From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: Nicanet Hotline 4/13/92
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1992 03:18:46 GMT

/** reg.nicaragua: 82.0 **/
** Topic: NICANET HOTLINE -- 04/13/92 **
** Written  1:31 pm  Apr 13, 1992 by nicanet in cdp:reg.nicaragua **
            NICARAGUA NETWORK HOTLINE ** 202-544-9360
 
                         April 13, 1992
 
You have reached the Nicaragua Network Hotline recorded Monday, 
April 13, 1992.   To reach our office, call: 202-544-9355.
 
Topics covered in this hotline include: Volcano erupts near Leon; 
Government fails to live up to its promises to the disarmed 
groups; Former Minister of Government Hurtado says he didn't 
resign; Health Ministry declares cholera national emergency; FSLN 
holds departmental elections; and AMNLAE holds convention.
 
The Cerro Negro (Black Hill) volcano erupted Thursday night 15 
miles southwest of Leon and 38 miles northwest of Managua, 
blanketing a large part of the country with ash and hot sand. As 
of Sunday night the volcano was continuing to erupt and people as 
far away as Leon were evacuating their homes.  On Friday the ash 
and sand was reported by the Nicaraguan embassy to be 15 inches 
deep in the immediate vicinity of the volcano and 5 inches deep 
in Leon. The Red Cross has evacuated at least 800 people from 
villages on the slope of the 2,600 foot volcano. One death and 20 
injuries from collapsing roofs have been reported so far.  The 
area affected by the volcano contains some of Nicaragua's most 
fertile farmland producing cotton, sorghum, corn, and beans.  In 
modern times Cerro Negro erupted in 1947 and 1970.  The present 
eruption is said to be more powerful than the 1970 eruption.  
There has not yet been an assessment of the economic damage 
caused by the volcano.
 
Tensions in the north remain high as the government fails to live 
up to the promises it made to the combined group of recontras and 
recompas who occupied Ocotal several weeks ago.  The Nicaraguan 
press calls them revueltos as in scrambled eggs.  New York Times 
reporter Shirley Christian continues to show her anti-Sandinista 
bias by claiming in her articles that the revueltos are all 
former members of the army. Other US press accounts, such as the 
Miami Herald, confirm that the revueltos are indeed a unification 
of the recomaps and recontras. A new group of 300 revueltos took 
over parts of Jinotega last week, blocking entrances to the city 
with vehicles that they immobilized by letting the air out of the 
tires.  A column of women armed with sticks took over some 
government buildings in Ocotal, and the revueltos who had taken 
over Ocotal recently threatened renewed action because the 
government has not lived up to its end of the bargain.  Former 
recontra leader Dimas, who is now a leader of the National 
Commission of the Demobilized which includes former recontras and 
recompas was quoted in Barricada that there is pressure from the 
ranks to take action because they feel tricked by their leaders 
into laying down their arms.  Dimas said in reality "the 
government tricked us all."  National Police Chief Rene Vivas 
reported that the Special Disarmament Brigades have recovered 
40,000 weapon so far.  Several small groups of recontra continued 
to disarm last week.  The Interior Ministry is now offering, 
instead of cash, a "family package" of tools, food, medicine, 
clothing, household goods, and construction materials in exchange 

for weapons.  On the Atlantic Coast, most of the rearmed Yatama 
fighters who have been terrorizing the North Atlantic Autonomous 
Region have reached agreement with the government to lay down 
their arms.  240 have disarmed, leaving 80 still bearing arms.  
We are unsure how this is related to government minister Brooklyn 
Rivera's campaign to oust the elected government of the 
Autonomous Region, but it would seem to diminish his chances of 
doing it by force.  There has still been no move by Chamorro to 
discipline Rivera for armed insurrection.  Chamorro has made no 
secret of her antipathy to the Autonomy Law.  Her failure to move 
against Rivera may indicate her support for any action that 
weakens autonomy for the Atlantic Coast.
 
Former Minister of Government Carlos Hurtado told La Prensa last 
week, "I did not resign and I'm in good health."  The government 
had reported that he resigned for health reasons, but his 
statement indicates he was fired.  There was widespread 
speculation that he was ousted because he was too close to the US 
government and to National Assembly President Alfredo Cesar.  He 
is replaced by his vice-minister Alfredo Mendieta.
 
The Ministry of Health last week declared a national state of 
emergency because of the increasing number of cholera cases.  The 
cholera bacteria is present in all of the bodies of water 
surrounding Nicaragua as well as the major lakes.  The Ministry 
of Health has reported 22 confirmed cases so far and fears that 
the concentration of people on the beaches during the Easter week 
holiday will lead to a spread of the disease.  Many people camp 
on the beaches and the absence of sanitary facilities increases 
the danger of contamination.
 
The FSLN has been holding departmental elections throughout 
Nicaragua for the past several weeks with the result that there 
have been many new leaders elected.  In the 14 departmental 
elections held to date, only 28 of 98 positions were won by 
incumbents and nine departments elected new political 
secretaries.  In the largest department, Managua, Victor Hugo 
Tinoco, former Deputy Foreign Minister, succeeds Dora Maria 
Tellez as political secretary.  Tellez did not run for 
re-election. 
 
And finally, AMNLAE, the national women's organization, held its 
fifth assembly last weekend attended by over 1,000 women.  The 
assembly was characterized as successful.  Gladys Baez was 
re-elected for another term as national coordinator of the group.
 
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 **