An anti-government group known as the Patriotic Movement for the Republic (MPR) is calling on Nicaraguan civil society to “lose its fear” and unite in an “organized and combative civil struggle” against what it calls the “dictatorial” alliance of power between President Daniel Ortega and the country’s top business chamber, the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP).
In a public declaration read during a protest held Tuesday afternoon in downtown Managua, the MPR—a small group led by well-known Sandinista dissidents—denounced the so-called “Ortega-COSEP pacto” for creating a new oligarchy that is enriching itself at the expense of the country. The protest movement, led by Moisés Hassan, an original member of the Sandinista revolutionary junta, accused COSEP of acting as an enabler of an “illegitimate” and “illegal” Orteguista government.
“The dictator Daniel Ortega, with absolute control over all branches of government, and with violations to the constitution and permanent abuse of the law, has dismantled Nicaragua’s institutional democracy and the rule of law and has us on an accelerated track toward an absolute family dictatorship of a dynastic nature,” reads the protest statement read by the MPR.
The group accused the government of restricting civil liberties, orchestrating electoral fraud, intimidating and repressing the opposition, and violating workers’ rights with massive layoffs of state employees who are not affiliated with the ruling party.
The MPR called for civil disobedience against what it labels the “neo-oligarchic regime of Ortega,” including the soon-to-be-inaugurated municipal authorities from last November’s elections.
“It is worth paying taxes to enrich the governing class and its COSEP allies?” the MPR demanded. “Is it correct to respect orders from illegitimate and illegal authorities?”
CSE: Everything ready for swearing-in ceremonies
Meanwhile, the Sandinista-controlled Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) announced that it is ready to swear-in 6,380 municipal authorities in a marathon series of inaugural events between Jan. 10-12.
The CSE said it will be swearing-in 153 mayors, 153 vice mayors and 6,074 city council representatives between Thursday and Saturday.
Más allá de los presuntos fraudes electorales lo cierto es que son muchos los que votan regímenes neocomunistas, y más allá del clientelismo, estos gobiernos logran hacer adeptos fanatizados con sólo brindarles un espacio de contención y expansión de sus jactanciosas mediocridades y miserias humanas.
El neocom encontró su substancia en una masa uniforme de debilidades morales o antivalores, así ha llegado al poder en Latinoamérica reunido en su común denominador: esas miserias que no sólo tratan de imponer como matriz de opinión; sino que además penalizan social y judicialmente su cuestionamiento.
It be interesting to see Nicaragua Dispatch do an article on what social and economic impact this law is having on gold mining in Nicaragua. I’ve always wondered what the pros and cons are for Nicaragua when it comes to gold mining. Also, does anyone know what social and economic policies are implemented by gold mining companies in other countries to benefit the local community where they operate?
I don’t know a lot about gold mining….but I do recall most of the 30+ US and EU mining firms operating in Africa are subject to a major class action lawsuit now from over 15,000 injured and diseased workers.
What is amazing is the lack of control on the small artisan miners who are smelting over open fires and using mercury like it wasn’t hazardous. The small family/individual operators are degrading the environment and killing themselves and their families.
Foreign companies operating in Nicaragua are watched and comply with labour and other regulations. Not many are actually making a lot of money either since most work is still in exploration stages.