Nicaragua News Service Published by the Nicaragua Network Education Fund March 10-16, 1996 Vol. 4, No. 11 Major news stories for the week ending Saturday, March 16th include: 1. Police Chief accuses international agency 2. Nicaragua announces position on Helms-Burton Law 3. Mejia Godoy celebrates 30 years of singing 4. Managua's Boers win baseball championship 5. News on the elections 6. Malaria on the rise 7. Lucio Jiminez elected again as head of CST 8. European kidnap victims liberated after two months 9. No credit for 1996 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Police chief accuses international agency The Chief of the National Police, Fernando Caldera, last week accused international agencies of instigating armed groups in the north of the country in order to justify their continued presence in Nicaragua. Although Caldera did not mention names, it is presumed that he was referring to the Commission for International Verification of the Organization of American States (CIAV-OEA). The police chief stated that Nicaraguans themselves should begin to search for a solution to this problem "because it is we Nicaraguans that are the victims of this tragedy." Caldera also criticized certain political parties that are offering to disarm the irregular armed bands, stating that it was the government's job. Sergio Caramagna, chief of the CIAV-OEA mission in Nicaragua, a mission whose presence officially ends next month if no extension is granted, stated that the declarations of the police chief were "serious" and that they had no basis in reality. He added that it was probable that the mission would ask the Nicaraguan government to make a statement on the accusation. (La Tribuna, March 15; Barricada, March 16) 2. Nicaragua announces position on Helms-Burton Law The Nicaraguan government finally announced its position on the Helms- Burton Law which tightens the U.S. embargo against the people of Cuba. The Nicaraguan Foreign Minister stated in a press conference that the "hardening of the embargo against Cuba by means of the Helms-Burton Law hurts the Cuban people, benefits Cuba's ruling class and that no law has the right to extraterritoriality because that is against the principals of international law." Meanwhile, Daniel Ortega, Secretary General of the FSLN, stated that the law which tightens the embargo against Cuba is in violation of international law and warned that the U.S. in its quest to destroy the Cuban Revolution, is entering into serious contradictions with the international community. In the interview, Ortega also stated that the United Nations' General Assembly has for the last four consecutive years condemned the U.S. embargo against the Caribbean island. (Barricada, March 11, 16) 3. Mejia Godoys celebrate 30 years of singing Tickets were sold out last week for the celebration concert in the Ruben Dario National Theater for the 30th year of the career of both Carlos and Luis Enrique Mejia Godoy. 4. Managua's Boers win baseball championship Thanks to the dry laws which forbade the sale of liquor and beer at this year's national baseball championships, the whole tournament was played in a very different atmosphere than that of last year. The results, though, were the same, with the Boers of Managua again becoming champions, winning over Masaya's San Fernando. (La Prensa, March 11) 5. News on the Elections Last week the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) announced that Nicaraguans who were temporarily outside their country could register to vote in their country's consulate offices, but that they would have to come to Nicaragua to actually vote. Earlier in the month the CSE had announced that Nicaraguans living outside of the country could not vote outside of the country because there was no way for the CSE to guarantee the transparency of the process. Meanwhile, the results of a survey done by CINCO, the Center for Communication Investigations, concluded last week that the FSLN is the most popular party for youth between the ages of 16 and 25 years. The Center, whose director is the former editor of Barricada, Carlos Fernando Chamorro, surveyed a total of 800 young people, half of whom were chosen in Managua. 24.9% of the young people stated that they would vote for the FSLN. The PLC ran a close second with 22.1%. But another 30.9% stated that they had not made up their mind as to which party they would support. WIth regards to specific candidates, the results were the following: President: Daniel Ortega - 19.5% (up more than 2 points from Dec.) Arnoldo Aleman - 22.2% (down more than 2 points from Dec.) Mayor of Managua: Carlos Guadamuz (FSLN) - 17.8%, Pedro Solorzono (popular subscription) - 12.8%, Roberto Cede$o (PLC) - 5.8% 72.3% of the youth said they would participate in the elections, 5% more than those that stated the same opinion last December. In other news, it was announced last week that the US government approved a donation of $4.5 million for the elections to be used to support the computer information systems of the Supreme Electoral Council. The donation will be channeled via a Costa Rican NGO, El Centro de Asesoria y Promocion Electoral (CAPEL). (Barricada, March 11; La Prensa, March 12, 16) 6. Malaria on the rise In the last two months almost 10,000 new cases of malaria have been reported in Nicaragua and the epidemic is growing, according to Dr. Francisco Acevedo, director of the Malaria program of the Ministry of Health. The departments most affected at present are Managua, Chinandega, Atlantic Coast, Leon, Matagalpa and Jinotega. Malaria has been on the increase for the past two years. In 1993, a total of 45,000 cases were reported, increasing to 75,000 cases in 1995. It is expected that in 1996, over 100,000 Nicaraguans will contract the disease. (La Prensa, March 14) 7. Lucio Jimenez elected again as head of CST Labor leader Lucio Jimenez was re-elected last week as head of the Sandinista Worker's Central, defeating his opponent Damaso Vargas, member of the National Assembly. Lucio Jimenez has been head of the CST for the last 15 years. Other members of the CST executive committee include Carlos Borge who won over Mario Malespin of the communication workers. The transport union leader, Roberto Gonzalez was also elected to the committee. The controversial elections and the threat of a division within the union movement come at a very bad time for the CST, whose immense majority of leaders feel that the work of the CST has been very inadequate, according to Jimenez himself. Jimenez stated that many put the blame for the downfall of the CST on excessive centralization and verticalism within the leadership, the infighting among the leadership and the sacrifice of the interests of the workers versus the work of the CST to defend the property of worker-owned businesses. He stated that the majority of the workers wanted the CST to return to its original struggles and maintain its traditional political affinities. Later in the week, the CST announced that it would support the FSLN in the coming elections. Damasco Vargas, who was supported by Jimenez's former ally Ronaldo Membreno, head of the energy worker's federation, declared that "Lucio was voted in on the basis of a fictitious majority, many of whom are no longer affiliated with their unions, and that those that voted did not understand the need for change at the CST. Membreno commented afterwards that the election of Jimenez meant the division of the CST. Vargas insisted that he will continue to work with the unions and federations of Managua that supported him, especially the energy, communications, and construction workers. He also accused Jimenez of practically having disappeared from the national union scene several years ago after the sugar cane workers accused him of thievery. Vargas also emphasized the importance of making a clear separation between the interests of the workers and those who are now co-owners of private businesses. (Barricada, March 11, El Nuevo Diario, March 12, La Prensa, March 11) 8. European kidnap victims liberated after two months. Two European women, who had been kidnapped two months ago in Costa Rica by two men alleged to be ex-Nicaraguan contras, were released last week in a small town near the border of Nicaragua. The kidnappers had asked for a ransom of US $1 million each, but neither Costa Rica nor their respective countries of Germany and Switzerland would pay. It is presumed that the women's families paid a total of $200,000. 9. No credit for 1996. The president of UNAG, Daniel Nunez, stated last week that the leaders of Nicaragua's major agricultural organizations have come to the conclusion that the resources needed to finance the 1996-97 agricultural season will not be available. He stated that 80% of the national agricultural production will lack credit and that rural unemployment will remain at approximately 60%. He also likened the policies of the IMF to a "new form of colonialism," and that the economy of the country was in the hands of "international pirates that manage the world market with respect to products from the third world." He cited the drop in prices of various products in the international market, such as meat which went from $1.5 per kilo to $0.65, and coffee which went from a high of $180 per hundred weight to $90. Nunez also pointed to other symptoms of the agricultural crisis that exists in Nicaragua: the deterioration of the environment, exc