Nica News Roundup (March 18) – Morning Edition.

March 18, 2019

Nicaragua

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In this Edition:

Nuncio Meets with Comité Pro Liberación de Presos Políticos.

Nicaraguans broke through the circle of repression on Saturday, when they defied the police’s prohibition against marching, thus reclaiming the constitutional right to free assembly and mobilization. OrMu activated its police and paramilitaries nonetheless. At the end of the day, over 160 people were grabbed and taken to the New Chipote and six were wounded. The detainees to were released hours later, through the intervention of Mons. Waldemar Sommertag, the Vatican ambassador to Managua.

Mons. Sommertag has been heavily criticized after Yaritza Rostran Mairena denounced how he tried to pressure the women political prisoners to cease their hunger strike. According to Rostran Mairena, the nuncio said that the hunger strike was hindering the negotiations. To her, “It seems that he was sent by the government,” a criticism that clearly questioned the nuncio’s ability to remain “neutral.”

This morning,  Mons. Sommertag met with the Comité Pro Liberacion de Presos Políticos at the Nunciature. At the press gaggle held after the meeting, the Comité offered its support to the embattled nuncio. Speaking for the Comité, Daniel Esquivel stated that “it was unfair to attack someone who is trying to help. As a committee, we support the nuncio and ask that attacks against him stop.” The Comité added that it is not the first time that the Nuncio meets with families of political prisoners, and acknowledged that “if there have been any prisoner releases, it has been because of the Nuncio’s intervention.”

One-hundred-and-fifty prisoners have been transferred to house arrest since February 27. Many of them were in poor health due to the conditions in which they were held.

“Our position is that everyone needs to be released” — said Esquivel — “We know that we are dealing with [a government] who is indifferent to the suffering of the prisoners and their families, and that if there have been any prisoner releases, it has been because of the intervention of the nuncio, and no one else. He is the only channel of communication [with the government] that we have now.”

The Nuncio also addressed the press. He began his remarks by stating that he would not defend his actions thus far, “because the truth defends me.” He then asked for “patience and understanding” and encouraged press and public alike to “judge based on facts, not words, because words can be manipulated.”

Mons. Sommertag indicated that he has no personal stake in the outcome of the negotiations. “It is you who have a personal stake here. Do you want the country to come out of this situation? or do you want live like this for another ten months?”

“I am putting my soul into a cause that is yours, not mine. If you don’t collaborate in search for a resolution, there will be no way out.”

The nuncio had harsh words for the press, whom he chastised for constant criticisms of the negotiation process that seeks the excarcelation of prisoners. “I ask you to look at the facts. You don’t know 99% of the issues that the nuncio was negotiating. Someday, you will learn about these, but it will be too late for me.” He then added that the excarcelation of even one person was “a blessing.”

In regards to criticisms about his ability to remain “neutral”, the Nuncio stated that he was not neutral. “I cannot be neutral in the face of suffering. I can be impartial but not neutral.” Mons. Sommertag added that he was not acting on behalf of the government.

“I have no bosses. The nuncio has no bosses; not right wing bosses, not left wing bosses. I have an open channel with the government because I’m an ambassador. I am the Nuncio. I am the dean of the diplomatic corps. […] That is why I have an open channel, but that does not mean I am on their side.”

The Nuncio asked for trust on the negotiation process, which will be lengthy. “If you think this situation will be solved in one day, you are mistaken.” He further characterized his role and that of OAS Special Envoy Luis Angel Rosadilla as “building bridges.”

“I cannot leave my role, because if I do, the signal to you will be that there is no hope. I am here for love of the people. This people have stolen my heart years ago. If you don’t want to understand that, that is your prerrogative,” he stated.

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Interamerican Commission for Human Rights Denounces Repression of #ALaCalle Protesters.

The Interamerican Commission for Human Rights (IACHR) documented and denounced the police’s illegal actions, via Twitter. The Commission described how police officers stationed themselves around Managua, hours before the scheduled start of the #ALaCalle protest, “in an intimidatory attitude.” As the hour drew near, police engaged in an operation “destined to detained and repress.” Police officers chased protesters “even into shopping malls”, which are private property. Furthermore, officers out of uniform and without any identifying badges detained protesters. As evidence, the Commission used a video of the detention of feminist activist Miriam Chow, who was grabbed at Metrocentro by several unidentified males.

The Commission also documented the illegal detention of protesters who were being transported in a pick up truck belonging to Juan Sebastian Chamorro, as well as aggressions against the press, which are “incompatible with democracy and the rule of law.”

The video and photographic evidence compiled on Saturday repeat the “repressive pattern that was observed on October 14, 2018”. On this date, the police cracked down on a protest demanding the release of political prisoners and arrested 38 people.

The Commission concluded its twitter thread by “urging the State to reestablish the freedoms of Nicaraguans, as a concrete sign of good faith and willingness to advance in a dialogue that will allow a solution of the crisis in Nicaragua.”

Evening update drops at 5 pm, Pacific Time.

 

 

 

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2 Comments

  1. Carmen C Pelham

    Great summary. I realize that to be in the role of negotiator is difficult. Many were angry with those who negotiated the end of the I and II World Wars. But you have to hold a carrot to both parties otherwise you get nowhere. Although I’m not a fan of the Nunzio, he may have a cold-hearted approach that is needed and a single-mindedness to make a name for himself in a difficult situation. He’s acting as a diplomat, and that is clear. Whatever the outcome, he’s interposed himself into a difficult situation and maybe God is using him in a way we never anticipated.

    1. dr.minuscula (Post author)

      It’s not an enviable position, and I recognize that I was very critical of him, after watching Yaritza speaking to the press. I still believe her, as no one, not even the Nuncio, questioned her statements. That is why, as a matter of ethics, I won’t delete my Saturday tweet on this matter. It was crude, but it was honest, and I’m not a fan of deleting stuff you posted, just because it became inconvenient or embarrassing later.

      I know this, many of us, myself included, should stop Monday-morning quarterbacking the diplomatic aspect of the negotiations, as we will never be privy to the whole picture. That’s not how that works. However, commenting based on the facts at hand is absolutely legitimate (e.g., I still think Mario Arana shouldn’t be tweeting about anything, and apparently, he either agrees or got told to cool it, because he hasn’t said a peep in days).

      We can also speculate as to what may happen, should these negotiations reach an end point. Based on history, and just by observing the power differential between the parts, an amnesty is not out of the question (it’s what happened in 88-89, during that peace process). That will make many people very unhappy.

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