Nicaragua News Service Published by the Nicaragua Network Education Fund February 4 - 10, 1996 Vol. 4, No. 6 The major news stories for the week: 1. Pope visit dominates week in Nicaragua. 2. Supreme Court throws Lacayo case to Supreme Electoral Council. 3. Miscellaneous campaign News. 4. News Briefs _____________________________________________________________________ 1. Pope's visit dominates week in Nicaragua. The Pope's visit this past Wednesday was a not particularly veiled attack on the Sandinista administration of the 1980s and what the Pope referred to as "the dark night" of his March 1983 visit to Nicaragua. The massive publicity build-up to the Pope's visit (with all the major companies here, including Coke and Pepsi, publishing huge ads welcoming the Pope), reached a fever pitch by Tuesday evening, as people started crowding into the plaza. The media behaved as if there was nothing else going on in the country, with the daily papers on Thursday (the day after the visit) devoting virtually their entire space to the Pope's visit. Earlier in the week the papers had given half to three-fourths of their space to coverage of the Pope. La Prensa even published a special Pope edition. While Barricada placed crowd size at around 400,000, La Prensa reported some 700,000 in attendance at what has now been officially renamed the John Paul II Plaza on the shores of Lake Managua. Those who made it close to the Pope (both at the plaza and later in Managua's cathedral) were clearly Nicaragua's wealthy and/or politically powerful, causing one observer to note that it was "the poor in spirit" who the Pope chose to minister to. Baseball star Dennis Martinez even flew in from the US to receive communion. In a rather revisionist look at the 1983 visit, the Barricada story on February 8 led with this sentence: "Thirteen years later, Pope John Paul II repeated yesterday the message of peace, forgiveness and reconciliation...," seemingly forgetting the tremendously charged political role that the Catholic hierarchy, with Rome's blessing and encouragement, played during the 1980s, taking a clear stand against the Sandinista revolution. A billboard prominently placed on the Carretera Norte (the highway leading in from the airport) welcomed the Pope to Nicaragua and was signed, surprisingly, Daniel Ortega and the FSLN. Protestant theologian Roberto Zub said he couldn't understand why Ortega had commissioned the billboard, given that the Pope's visit this year was "a belated celebration of the Sandinista defeat". One Sandinista not joining in the uncritical chorus of support for the Pope was Father Ernesto Cardenal, Minister of Culture during the 1980s and singled out by the Pope for a finger wagging scolding on the Sandino airport tarmac as Cardenal knelt to greet him. Cardenal was interviewed by investigative journalist Guillermo Cortes Dominguez for the "El Semanario" weekly and said the Pope's intention during the 1983 visit was to destabilize the Sandinista revolution. The Interecclesiastical Center for Theological and Social Studies (CIEETS) had a small panel discussion on Friday, strongly criticizing the Nicaraguan state's subordination to the Catholic church (which would be in violation of the Constitution) as well as the generalized media acclaim for the Pope, with no critical stance taken of the huge costs incurred by a state that insists it has no money. George Pixley, a theologian based at CIEETS characterized the Pope's visit as "a reaffirmation of a top-down, vertical Christianity, a Christianity of imposition and colonization, like [in] the Spanish conquest." The Pope's homily concentrated primarily on the family, and the themes of peace and reconciliation. Speaking from the airport just prior to his departure, the Pope did directly mention the extreme poverty facing Nicaragua. [Channel 6, February 7; Barricada and La Prensa February 8; Barricada February 10; El Semanario, week of February 9] 2. Supreme Court throws Lacayo case to Supreme Electoral Council. The Supreme Court ruled that electoral restrictions prohibiting the candidacies of certain people--most particularly former Minister of the Presidency Antonio Lacayo--were "inadmissible." Lacayo is the son-in-law of the President. In so ruling, the whole issue was passed on to the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE). The CSE must now rule whether or not Antonio Lacayo will be able to continue his presidential campaign. Former CSE magistrate Guillermo Selva said "it would be healthy for the nation and for Lacayo himself, if he [Lacayo] were to abstain from participation in the elections." Selva says that the Constitution speaks clearly to the issue of candidates not being related to the current chief executive, and said he is confident that the CSE will "respect the Constitution." [Feb. 10, La Prensa] Current CSE magistrate Rosa Marina Zelaya said that the CSE cannot yet rule on the issue, as the case has not formally been brought before that body, but also noted that the CSE will review each candidacy, with the official opening of the electoral period on May 10. Meanwhile, President Chamorro praised the Supreme Court's decision, lauding the Court for leaving the final decision to the CSE. [February 9-10, La Prensa; Feb. 9, Barricada] 3. Miscellaneous campaign news. - The media in Nicaragua picked up a wire from Miami quoting Presidential candidate Arnoldo Aleman as saying that the Sandinistas "are preparing a fraud...our fear is the cedulization process." Aleman charges that it is very difficult for anyone but "Sandinista sympathizers" to obtain their voting credentials, a claim he did not back up with any concrete information. [La Prensa, Feb. 10.] - FSLN National Directorate member Rene Nunez said his party's challenge in this election year is to attract young voters. [Last year's census put 56% of the population under age 16.] Speaking in Matagalpa, Nunez also said that the FSLN will open 4,500 voting centers on Feb. 18 for the "consulta popular" or primary, and expects that half a million people will vote. Ads have begun appearing on Channel 4, stressing that you do not need to be a party member to vote in the primary. Vilma Nunez, a FSLN primary candidate for the presidency said the primary should serve to strengthen internal party unity. Members of the independent women's movement have complained privately about the lack of Sandinista media coverage given to Nunez' campaign. [Barricada, Feb 5] - Liberal candidate Haroldo Montealegre criticized the tax structure in Nicaragua, echoing recent criticism by the Nicaraguan chambers of commerce of the inordinately high sales tax. [La Prensa Feb. 9] NEWS BRIEFS - Germany has forgiven 80% of Nicaragua's debt with that country, most of it contracted with the former East Germany during the 1980s. According to the terms of an agreement signed in Managua this past week, Nicaragua will have to start paying off the debt, down to $175 million, in the year 2002. Germany said it is willing to further reduce Nicaragua's debt if the country commits itself to undertaking development projects oriented towards the environment. [La Prensa, Feb. 9] - The OAS has named former Salvadoran foreign minister Oscar Santamaria to head its delegation that will be observing Nicaraguan elections later this year. Santamaria will arrive in Managua for his first visit on Monday, February 12, to meet with electoral and government authorities. [La Prensa, Feb. 10] - Sewing co-ops complained to the government that the unregulated entrance of huge packages of used clothing from the US are ruining their already-faltering businesses. [Barricada, Feb. 5] - With the school year starting (most Nicaraguan schools begin classes on February 19) soon, parents are complaining of the soaring costs of school supplies, including pencils, notebooks, texts (even used texts) and uniforms. [Barricada, Feb. 7] - MINSA reports the seventh case of AIDS in Nicaragua this year. According to MINSA statistics, four Nicaraguans acquire the HIV virus every week, with most of those still asymptomatic carriers. Last year, eight deaths attributed to AIDS were reported in Nicaraguan, but MINSA Dr. Roberto Pao Kraudy said the actual number of people affected by AIDS is probably far higher. [Barricada, Feb. 10] - Central Bank President Jose Evenor Taboada reports that inflation during the month of January was nil. [Feb. 6, Barricada] Nicaragua Network Education Fund, 1247 E Street, SE, Washington, DC, 20003, Tel. (202) 544-9355, E-Mail: nicanet@igc.apc.org.