From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: NICANET HOTLINE -- 10/05/92
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 04:10:32 GMT

/** reg.nicaragua: 132.0 **/
** Topic: NICANET HOTLINE -- 10/05/92 **
** Written  2:30 pm  Oct  5, 1992 by nicanet in cdp:reg.nicaragua **
            NICARAGUA NETWORK HOTLINE ** 202-544-9360
 
                         October 5, 1992
 
You have reached the Nicaragua Network Hotline recorded Monday, 
October 5, 1992.   To reach our office, call: 202-544-9355.
 
Topics covered in this hotline include: Congress approves $190 
million for Nicaragua in FY93 and Bush may release FY92 money; 
Harkin Bill sort of makes it; Sullivan nomination withdrawn; 
National Assembly crisis worsens; Armed violence escalates; 
Students expelled, teacher fired; Maryknoll priests target Fr. 
Miguel D'Escoto for expulsion, and results of agricultural 
privatization.
 
Congress has approved $190 million in foreign aid for Nicaragua 
next year.  Sen. Jesse Helms found little support on the Senate 
floor for his efforts to put harsh political conditions on 
Nicaragua aid, so rather than suffer defeat, which may have 
jeopardized his hold on FY92 aid, he did not even offer his 
amendments.  Rumor on Capitol Hill is that President Bush is only 
waiting for Helms to leave town for the election recess before he 
releases at least $55 million of the $116 million the State 
Department is holding up at Helms request.  If the rumor is true, 
the aid would be released in the next 24 to 48 hours.  Chamorro, 
however, appears to believe the aid will not be released.  She 
announced new taxes including an increase in the sales tax from 
10 to 15%.  She vowed that she will make no further compromises 
for release of aid and said, "I will not allow my government to 
become part of an office of the senator." (referring to Helms)  
We will update the hotline on Wednesday evening this week if the 
aid is released.
  Her economic plan may have been further weakened last week by 
the resignation of Silvio de Franco, the third Central Bank 
President to resign in the past two years.  De Franco is a close 
associate of National Assembly President Alfredo Cesar, and it 
appears his resignation is for political rather than economic 
policy reasons.  Still, the resignation can't but hurt Nicaragua 
in the eyes of international lenders and investors.   
 
The Senate version of the foreign aid bill had incorporated the 
language of a bill offered by Sen. Tom Harkin which would have 
denied IMF loans to any country which spends more on its military 
than on health and education.  Many solidarity activists worked 
in support of this bill.  The House-Senate conference, which met 
to resolve differences between their two versions of the bill, 
dropped the Harkin language from the foreign aid bill, but 
included it in the report language.  This is a victory of sorts.  
It means Congress is saying that they expect Harkin's limitations 
to become US policy, but they do not carry the force of law.  
Whether they become policy probably depends on who is elected 
President in November.
 
The Bush Administration has withdrawn the nomination of Joseph 

Sullivan as ambassador to Nicaragua.  Sullivan was implicated in 
a State Department and CIA project to funnel covert money through 
Cesar to former contras during the 1990 elections in violation of 
the US pledge not to send covert aid to the UNO coalition.  
Senators Dodd and Helms have been holding up the nomination for 
months waiting for the Administration to come clean on the covert 
aid program.  Apparently, Bush has decided that he would rather 
lose Sullivan than admit to that he lied to Congress about covert 
interference in Nicaragua's elections. 
 
The month old crisis in the National Assembly has taken on very 
serious constitutional implications.  Cesar took advantage of the 
absence of the FSLN bench and 8 members of the UNO center group 
who were responding to the victims of the previous day's tidal 
wave to fill two vacancies in the Assembly's leadership.  The 
Supreme Court ruled the action illegal, but Cesar has refused to 
recognize the Supreme Court's authority.  He has held additional 
meetings of the Assembly by calling in alternates of boycotting 
UNO members and passing a number of ludicrous new laws to enhance 
his power.  One of the new laws allows for the appointment of 
unelected alternates of the alternates.  The Supreme Court has 
asked President Chamorro to enforce its ruling which she has 
agreed to do.  It is difficult to see what Cesar has in mind by 
forcing this constitutional crisis.  He may believe that Chamorro 
and the Supreme Court will back down, leaving him in a stronger 
position, or if he is somehow removed, he may believe he can 
parry that into some sort of political martyrdom.  We will 
continue to follow this closely.
 
Armed violence in the Northern countryside continues, as does a 
joint army and police offensive against about 40 armed bands 
which are rustling cattle and assaulting the rural population.  
One or more groups have begun kidnaping coffee producers for 
ransom.  The fact that some of the kidnapings have included 
right-wing farm owners, including one politically active owner 
who recently returned from Miami, leads some to believe that some 
of the armed bands are motivated by criminal rather than 
political intent.
 
Following violent repression of high school students by riot 
police during the annual Central America independence day parade, 
15 leaders of the Federation of Secondary Students have been 
expelled, and seven teachers fired.  Chamorro and her cabinet 
were outraged when students unfurled red and black Sandinista 
flags and banners that called for free education and the removal 
of Minister of Education Humberto Belli.  Chamorro ordered the 
riot police to remove the students and a dozen were severely 
beaten.  The expulsions and firings are further punishment for 
expressing political ideas at a non-political feel-good event.  
Thousands of students no longer have access to education because 
their parents must pay monthly fees for their schooling.  With 
unemployment as high as it is, many students have had to drop out 
of school.


The Nicaraguan Council of Evangelical Churches (CEPAD) has 
revealed that the Maryknoll order of priests issued an ultimatum 
last March  to former Foreign Minister Fr. Miguel D'Escoto to 
leave Nicaragua or be expelled by the order.  Fr. D'Escoto 
rejected the ultimatum, blaming it on pressure from the Vatican 
which, in turn, was responding to pressure from the Bush 
Administration.  No further action has been taken, but as with 
the defrocking of long-time Nicaragua activist and coordinator of 
Quest for Peace, Bill Callahan, the Vatican under John Paul II 
seems to be intent on purging the priesthood of progressive 
priests.
 
And finally, a Barricada article on the progress of 
privatization, said that 17,000 workers are now shareholders in 
34 agricultural enterprises covering 243,000 acres.  This is a 
total of 7% of the national agricultural production.  
Cooperatives of ex-contras and ex-army members comprise another 
19%, while large private companies control 44% and small and 
medium producers control 30%.
 
To become a supporter and receive our publications and mailings, 
please contact us.  The Nicaragua Network's address is: 1247 E 
St., SE, Washington, DC  20003; our phone: 202-544-9355.
** End of text from cdp:reg.nicaragua **
Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive