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| Central American University - UCA |
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Number 132 | Julio 1992 |
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Nicaragua
NICARAGUA BRIEFS
Envío team
RAAN BLOCKS TOXIC RECYCLING PLANTS
The Regional Council in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN), following multiple negotiations that culminated on May 24, prevented two US companies dedicated to recycling toxic products from setting up installations in Puerto Cabezas. Both companies offered to generate employment in exchange for permission to operate in the region. It was something of a feat given that the rate of under- and unemployment in the RAAN is calculated at 90% of the economically active population.
FOREST FIRES
Over half a million hectares of forest went up in flames during the last weeks of the dry season, particularly affecting the areas around Bluefields on the Atlantic Coast, Nueva Segovia, Chontales, Boaco and the Marrabios mountain range. According to the Nicaraguan Institute of National Resources and Environment (IRENA), the most common causes of the multiple fires are the burning of pasture, the hunting of iguanas, people looking for honey and cigarettes.
PROPOSED PENAL CODE REFORM ON SEX CRIMES
The National Assembly commissions on women and justice came out in favor of a bill reforming the current Penal Code on May 26. Among the changes is that the penalty for rape was raised to 20 years, the status of the crime was changed from private to public, and its definition was broadened to include any sexual abuse of a child 14 years old or under.
FSLN URGES GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
FSLN Secretary General Daniel Ortega voiced his concern and that of his party given the poor results of a meeting called by the FSLN with the government and representatives of the various rearmed sectors on May 5. After an entire day of negotiations, the only achievement was a government promise to fulfill the more than 30 accords already signed with these groups according to a calendar.
According to Daniel Ortega, it would be sufficient for the government to use $20 million of its funds to give a positive response to the majority of popular demands. "With that money," he said, "the government would be buying the country's stability very cheap, and with $20 million the economic plan won't get out of whack."
CESAR TRIES TO REVIVE VETOED PROPERTY BILL
On May 5, National Assembly president Alfredo César introduced a bill that would revive the vetoed property law that caused such controversy last year. César is said to have first showed his bill to the US government and gotten its approval. Questioned by journalists on his return from the United States, however, César denied having taken his bill with him.
UNO GROUP BOLSTERED IN PARLIAMENT
Gustavo Tablada, a National Assembly member from the Socialist Party, which belongs to UNO, left his position as head of the Agrarian Reform Institute. Returning to his seat in the National Assembly, he will strengthen the UNO center group, which supports President Chamorro against Alfredo César and is preparing for new elections for Assembly president in December.
ORTEGA APPEARS BEFORE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
General Humberto Ortega, head of the Sandinista Popular Army, spoke to and answered questions from the National Assembly on May 28, invited by the Commission on Defense and Government. Snubbing a formal summons by Alfredo César to appear several days earlier, which he interpreted as unconstitutional, he appealed to the Supreme Court to uphold his contention. It did so and quickly, leaving César fuming. His wrath only mounted when General Ortega responded to the cordial invitation and answered all questions openly and graciously.
General Ortega's appearance had unprecedented characteristics, since César organized a lackluster press conference for exactly the moment of Ortega's presentation. Few journalists attended, preferring to listen to Ortega. Further demonstrating his petty pique, César had issued an order that all furniture in the area designated for the appearance of public officials be removed for purposes of cleaning it. Those who attended Ortega's visit were forced to bring wooden chairs and set up a makeshift table with a board for the microphone and tape recorders. General Ortega appeared not to notice.
LACAYO DENOUNCES CAMPAIGN TO CLOSE STATE BANKS
On May 14, Minister of the Presidency Antonio Lacayo charged that Haroldo Montealegre, president of the private Mercantile Bank, was carrying out a public campaign in the US media to force the Nicaraguan government to close the state banks and thus set himself up as the absolute boss of Nicaragua's financial market.
MILITARIZED RESPONSES
On May 1, International Workers Day, Managua awoke to find itself militarized by the police, as a preventive measure to avoid any takeovers as were happening in numerous departments. During the operation, the police intercepted a taxi carrying arms.
Four days later, there was a combat in Bocay between recontras and army helicopter troops. Meanwhile, 600 peasants took over the highway entrance to Masaya to demand a solution to their production problems. Tensions grew the next day when negotiations between Minister of Government Alfredo Mendieta and the angry peasants broke down. Although civilian activities had gone on uninterrupted during the three days of occupation, the failure of the talks caused the population to seek refuge in their homes, fearing violent evictions and confrontations with the army and police.
At the same time, barricades were erected in Estelí, and the city was militarized. Meanwhile, some 100 revueltos took the customs office of Guasaule, while another 700 took over the highway stretch between Chinandega and that border post.
ARMY EVICTS FAMILIES FROM OCCUPIED FARMS
On May 23, the army, supported by armored trucks and helicopters, dislodged the occupiers of seven farms in Leon, who had begun planting preparations. Most of these farms had been affected by Decrees 3 and 38, which refer to properties of Somoza and his clique, as well as others that had been subject to successive mortgages by their old "owners" who were now reclaiming their properties.
CHOLERA OUTBREAKS
The month of May began with an accumulated total of 23 cholera cases, and closed with 157. The month also saw the first two deaths from the disease: an 38-year-old woman from Jirones and a 48-year-old man from Rama. Neither of the two had received medical attention.
THE GENERAL IN CONCERT
In the midst of all these problems, the country took time out for frivolous distraction. On May 3 the arrival of the young Panamanian singer Eduardo Franco, better known as "The General," created a commotion in the country. Given his tremendous success, a second concert had to be quickly organized a few days later.
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a monthly magazine of analysis on Central America