NicaNotes: Stop US-Directed Regime Change in Nicaragua; Stop the RENACER Act!


Please plan to attend a webinar with Nicaragua’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Denis Moncada on Thursday, September 23. Register here: bit.ly/nicasolidarity or scroll to the end of NicaNotes for more information.


Stop US-Directed Regime Change in Nicaragua; Stop the RENACER Act!

Protesters gathered at the US Capitol to protest the RENACER Act. Photo: Scott Hagaman

[This article was first published in Popular Resistance on Sept. 14, 2021.]

On Monday, September 13, solidarity activists organized by Friends of Latin America, Casa Baltimore/Limay, Code Pink and Black Alliance for Peace protested outside the US Congress against the RENACER Act, which stands for the Orwellian title, “Reinforcing Nicaragua’s Adherence to Conditions for Electoral Reform.” The bill is part of the United States’ effort to undermine the presidential election in Nicaragua this November to prevent the Sandinista Party and its leader, President Daniel Ortega from being re-elected.

The RENACER Act would place more unilateral coercive economic measures (aka Sanctions) on Nicaragua, facilitate greater coordination of the US’ economic war on Nicaragua with Canada and the European Union, create stricter oversight of financial institutions doing business with Nicaragua and impose greater visa restrictions.

Speakers at the protest emphasized the need to stop the RENACER Act before it passes Congress, because afterwards it will be very hard to remove it. The best chance is to keep the House Financial Services Committee from approving it and sending it on to the House floor.

Please call the Committee Chairwoman, Maxine Waters (202-225-2201 or 323-757-8900 and pick the comment line). In your comment, urge Congresswoman Waters to oppose more sanctions on Nicaragua under the RENACER Act and to not approve or mark up the bill. After that, call the Financial Services Committee (202-225-4247) with the same message. Click here to read more and send an email to your Representative and to Rep. Waters:
Urgent Action Still Needed: No New Sanctions on Nicaragua, Say NO to Renacer!

Thank you for helping to stop the Renacer Act!

Scroll down to see short videos of the protest.

The action was organized by Friends of Latin America, Casa Baltimore/Limay, Code Pink and Black Alliance for Peace. Photo: Scott Hagaman

Here are tweets of short videos from the September 13th action at the Capitol:
The following has three short videos of Netfa Freeman and Barbara Larcom
https://mobile.twitter.com/kawsachunnews/status/1437567964765736962

The following video is of Leonardo Flores
https://twitter.com/KawsachunNews/status/1437639232600875008

Briefs
By Nan McCurdy

US$96 Million to Reinforce Health Units
Nicaragua signed a new loan agreement with the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) and the UK Export Finance (UKEF) of the United Kingdom for US$96.1 million (CABEI, US$66.5 and UKEF US$29,5). This loan which will be used for the “Project for Strengthening the Attention Capacity of the Hospital Service Network in Prioritized Health Units.” The executing agency will be the Ministry of Health. (Informe Pastran, 8 September 2021)

22 New Hospitals since 2007
With the inauguration of the Francisco Meza Rojas Hospital in Mina El Limón, Nicaragua now has 22 new hospitals since the Sandinista Government returned to office in 2007. (Informe Pastran, 10 September 2021)

Potable Water for A Million More People
In the last four months of 2021, 174,000 families or some 959,200 people in nine municipalities will have more and better drinking water service and good connections to sewage service, thanks to 12 projects that will be carried out by Nicaragua’s Water Company, ENACAL. Some of the cities that will benefit are León, Chichigalpa, Telíca, El Viejo, Jinotepe, Juigalpa and Chinandega. Drinking water service will be improved and expanded as well as sanitation, with new treatment plants. The investment in these projects is US$186 million. (Informe Pastran, 8 September 2021)

Monitoring Water Quality Improves
The Nicaraguan water company, ENACAL, completed two new water quality laboratories at the Juigalpa regional integral attention center; this equipment will allow better monitoring of the quality of water consumed by 321,000 people in the departments of Boaco, Chontales, Río San Juan and Central Zelaya. (Radio La Primerisima, 13 September 2021)

Loan for Reactivation of Caribbean Coast Fishing
President Daniel Ortega authorized the signing of a loan with the Banco de Fomento de la Producción (PRODUZCAMOS) for US$7.7 million to finance the “Productive reactivation of the fishing sector of the Caribbean Coast.” (Informe Pastran, 10 September 2021)

Vaccinating People 30+ Years of Age
Voluntary vaccination against Covid-19 for people 30 years old begins September 20 announced Vice President Rosario Murillo on September 10. She said that by October 9 the goal of almost one million Nicaraguans vaccinated is expected to be reached. (Radio La Primerisima, 10 September 2021)

Construction Begun on Limay–Pueblo Nuevo Road
The construction of the road between San Juan de Limay and Pueblo Nuevo began in August.  Under Somoza this was the only road into Limay and it was a dirt road. In the early 1980s the Sandinista government built a gravel road from Estelí to Limay over the mountains. And in the last three years two major roads to Limay have been paved – the road from Estelí and the Road from Achuapa – also over high mountains. Two bridges into Limay that were destroyed in 1998 in Hurricane Mitch are also being rebuilt.  (Radio La Primerisima, 11 September 2021)

Solidarity Food Packages Delivered this Week
This week 55,000 Solidarity Food Packages to mothers of the fallen and to families in the Todos con Voz Program for people with disabilities are being delivered. This is carried out every month by the government throughout the country. (Informe Pastran, 8 September 2021)

Agricultural Packages for 90,000 Farm Families
The Institute of Agricultural Technology continues to support the second planting and recently provided 4,000 technology packages for growers of beans, corn, sorghum, and fruit trees in Managua and Carazo. 87,000 technology packages have already been provided to improve coffee plantations in Wiwilí, Quilalí, Jalapa, Ciudad Antigua and Telpaneca, Las Sabanas and San Juan de Río Coco. (Informe Pastran, 8 September 2021)

New Protected Areas on Nicaragua’s Caribbean
Vice President Rosario Murillo announced that President Daniel Ortega sent a bill to the National Assembly to declare Corn Island, Little Corn Island and the area known as Blowing Rock, as protected areas: “Nicaragua will have a new natural park in this important area of our Caribbean Sea,” she said. (Informe Pastran, 10 September 2021)

Nicaragua Defends its Right to Live in Justice and Peace
On Sept. 14 before the Human Rights Council, in Geneva Switzerland, Nicaragua denounced the United States and the European powers for their immoral and indecent policy of aggressive, arbitrary, illegal, coercive and unilateral measures that violate all the instruments of international law. The document states that Nicaragua has faced the indecent greed of the United States and Europe who have used all the vices of their own decadence to try to dismantle the national honor and the spirit of Sandinismo. Nicaragua defends its right to live without foreign interference. See statement here: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/noticias-generales/destacado/nicaragua-reitera-rechazo-a-injerencismo-de-potencias-extranjeras/ (Radio La Primerisima, 14 September 2021)

Covid-19 Weekly Report
For the week of September 7 to 13 there were 513 new registered cases of Covid, 452 people recuperated and one death. Since March 2020 there have been 10,245 registered cases of Covid, 9,368 people recuperated and 202 deaths. (Informe Pastran, 14 September 2021)

Most Board Members of FUNIDES and VBCF Have Been Charged
The Public Prosecutor’s Office reports that the criminal cases against the “Violeta Barrios de Chamorro” Foundation (VBCF) for the crime of money laundering, property and assets laundering and other illicit acts, as well as the investigation against FUNIDES and against all those persons who have attempted against the rights of the Nicaraguan people and society, in accordance with Law No. 1055 and the Nicaraguan Penal Code are proceeding and the accused have been charged.

A September 8 press release from the Prosecutor’s Office states that most members of the board of directors of the VBCF are accused of misappropriation, money laundering, laundering of goods and assets and conspiracy to undermine the National Integrity.

The Prosecutor’s Office points out that the funds were mostly destined to finance one of the main programs of the VBCF, the Media for Nicaragua Program, but that in practice they were destined for other purposes that were not within the Foundation’s scope, such as financing individuals and organizations that sought to destabilize the country’s economic and social development. These actions come under the criminal heading of Conspiracy to Undermine National Integrity. The other crime committed here is laundering of goods and assets, set out in articles 282, 410 and 412 of the Penal Code, Law No. 641, to the detriment of Nicaraguan society and the State of the Republic of Nicaragua. See Press Release: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/noticias-generales/destacado/acusan-a-sergio-ramirez-por-vinculos-con-la-lavanderia-chamorro/ (Radio La Primerisima, 8 September 2021)

Arellano, Aguirre Sacasa and Díaz Accused of Conspiracy
On September 8 the hearings of the accused Jaime Arellano Arana, Francisco Xavier Aguirre Sacasa and Mauricio José Díaz Dávila were held for the crime of conspiracy to undermine national integrity, according to articles 410 and 412 of the Penal Code. The judge referred the cases to trial. (Radio La Primerisima, 8 September 2021)

Vidaurre, Mena and Oviedo Accused of Conspiracy
On September 8 charges were filed against Noel José Vidaurre Argüello; Pedro Joaquín Mena Amador and María del Socorro Oviedo Delgado, for allegedly committing the crime of conspiracy to undermine national integrity, in accordance with articles 410 and 412 of the Penal Code. The judicial authority admitted the accusations. At all times the criminal justice system has respected the constitutional rights of the accused, investigated and interviewed persons; it has ensured the quality and objectivity of the investigation, as well as the accusations. (Radio La Primerisima, 9 September 2021)

Sergio Ramirez Formally Accused
On Sept. 7 the Public Prosecutor’s Office formally accused former vice-president Sergio Ramirez of carrying out acts that promote and incite hatred and violence, also for having received, through the Luisa Mercado Foundation, money from the Violeta Barrios de Chamorro Foundation. A request for an arrest and search warrant was also made. (Radio La Primerisima, 8 September 2021)

Official from Fundación del Rio Accused of Propagation of False News
On September 8 the Public Prosecutor’s Office presented an accusation against Amaru Ruíz Alemán, for the crime of Propagation of False News through Information and Communication Technologies, punishable under the Special Law on Cybercrimes.

Ruiz provided false information about events that occurred in 2020 and 2021 in the communities of the Northern Caribbean Coast, where indigenous people were murdered, expressing that “the State and its institutions have deliberately omitted the duty to investigate these crimes,” which is totally false, since there is a police investigation, a prosecutorial accusation and a judicial process against the criminals who committed the crimes that occurred in 2020.

In relation to the recent events of August 2021 in Kiwakumbai, since the facts were discovered by the National Police, investigators and experts were appointed to go to the scene of the crime to investigate, identify and find the criminals to present before Nicaraguan justice. Amaru Ruíz is accused of intending to create a climate of instability and insecurity that endangers national sovereignty. The Public Prosecutor’s Office also requested an arrest warrant. [Editor’s note: Ruíz was part of the Death Roadblocks in 2018 and worked with one of the most violent groups called the “Campesino Movement” headed at the time by Medardo Mairena and Francisca Ramirez. In April 2018, Ruíz was illicitly charging people affected by a forest fire in the Indio Maíz reserve for fire-fighting services. At the time Ruíz was the legal representative of the Fundación para la Conservación y el Desarrollo del Sur-Este de Nicaragua (Fundación Del Rio).] https://radiolaprimerisima.com/noticias-generales/destacado/tranquero-es-acusado-por-divulgar-noticias-falsas/  (Radio La Primerisima, 8 September 2021)

Those Responsible for Massacres in Bonanza Captured
The National Police captured those responsible for a massacre that occurred on August 23 in a mountainous area of Bonanza, where nine people were killed, including a minor. A police investigation team formed by officers of Judicial Assistance, Criminalistics Experts, Search and Seizure Officers, went to the scene of the crime, located 50 kilometers northwest of the city of Bonanza, where they verified that a group of men with firearms attacked citizens who worked in artisanal gold mining in the sector known as Kiwakumbai, located on Pukna Hill. The crimes resulted from disputes between local groups who work in gold mining. See police report here: http://www.tortillaconsal.com/tortilla/node/12856 (Radio La Primerisima, 8 September 2021)

 


 

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