Nicaragua News Service August 14-20, 1994 Vol. 2, No. 35 by Colleen Littlejohn Major news stories for the week: 1. Minister of Agriculture foreclosed on for debt to BND. 2. Decision pending on transport strike. 3. FSLN party registration more than expected. 4. Fiallos wishes to continue in Supreme Electoral Council. 5. Settlement in view for El Limon mine struggle 6. Miners in Atlantic Coast wait for reopening of mines. 7. 300 students without return flight from Cuba. 8. INE studying offers of private investment. 9. Government studies possible role for army in Haiti. 10. Statue of Patron Saint disappears in Jinotepe. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Minister of Agriculture foreclosed on for debt to BND. Minister of Agriculture Roberto Rondon Sacasa, who is also one of the most powerful cattle ranchers in Nicaragua's Fifth Region (Boaco, Chontales) has until Monday, August 22, to make good on an over 10 million cordoba ($1.67 million) debt he has pending with the National Development Bank, a debt that has accumulated and not been paid on for the last four years. If at least a third of the debt is not paid by Aug. 22, the BND will proceed to foreclose on Rondon's farms, equipment, 4,000 head of cattle, houses and personal vehicles, and put them on public auction. Bank officials stated that they have been trying to come to some kind of out of court agreement with Rondon, but that he had not cooperated and the level of debt not repaid has reached "unacceptable" levels. Other high profile people have also been given the news of impending foreclosure actions against them. President Chamorro's reaction was that Rondon should pay up. (Barricada 8/19, 8/19) 2. Decision pending on transport strike. Over 400 private transport workers from Leon, Granada, Rivas, Jinotega, Esteli, Masaya, Managua, Matagalpa, and other departments decided at the end of last week to implement an indefinite transport stoppage this week (August 22), a strike that will affect cargo and collective public transport. For "tactical" reasons the date of the beginning of the strike was not announced. The National Transportation Commission (CNT) is continuing a process of consultation with all the federation members of the Superior Transportation Council (CST) in order to avoid divisions within the sector at the time of the strike. Pablo Vigil, Minister of Construction and Transportation, announced in a press conference that the government would have to have a public referendum on the demands of the transport workers "if they insist on a public subsidy of 10 million cordobas monthly... We will see if the public wants us to drain away money or close other institutions." This last a reference to threatened cuts in social programs if public transportation is once again subsidized by the State. Last week the transport workers marched to the President's office to express their point of view after the government stated that their demands were impossible to meet. On Friday night, however, the government decided to reopen negotiations in an attempt to stave off the strike. The government's negotiating team will be headed by Minister of the Presidency Antonio Lacayo. On Sunday, August 21, it was announced that the government and the transport representatives would negotiate this Wednesday and that the government would make its final decision on Thursday. (Barricada 8/16, 8/19, 8/20) 3. FSLN party registration more than expected. As of August 20, over 100,000 people have registered to participate in internal FSLN elections leading up to the 1995 Party Congress, according to Julio Corrales, president of the FSLN Electoral Commission. That is over 20,000 more registrations than were expected. A total of 200,000 people are now expected to register before the September 30 closing date. It is not known whether the higher than expected registration is related to the struggle for control of FSLN strategy between the Democratic Left, identified with Daniel Ortega, and the Sandinistas for a Return to the Majorities, identified with Sergio Ramirez. Electoral committees have set up 3,288 registration locations nationwide with over 10,000 party militants participating. With only 150,000 (a little over $20,000) available for the process, the FSLN is relying on countless hours of volunteer effort by militants. By the September 30 deadline, Sandinista Assemblies will have been formed in every district, municipality and department in the country which will then elect party officials at those levels. The 1994 Extraordinary Congress adopted statutes to guarantee at least 30% women and 10% youth will be elected to party leadership positions at all levels. 4. Fiallos wishes to continue in Supreme Electoral Council. Mariano Fiallos, president of the fourth branch of Nicaragua's government, the Supreme Electoral Council (SEC), made it known last week that he is interested in continuing in his position for another six year period, which would begin in June of 1995. The president of the SEC is nominated by the President and approved by the National Assembly. Fiallos, a Sandinista, was universally credited for organizing fair elections in 1990. Fiallos has been named by some as a possible presidential candidate for the FSLN in the 1996 elections. He has refused to comment on that possibility. (Barricada 8/16) 5. Settlement in view for El Limon mine struggle. After 27 days of occupying the mine at El Limon, the workers of that complex, located in the department of Leon, decided to peacefully give up the facilities to the representatives of the new owners, a Nicaraguan-Canadian company which includes the Triton Mining Company of Canada. According to Adrian Meza, lawyer for the miners, the new company will rehire some of the present work force and will pay an average of $4,300 to each worker that is laid off. As a result of the agreement, the new company has agreed to legally recognize the existing union and the new leadership which will be elected in the coming week. The new owners also reportedly agreed in principal that whatever new contract is negotiated will be based on similar contracts in the past and will include fringe benefits. (Barricada 8/16) 6. Miners in Atlantic Coast wait for reopening of mines. Meanwhile, the mines in the Siuna, Bonanza and Rosita areas of the Atlantic Coast, which have been privatized in favor of the transnational US-based HEMCO company, are awaiting the reopening of those mines. They are hoping that renewed operation will make a dent in the desperate situation of unemployment and misery faced by the population of those towns. (Barricada 8/16) 7. 300 students without return flight from Cuba. The Ministry of Education (MED) stated this week that they do not have the money to pay for the return flight of over 300 Nicaraguan students who have finished their scholarship studies in Cuba and are now looking for a way to return home. The MED supposedly will look for financing from the Organization of International Migration and will request the Cuban government to provide for the students until the problem is solved. A little less than half of the students have been waiting over six months for a flight home with no attention from the MED until the mothers of the students began to publicly complain last week. (Barricada 8/16, 8/18) 8. INE studying offers of private investment. The Nicaragua Energy Institute (INE) is considering offers of private investors in order to generate additional energy to repair the damages incurred by the rationing program that has been in effect now for almost two months. According to the government, the country will have lost $40 million this year as a result of the rationing. Meanwhile, because of the need to burn more fuel oil to substitute for the drop in hydroelectric power caused by the drought, INE will have an over $10 million deficit this year. The government is looking for an International Development Bank (IDB) loan to cover that deficit. INE is also studying different offers from private investors, including the US-based US Light Power Co. which in 1992, sold INE a reconditioned turbine jet with a 21 megawatt capacity, which broke down within months of installation, but was then repaired by the US company. General Electric has also expressed interest in investing in energy. (Barricada 8/18) 9. Government studies possible role for army in Haiti. According to Nicaragua's Vice Foreign Minister Jose Pallais, the possibility that Nicaragua's army would form part of a future multinational force which would help to professionalize the army and police of Haiti, has been proposed by the the Secretary General of the UN. According to Barricada, Daniel Ortega, Secretary General of the FSLN , is in agreement with the use of Nicaraguan forces as long as they are no part of an occupational force. General Humberto Ortega made public last week the possibility of Nicaragua's participation after a meeting with US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Latin American Affairs Mari Luci Jaramillio. (Barricada 8/18) [Editor's Note: "Chief of the Nicaraguan Army, General Humberto Ortega, denied today any possibility that the troops of this state would participate in an invasion of Haiti..." translated from Spanish language InterPress Third World News Agency story of August 16, 1994 entitled, "NICARAGUA: Ejercito no participaria en invasion a Haiti."] 10. Statue of Patron Saint disappears in Jinotepe. Believe it or not, but one of the major news stories this week has been the new of the theft of a statue of the patron saint of Jinotepe, a small city located approximately 30 miles south of Managua. Little St. James, (Santiago in Spanish) a less than 12 inch statue of the saint on horseback, was stolen, reportedly by some religious fanatics who were upset with the local priest's desire to put the saint to bed earlier than is custom during the local town's patron saint's day which is cause for much celebration, not all of which has to do with religion. Pages were filled in the newspaper about the tragedy, including a threat of immediate excommunication (expulsion from the Catholic Church) for the thieves. Fortunately, at the end of the week, Santiago was back in his church, praying continued at a normal rate, but the police were determined to find the culprits and bring them to trial, unless the local church decides to drop the charges, which they have decided not to do. (Barricada 8/15, 8/16, 8/17, 8/18, 8/19, 8/20)