Nica News Roundup (Morning Update) – March 4

Day 320

March 4, 2019

Nicaragua

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In this edition

Francisca Ramírez Out of the Movimiento Campesino

After her video-taped statement was published on Despacho505 and all over social media, Francisca Ramírez and four other members of the Movimiento Campesino’s National Council have been expelled from organization. The news broke on Sunday afternoon.

Ramírez described her expulsion as a violation of the organization`s rules. These rules require a general assembly, where expulsions are voted on by simple majority (50% of votes +1).

Ramírez and her colleague, Henry Ruíz, went on the record with Nicaragua Investiga. Ruíz, who was also expelled, reiterated what Ramírez had said yesterday: They only recognize Javier Carmona as a legitimate representative of the Peasant Movement, in spite of what the Alianza may believe.

Ramírez added that she is not “seeking the limelight”. Rather, her only goal is to achieve freedom for Medardo Mairena and Pedro Mena, “so that they can continue in the dialogue.” However, even if Mairena and Mena were to be released tomorrow, it is highly unlikely that they would be added to the negotiating team, as that would probably derail the negotiation even further.

Nemesio Mejia, another member of the Movimiento Campesino, also went on the record to talk about the naming of new delegates. According to Mejia, Medardo Mairena, Pedro Mena, and other imprisoned leaders supported the decision. However, since none of them can be reached for comment, the situation boils down to Mejia’s word against Ramirez. In any case, the rift appears to be insurmountable and it effectively sidelines Ramirez from any negotiation.

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FSLN Declared Winner in Regional Election

The Consejo Supremo Electoral (CSE) declared a winner in the 2019 regional election for the Atlantic Coast, based on preliminary data. To no one’s surprise, it was the FSLN, with 58% of the vote in the  North Atlantic and 56% in the South Atlantic.  ELECTION RESULTS

Overall, the FSLN is said to have obtained 61.1% of all votes for the entire region. Indigenous party YATAMA was the runner up, with 16.89% of the vote.

Regional elections do not have a high rate of participation. For example, in 2014, the participation rate was 41.4%. This year was no different, with 45% of eligible voters casting a ballot. Nevertheless, Lumberto Campbell, vice-president of the CSE, called the rate “excellent for a regional election.”

Reports on independent media and OrMu Propaganda are the expected study in contrasts, with independent media focusing on low participation rates and reports of irregularities, while OrMu Propaganda highlights the FSLN’s numbers. For example, Boletín Ecológico posted a short video of the celebratory caravan in Bluefields, observing that there were “no people on the streets cheering the caravan as it drove by.”

In contrast, Camilo Calero, a journalist for Channel 13, posted this video showing Sandinista sympathizers celebrating in the same city.

In February, the National Assembly approved an reform to the electoral law, which allowed citizens who did not appear in the “active electoral roster” — the roster of voters registered and verified their address for Sunday’s election — but were on the “passive roster” to vote, merely by presenting their government ID, regardless of current place of residence.

In other words, voters who did not live in the jurisdiction anymore, but who had lived there previously, could vote. The reform was approved on February 19, days before the March 3 election.

Canal 6, part of the OrMu propaganda machine, made no attempt to cover the election professionally at all. They announced the FSLN’s electoral slam dunk by stating “ganamos”, we won.

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No News About Brandon Lovo and Glen Slate

It has been almost 48 hours since the Comité Pro Liberación de Presos Políticos announced that Brandon Lovo and Glen Slate were to be transferred to house arrest. Yet their whereabouts are still unknown. Lovo and Slate were accused and convicted of the murder of journalist Angel Gahona, after an investigation and trial rife with irregularities.

Family members have no idea whether or not that is the case. According to Tania Benard, Brandon Lovo’s aunt, the family was told that the two men would be transferred to house arrest, but they haven’t seen them nor heard anything further.

This morning, the news broke that Lovo and Slate are not in Bluefields at all, and perhaps were never there to begin with. Two journalists for Canal 12, Cristhel Jiménez and Wilmer Benavidez spoke relatives, who stated that, according to the prison guards, Brandon and Glen are not being held in the Bluefield’s prison complex.

In addition, Lovo’s mother, Connie Taylor, spoke to Despacho 505, confirming that her son is not in Bluefields. An aunt, also quoted in the story, believes that the whole thing was a hoax. “We believe that they just wanted to set up this show so they could get the people’s vote. We know it was a circus, but it didn’t work, because people didn’t come out to vote. It was all an electoral sham”, said Lovo’s aunt, Sol Gutierrez.

No official sources have commented on the matter.

Neither Lovo and Slate’s names were not on the list of prisoners transferred to house arrest that was released by the Ministry of the Interior last Wednesday.

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Alianza Continues PR Campaign

The Alianza has engaged in a PR Campaign, with the apparent purpose of reassuring the Nicaraguan people that they are committed to a negotiation rather than a pact. Such a campaign is necessary, as prominent Alianza negotiators, such as Jose Adan Aguerri (COSEP) supported Ortega’s “consensus model” and had input on important economic decisions taken by the OrMu administration. Though Aguerri gave a mea culpa of sorts last year, the fact remains that Nicaraguans are not ignorant of historical precedent. Negotiations among the elites tend to consolidate the power of those elites, rather than seek solutions for real problems.

The Alianza’s campaign included short videos, featuring Alianza members talking about their commitment to the negotiations, all tagged with #CompromisoNicaragua. For example, Carlos Tunnermann’s video shows him saying “I am in the dialogue because I want to contribute to the solution the critical problems that my country is experiencing right now.”

Max Jerez, the principal negotiator for the student sector, stated that he was at the dialogue “because I believe that Nicaraguans can change history. We are capable of solving conflicts peacefully, and young people can be part of that.”

So far, the Alianza has published six of these videos. However, their boldest PR move yet was a Twitter asynchronous Q&A that compiled answers to the top ten questions that the Alianza had received since the negotiations were announced. Nine of those questions are still available.

The questions range from “what have you agreed upon thus far?” (question 3), to “Why haven’t you discussed anything of substance?” (question 2). The Alianza responded that the issues that are already agreed upon have to do with logistics, such as scheduling and media relations. Nothing of substance has been discussed because “we need to have clear negotiation rules first. It would be a mistake to negotiate if the rules aren’t serious or confusing. You cannot rush the process, as the stakes are very high.”

Question four is perhaps the most interesting one. It asks “Do you believe that the government is acting in good faith?” The Alianza responded that “Thus far, the representatives of the Government have demonstrated seriousness at the negotiating table. However, we will know if their commitment is serious once we agree upon clear rules for negotiation.”

Question 5, dealing with the transfer of political prisoners to house arrest, was deleted from the thread, after cartoonist PXMolina questioned the wording of the response, specifically the use of the term “liberation”. Mr. Molina stated “IT’S NOT “LIBERATION” It is unacceptable that a NEGOTIATING team that SHOULD BE CLEAR about the fact that words have weight, and about the importance of using correct language, lends themselves to [OrMu propaganda].” The Alianza agreed to use the term “excarcelación,” which roughly translates to “being taken out of prison.”

In other words, the Alianza chose a term that sounds nicer, but is not synonymous with being transferred to house arrest. It is synonymous with being taken out of prison, with destination unknown.

The Alianza also stated that they are willing to leave the negotiating table if OrMu’s negotiators “aren’t serious or show no good faith.” So far, however, the OrMu side has vetoed one of the agreed-upon witnesses, Mons. Alvarez, refused to accept international guarantors or mediators, and rejected the participation of the Catholic Church as a mediator. We know all of this, not because the Alianza has come out and said it, but because “anonymous sources” have leaked it to the independent press.

Today is day four of the negotiation. The Alianza promises to keep everyone informed about progress through “interviews, press releases, or via social media.”

If that is unsatisfactory, wait for the leaks.

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