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Nicaragua News Service
A Service of the Nicaragua Network
Volume 13, Number 43
November 8-14, 2005
By Hannah GivenWilson


1. Nicaraguan authorities delay start of Aleman Panama Case
2. Health sector strike begins
3. US$2.1 million required to repair infrastructure damage from Beta
4. IMF mission arrives in Nicaragua while committee discusses economy bills
5. Relations between Costa Rica and Nicaragua continue to worsen
6. Trivelli and Ortega in verbal battle
7. Coffee farmers concerned about lack of coffee pickers
8. MINSA makes prevention of teenage pregnancy number one priority in Masaya
________________________________

1. Nicaraguan authorities delay start of Aleman Panama Case

On November 7, Attorney General Julio Centeno announced that he had sent back the Panamanian
authorities' request for judicial assistance in the money laundering case involving ten Nicaraguans
scheduled to begin on November 23. The Panamanian authorities have accused ten Nicaraguan citizens
(former President Arnoldo Aleman, former head of Internal Revenue Byron Jerez and eight of their friends
and family members) of making use of the Panamanian banking system to launder US$74.9 million. In
October, the Panamanian Attorney General had sent a request to the Nicaraguan Prosecutor General to
carry out the necessary procedures to notify the accused that their presence was required at the initial
hearing of the case scheduled for November 23. 

Having received this request from the Panamanian authorities, the Prosecutor General sent the request to
the First Penal Panel of the Supreme Court for a justice to be assigned to carry out the process of
notification. The justices of this court (who are in their majority Liberals), however, rejected the
request stating that it should not have come to them from the Prosecutor but from the Nicaraguan
Attorney General Office, as established in Nicaraguan law. The court then decided to send the request to
the Attorney General Julio Centeno. Centeno, however, has now announced that the request has had to be
sent back to Panama "so as to avoid further confusion or delays." 

Centeno announced that the request had been sent back to Panama on November 1, saying that Delia
Mercedes Rosales of the Attorney General's Office and Managua Departmental Attorney Maria del Carmen
Solorzano would travel to Panama on November 8 to explain the problem in person to the Panamanian
judicial authorities. 

The recent Central American Treaty of Mutual Assistance in Penal Matters signed by the foreign ministers
of all Central American countries establishes that the Prosecutor General should process any requests
for judicial assistance made to the Nicaraguan authorities. According to Julio Centeno, however, recent
changes in Nicaraguan national law have established the Attorney General as the authority through which
such requests should be processed. 

After returning from Panama on November 10, Delia Rosales described the meeting with the Panamanian
Attorney General as "positive" saying that "all parties now know what the next steps are." 

The media have criticized the Nicaraguan judicial authorities for their handling of the incident
suggesting that the real motive behind the confusion is to obstruct the case being carried out in Panama
and avoid any possible convictions being made against leader of the Constitutional Liberal Party (PLC),
Arnoldo Aleman. (La Prensa, 11/08, 11/11, El Nuevo Diario, 11/08, Radio Liberacion Esteli, 11/10) 


2. Health sector strike begins

Three thousand doctors went on full and indefinite strike on November 14 as a means of pressuring the
government into agreeing to their demands for an 140% pay rise and other improved contract conditions
for 2006. These three thousand doctors are affiliated with the Pro Salary Doctors Union. The Federation
of Health Workers (FETSALUD) plans a full strike of its 23,000 members (of 24,000 workers in the public
health service) for November 17. FETSALUD demands an 100% pay rise for all public health service
workers. 

Despite threats that the strikes would take place should the Ministry of Health (MINSA) and Ministry of
Labor (MITRAB) not approach the union leaders and negotiate their demands, neither Ministry had
attempted to communicate with either of the unions by November 14 which led Gustavo Porras, President of
FETSALUD, to believe that "the government does not care if the health service is paralyzed." 

On November 22, the 2006 General Budget proposal will be discussed and voted on by the National
Assembly. MINSA has requested a total budget of US$165 million for the health service for next year,
which would allow for a pay rise of between 8 and 10% for health workers. According to the Minister of
Health Margarita Gurdian an 8-10% pay rise is enough to cover inflation. Gustavo Porras believes MINSA
should increase its budget request by a further US$88 million so as to ensure an 100% pay rise for all
health sector workers and give the Ministry the possibility to buy more medicines for public health
centers and hospitals. 

On average, a Nicaraguan doctor working within the public health service earns a little more than US$300
a month. The average doctor's wage in Central America, however, is over US$500 a month. Doctors Pro
Salary insists their salaries be raised to match those received by their counterparts in other Central
American countries. The rest of the health workers (laboratory technicians, nurses, nursing assistants
etc.) are paid significantly less than doctors. 

Meanwhile in public hospitals across Nicaragua many patients in need of medical care have been sent
home. The strike organizers' policy is to attend only "real emergencies." All other services have been
postponed until the government and the medical unions can come to some sort of agreement on pay. (La
Prensa, 11/08, 11/10, 11/14, El Nuevo Diario, 11/08, 11/09, 11/11) 


3.  US$2.1 million required to repair damage to infrastructure caused by Beta

The Director of the Social Emergency Investment Fund (FISE) Oscar Colindres has calculated that US$2.1
million are required to repair the damage caused to infrastructure on the Caribbean Coast by the passing
of Hurricane Beta on Oct. 31. According to the evaluation of the damage being used by FISE, 10,194
people were affected by Beta in the Northern and Southern Atlantic Autonomous Regions (RAAN and RAAS),
the majority of which are inhabitants from just five municipalities; Waspam, Prinzapolka, Puerto
Cabezas, Laguna de Perlas and La Desembocadura de Rio Grande. The two municipalities most seriously
affected are Puerto Cabezas (Bilwi) and Waspam, both of which are located in the RAAN. 

FISE does not currently have this amount of money and therefore cannot begin to administer the repair
work. Colindres says all the necessary applications have been made to donor organizations and as soon as
FISE has managed to get hold of the US$2.1 million, repair work will begin. 

According to Colindres a total of 215 houses, 2 schools, 2 community children centers, 376 latrines, 2
community water tanks and 5 solar panels were completely destroyed by Beta while 852 houses, 21 schools
and 3 health centers had their roofs blown off. On top of this 143 wells used for human consumption were
contaminated. FISE's evaluation does not mention the extent of crop destruction. 

The Mayors of the five most affected communities are currently in Managua looking for financial aid to
take back to their municipalities to help some of the most affected. Leslie Downs, Mayor of El
Desembocadura del Rio Grande, told the media that while the government is planning to provide three
months worth of food aid for twelve communities in his municipalities, at least twelve months worth
would be necessary to avoid a famine in the region as "the vast majority of crops in the area have been
destroyed and there are no alternative job opportunities for the majority of people." (La Prensa, 11/08,
El Nuevo Diario, 11/09, Radio Ya!, 11/08) 


4. IMF mission arrives in Nicaragua while committee discusses economy bills

The National Dialogue Technical Committee made up of representatives of the legislative and executive
branches spent the week discussing the pros and cons of the package of economic laws required by the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) before the reactivation of their economic program with Nicaragua for
2005. The representative of the IMF in Nicaragua, Humberto Arbulu Neira, also participated in the
committee's meetings and said he was "pleased with the outcome of the meetings" and "is confident the
laws will be passed by the National Assembly before November 22" (the day the special IMF mission to
evaluate the economic situation in Nicaragua will depart the country). 

Sandinista deputy and member of the Technical Committee, Walmaro Gutierrez, made a point of criticizing
the laws, however, saying some of the them would likely damage the Nicaraguan economy. He particularly
criticized the creation of new tax on gasoline, which he believes will affect national production. 
"Nicaraguan producers already have the Damocles sword of DR-CAFTA hanging over their heads, and now, to
make things worse we are going to pass a law which will up the price of gasoline even further. It's like
burying national production once and for all." 

Gutierrez' voice stood alone, however, as all the other members of the committee either chose to make no
comment or express their confidence that the laws will be passed by November 22. 

On November 14 the special IMF mission arrived in Nicaragua. The aim of the officials is to evaluate the
economic situation before going back to the organization's headquarters to present their conclusions and
make their recommendations. 

Last week the leader of the Sandinista Party, Daniel Ortega, urged all political parties and the public
in general to "come together in opposition of the IMF's plans to impose their economic policies on the
country." Little came of his initiative, however, and its seems increasingly likely that officials of
the international financial organization will not find much opposition to their suggestions. (La Prensa,
11/08, Canal 2 Telenoticias, 11/09, Radio Ya!, 11/11) 


5. Relations between Costa Rica and Nicaragua continue to get worse

It seems neither Nicaraguan nor Costa Rican authorities are willing to do anything to improve relations
between the two countries. On November 8, the Nicaraguan Foreign Minister said he was "willing to take
any necessary measures to defend Nicaragua" against Costa Rica's claim, currently before the
International Court of Justice at The Hague, that Costa Rican armed police have the right to navigate
the Nicaraguan San Juan River. He even went as far as to say that the Nicaraguan government would
consider making legal claims over the Costa Rican province of Guanacaste if Costa Rica does not drop her
demand at The Hague. 

The two countries have historically disputed the San Juan River and the Guanacaste province. The Jerez
Caņas treaty signed by both governments in 1858 established that Guanacaste was to be Costa Rican and
the San Juan River was to be Nicaraguan. It was also established that Costa Rica had the right to make
use of the river for commercial purposes. Nothing about armed police, however, is mentioned in the
treaty. 

Another much more recent treaty signed in 2002 by both governments stated that Nicaragua would not take
any measures to prevent Costa Rican armed police from navigating the river for three years in return for
Costa Rica's help with the economic development of the area. These three years are up now, and Nicaragua
is unwilling to sign another such treaty.  Costa Rica insists it is necessary for her armed police to
make use of the river so as to protect the country's border. 

Caldera said he would shortly be meeting with the team of lawyers in charge of defending Nicaragua
against the Costa Rica claim at The Hague so as to discuss their options. He said they "cannot rule out
the possibility of demanding rights over the Guanacaste province" because "the Jerez Caņas Treaty
clearly establishes that the San Juan is Nicaraguan and Guanacaste is Costa Rican, but if the Costa
Ricans decide to ignore this treaty then so will we." 

The Costa Rican Foreign Minister Roberto Tovar Faja responded to Caldera's comments on November 9 by
saying that he "does not seem to have a grasp of the historical reality and the spirit of respectful
relations between our two countries." (El Nuevo Diario, 11/09, La Prensa, 11/10) 


6. Trivelli and Ortega in verbal battle

US Ambassador Paul Trivelli and Sandinista Party leader Daniel Ortega entered into verbal battle last
week by repeatedly contradicting each other's statements in the press. Ortega accused Trivelli of
"planning to prevent me [Ortega] from running as a presidential candidate" several times during the week
while Trivelli repeatedly denied the accusation and, in turn, accused Ortega of "manipulating the
Nicaraguan population." 

On November 8, while taking part in an event to promote a campaign for free and obligatory education in
one of Managua's poorest neighborhoods, Ortega said, "I question and condemn the interventionist US
government which wants to prevent me from running for president in 2006. The US and Trivelli do not just
want to prevent my participation in the elections but the participation of an entire political force,
the FSLN." He went on to "advise" Trivelli to be "careful in his actions" and "respectful" of the
Nicaraguan people. 

On the same day at a political event in Granada Trivelli denied the US has any interest at all in
preventing Ortega or any other candidate from taking part in next year's general elections and asked
Ortega to "measure his words and to base them on fact". (La Prensa, 11/09) 


7. Coffee farmers concerned about lack of coffee pickers

Nicaraguan coffee farmers are concerned that they will not be able to find enough coffee pickers to pick
their coffee crops now in the process of ripening because so many agricultural workers have decided to
migrate to El Salvador or Costa Rica for the coffee picking season where they earn higher wages. Amilcar
Navarro, President of the National Union of Coffee Farmers (UNICAFE), explained that this year has been
a particularly good year for coffee growers across Central America, which means there is a much higher
demand for coffee pickers across the region. He believes it possible that a huge amount of this year's
coffee crop in Nicaragua could be lost due to a lack of available labor on the farms, which he says
would be a "catastrophe for Nicaraguan coffee farmers." 

The Minister of Labor Virgilio Gurdian says that his ministry has not yet received any requests from
Costa Rica or El Salvador for Nicaraguan workers to be sent to work on coffee plantations in these
countries. He also says that, as international coffee prices are very good this year, Nicaraguan farmers
should consider paying more to guarantee they do not end up with a lack of pickers. 

Gurdian's statement would make it seem he understands little about the situation considering that, as
media sources note, requests for migrant workers are rarely if ever sent by one government to another
but rather are carried out by private companies or individuals looking for workers and their contacts in
a particular country. His suggestion that Nicaraguan farmers simply pay higher wages was considered
"unhelpful" by Navarro who explained that prices for all agricultural products as well as transport,
water and electrical energy are more expensive in Nicaragua than in other Central American countries
making it impossible for coffee farmers here to match wages in other countries and still make a profit. 
(La Prensa, 11/09) 


8. MINSA makes prevention of teenage pregnancy number one priority in Masaya

The Local Integral Health System (SILAIS) in the Ministry of Health (MINSA) in Masaya has decided to
make the prevention of pregnancy in teenagers a number one priority in the region after registering a
significant increase in the number of pregnancies in women and girls under the age of twenty in the last
year as well as increases in the number of reported miscarriages, abortions and pregnancies resulting
from rape. 

According to current SILAIS statistics, 27% of all pregnancies in the department of Masaya this year
have occurred in adolescents between 15 and 20 years of age compared to just 20% last year. Teenagers
are more likely to become pregnant in rural areas where there is less access to education. In the
municipality of Niquinohomo, where the vast majority of the population lives in rural communities,
SILAIS have recorded 15 cases of pregnancy in 12 and 13 year old girls since January 2005. 

Mercedes Calderon, representative of SILAIS Masaya, explains that pregnant teenagers tend to experience
discrimination from their friends and families as well as being excluded from schools once the pregnancy
begins to show. "Many young girls are driven to abortion because of the discrimination the society aims
at them once it becomes obvious they are pregnant. We have had cases where young girls have died as a
result of attempted abortion." 

Calderon explains that SILAIS Masaya is making plans to start a campaign in all nine municipalities of
the Masaya department, which aims to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies in the region. They plan
to carry out workshops in schools to teach both teachers and students about the need to support pregnant
students. SILAIS also plans to train 100 youth leaders to give talks and workshops on responsible
reproductive health including topics such as sexually transmitted diseases, abortion and rape. (El Nuevo
Diario, 11/08)