From: Christic Institute <christic@igc.apc.org>
Subject: Economic and social rights in Nic
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: daemon@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: ?
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 22:13:08 GMT

/* Written  2:12 pm  Sep  3, 1992 by codehuca in cdp:carnet.alerts */
/* ---------- "Economic and social rights in Nic" ---------- */
                      URGENT COMMUNICATION 


COUNTRY - NICARAGUA 
# 7


ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL RIGHTS IN NICARAGUA


CODEHUCA (la Comision para la defensa de los derechos humanos en
Centro-America) has received this information from CENIDH (the
Centro Nicaraguense de derechos humanos) concerning demands being
made by various groups that work with pensioners and other sectors
whose social and economic rights are being violated in Nicaragua -
the ORD (Organizacion de revolucionarios discapacitados) and the
AJUNIC (the Movimiento de madres de caidos en la defensa y la
Asociacion de Jubilados de Nicaragua).

The pensioners are making the following demands of the government:


1-   that there be no discrimination in the provision of social and
     economic services to victims of Nicaragua's ten year war with
     the U.S.-contras. Handicapped persons, war widows and war
     orphans have the same rights to social and economic services
     as ex-Contras;

2-   that the Ministry of Health (INSSBI) stop taking arbitrary
     decisions to suspend or decrease pensions for war victims;

3-   that the pensions ($20, $10 and $5 per month) should be at a
     minimum indexed at least according to the rates of inflation;

4-   that milk subsidies for babies under the age of 6 months, and
     rice, sugar and bean subsidies, in general, should be
     reinstated, in sufficient quantity and quality, to cover the
     basic nutritional needs of the Nicaragua people, a large
     percentage of whom are not earning enough money to cover even
     their minimal costs of living and survival;

5-   that the government give an accounting to the Nicaraguan
     population, particularly the war victims, of the 36,000,000
     cordobas (approx - $7,000,000) that were deducted from workers
     salaries to go towards pensions, that have not been handed
     over.

CODEHUCA is following closely the situation in Nicaragua. The
situation of economic and social rights is worse now than at the
end of the 1980s. This situation must be seen in the context of the
demands made by first world governments, particularly the U.S., and
first world institutions (the World Bank and the International
Monetary Fund) to implement structural adjustment development plans
that violate directly and indirectly economic and social rights of
the Nicaraguan people. 

We call on the international community to support the work and
demands of the people in Nicaragua for full respect for their
social, cultural and economic rights. 

Please direct messages to:

1-   Violeta Barrios, President of the Republic, Managua,
     Nicaragua, fax-627911; 

2-   Dr Simeon Rizo, Ministro Director Instituto Nicaraguense de
     Seguridad Social y Bienestar, Fax-40418;

3-   Antonio Lacayo, Ministro de la Presidencia, Managua,
     Nicaragua, fax- 624351

4-   Your governments representative before the World Bank and the
     International Monetary Fund.


             September 1, 1992, San Jose, Costa Rica

Newsgroups: misc.activism.progressive