletin contains news from May 24 through June 6, 2016.

1. Ortega named presidential candidate of Sandinista Party
2. Political briefs: Supreme Court order; COSEP on observation; Granera for PLI veep
3. CID Gallup poll shows 55% with Sandinista Party
4. Series of earth tremblers shake Managua
5. Government planting windbreaks to cut dust and soil erosion
6. Maduro says Caribbean oil promises will be kept
7. Government provides birth certificates to over 1,000 unregistered children
8. Zika cases reach 215
9. Rains bring sorrow and joy

1. Ortega named presidential candidate of Sandinista Party

The Sixth National Sandinista Congress, held on June 4, unanimously proclaimed President Daniel Ortega as the Sandinista candidate for president in the elections to be held on Nov. 6. The Congress also authorized Ortega to choose his vice-presidential running mate and finalize the party’s slates of candidates for the National Assembly and the Central American Parliament. And, finally, the Congress empowered Ortega to “continue the policy of alliances that has guaranteed reconciliation, unity, wellbeing and prosperity in Nicaragua.”

In his speech, Ortega spoke about what was happening in Nicaragua 37 years ago on that date, June 4, 1979, which was the first day of the final general strike and offensive. He remembered the early battles in Nueva Guinea, Esteli, and in Jinotega where Comandante German Pomares had fallen in combat. He said, “The people were converting themselves into combatants, not waiting for their saviors to arrive from the mountains to save them, but rising up in the cities and towns…. This was a contribution of the Popular Sandinista Revolution—insurrectional struggle. And we were in the midst of those battles during those days around the 4^th of June of the year 1979.”

Speaking of right wing efforts that brought down presidents of the left in Latin America, including Honduran Manuel Zelaya in 2009, Paraguayan Fernando Lugo in 2012, and currently Brazilian Dilma Rousseff, Ortega went on to say, “In the current circumstances in our region, we know that the battle in Nicaragua is of enormous transcendence because there is an attack from the empire and pro-imperialist forces.” He said that election observers of the usual kind would not be invited to Nicaragua this year noting that in the elections of 1996 international observers recognized that fraud had taken place but urged him to accept the results anyway. Given electoral problems in many other countries, he stated, “The observers should instead go and put their own countries in order.”

The response from the opposition political parties was predictably negative. Eduardo Montealegre, president of the Independent Liberal Party (PLI), said, “The electoral law stipulates electoral observation, therefore Ortega is asking the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) to violate the law.” Dora Maria Tellez of the Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS) said that the Sandinista Congress showed “a fearful Ortega with nothing to offer but words and threats. His time is over.” (El Nuevo Diario, June 4; Radio La Primerisima, June 5; Confidencial, June 5)

2. Political briefs: Supreme Court order; COSEP on observation; Granera for PLI veep

The Constitutional Panel of the Supreme Court on June 2 ordered the Supreme Electoral Council to put off the official naming of the members of the departmental and municipal electoral councils from the Independent Liberal Party (PLI) until the Court can rule on the challenges to the current PLI leadership from the “historical” PLI leadership and two other factions. On June 3, the parties were scheduled to present their lists of representatives for municipal electoral councils and the CSE would have until June 10 to confirm them. Half of the members of these departmental and municipal councils are supposed to be members of the party that won the previous general elections (in this case the Sandinista Party) and the other half are from the party that won second place (the PLI). Eduardo Montealegre, who took over the PLI several years ago, said, “What they are doing is holding back the electoral law and the elections in this country.” He added, “This is another violation of the laws of Nicaragua.” In May, Pedro Reyes of the Historical PLI had said that once the Court issued its ruling they would know who was in control of the PLI. He added that he was open to an agreement with Montealegre’s group to end the litigation. (Informe Pastran, June 3; La Prensa, May 11)

In other news, Jose Adan Aguerri of the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP), an ally of the Sandinista government on economic policies, said on May 31, “COSEP, as part of our commitment to democracy and to the economy, has been demanding electoral observation and we have done so conscious of the importance that correctly handled elections have for the political, economic, and social stability of the country.” He stated, “Independent electoral observation gives certainty to the process and legitimates it.” He added, “The Supreme Electoral Council already presented a list of people invited to observe the upcoming elections. That invitation should be extended to others such as the Carter Center, the European Union and the Organization of American States.” [It should be noted, however, that it was the Carter Center that urged Daniel Ortega to accept the results of the 1996 election even though they had observed fraud in that process (see above).] (Informe Pastran, May 31)

Meanwhile, the alliance headed by the PLI, the National Coalition for Democracy, named civil society activist Violeta Granera as its candidate for vice-president, sharing the ticket with the alliance’s presidential candidate Luis Callejas. Eduardo Montealegre said, “Violeta Granera is an outstanding fighter for democracy from the Movement for Nicaragua and other citizen participation initiatives.” [The Country Director for Nicaragua of the International Republican Institute (IRI) told a Nicaragua Network delegation in 2006 that the IRI had “created the Movement for Nicaragua.”] Granera said last week that she has never belonged to a political party. Her father was a senator under the Somoza dictatorship and was killed by the Sandinistas during the revolutionary uprisings. (El Nuevo Diario, June 2)

3. CID Gallup poll shows 55% with Sandinista Party

On May 25, the polling firm CID Gallup released the results of its latest survey of Nicaraguan public opinion which indicated that while 55% of those polled believed that the country was headed in the right direction, a significant number still had economic worries. Twenty-six percent worried about having enough income each month to cover basic necessities and 17% worried about someone in the family who was unemployed. Thirteen percent worried about the uncertainty of their water supply with that concern rising as the distance from the capital, Managua, increased. Thirty-one percent said that their family financial situation was better or much better than last year, up from only 21% last May.

As for political party preference, 55% said that they sympathized with the Sandinista Party; 38% said that they did not identify with any party; 4% identified with the Independent Liberal Party (PLI) and 3% with the Constitutional Liberal Party (PLC). Twenty-eight percent said that they believed the elections would be very honest and 27% said somewhat honest. Thirty-six percent said that the elections would not be very honest or would not be honest at all. Sixty-nine percent of those surveyed said that having national and international observers for the November elections was very important while 19% said they were somewhat important. The people with the highest favorability ratings were First Lady and communications coordinator Rosario Murillo with 67%, President Daniel Ortega with 65%, Managua Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes with 38%, Vice-President Omar Hallesleven with 30%, PLI leader Eduardo Montealegre with 21%, and business leader Jose Adan Aguerri with 17%.

The poll, which surveyed 1,204 people nationally between May 4 and 10, has an estimated margin of error of 2.8 points and a confidence level of 95%. The most delicate political questions were answered by the responders marking a paper and inserting it in a closed box. (El Nuevo Diario, May 25; Informe Pastran, May 25)

4. Series of earth tremblers shake Managua

On June 2, government spokesperson Rosario Murillo said that Managua had experienced 23 earth tremblers in the previous two weeks. She said, “The swarm, or what some experts call the swarm of earthquakes, has reached 23 of which… two were between 3 and 3.9; one was 4.4.” The earthquake of 4.4 had its epicenter four kilometers under the Milagro de Dios neighborhood of Managua. Arlen Vasquez, a resident of the neighborhood, said that they heard a loud noise at 4:02pm on May 31 and kitchen utensils, photographs, and other things fell to the floor.  “The fact that this neighborhood was the epicenter makes us want to find out how to protect ourselves. The movement felt like [we were moving in] gelatin,” she explained. There were a total of eight quakes on May 31 between 3:21pm and 4:40pm. Afternoon and evening classes at schools and universities were suspended.

The Nicaraguan Institute for Territorial Studies (INETER) said that ten of the tremblers had been caused by what is known as the “Airport Fault.” According to a map published in El Nuevo Diario, Managua is crossed by 18 north-south faults, among them the so-called Airport Fault. The capital has been severely damaged or destroyed three times in the last 150 years by earthquakes.

INETER announced that Nicaraguan scientists along with experts from the University of Zurich, Switzerland, are developing a system which would notify residents a few seconds before an earthquake hits. Wilfried Strauch told reporters that, “We are going to be able to give the population some ten or twenty seconds of warning so that the government and individuals can take some protection measures.” He warned, however, that the warning time shrinks for the people who live over the epicenter of a quake. The system, he explained, is already installed but is not expected to be functioning until the end of this year. He said that countries such as Japan, Taiwan, Turkey, Switzerland, and parts of the United States have this system which can give people time to run to safety or find protection under a strong piece of furniture. (Informe Pastran, May 31, June 2; El Nuevo Diario, May 31, June 2)

5. Government planting windbreaks to cut dust and soil erosion

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARENA) announced that it has restored 382 kilometers of windbreaks since June 2015 primarily in Chinandega, Leon, Managua, and Masaya. This is the beginning of a long-term erosion and dust control project that will eventually create slightly over 2,000.7 linier kilometers of trees in 11 agricultural municipalities in the Pacific agricultural region which has suffered wind driven dust storms and loss of topsoil particularly during the last several years of drought. MARENA announced that it plans to restore or create an additional 400 kilometers of windbreaks this year. (El Nuevo Diario, May 25)

6. Maduro says Caribbean oil promises will be kept

During a meeting of Caribbean energy ministers, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro affirmed promises to strongly expand Petrocaribe oil agreements. “Overcoming obstacles, bureaucracies, set-backs, sabotage, and negative campaigns from the North, Petrocaribe continues to construct a solid base of energy security in the Caribbean with an important investment and important infrastructure.” Petrocaribe was formed in 2005 to sell low cost oil to its members and to help finance oil infrastructure in those countries. Maduro also encouraged the energy ministers to expand energy security and diversification contrary to the US predictions of disaster. “The Petrocaribe miracle must be nurtured,” he said. “And now it is necessary to advance diversification which mainly includes natural gas and other sources of alternatives to oil which could be developed jointly so as to build a powerful common economic zone.” Nicaragua joined Petrocaribe in 2007. (Informe Pastran, May 30)

7. Government provides birth certificates to over 1,000 unregistered children

The mayor of Puerto Cabezas announced the success of its program “Right to a Name and Nationality” with the registration of 541 girls and 516 boys in the municipality. The United Nations Fund for Children (UNICEF) helped with the project which was conducted in 18 communities within the municipality which is the capital of the North Caribbean Autonomous Region. UNICEF’s representative in Nicaragua, Rinko Kinoshita, said, “Children have a right from birth to a name and a nationality in accord with the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Nicaraguan Code of Children and Adolescents, and the Code of the Family. This right opens the door to other basic rights such as health, education and social protection.” Municipal officials delivered the birth certificates at the end of the registration campaign. (Informe Pastran, May 30)

8. Zika cases reach 215

The number of confirmed cases of the Zika virus in Nicaragua reached 215 last week, according to the Ministry of Health. The number of pregnant women who have had the disease stands at 41, up by one case since the previous week. Eight babies have been born to affected mothers and all have been healthy with normal head circumferences. The Zika virus, which is caused by a bite from an infected aedes aegypti mosquito, can cause microcephaly in developing fetuses if the mother contracts the disease. The government has said that pregnant women who contract Zika “receive special attention” in government health centers. The government declared an epidemiological alert on May 5 based on an increase in the cases of chikungunya, dengue, and Zika and since January has been carrying out a massive abatement campaign to control the aedes aegypti mosquito, which carries all three diseases, with five million home visits so far. (El Nuevo Diario, May 24, June 1; Informe Pastran, May 26)

9. Rains bring sorrow and joy

In the last two years, the municipality of Managua has invested US$8.5 million in improving the city’s storm sewers but the rain on June 4 showed that many parts of the city are still vulnerable to flooding. Architect Gerald Pentzke commented that the mayor’s office has made an effort and things would have been much worse without that effort. He explained that “Eight years ago the city began to require that private housing developments must have the same level of filtration of water into the soil that existed before the ground was covered, but other elements have intervened.” He said deforestation and other changes in the use of soils have resulted in stronger currents carrying enormous amounts of sediment which overflow the storm sewer channels and flow into the streets. He added that many of the channels are obstructed by the garbage that residents continue to throw into them. Fidel Moreno, general secretary of the municipality of Managua, said that this year’s plan includes building or enlarging 31 segments of storm sewer channels, building eight small dams and renovating 40 kilometers of obsolete channels.

The last week of May brought heavy rains over virtually the entire country but particularly in the Pacific departments of Managua, Masaya, Chinandega and Leon which received over two inches of rain. Ninety-eight houses were destroyed or damaged according to the government. The Institute for Territorial Studies announced that “these are phenomena that indicate a normal rainy season for the Central American area.”

The country’s mayors met in Managua on June 2 to plan for the upcoming rainy season with general optimism. Matagalpa mayor Sadrach Zeledon said that rice farmers are happy with the rains because they will see lower costs as they will have to irrigate less. Planting of vegetables is increasing he reported. Other mayors said that their farmers were preparing the soil to plant corn, beans and vegetables. (El Nuevo Diario, June 1, 4; Informe Pastran, May 31; June 3)

1. United States pressures Nicaragua to allow international election observers
2. Sandino’s 121^st birthday marked
3. Health briefs: sub-specialists needed; autism addressed; improved patient attention
4. Investment in school infrastructure increases
5. Nicaraguans marked International Day against Homophobia
6. Conference highlights Nicaraguan microfinance
7. Crime briefs: Julio Rocha of FIFA; migrant trafficking and drug trafficking arrests

1. United States pressures Nicaragua to allow international election observers

The National Democratic Institute (NDI), one of the core groups of the US government-funded National Endowment for Democracy (NED), was in Nicaragua two weeks ago “to take the national pulse over the electoral process.” [The NED was created by the Reagan administration and its first “success” was to massively fund the creation of the UNO Coalition, including selecting its presidential candidate, and funding its 1990 campaign which defeated the Sandinista government elected in 1984. It has been a tool of US “democracy promotion” funding of parties and non-governmental organizations friendly to US economic and imperial interests around the world, particularly in Latin America and in States in and around the former Soviet Union.]

The NDI mission met with private sector representatives, opposition political parties, non-governmental and civil society organizations, and media directors. NDI functionaries heard concerns about the election and demands for funding to turn out the youth vote as well as demands for national and international observers. [National election observation in the form of poll watchers is written into the electoral law with each party entitled to observers at every step of the process from the setting up of voting machines through the vote, tally, and validation.]

United States Ambassador Laura Dogu added her voice to the pressure campaign, also pushing the narrative that this is “normal” and again claiming that the United States has invited several groups to send election observers. [This claim is probably meaningless since the US does not have a national election authority, but instead state electoral authorities, each of which would have to invite observers. The few representatives from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe who have visited the US for recent elections are very much like the accompaniers who have been invited to Nicaragua—see below.] Doguclaimed that the invitation for electoral observers needs to be made now because election day observation isn’t enough, but is needed “for the whole electoral system.”

The Nicaragua Network/Alliance for Global Justice agrees with Ambassador Dogu that “it is not enough to observe on Election Day.” That is why we are organizing an investigatory delegation to answer the question: Is the US Still Interfering with Nicaragua’s Democracy? The delegation will be August 5-14. Visit www.nicanet.orgfor more information or, for an application, send an email to Delegations@AFGJ.org.

State Department Spokesperson John Kirby turned up the pressure on the Nicaragua Supreme Electoral Council (CSE), an independent branch of the government, to invite “credible international observers,” and made the argument that international electoral observation is “normal” and stated that the United States allows it.  As we reported on May 10, fifteen experts in electoral matters from 11 Latin American countries have been invited to accompany the electoral process, among them: Lazaro Cardenas, former governor of Michoacán, Mexico, who has served as chief of an electoral mission of the Organization of American States (OAS); Francisco Royer, former president of the Colombia National Electoral Council; Wilfredo Penco, vice-president of the Uruguay Electoral Council; and Alejandro Tullio, former director of the Argentina Electoral Council.

Kirby, in response to a question at his daily briefing said, “As we have said very clearly before, credible international election monitors will only strengthen Nicaragua.” [Changes in the election monitoring system, which probably did serve a useful function during the democratic transition from dictatorships, have left many countries skeptical of US and European monitoring. Failure of the US to recognize the democratic election of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the eagerness of US and EU observers to validate the severely flawed Honduran election of 2013, and Haitian elections where international observers have overturned voter mandates to themselves choose and exclude candidates, has fueled rising resistance to the whole system of electoral observation, preferring instead, international “accompaniment” by impartial organizations.] (Informe Pastran, May 6, 18, 20)

2. Sandino’s 121^st birthday marked 

Nicaragua marked the 121^st anniversary of the birth of national hero Augusto Sandino on May 18. The National Assembly dedicated a special session to Sandino who, from 1927 to 1933, led the resistance to the occupation of Nicaragua by the US Marines which lasted from 1912 until 1933. Sandinista Deputy Loria Raquel Dixon said that “Sandino’s legacy transcends history and is reflected in the programs now being carried out to develop the country.” Jose Ramon Sarria, another Sandinista Deputy, added that Sandino’s example is not the exclusive patrimony of Nicaragua but belongs to the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean. Attending the special session were descendants of Sandino, President of the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador Lorena Peña, Nicaraguan historians, and university presidents.

President Daniel Ortega spoke at the Augusto C. Sandino Library in Niquinohomo, Department of Masaya, where Sandino was born. Ortega said that Sandino had “expelled the Yankee invaders from our land” and, like Simon Bolivar before him, promoted the unity of the peoples of the region. He said that the intentions of the right internationally and of the government of the United States were to dismantle revolutions and progressive movements through a new type of coup and called for Latin American and Caribbean unity to confront those dangers. He also said that today, “The main struggle in Nicaragua is the fight against poverty, hunger, unemployment and illiteracy. These are the enemies we are facing and success requires the participation of government, employers and labor working together, in peace and reconciliation.” Accompanying Ortega at the gathering in Niquinohomo were First Lady and communications coordinator Rosario Murillo, Army Chief Julio Cesar Aviles, and National Police Head Aminta Granera. (Informe Pastran, May 18, 19; El Nuevo Diario, May 18, 19; Nicaragua News, May 19)

3. Health briefs: sub-specialists needed; autism addressed; improved patient attention

According to the Ministry of Health (MINSA), Nicaragua needs more doctors in certain sub-specialties. MINSA employs 1,915 general practitioners, 1,949 specialists, and only 128 sub-specialists. The Ministry notes that in Managua it employs only eight neonatologists, five nephrologists, and three specialists in infectious diseases. MINSA in Leon, where the Oscar Danilo Rosales teaching hospital is located, has only three neonatologists, one nephrologist, and no specialists in infectious diseases. Another specialty in high demand is gynecologic oncology. There are only five specialists in that field in the country of whom only one works for the Health Ministry. There are 65 cardiologists in Nicaragua, of whom 23 work for MINSA. Cardiologist Jose Daniel Meneses said that while there are five hospitals that treat people with heart disease, doctors in many of the sub-specialties of cardiology are few. He said that Manolo Morales is the only public hospital that can handle major heart problems but it lacks equipment for some specialized treatments. (El Nuevo Diario, May 23)

The National Assembly Committee on Education completed its hearings on a bill that would promote efforts for children with autism to receive adequate treatment and education in their homes, schools, health centers, and communities. The committee received comments from Health Ministry doctors as well as from psychologists and psychiatrists while organizations working with people with autism testified at a committee hearing. Maritza Espinales, chair of the committee, said the law would establish a registry in the Ministries of Education and Health of persons with autism. She stated, “We should not see the boys and girls with autism as phenomena. They can be [with the other children] in the classrooms.” Gerda Gomez, president of the Center for Integral Attention to Boys and Girls with Autism, said she was optimistic about the law and added, “We have to raise consciousness about how this affects families and how we can support those families with persons with autism.” She emphasized the importance of early attention for children to address their educational and social development. Pediatricians should have sufficient knowledge about the condition to advise the families, she said. Espinales said the bill should pass easily in the National Assembly. (El Nuevo Diario, May 19)

The Health Ministry on May 18 announced a national campaign to improve attention to patients and their families. Carlos Cruz, director of health services, said, “We want to show our patients, their families, and the whole population that we are ready to make changes in our attitude and to constantly improve the quality of the attention and the affection we give to all our patients.” Patients and family members at health centers will be surveyed about the attention they received by health personnel, according to Cruz. The announcement of these efforts has come after some health workers were accused on social networks of unacceptable treatment of patients. (El Nuevo Diario, May 18)

4. Investment in school infrastructure increases

Government spokeswoman Rosario Murillo announced that nation-wide, municipal governments are investing almost US$8.8 million to improve school infrastructure. As we reported two weeks ago, this program is already well underway in the department of Rio San Juan which borders Costa Rica. Schools in the Departments of Managua, Nueva Segovia, Matagalpa, Masaya, Granada, Madriz, Jinotega, and the North Caribbean Autonomous Region will benefit as well. Existing classrooms have been repaired and new classrooms built.

One of the critiques of Nicaragua’s education system is the poor condition of the schools where students learn. Improving school infrastructure has been a priority of the government of President Daniel Ortega since he returned to office in 2007. His first act after his inauguration was to eliminate school fees which had been imposed by the three previous neoliberal governments at the direction of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). The result was that the schools were overwhelmed with new students whose families had been unable to afford to send them to school before. The legacy of the neoliberal governments’ failure to invest in school infrastructure meant that there was a large deficit in deferred maintenance and school construction to overcome. El Nuevo Diario quoted Eva Cordoba, executive director of Eduquemos Forum saying that to improve education it is necessary to also improve school infrastructure in order to permit access of new technologies, teaching materials and books. (El Nuevo Diario, May 20)

5. Nicaraguans marked International Day against Homophobia

May 17 is the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia and a number of Nicaraguans marched on that day to support sexual diversity and to condemn discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Juan Martinez, director of the Network for Sustainable Development (RDS), said, “On this occasion, we are demanding respect for the rights of LGBTI people and especially for the recognition of the identities of transgender women and men because they are the ones whose rights are the most violated.” The day was chosen because, on May 17, 1990, the World Health Organization stopped classifying homosexuality as a mental disorder, organizers said. Marchers in Managua carried the rainbow flag and signs supporting an end to discrimination. (El Nuevo Diario, May 17.)

6. Conference highlights Nicaraguan microfinance

Experts at an international economic conference held in Havana, Cuba, last week said that, for the most part, micro-lending in Latin America and the Caribbean is not fulfilling its original objectives of contributing to the reduction of poverty and social exclusion and, instead, according to economist Luis Proaño, the credit-extending agencies pursue high profits. He noted that there are 20 million microcredit borrowers in the region with loans that average around US$2,000. Latin America, the economists said, continues to be the most unequal region in the world. Microcredit loans currently total around US$40 billion but that is barely 2% of the total credit extended to the private sector in the region. Proaño said that “microfinance should take up again the social objectives with which it was born.” According to the participants in the meeting, responsible micro-lending should include, along with the financing, orientation on the proper management of the money.

The economists highlighted the positive experiences in Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and El Salvador where important programs supported by the governments assure that the loans are invested in the development of productive enterprises. [In Nicaragua, Zero Usury is expected to reach 130,000 borrowers this year with a total portfolio of US$28.2 million.] The experts noted that it has been demonstrated that, when it comes to microcredit, free market competition does not lower poverty rates. In Mexico, for example, they said that the high interest rates required a major review. Such rates, they said, reduce the possibilities of borrowers climbing out of poverty and increase inequality in communities. (Radio La Primerisima, May 18)

7. Crime briefs: Julio Rocha of FIFA; migrant trafficking and drug trafficking arrests

Julio Rocha, former president of the Nicaraguan Football Federation and a former member of the board of the International Football Federation (FIFA), was extradited from Switzerland to the United States to be tried for money laundering and other crimes related to a major bribery scandal in which seven current and former FIFA officials were arrested in Switzerland in May of 2015. He pleaded “not guilty” and was freed by the New York judge on a bail of US$1.5 million but must stay in New York or Florida and be under constant electronic monitoring. Rocha wanted to be extradited to Nicaragua to be tried there but that was not accepted by the US. Six other FIFA officers had already been extradited to the US and one other to Uruguay. According to the US Department of Justice, Rocha received a bribe of US$100,000 from a sports marketing company in exchange for privileges at the time of the World Cup elimination rounds. (El Nuevo Diario, May 18; Informe Pastran, May 18)

The National Police announced that more than 60 individuals were arrested for crimes linked to human trafficking and illegal immigration during the last four months of this year. The Police report noted that the main countries of origin of the detainees were Cuba, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. In one case, Mahfajor Rahman from Bangladesh told Judge Julio Arias that he and nine other migrants, seven from Pakistan and two from Nepal, were to pay two coyotes from Chinandega US$200 each to take them to the Honduras border. In another hearing three Ecuadorans told Judge Arias that a network of coyotes was supposed to get them to the United States for US$10,000 but they had only paid US$3,000 at the time police stopped them in Managua. (Nicaragua News, May 17; El Nuevo Diario, May 12)

The Nicaraguan National Police announced the arrest of four people involved with what has become known as the “Honduran Police Officers Case.” The four were detained with a white pickup truck and US$239,980. On May 11, Honduran media outlets reported that two Honduran police officers were detained in Chinandega with more than US$10,000 hidden in their vehicle that they did not declare upon entering the country as is required by law. Police Commissioner Francisco Diaz also reported that under the government’s Security Plan the Police and Army had disbanded 79 drug operations, seizing 179 kilos of cocaine and 20 lbs. of marijuana between May 9 and 15. (El Nuevo Diario, May 11, 17)

1. Political briefs: Choosing candidates; 84% likely to vote; observation or accompaniment
2. US briefs: US Army medical brigade visits; TPS extended; FDA says cigars health risk
3. Economic briefs: EU aid; electricity; domestic employees; baseball stadium; rains
4. Nicaragua condemns attempted coup against Dilma Rousseff
5. Government sends condolences to family of Michael Ratner
6. Zika prevention program has made 4.4 million home visits
7. Government offers subsidy for affordable housing
8. Fire destroys 7 stores in Eastern Market

1. Political briefs: Choosing candidates; 84% likely to vote; observation or accompaniment

On May 11, the National Coalition for Democracy (CND), headed by the Independent Liberal Party (PLI), chose by consensus National Assembly Deputy Luis Callejas as its candidate for president in the upcoming November elections. Rev. Santurnino Cerrato abandoned his aspirations as the strength of Callejas’ support became evident. Members of the Coalition include, besides the PLI: the Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS), the Citizen Action Party (PAC), and dissidents who have broken with the Constitutional Liberal Party (PLC). Ana Margarita Vijil of the MRS has expressed interest in being the CND candidate for vice-president. (Informe Pastran, May 11, 13; El Nuevo Diario, May 12)

On May 16, the Sandinista National Council met in Managua and approved a resolution setting out the schedule for the choosing of candidates for president, vice-president, National Assembly Deputies, and members of the Central American Parliament (PARLACEN). President Daniel Ortega and Communications Coordinator Rosario Murillo presided over the meeting which was attended by FSLN political secretaries from all the departments, the National Council of the Sandinista Youth Organization, and other members of the party leadership. The National Sandinista Assembly will meet next and finally the National Congress of the FSLN (Sandinista National Liberation Front) will confirm all the candidacies of the party. (El Digital 19, May 16; Informe Pastran, May 16)

Meanwhile, M&R Consultores released another poll in which 58% of those surveyed said that they definitely would vote; 25.6% said they probably would vote; 3.4% probably would not vote and 7.4% definitely would not vote. On the question about voter registration cards, 93.9% said they had their cards. Of those 10.9% would be voting for the first time. However, among all of those intending to vote for the first time only 72% had their voter cards. The last day to apply for a voter registration card for the November elections is Aug. 8. Raul Obregon, general manager of M&R Consultores, said that the total number of voters could reach 4.2 million. The poll was carried out between April 23 and May 2 with 2,000 people over 16 (the voting age) surveyed by means of face-to-face interviews. The poll has a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of 2.24%. (El Nuevo Diario, May 11, 13; Informe Pastran, May 13)

Discussion continued on the subject of observation versus accompaniment of the elections. Jose Adan Aguerri, president of the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP), said that his organization would continue to push for national and international observation as it has been a supporter of observation in past elections. Former President Arnoldo Aleman said that he thought that it was too late to invite groups such as the Carter Center and added that the protection of the vote is the responsibility of the poll watchers of each party at the polling places. The Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS) said in a statement that “the group of specialists [that the government invited as accompaniers] are international consultants whose task is to advise officials of the electoral branch but they are not by any definition independent and qualified electoral observers.” Informe Pastran took a look at the history of election observation in Nicaragua and quoted Nicaraguan General and President Emiliano Chamorro who told of how from 1917 to 1956, electoral processes in the country were directly influenced by the United States and politicians of that period, including himself, consulted everything with the US ambassador. Pastran notes, “One should read that history at this moment in time.” (Informe Pastran, May 10, 11, 13; El Nuevo Diario, May 10))

2. US briefs: US Army medical brigade visits; TPS extended; cigars grave health risk

A medical brigade of the Southern Command of the US Army will be working in the North Caribbean Autonomous Region of Nicaragua in the community of Alamikamba. The group of 60 from the Joint Task Force Bravo will include doctors, dentists, nurses and air crew for their UH-60 and CH-47 helicopters. They will be supported by the Nicaraguan Army and 16 Nicaraguan doctors and nurses from the Health Ministry and the Army. They hope to provide medical and dental services to 800 patients. The program provides experience for the medical personnel in providing services “in difficult conditions.” The Southern Command humanitarian assistance program has assisted 47,000 and performed 500 surgeries since 2007. (Informe Pastran, May 16)

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for eligible nationals of Nicaragua for an additional 18 months, effective July 6, 2016, through Jan. 5, 2018, according to a statement from the US Citizen and Immigration Service. Current Nicaraguan TPS beneficiaries who want to extend their temporary protected status must re-register during the 60-day re-registration period that runs from May 16, 2016 through July 15, 2016. The 18-month extension allows those who re-register to apply for a new employment authorization document (work permit). The same extension applies to Hondurans, according to the DHS. Fifty-seven thousand Hondurans and 2,550 Nicaraguans are protected from deportation under the 18 year old program. (Informe Pastran, May 16; https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/temporary-protected-status-extended-nicaragua)

Addressing the restrictions that Nicaragua’s handmade cigars will soon face on entering the United States, William Muntean, economic officer at the US Embassy in Managua, explained that scientific evidence from the US Food and Drug Administration led to the conclusion that there was no justification for excluding premium cigars from the new rules. All tobacco products, he said, represent grave negative health risks. Nicaragua has 51 cigar factories which produce premium cigars that will now have to be submitted to the FDA for review. The new law enters into effect on Aug. 8 but producers can continue selling their products for two years as they prove that they are complying with the new measures. (El Nuevo Diario, May 13)

3. Economic briefs: EU aid; electricity; domestic employees; baseball stadium; rains

European Union Ambassador Kenny Bell told Channel 2 TV News last week that the EU was donating over €240 million (US$269.4 million) to Nicaragua for projects in productive sectors, education, and climate change. He said, “We are now in the process of identifying with the government the projects we are going to finance during this phase.” He said that the donation to Nicaragua was “among the highest in the region and we believe that it is a significant contribution to the development of Nicaragua.” And he added, “It is a donation, not a loan, and with that we can complement government resources [and] funding from other donors.” He said that Nicaragua’s growth rate of between 4 and 5% and its macroeconomic stability were important, but “more growth is always necessary in order to advance.” He said that European investors were interested in Nicaragua but they do so directly through Pro-Nicaragua and what EU donations do is help Nicaragua exports enter the “biggest market in the world with 500 million people.” (Informe Pastran, May 13)

The center responsible for administering the electricity market in Nicaragua reported that in the first quarter of the year 60% of the country’s energy was generated from renewable sources. And in related news, the Fabretto Foundation and the US firm Voltaic Systems announced a program to promote the use of solar powered lamps in the country’s rural areas. Voltaic Systems said that advances in solar energy have played a role in the reduction of rural poverty and that the company will be distributing the first 160 solar lamps free to families in isolated sections of the country. Meanwhile, the National Electricity Transmission Company (ENATRAEL) announced that it had expanded electricity service to 600 people in 121 homes in the 22 de Mayo neighborhood of Managua as part of a government plan to expand service in all 153 of the country’s municipalities. According to the Foundation for Economic and Social Development (FUNIDES), Nicaragua has the third highest subsidy in Latin America for low electricity usage households in proportion to its GDP, providing subsidies to families that use under 150 kWh per month. FUNIDES recommends lowering it to 100 kWh.  (Informe Pastran, May 16; Nicaragua News, May 16; El Nuevo Diario, May 16)

The Nicaraguan Social Security Institute reported that 250,000 people in Nicaragua work for private families as cooks, maids, drivers, nannies, gardeners, etc. But, the employers of only 10% of them are paying into Social Security, in total 26,591 workers, of which 4,362 joined the system last year. In Nicaragua, the social security system can also provide health care along with old age pensions and death benefits and a social security card is usually a requirement for a bank loan.  Sociologist Ismael Centeno said, “Often it is the employer who doesn’t want to ensure the worker but sometimes it is the worker who doesn’t want it because he or she thinks it will not be worthwhile.” National Assembly Deputy Carlos Emilio Lopez said that among the recognized rights of home workers is that of being registered with the social security system. (El Nuevo Diario, May 16)

The new national baseball stadium is taking shape in Managua, according to the Chamber of Construction. The stadium will hold 15,000 spectators, is being built to US Major League Baseball (MLB) standards, and will be earthquake resistant. Some 350 workers are currently employed in laying the foundations but the construction will eventually employ 1,200 workers. The stadium, which will cost US$30 million, will be finished in time for the XI Central American Games in 2017. (Informe Pastran, May 12)

At a meeting of the Union of Farmers and Ranchers (UNAG) on May 9, there was optimism about the beginning of the rainy season. Farmer Luis Octavio Obregon of Esteli said, “I expect to plant my basic grains beginning on May 16. The cattle have made it through the time of hunger, as we call it, because the grass is now green. The farmers’ enthusiasm is high.” Jose Santos Nicoya, an UNAG leader in Rivas, said, “The information that we have is that the rainy season is going to be good and people are motivated.” Some 75,000 small and medium scale farmers belong to UNAG. (El Nuevo Diario, Ma

4. Nicaragua condemns attempted coup against Dilma Rousseff

The government of Nicaragua sent a message of solidarity to Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and to former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in which they called the removal of Rousseff “a blow to democracy.” The message, signed by President Daniel Ortega and First Lady Rosario Murillo said that they had been following the crisis in Brazil “with indignation.” “We are shocked by the arguments and political games of the right which, as always, attempt to weaken processes for the liberation from poverty and for the transformation of oppressive culture,” the statement said. The message also said that the Brazilian people and the Workers Party with Rousseff and Lula at their head have been “examples of change and of spiritual strength.” The message ended with, “The people united will never be defeated!” (El Nuevo Diario, May 12)

5. Government sends condolences to family of Michael Ratner

Government communications coordinator Rosario Murillo expressed the condolences of the government of Nicaragua to the family of Michael Ratner, former legal director and president of the Center for Constitutional Rights in New York, who died on May 11. Murillo said, “We want to send our affectionate embrace and our condolences to the family of our North American brother Michael Ratner, who died at the age of 72 after a long illness.” She went on to say, “He defended Nicaragua and sued the United States for putting bombs in the Port of Corinto, among other solidarity efforts for the Nicaraguan people during those hard years of war.” He was an adviser to the Sandinista government for the case against the US before the World Court in the 1980s. Murillo concluded, “Our solidarity embrace to his wife, his children, and to all his family.” [The Center for Constitutional Rights and its then-legal adviser Ratner assisted the Central American solidarity organizations—among them the Nicaragua Network—when they were being harassed by the FBI in the 1980s.] (Informe Pastran, May 12)

6. Zika prevention program has made 4.4 million home visits

The Nicaraguan government is closely following the pregnant women in the country who have contracted Zika, a total of 38 women of whom eight have already given birth to healthy babies. Last week the total of confirmed Zika cases reached 196 including 12 new cases. Among them were three pregnant women. The first case in Nicaragua was confirmed on Jan. 27 of this year. Ultrasound exams of the pregnant women have so far indicated normal head circumferences in the fetuses. Meanwhile, two more people died from dengue last week and 19 more cases of chikungunya were reported. All three of these diseases are carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. In order to slow the propagation of the mosquito, the government continues an active prevention campaign and has made 4.4 million home visits to eliminate places where the insect can lay its eggs. (Informe Pastran, May 16; El Nuevo Diario, May 11, 16)

7. Government offers subsidy for affordable housing

The Nicaragua Urban and Rural Housing Institute (INVUR), with support from the Nicaragua Chamber of Housing (CADUR), is implementing a subsidy program to facilitate greater access to low cost housing. Ricardo Melendez, CADUR President, said the purpose of this public - private partnership is to offer favorable conditions for the poor to purchase a home. At the end of April, INVUR Co-director Guillermo Arana announced that the government has allocated funding to INVUR for subsidies of US$2,000 each for 5,500 families, who can earn up to four times the minimum wage, to use as a down payment to purchase affordable homes.

Ricardo Melendez, president of the Chamber of Developers (CADUR), said that the subsidy was very important and added, “People can get their houses right away…. The government puts in US$2,000; the family puts in US$500; the bank finances US$17,500 and with that you have your house. [The government subsidy] is an important achievement and worthwhile.” He said his organization is in talks with the government to raise to US$23,000 the top affordable home price for which the government will subsidize the interest. The amount is currently at US$20,000. From June 17 to 19, the 21 annual National Housing Fair will be held in Managua where 69 housing projects will offer homes between US$22,000 and US$35,000. (Nicaragua News, May 11; El Nuevo Diario, May 11; Informe Pastran, May 10)

8. Fire destroys 7 stores in Eastern Market

A fire destroyed seven stores in Managua’s famous (or infamous) Eastern Market on May 14. There were no injuries but the costs to owners for damages will be considerable given that insurers would not write policies on the stores because they considered them to be in a high risk area. Government communications coordinator Rosario Murillo said that the authorities would study the fire and correct the conditions that produced it and the problems the fire department had in controlling it. “We have to work to correct the weaknesses that we found at the time of this fire as well as the cause of the fire that we have been told had to do with the electricity connections,” she explained. Twenty-nine fire trucks and 327 firefighters, police officers, and Red Cross workers participated in fighting the fire. Police Commissioner Thelma Collado said that 15 people were arrested attempting to loot stores at the time of the fire. Augusto Rivera of the Managua office that regulates markets said that the stores were full of highly flammable material and the fire department had difficulty accessing water. Commander Ramon Landero of the Fire Department said that there were not enough fire hydrants in the market. (El Nuevo Diario, May 15, 16)

1. CSE releases electoral calendar
2. Canal Commission signs accord with Rama-Kriol community
3. Opposition figures release statement; PLI candidate shows false photos on TV
4. Southern Command head visits Nicaragua
5. Masaya Volcano reopens to tourists
6. Army seizes illegally logged timber
7. EU aids education for Nicaragua’s poorest
8. Nicaragua participates in energy summit
9. Alarm over FDA rule on premium cigars

1. CSE releases electoral calendar

On May 6, Roberto Rivas, president of the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) issued the official call to political parties and movements to participate in elections on November 6^th to elect a president, vice-president, members of the National Assembly, and members of the Central American Parliament (PARLECEN). Twenty National Assembly deputies will be elected nation-wide; 70 will be elected on a regional basis from the departments; and 20 will be elected to represent Nicaragua at PARLECEN.  Seventeen political parties are currently legally registered.

Rivas announced “citizen verification” days on June 25 and 26 which he called “a massive process that will help us to clean up the electoral roll” and called on citizens to report deceased family members. The electoral calendar, which was submitted to the political parties for their comments, also includes candidate inscription between July 28 and August 2 with the campaign beginning on August 20 and lasting for 75 days. Each political party or alliance that registers candidates will be allotted 30 minutes each day on every government owned television channel and 45 minutes on every government owned radio station to promote its candidates. One percent of the government budget is allocated to reimburse political parties for campaign expenses.

The CSE said that 15 experts in electoral matters from 11 Latin American countries have been invited to accompany the electoral process, among them: Lazaro Cardenas, former governor of Michoacán (Mexico) who has served as chief of an electoral mission of the Organization of American States (OAS); Francisco Royer, former president of the Colombia National Electoral Council; Wilfredo Penco, vice-president of the Uruguay Electoral Council; Alejandro Tullio, former director of the Argentina Electoral Council; Raul Alconada, former deputy foreign minister of Argentina; Pablo Gutiérrez, consultant with the Latin American Social Sciences Institute (FLACSO).

Opposition political party leaders immediately expressed their opinions. Conservative Party president Alfredo Cesar said that his party wanted the CSE to invite official observation missions from the OAS, the European Union, and the Carter Center. Constitutional Liberal Party (PLC) spokesman Jorge Irias said that, as the municipal and departmental electoral committees were set up under the announced rules, the Sandinista Party would dominate them and leave the opposition parties in the minority. Cairo Manuel Lopez, president of the Social Christian Party (PSC), told CNN Spanish that there was a lack of unity among the opposition parties, saying, “I believe that the opposition in recent years has gotten bogged down in internal struggles, in personal struggles and in hatreds more than in the search for common objectives.”

US Ambassador to Nicaragua Laura Dogu said on her Twitter account, “Nicaraguans merit recognized international observation, not accompaniment.” In a subsequent twitter, she said, “Investors think that free, just, and transparent elections contribute to a prosperous, safe, and democratic country.”  [It should be noted that the United States does not allow international observation or accompaniment of its elections. Opposition political parties in Nicaragua are entitled to official observers at each stage of the preparation, vote, and vote counting, and verification process, just like in the US.]

Managua Archbishop Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes said that he hoped for a tranquil electoral campaign without tension and added, “All Nicaraguans must be observers so that these elections can be a true sign of fraternity among us.” Bishop Rene Sandigo of Chontales lamented that politics had so divided Nicaragua adding, “It is difficult for us to recognize that there are positive elements in what the other side is doing.” He said that the Church calls on all to respect one another and to dialogue with one another. (El Nuevo Diario, May 6, 8, 9; Informe Pastran, May 6, 9; La Prensa, May 9; Nicaragua News, May 9)

2. Canal Commission signs accord with Rama-Kriol community

The National Canal Commission announced on May 3 that it had signed an accord with the Rama and Kriol Territorial Government (GTRK) for the leasing of 263 square kilometers of land within the Rama and Kriol demarcated communal territory for the building of the proposed interoceanic shipping canal. Hector Thomas Macrae, president of the GTRK, said, “After more than two years of conversation we have been able to culminate this historic process of consultation and have identified the necessary elements to be able to give our consent.” He said that both peoples (Rama and Kriol) were convinced that the canal project would contribute to improving the living standards of the communities and would safeguard their culture and respect their ancestral traditions and archeological and holy sites inherited from their ancestors. Manuel Coronel Kautz, president of the Canal Authority, said that accord complies with national law and international norms of environmental protection. Telemaco Talavera, spokesman for the Canal Commission, said that the accord respects Nicaraguan law and international treaties, including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

However, others from the Rama and Kriol communities protested the accord saying that it was not the result of a consultation process that conformed with minimum standards of good faith and the requirements of national and international law. Rupert Allen Claire Duncan, president of the communal government of Monkey Point and a member of the GTRK, said that the accord is supported by some but not all of the GTRK. He explained that government representatives came to consult with them about the project but they did not arrive at any consensus. He said, “We do not recognize a document that has been signed without taking us into account.” According to the Center for Legal Assistance to Indigenous Peoples (CALPI), “Leaders of the GTRK and of the communities will file a lawsuit in the coming days against the illegal actions and will continue with their case before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).” (Informe Pastran, May 3; El Nuevo Diario, May 4: La Prensa. May 3)

3. Opposition figures release statement; PLI candidate shows false photos on TV

On May 5, a group of 27 opposition leaders, from Sandinista dissidents to former members of the administration of President Enrique Bolaños and 2011 presidential candidate Fabio Gadea, signed a document which said that participation in the elections should be subject to periodic evaluation accompanied by a willingness to drop out if the process shows itself to be illegitimate. The document paints a picture of the country that is dark and desolate and that contrasts sharply with the picture painted the week before by representatives of the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank. The document alleges that between 2007 and 2015, the percentage of workers in the informal sector increased from 65% to 80%. [However, the number of workers paying into the Social Security system has increased dramatically indicating a large growth in formal sector jobs.] It also alleges that underemployment has increased from 33% to 50% of the labor force and that salaries adjusted for inflation have gone down substantially. [But, the minimum wage has gone up about 10% annually.] The document says, “Today as yesterday, Ortega will be responsible, just as Somoza was, for a failure of these elections and for what comes afterward.” Among the signers of the document were Ernesto Cardenal, Gioconda Belli, Violeta Granera, Enrique Sáenz, Carlos Tunnerman Sofia Montenegro, Cirilo Otero, and Edmundo Jarquin.

Meanwhile, on the program of Jaime Arellano on Channel 15 TV on May 5, Luis Callejas, National Assembly deputy and Independent Liberal Party (PLI) candidate for president, presented several photographs that he said he had obtained on a visit to Ayapal (in Jinotega) and that he said showed the murder of peasants by the Army and their burial in a mass grave. La Prensa published the photos but shortly thereafter discovered that they depicted a slaughter among members of a religious sect in 2012. The daily apologized to its readers and Arellano said, “When Deputy Callejas gave me the photos, I trusted him and the PLI. I committed the error of believing the photos had been verified.” However, the National Coalition for Democracy, of which the PLI is a member, did not apologize and released a statement saying, “We support the efforts that Dr. Luis Callejas has made to defend life and human rights in those parts of the country where he has traveled and heard testimony that confirms violations of human rights that we thought were part of a painful past.” (La Prensa, May 5; Informe Pastran, May 5)

4. Southern Command head visits Nicaragua

President Daniel Ortega reaffirmed his commitment to peace and regional security during a meeting in Managua on May 3 with Lt. Gen. Joseph P. DiSalvo, Deputy Commander of U.S. Southern Command. Ortega said that this is a new chapter in the bilateral relations between Nicaragua and the United States. “Our two countries maintain a close cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime,” Ortega stated.  During his three day visit DiSalvo met with, besides the president, other government officials and representatives of the private sector. He also visited the local company that is restoring the vessels captured by Nicaragua’s Naval Force during operations against drug trafficking. The US is funding the restauration of the boats which will be used as anti-drug patrol vessels by the Naval Force. (Nicaragua News, May 4; El Nuevo Diario, May 3)

5. Masaya Volcano reopens to tourists

The Masaya Volcano National Park has been reopened and tourists can visit to see the lava lake in the caldera. Authorities are monitoring it closely as there is still lava movement within the volcano.  Presidential spokeswoman Rosario Murillo said, “The park is open, but the lava lake is continually active. There is strong movement which causes splashing around the mouth so people have to be very careful as they approach, including families strolling in the park.” The park had been closed since January when it began to register intense activity and a new lava lake formed. [The lava lake was also visible in the past until sometime in the 1980s when rock slides buried it.] National Geographic recently took some dramatic film of the lava lake, and the Washington Post published the video on its website [which you can view on the Nicaragua Network’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NicaraguaNetwork/]. The volcano has drawn experts from around the world.  (El Nuevo Diario, May 4, 5)

6. Army seizes illegally logged timber

The army’s Ecological Battalion seized 7,000 board feet of illegally cut timber in the municipality of Rosita in the Mining Triangle of the North Caribbean Autonomous Region on the night of May 3. Two trucks were stopped at an army roadblock. One carried 4,080 board feet of Caribbean Pine and Calophyllum antillanumand the other was transporting 3,444 board feet of tamarind and Calophyllum antillanum. Illegal logging is one of the main culprits of Nicaragua’s continuing deforestation along with illegal clearing for agriculture, especially cattle grazing, and illegal colonization of indigenous land and forest reserves. Col. Marvin Paniagua explained that the operation was part of the plan called Action in Defense of Mother Earth.  The army also identified the owner of the illegally logged property who lives in Rosita. (El Nuevo Diario, May 4)  

7. EU aids education for Nicaragua’s poorest

European Union Ambassador Kenny Bell announced a US$36.4 million EU donation for the Nicaragua Education Development Program to strengthen the Ortega government’s Free and Quality Education Model which has remodeled more than 70 schools and equipped some with solar energy systems. The European aid will fund the purchase of 1.5 million textbooks for 320,000 public and subsidized secondary school students. The Department of Rio San Juan, which borders Costa Rica, received 18,490 textbooks in math, language and literature, English, and natural and social sciences last week according to Ministry of Education Departmental Delegate Isabel Delgado.  The EU aid began in 2015 as part of a five year commitment to help improve education through support of the Ministry of Education. The program is particularly focused on secondary school access and completion in rural areas and among vulnerable populations. Another objective is to improve teacher quality. The program is being implemented in the 43 poorest of Nicaragua’s 153 municipalities. (Nicaragua News, May 9; El Nuevo Diarion, May 7)

8. Nicaragua participates in energy summit

At the Second Summit on Energy of Central America and the Caribbean held in Washington, DC, on May 4, Vice-President Joe Biden congratulated Nicaragua for its efforts in converting its energy matrix from petroleum to renewable sources, for expanding coverage to more Nicaraguans, and for lowering rates to consumers. The Nicaraguan delegation was headed by Vice-President Omar Hallesleven and included Nicaraguan Ambassador to the US Francisco Campbell, Jose Adan Aguerri of the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP), Cesar Zamora of the Chamber of Energy, and Salvador Mansell of the National Electricity Transmission Company (ENATREL). Also attending were the presidents of Panama, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

One of the principal challenges according to a report presented at the conference “is to overcome the different normative and technical restrictions” of the various countries. The Caribbean countries presented a regional platform to coordinate investments in clean energy. The United States will destine US$15 million to strengthen and expand the Regional Electricity Market (MER) in Central America and promote renewable energy in the Caribbean. But another aspect of the conference was revealed by Amos Hochstein of the State Department who said that renewable energy “assures these countries a future that permits additional investment and relieves them not only from dependence on Venezuela but from the fluctuating petroleum markets.” But, he added, “The United States is not going to substitute for Petrocaribe nor will it give out petroleum on credit or at cheap prices.”

In the last seven years, Nicaragua has increased electricity coverage from 52% of the population to 87% while the percentage of the country’s electricity generated from renewable sources has increased from 25% to 58%.  (Informe Pastran, May 3, 4, 6)

9. Alarm over FDA rule on premium cigars

Bayardo Arce, President Daniel Ortega’s economic adviser, said on May 5 that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had dealt a blow to Nicaragua’s cigar industry with its ruling that producers of handmade premium cigars would have to submit their products for review. [US premium cigar makers also protested saying that the requirement may prove too costly for smaller manufacturers that use traditional methods.]  Arce noted, “For more than a year we have been telling the US government that it would be an error to apply a policy that classified premium cigars with other [tobacco] products.” Juan Ignacio Martinez, president of the Tobacco Association of Nicaragua, said in March that if the FDA treated premium cigars, made by hand, the same as the cigarillos that have different types of additives and appeal to young people, the regulatory costs for producers would be very high and many small companies would go out of business. Nicaragua’s export tobacco industry employs 35,000 people and last year generated US$185 million in foreign exchange with 75% of the exported products going to the United States.  (El Nuevo Diario, May 6; Informe Pastran, May 9; Reuters, May 9)