[A-List] U.S. reassumes its dirty war against Nicaragua

[Nicaragua Solidarity and Fair Trade Resource]

From: "Barbara Larcom" <blarcom at bcpl.net>
Subject: FWD: FYI
Original Message From "Cliff DuRand" <cliff at globaljusticecenter.org>
> from Granma International    Aug. 31, 2007
>
> U.S. reassumes its dirty war against Nicaragua
>
> BY LIDICE VALENZUELA -Special for Granma International-
>
> EIGHT months since taking power, the government of Nicaraguan President 
> Daniel
> Ortega is facing fierce opposition from reactionary sectors - both 
> national
> and international - led by the United States, who are persisting in 
> ignoring
> the structural changes that have been embarked on in this new era for 
> national
> politics.
>
> It concerns an ideological struggle, radicalized in the last few months,
> between the principles and the program to improve the quality of life of 
> the
> majority of the impoverished Nicaraguan population and, on the other hand, 
> the
> interests of the right wing, who are witnessing a threat to their class
> privileges in the face of overwhelming support for the process being set 
> in
> motion by Ortega and his cabinet.
>
> Ortega continues to condemn the destabilization plans on the part of the
> government in Washington, and in the last few weeks has attacked the Free
> Trade Agreement (FTA), signed by his country with the United States,
> contrasting the vast differences between that and the Bolivarian 
> Alternative
> for the Americas (ALBA), which it has already signed along with Cuba, 
> Bolivia
> and Venezuela - the main driving force behind the project - the 
> philosophical
> base of which is fair trade aimed at improving the lives of the poorest
> sections of those countries.
>
> "Unfair trade" was one of the president's descriptions of the FTAs, 
> because
> they always benefit the largest country. He gave as one example the 
> effects
> that will be felt by Nicaragua's tobacco industry on account of the import 
> and
> sales taxes applied to that product by the United States.
>
> By adopting this measure, thousands of Nicaraguan producers will lose 
> their
> jobs and will be forced to illegally emigrate to the United States, where 
> they
> are treated as fifth-class citizens.
>
> Ortega affirmed that his party, the Sandinista National Liberation Front
> (FSLN), was never in agreement with the FTA.
>
> Meanwhile, the United States is continuing its dirty war against the 
> political
> process led by the former FSLN commander.
>
> According to the president's recent condemnations at the Sao Paulo Forum -
> held in Managua - the administration of George W. Bush is working "behind 
> the
> scenes" in order to boycott the social and economic programs embarked on 
> by
> his government, which have seen significant advances to date in spite of
> obstacles laid out by their enemies.
>
> In a firm but conciliatory tone, Ortega referred to the fact that, despite 
> the
> ideological differences between the two governments, relations between the
> United States and Nicaragua should be based on mutual respect and for that
> reason, he said, the underhand campaigns it is financing with the domestic
> right and with the privately-owned media are unacceptable. For the 
> president,
> Washington's interference in the internal affairs of his country are aimed 
> at
> supporting groups calling themselves "representatives of the population," 
> when
> in reality these were destroyed by voters in last year's general 
> elections.
>
> It is believed that a new split in bilateral relations could show itself 
> after
> the Managua government confirmed an embargo of assets owned by U.S. oil
> company Esso in a tax payment dispute. The fraud on the part of the 
> company
> consisted of declaring certain quantities while in the customs report, 
> others
> appeared, according to presidential advisor Bayardo Arce.
>
> The plan executed by Washington against Managua since Ortega assumed power 
> is
> not that different from those that the White House - whose tenant Bush is
> currently rejected by 66% of his own people - has traditionally employed
> against legitimately constituted governments in Latin America and the
> Caribbean. Remember Haiti, Chile and Guatemala. The only difference is 
> that we
> are in different times now and the governments have the support of 
> powerful
> social and indigenous movements with a high level of political awareness.
>
> What the right wing is looking to do now is to confuse the Nicaraguan
> population with tall stories in order to boycott the political and social
> programs of the administration of Ortega, the man who led the country from
> 1985 to1990, but did not secure reelection because of interference by the
> United States, which was supporting the so-called Contra war.
>