President Mahuad will be one of the key participants in our May conference, which will be held in conjunction with CNN's annual convening of their World Report news leaders. The reasons became clearer when we met with Public Prosecutor Carlos Arias. He described several scandals recently revealed, many involving influential political leaders, serious problems involving customs and export credits, and increasing money laundering and drug crimes. He has not been pressured, but feels that his own office should have the protection of constitutional status. Former president Rodrigo Corazo, another of our Council members, joined us for our meeting with eight influential civilian organizations, and then with leaders of the two major political parties and the five minor ones.
Massive corruption is possible in privatizing telephones, electricity, oil products, etc.
Because of our involvement in the country for the past 15 years, through the Contra war and several elections, we feel especially close to these people. Guided by the Managua control tower, we flew low over the devastated areas in NW Nicaragua. Every stream had become a torrent, villages and bridges were wiped out, and deep walls of mud from the montainsides covered wide areas. Food is available in the country, but it can't be delivered because no roads are passable. One serious need is chlorine tablets for water purification, since inflammable liquid chlorine can't be carried on aircraft, and the dangers of cholera, dengue fever, malaria, and other diseases are imminent.