Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega last night sent out “all our love and all our Christian, socialist and solidarity spirit” to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez on the eve of his reelection bid on Sunday.
President Ortega lashed out at those who support the opposition in Venezuela as “puppets of the empire.”
“As Sandino said, wherever the empire is intervening, there will be puppets to serve their interests. And here there are puppets also serving the empire, of course there are puppets here. And there are puppets there in Venezuela,” Ortega said.
The president elaborated on his mistrust of marionettes, saying puppets are those who “are happy with bad news,” and “who want President Chávez to die.”
“They are the ones who hate the people because they are full of grudges, of wickedness; they can’t call themselves Christians,” Ortega said. “They can’t be Christians if they want bad things to happen to the Nicaraguan people, if they slander or defame the Bolivarian Revolution and President Chávez.”
He added, “They are the enemies of the people, the enemies of the poor, the enemies of the poor who are trying to get out of poverty in Venezuela and the poor who are fighting to get out of poverty in Nicaragua and all of Latin America and the Caribbean.”
Ortega said that these heathen puppets are those who “accumulate wealth at the cost of hunger and the poverty of the people.”
“Wealth is good,” Ortega said. “Of course wealth is good for the wellbeing of the people and the wellbeing and enjoyment of families. Of course wealth is good, but the wealth of the few, at the cost of the immense majority of people on this planet who live in extreme poverty, who are living in hunger, who are dying due to lack of medicine, who can’t go to school, that is bad wealth. The other wealth is that which develops the Christian principles of a socialist and solidarity project—that is blessed wealth.”
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what a joke!!
It´s hard to believe some people actually believe this crap.
This from a man who has accumulated more wealth at the cost of the people in 12 years, than Somoza in 40.
I believe it.
Without facts you assert that Ortega has greater wealth than the Somozas had and acquired it at the cost of the people.
Who here is believing crap?
if you believe this… then YOU sir are believeing crap!!!!
600 million dollares to date from Venezuela alone… all ortegas private piggy bank…. the maze of businesses ortega-murillo familiy has built in the last 6 years is astonishing… 5 tv channels now or more.. restaurants, electrcity industry, pharmeceutical industry…. advertsiing industry, construction industry… the list goes on and on…..
… all corruption!!!! no one has been more corrupt than Ortega, except for maybe Aleman, … which is why they both should share a jail cell.
again.. if you believe this crap.. then you are believing CACA!!!!
@Ken
First, you should research ALBA. It is very opaque. No one knows what is public or private funds. Long story short, Ortegas private company used in public affairs. If you don’t think Ortegas getting rich from it, you are a fool.
Second, Ortega is a thief. Everheard of La Pinata? Between Ortega and Chamorro Presidencies he confiscated private islands, houses, farms and handed them to his Sandinista buddies. I do not want a President who steals.
Third, censorship. Go look into who owns most media and news outlets in Nicaragua. Its Ortegas family. They own Multinoticias, canal 8, canal 12, and others. They own radiowaves. There has been a fundamental shift in Ortegas popularity in 5 years. A lot of this has to do with how he is manipulated his image through state owned media.
Fourth, Ortega is holding power illegally. Period. Nicaragua constitution prohibits 3 terms. Period. His Sandinista buddies in the Supreme Court ruled the law “inapplicable”. He’s a dictator.
Fifth, the hypocrisy. You know how many hotels, restaurants, construction that Sandinistas own? We traded one ruling, elite rich class for another. Another hypocrisy is that he says people who are anti-Chavists and anti-Orteguistas are not Christians. I am positive Jesus would not have approved of La Pinata. We traded Somoza for Ortega. Same crap, different smell. Both censor. Both keep a few rich. Somoza employed more brutal tactics I will give Ortega that.
Sixth, this is a populist goverment. Ortega identifies with a large portion of the population and appeals to him saying he represents the people, he is a proud indian-mestizo, how the elite and the capitalist have oppressed the poor that the rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer. Don’t fool yourself, the only people getting rich in this new administration is Ortega and his goons.
Seventh, do not be deceived by Nicaragua’s 4-5% economic growth yearly. What would have happened if Chavez lost last elections? Or if he dies of cancer? Nica has to many eggs in one basket. We do not know what is private or public funds. I would have liked to see the economic impact if Chavez would have lost. It is not good to put your eggs in one basket. That is why Nica is scrambling for a canal, to get the oil rig done, so it can diversify.
If you are Nica, don’t be fooled by stats of “economic growth”. If you are not Nica, please do not comment.
Sandinista leader explains difference between “blessed wealth” and “evil wealth” yes he would know the difference
I guess that is why I will make my Central America investments in Costa Rica and not Nicaragua. Love Nicaragua and Nicaraguans, but the return to this garbage does not help create wealth.
It doesn’t sound like you’re grasping the distinction between blessed and evil wealth, or if you are you’re choosing the evil version. Investing in Nicaragua is a good thing, isn’t it?
the problem is… when you “invest”.. a portion of it goes to Ortega-Murillo familiy…. so, that may not be a good thing…. unless you like “investing” in dictators.
President Ortega is stating the truth,puppets of the Empire he calls the DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE THAT ARE PART OF THE NORTHAMERICAN EMPIRE FROM WHERE HE HAS RECEIVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN THIS 33 YEARS IN POWER ,AID FOR MANY POVERTY PROGRAMS HOSPITALS WHICH THEY WOULD NEVER CONSTRUCTED FOR THE CHILDREN OF NICARAGUA DIFFERENT AIDS AND HELICOPTERS TO FIGHT THE DRUGS CARTELS ,BUT HE ALSO STATES THAT THOSE THAT ARE DEMOCRATIC AND FOLLOW AMERICAN PRINCIPLES INDEED ARE PUPPETS .HE MUST ALSO EXPLAIN THE FACT ,THAT THEY ARE PUPPETS OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTION AND THEY USE THE SAME PLATFORMS AS THEM ALL. INDEED THE REVOLUTION IS JUST FOR THE PEASANTS AND THE WELLTO DO FAMILIES WHICH CAPITALS WOULD NEVER BE JEOPARDIZE AS PELLAS ,CHAMORROS AND OTHER BUT NOT IN ITS ENTIRETY,THIS IS WHY THE 190 MENTION BY COMMANDER ARCE COULD NEVER INVEST IN NICARAGUA BECAUSE OF THE WAYTHEYTREAT OTHERS CAPITALS USURPING CONFISCATING LOOK AT WHAT HAPPEN WITH THE SWEEDISH INVESTOR.I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST THE PROSPERITY OF THE HUMBLES IN NICARAGUA , TO THE HUMBLES OF THE REVOLUTION BUT HE DISCRIMINATES INVESTORS CAPITALISM.,BECAUSE OF HIS INDOCTRINATION BY CASTROS REGIME.
Sorry, you misunderstand. Nicaragua has sent more money to the US than it has received in US aid since the Revolution. This is a result of the US law that conditions US aid on the Nicaraguan government compensating US citizens for confiscated property. The wrinkle here is that the recipients of the compensation need not have been US citizens at the time their property was confiscated. What happened is that the Somoza crew fled to the US during the 1980s, taking everything that wasn’t nailed down with them, and then the Reagan administration gave them citizenship as “refugees.” Obviously they left abandoned houses, factories, farms, etc. that the Sandinista government sensibly confiscated in order to put them to some kind of economic use for Nicaraguans. Subsequently, though, Nicaragua’s governments have had to pay back everyone of these fleeing rich folks, and the amount that Nicaragua has paid them is actually more than the amount it has received in aid. When you appreciate that much of the US aid has gone to trying to influence elections (and in every case the US has supported anti-Sandinista candidates, regardless of how corrupt they were) you might appreciate why some in Nicaragua question the “blessing” of US aid. Add of course that for a decade during the 1980s US policy was to ruin the Nicaraguan economy and you really start to appreciate how some uses of money can be construed as “evil.”
Sure, Ortega still takes US aid, but that’s because he’s pragmatic (and almost all of the property cases are resolved now). It’s not though necessarily because he wants it. His problem is that if he pisses of the US to the point of the US cutting aid, the US will also use its disproportionate influence in the World Bank and elsewhere to lobby against Nicaragua receiving loans. Thus, it’s not merely a matter of forgoing US aid, but also a matter of avoiding the US actively lobbying against Nicaragua receiving money from elsewhere.
This is not my day to defend Danny, who can IMO come off like a bozo sometimes, but it doesn’t hurt to see the world the way he sees it. During his entire life the US has always financed his opposition, beginning with Somoza; during the 1980s the US set out to systematically destroy the Nicaraguan economy; and since the 1980s Nicaragua has returned more money to the US than it has received. He doesn’t have to be indoctrinated by Castro to draw a distinction between the good and bad uses of wealth.
Actually remittances from North America sent down to Nicaragua are massively large vs the other way around. Western Union, Money Gram
Ever heard of those things? Care to take a swing at their annual numbers?
Normally, I wouldn’t respond, but I thought maybe I’d try a little logic. Firstly, those “fleeing rich folk” didn’t flee simply because they thought it was a nice day to take a vacation. They left fearing for their lives because of the slaughter and torture the Sandinistas were committing in Nicaragua at the time. That’s not to say Somoza was THAT much better, but hey, when the Sandinistas were ousted in 1990, we didn’t kill and steal from all of them.
Second, as far as I know, in most countries, as long as you pay your taxes on your property, it doesn’t matter if you’re currently inhabiting your land, it’s yours. The “sensible confiscation” you’re referring to is called robbery in any other country, and the fact that the Nicaraguan government is paying back the victims of this robbery is proof that is the case.
Lastly, if we’re going to count the costs of repaying government theft in the influx of money to the United States from Nicaragua, lets take into consideration the money wired to people in Nicaragua from their families in the US. Like Sout mentions, we have Western Union and Money Gram, but forget that; look at 22/24 a Nicaraguan company that was founded and is prospering from the sending of money and other items to and from the US.
I’m sorry but I think that you should do some reading outside of just Sandinista literature and get a more global perspective on that issue.
Ken, you couldnt be farther from the truth buddy. No one was so well at destroying the Nicaraguan economy than the sandinista government in the 80´s! By far!!!
2nd, you say “sensibly confiscated”.. yeah.. at gun point!! they went in people´s homes and farms shooting and asking questions later. most pepole fled between 1980 and 1983 and left because of the violent confiscations, death squads, torture, etc.. whatever the military had an eye on.. they took, regardless if you were with, against or neutral to Somoza.. including ALL the beaches in Rivas now “owned” by ex sanidinista generals who sell americans 500k beach front homes!!
3rd over 85% of ALL USA Aid, goes towards education, sanitation, bussines, entrepeneurship, democractic participation (gender emphasis) etc etc… only a small portion goes towards support a political party. but that is not evil, when the political party is democratic.. look what is happening now. Makes a lot of Nicas, say ” why didnt the US do MORE”… alas, it all lies with us in the end.
Also, most families who fled in the 80´s.. were not rich!!! most who fled were poor and from rural areas!! that is because Somoza base of support was the poor in rural areas!! Most rich people stayed IN nicaragua to defend their business´s etc….
But seriously, send me you address, I will send you toilet paper for you for christmas.. so you can wipe you mouth everytime you talk..
I couldn’t agree more Gloria. But next time please turn off you caps lock, looks like your shouting at us.
Let him be…esta cagado! Whoever wins in Venezuela, they already lost!
wait…what??? Blessed wealth and evil wealth? Wealth is when one has more than others, right? A few have more than they will ever need, while many have nothing…..sounds legit. *eye roll*
Really? Venezuela is a dump! The ammount of money PDVSA (venezuelan oil) generates in one year is the equivalent of 33 years of budget for CENTRAL AMERICA COMBINED. Yet they opperate at a loss. Venezuela opperates at a loss, it is heavily in debt, and the people are paying for it. Have any of you ever been there? go to the super market. Try buying milk. ot probably came from nicaragua. Ortega now owns many companies, and uses his position to gain wealth. this is ofcourse corruption. not to mention he is the illegitimate president. Stold the elections and hasnt even modified the constitution that art.147 states he cant be president. seriously. Its stupid to even think of these two tyrant as anything but evil. the ammount of blood on both of these mens hands should be enough to put them in jail forever.
Here’s an example of Evil Wealth from 1985. While Ortega’s death squads were slaughtering, and starving the campesinos, and 100s of thousands of infants were dying with distended bellies, this is what he was spending his blood money on…
NEW YORK – The president of Nicaragua and his wife, Rosario, here for the U.N. anniversary, bought $3,500 worth of fashion eyeglasses from an East Side optician and covered the splurge with a Diner’s Club card, the shop manager said.
With the Secret Service telephoning in advance, President Daniel Ortega pulled up Wednesday in a 17-car motorcade at Cohen’s Fashion Opticals, said Jeff Kirsch.
“They were here an hour. He was easygoing, he took whatever his wife said. She was very picky.”
Mrs. Ortega ordered three Gucci frames for herself and three Fioruccis for her daughter.
Ortega bought six Silhouette frames with polycarbonate lenses, the sturdy plastic used for bulletproof shields. His eyeglasses were $300 each.
He had another set of the plastic lenses put into a frames he already owned, said Kirsch.
The Ortegas’ charge card came from the Nicaraguan U.N. Mission.
Ortega o Somoza, son la misma cosa!……..