By John Kotula The last two weeks have seen turmoil and tragedy in Nicaragua. While there is still tension and many unresolved questions about the future of the country, fortunately, the violence has abated and there seems to be commitment to peace and working out the issues through dialogue. There is cautious hope that Nicaragua…
By Chuck Kaufman Before I get into analysis of the current crisis and unrest in Nicaragua, it is apparent from some of the emails we’ve been getting that there are plenty of people who do not understand the role of Nicaragua Network/Alliance for Global Justice in the international solidarity movement. The Nicaragua Network was formed…
by John Kotula Up until the unrest in Nicaragua began last Wednesday, April 18, 2018, the story being told about Nicaragua in the popular media was a very positive one: the most stable and safe country in Central America, a hip, cheap, new tourist destination, a growing economy, good evaluations by international lenders, a leader…
By Chuck Kaufman Nicaragua underwent an unprecedented spasm of violence over the past week that was sparked by the government announcement of increased social security withholding rates for business, workers, and a larger government contribution but reductions in pension amounts for some recipients. The protests, which started peacefully, turned violent and some police are accused…
By John Kotula Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here are entirely those of the author and do not represent in any form the position of the Nicaragua Network/Alliance for Global Justice. Nicanet/AFGJ has for 39 years opposed the bipartisan US policy of militarism and intervention in Nicaragua and other countries regardless of the relative political…
By Chuck Kaufman In 2017 Nicaraguans sent $1.3 billion in remittances to family back home. That’s a lot of money. It is half as much as the whole economy was worth 30 years ago during the time of the Revolutionary government when I got involved. The most recent US census (2010) determined that there were…
By John Kotula I want to pitch the premise that art — painting, music, poetry, dance, photography, etc. — is essential to our understanding of the world. It has the ability to inform us about the vast space that exists between what we know and what is true. This is not empty space. It is…
By Chuck Kaufman Last week the US Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), the agency that enforces the US economic blockade of Cuba, informed the Nicaragua business and banking communities that sanctions against Venezuela and the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, apply as well to Albanisa in Nicaragua. Albanisa is a public/private company, 51% owned…
Midge Quandt, Presente! The Alliance for Global Justice and most especially the Nicaragua Network mourn the death of Midge Quandt who died on March 14 in New Jersey after battling Parkinson’s disease. A scholar-activist, Midge had a Ph.D. in history. She was active in the Princeton-Granada Sister City Project before joining the executive committee of…
Fake News from Amnesty International and Global Witness By Chuck Kaufman The past month has seen a new round of attacks against Nicaragua from US-European professional human rights NGOs. Global Witness continues against all reason and evidence to claim that Nicaragua is one of the “most dangerous countries in the world for environmental defenders” in…
