From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: NICANET HOTLINE -- 04/06/92
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 22:47:32 GMT

/** reg.nicaragua: 78.0 **/
** Topic: NICANET HOTLINE -- 04/06/92 **
** Written  2:02 pm  Apr  6, 1992 by nicanet in cdp:reg.nicaragua **
            NICARAGUA NETWORK HOTLINE ** 202-544-9360
 
                         April 6, 1992
 
You have reached the Nicaragua Network Hotline recorded Monday, 
April 6, 1992.   To reach our office, call: 202-544-9355.
 
Topics covered in this hotline include: Nicaragua's meeting with 
donor nations increases 1992 aid; World Bank calls for legalizing 
property titles; FSLN Congress meets; Carlos Hurtado resigns; 
Renters law evicts 20,000; Sugar and mineworkers win 
privatization rights; and, Central American women's conference 
meets.
 
The meeting in Washington, DC between a Nicaraguan government 
delegation, including Daniel Ortega, and donor countries netted 
Nicaragua pledges of $1.2 billion in aid for 1992-93.  According 
to El Nuevo Diario, the US, Japan, European and Latin American 
countries that make up the donor nations attributed the increase 
to "a recognition of last year's advances and of the ambitious 
future agenda" a premise we would contest.  Some of the success 
was attributed to Ortega's participation in the delegation.  He 
explained, "We have a common responsibility to get the country 
out of this situation."  He challenged the government to use the 
funds quickly to alleviate the population's immediate problems 
and head off a social explosion.  Deaths have been reported due 
to starvation and unemployment now stands at 60%, raising the 
level of desperation and threatening the Chamorro government's 
ability to govern.  For the past two years foreign aid has been 
used to control inflation, pay interest on the international 
debt, and to promote private enterprises.  Minister of the 
Presidency Antonio Lacayo, in his address to the donor countries 
cited Nicaragua's compliance with IMF and World Bank agreements, 
and pointed to what he called the following achievements: the 
opening of six private banks, privatization of 46% of state 
enterprises, tax reductions, elimination of the deficit and 
subsidies on utilities, reduction of the army, and cutting state 
employees by 15%.  He also claimed that coffee, banana, rice, 
bean, and corn production was up between 7 and 50% in 1991.  
Since lack of credit, drought, and falling international prices 
for coffee and cotton have cut deeply into the agriculture 
production sector, we are unable to determine what period he is 
using as a benchmark for his statistics.  According to Lacayo, 
two conditions were imposed for the aid.  First that Nicaragua 
continue to "reform" the economy, and second that they maintain 
national unity.  During a press conference Lacayo said that 
Ortega's support was normal given that he Chamorro government "is 
a continuation of the revolution which began in 1979."  He 
pointed out that Chamorro had been a member of the first 
revolutionary junta and added, "for many reasons we became 
divided and there was a war between brothers, but we have left 
this behind."  With the parties that made up the victorious UNO 
coalition in 1990 now largely in opposition to the Chamorro 
government, Lacayo may be positioning himself with such 

statements to run as a centrist candidate in the 1996 
Presidential elections.
 
According to Barricada, a recent World Bank report surprisingly 
did not call for a return of property confiscated under 
Sandinista land reform but said rather "the right to property 
corresponds to all who legally possess a property title or one 
from the Agrarian reform from either the former or present 
government, or a certificate given them by INRA." INRA is the 
ministry dealing with former contras.  The report further stated 
that land tenure is affected by "great insecurity for rural 
inhabitants as well as agricultural producers regarding their 
right to ownership of the land that they work or live on."  The 
report further recommends that the government carry out rural 
development programs, such as public works programs to create 
jobs, implement family income, and reduce the pressure for land.  
However, the World Bank does not offer to finance any of these 
programs.
 
The Sandinista Assembly met the last week-end in December.  This 
body, which was elected at last July's Party Congress, is the 
highest decision-making body of the FSLN between quadrennial 
meetings of the Congress.  The Sandinista Assembly used to report 
to and be appointed by the National Directorate, but now the 
National Directorate reports to it.  The Assembly held a long and 
heated debate about the government's economic plan and in the end 
voted for the promotion of a "national agreement" with the 
government, "to influence economic policy to the benefit of 
popular sectors and contribute to national stability."  The 
resolution conditioned FSLN support on government compliance with 
past national dialogue agreements and respect for existing law 
and the constitution.  Daniel Ortega declared that the policy was 
to "struggle in an organized way so that the struggle does not 
create chaos or anarchy."  In other actions, the Sandinista 
Assembly instructed the National Directorate to create a 
commission to work on alternative economic proposals to be 
discussed with popular organizations, and they voted 81-10 to 
seek membership in the Socialist International.  This has been a 
much debated issue since the SI, and particularly the Latin 
American members, are significantly to the right of the FSLN.  
However, with the diminished influence of the Non-aligned 
Movement, the SI gives the FSLN an international forum. We 
believe it is more likely that the FSLN will pull the SI to the 
left than that the SI will pull the FSLN to the right.
 
Minister of Government Carlos Hurtado who replaced Tomas Borge as 
head of what was the Interior Ministry under the Sandinista 
government, "was resigned" according to Barricada.  The 
government cited health reasons but Barricada quoted anonymous 
sources in the government as stating that the real reason was 
Hurtado's insistence on dismembering the police force.  
Apparently the final straw was when Hurtado presented his 
proposal to revamp the police to the US government before he 
showed it to President Chamorro.  This is yet another set-back to 

the State Department's goal to remove Sandinista influence from 
the police.  Last December, Spain pulled out of a joint program 
with the US to fund the reorganization of the police into a 
number of specialized corps because Spain feared the plan would 
create a "repressive" force and damage Spanish relations in Latin 
America.  Now the US has lost Hurtado as its agent and may have 
to swallow Sandinista participation in the police as they have 
had to do in the army.
 
The Chamorro government's Renters Law went into effect on 
December 13, 1990, and according to the Nicaraguan Renter's 
Association, over 20,000 families have been violently thrown out 
of their homes since then.  The law declares that renters must 
pay rent of between 1-4% of the value of the property, which has 
been impossible for many families due to the economic crisis.  
The Renters Association is seeking legislation in the National 
Assembly to halt the evictions.  According to UNICEF there is a 
shortage of adequate housing in Nicaragua of 416,000 homes, 
100,000 of them in Managua alone.
 
The explosive labor crisis calmed a bit last week when the 
government reached agreement with striking sugar workers.  The 
accord will insure that sugar workers will be able to buy 25% of 
the sugar companies as they are privatized and that all fired 
workers will be reinstated.  The government also reached 
agreement with mine workers allowing them to buy 100% of the La 
Libertad gold mine in Chontales and several production units.  
According to the agreement, workers will pay the government 
$3,994,000 for five mining centers.  The Swiss government is 
providing the workers with the money and has set up an additional 
fund for operating and training expenses.
 
And finally, 500 women from throughout Central America met in 
Managua for five days for the Central America Women's Movement 
Conference.  This historic first brought together unionists, 
peasants, indigenous, intellectuals, lesbians, and religious 
workers.  The conference was a positive experience for most, but 
met with many difficulties as women from diverse classes and life 
experiences attempted to agree on the definition of feminism and 
set unified goals.  Peasant women in particular felt left out 
because they didn't understand the feminist terminology.  
However, all agreed that the national meetings which prepared for 
the regional conference were among the most positive aspects of 
the event.  In some countries, such as Honduras, it was the first 
time women had ever come together and dared to speak of feminism.
 
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 **

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