September 4, 2025

NicaNotes

By James Phillips

(James Phillips is a cultural anthropologist who lived in Nicaragua and worked with Witness for Peace during the contra war in the 1980s. He has returned to Nicaragua many times, including September of 2018, and has written about various aspects of Nicaragua and its relationship to the U.S.)

Recently several articles have appeared in different print media, spreading some of the same falsehoods and innuendos about the Nicaraguan government and Daniel Ortega that we have seen and heard for years. Addressing four recent articles, John Perry and Roger D. Harris discuss and quite effectively expose their falsehoods.

Some of the untruths touted in these anti-Nicaragua articles are simply updated versions of Reagan-contra propaganda from the 1980s, such as the “Sandinistas are persecuting religion” trope.  One might begin to think that the propaganda experts in Washington have run out of creativity and are not able to concoct a new approach. But there is something new and revealing in at least two of the recent anti-Nicaragua articles. They claim that Donald Trump is modeling his aspiring fascist dictatorship in the U.S. after “Ortega’s playbook.” This approach is absurd for at least two reasons, but it is calculated to appeal to a specific group of U.S. citizens.

Donald Trump and Daniel Ortega are not only not alike, they are polar opposites. Donald Trump deploys unidentified agents with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) vests and masked faces with no identification, to arbitrarily round up and detain men, women, and children, including a fifteen-year-old teen on his way with his teammates to a high school soccer match. The teen was dragged out of a vehicle at gunpoint and detained. Some of the thousands whom Trump’s masked enforcers have kidnapped have been shipped off to be imprisoned and tortured in foreign countries. Others, including young children, are detained in squalid holding centers in the U.S., often in crowded cages with no privacy, little food and water, and no access to phones, lawyers, or family. In stark contrast, Daniel Ortega does not round up and deport people to third countries to be imprisoned and tortured there. Nicaragua did deport some of the leaders of the 2018 coup attempt, sending them to the Vatican or to Washington where they enjoyed a warm welcome and have been able to perpetuate their tales of “persecution” by the Sandinistas. As far as I know, Nicaragua has no equivalent of ICE. Far from detaining children, Ortega’s government has been building maternity and birthing centers and urban and rural schools with free lunches.

Donald Trump and his enablers in Congress have passed a budget and a set of policies that rob from social services, health and education, in order to funnel money to the already super wealthy, while the poor are deprived of even the most basic health security network. In contrast, Daniel Ortega’s government directs sixty percent of Nicaragua’s budget to services that benefit the people. The result is apparent in areas of health care and education and in productive lives.

Donald Trump is systematically attacking the alternative energy initiatives and policies that promote self-reliant alternatives to fossil fuel. Since the U.S. is a major polluter, Trump’s policies are on track to create climate chaos and misery for millions throughout the world. Meanwhile, super wealthy fossil fuel executives get richer. Daniel Ortega’s government has promoted alternative forms of energy, creating more self-reliant and sustainable energy, contributing to Nicaragua’s decreased dependency on foreign energy, and to the health of the planet.

Donald Trump is slapping punitive sanctions on various countries, sanctions that exacerbate poverty and misery, and are considered an act of war against other countries. Previous U.S. Administrations and the U.S. Congress have been doling out sanctions against recalcitrant countries for years, but Trump ad his enablers have taken this act of war to new levels. Daniel Ortega does not slap sanctions or tariffs on other countries to make their people suffer. On the contrary, he and his government have tried to protect the Nicaraguan people from the most damaging effects of U.S.-imposed sanctions.

Donald Trump’s government is a criminal racket with little transparency. He and many of his associates have been indicted multiple times or accused of gross corruption and coverups. They use power, bribery, and threat to escape prosecution. Daniel Ortega’s government has been praised by international institutions for its transparent and efficient use of funds. Again, the result is apparent in the funding of projects and social services that benefit the people.

Donald Trump is waging war on facts and science. His associates ignore or contradict proven medical and other scientific breakthroughs such as vaccines. Daniel Ortega embraces scientific and medical knowledge for the benefit of the Nicaraguan people.

Donald Trump creates a fantasy world and cannot talk without lying. Daniel Ortega does not define reality by lying. He lives in an actual world and addresses its problems rationally.

Donald Trump has never been poor, never suffered, never fought for a cause larger than himself. He is distant from the daily needs and struggles of most of the U.S. population, despite his pretense that he is one of them. Daniel Ortega was imprisoned and tortured for his part in leading a revolution to free the Nicaraguan people from the US-sponsored Somoza dictatorship. Ortega knows what the Nicaraguan people have endured. Donald Trump and Daniel Ortega could not be more different.

The whole idea that Trump is playing by Ortega’s fascist “playbook” is not only absurd but entirely backwards. Washington does not get its blueprints from Managua. Somoza’s Managua got its blueprints from Washington. Daniel Ortega was, and to this day remains, an important force in helping Nicaragua break free of Washington’s playbook.

Why is this twisted propaganda comparison between Trump and Ortega of importance? Its basic logic is guilt by association and it is intended for U.S. liberals and progressives who strongly dislike Trump. The basic logic goes: If you dislike Trump, you should really dislike Ortega who has been Trump’s model. If Trump is bad, imagine how much worse Ortega must be!  Or, If Trump is bad, it must be because he is taking his cues from Ortega. This is a message tailored to appeal to the political center and left in the U.S. to ensure their condemnation of Ortega. We can expect more of this, but it is not hard to refute with facts, just hard to get through the media wall.

Briefs

By Nan McCurdy

Nicaragua to Purchase 548 Buses from China

On August 29, the governments of Nicaragua and the People’s Republic of China signed a contract for the supply of 548 buses, equipment, and machinery from the Yutong Company, which will strengthen transportation services and other activities in different municipalities. In the last two years 2,000 buses have been received from China and are in circulation throughout the country, and a long-term cooperation plan has been established with China. Co-President Daniel Ortega thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Communist Party of China, the Chinese people and government, and the Yutong company on behalf of himself and Co-President Rosario Murillo for opening the doors to cooperation with Nicaragua, which will allow for better transportation conditions for the people and bring in equipment and machinery that will contribute to the growth of the nation. (La Primerisima, 29 August 2025

Committee Presents Report on Atrocities against Palestinians in Gaza

A report condemning the genocide committed by the government of Israel in the Gaza Strip was presented on August 28 during a meeting of the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. The report was presented by Jaime Hermida Castillo, Nicaragua’s ambassador to the United Nations and vice-chair of this committee. The Nicaraguan representative served as rapporteur for the committee, informing the membership of the critical developments in the occupied Palestinian territory including East Jerusalem, the intensification of the conflict in Gaza, widespread humanitarian crises, and Israel’s continued violations of Palestinian rights. Hermida also highlighted the committee’s recommendations and statements to the international community, including its strong condemnation of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which has caused mass displacement, starvation, and the spread of disease.

The committee report calls for action in response to war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israel in Gaza, including investigating the use of starvation as a method of warfare and other actions prohibited by international law. During the meeting, important dates in 2025 relating to the Palestinian issue were announced, including the celebration of the next International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, which will be held on November 25 at the United Nations headquarters. (La Primerisima, 29 August 2025)

Important Water and Sewage Projects Advancing

The Nicaraguan Water and Sewerage Company (ENACAL) is currently developing the Managua South Bank Project, a key initiative to improve sanitation in Lake Managua and guarantee access to drinking water and sanitary sewerage in the municipalities of Tipitapa, Managua, and Ciudad Sandino, representing an investment of more than US$200 million.  Ervin Barreda, executive president of ENACAL said that this project, financed by the German bank KFW, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), and counterpart funds from the Nicaraguan government, includes several works already underway and in the bidding process. Among the most notable components is the expansion of Managua’s collectors, which consists of the installation of large-diameter pipes, up to 52 inches, to facilitate connection to the sanitary sewer system in numerous neighborhoods and developments. This infrastructure will allow for the integration of isolated wastewater treatment systems, improving the access to the public system.

In Tipitapa, a comprehensive sanitary sewer and wastewater treatment system is being built, which will cover nearly 100% of the city. Barreda explained that this component will radically transform the living conditions of some 10,000 families, eliminating problems such as wastewater running through the streets. Currently, the project is 13% complete. Parts of the expansion of the Managua wastewater treatment plant, the drinking water project in Tipitapa, and the sanitary sewer system in Ciudad Sandino are still in the bidding phase. Barreda expressed optimism about the possibility that all the works will be in full swing by the end of 2025, and finished between 2026 and 2027. (Informe Pastran, 28 August 2025)

New Hospital Opens its Doors in Ocotal

The new Héroes de Las Segovias hospital in Ocotal, Nueva Segovia, is now serving families with modern facilities, state-of-the-art equipment, and dedicated healthcare staff. The infrastructure consists of seven buildings covering an area of 25,000 square meters, with a capacity of 236 beds. It offers physical medicine, rehabilitation with hydrotherapy, maxillofacial surgery, oncology and chemotherapy, a nephrology unit with dialysis and hemodialysis, a pain clinic, endoscopic services, outpatient care, emergency care, hospitalization, an obstetrics unit, neonatology, and a pharmacy. The hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art technology that will benefit more than 300,000 residents in this northern region of the country. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/abre-sus-puertas-nuevo-hospital-de-ocotal/ (La Primerisima, 2 September 2025)

Energy Transformation with Solar and Biogas Projects

ENACAL is making progress in implementing renewable energy projects aligned with the national strategy for transforming the electricity generation matrix. These initiatives seek to ensure the sustainability of drinking water and sanitation services, and also to contribute to the national electricity system.  With 80% of the work completed, the solar plant located in San Isidro, financed by the People’s Republic of China, has a peak capacity of 61.45 megawatts. The plant already generates energy for the project’s internal activities and is in the testing phase. It is expected to be operating at full capacity between February and March 2026. In the Malpaisillo sector, department of León, another solar plant is being built with funds from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI). This facility, which is 85% complete and has a peak capacity of 22 megawatts, will also begin operations in the first quarter of 2026. Both plants will add approximately 83 megawatts to the national interconnected system, significantly reducing the energy expenditure of ENACAL’s pumping systems.

At the same time, ENACAL is developing the Enesolar 3 plant in Nindirí, Masaya, with a projected capacity of 70 megawatts. Currently in the final design stage, this project will begin installing panels in the next two months, with a view to being operational in early 2027. This effort, added to one megawatt generated by biogas at the wastewater treatment plant in Managua, will allow ENACAL to add nearly 152 megawatts to the national grid. The biogas plant in Managua, with a capacity of one megawatt, represents a pioneering initiative in Nicaragua and Central America. Completed and in the adjustment stage, it is expected to begin operations in October 2025. “It is a pioneering project in the country, there are very few in Latin America,” said Barreda, highlighting its contribution to strengthening the electricity system. These projects strengthen the energy matrix, and also generate significant savings for ENACAL. “Those savings translate into improved service for families.” (Informe Pastran, 28 August 2025)

Nicaragua Joins China’s Global Governance Initiative

On Sept. 1, coinciding with the summit meeting of the Global Governance Initiative in Tianjin, China, the Nicaraguan government issued a statement joining the Initiative. The statement, signed by Co-Presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo and approved by the National Assembly, noted that “the Initiative is based on the Sovereign Equality of States, the International Rule of Law, Multilateralism, a People-centered approach and genuine actions aimed at strengthening cooperation, responding to the common challenges of humanity, reducing the North-South divide and better defending the common interests of all countries.” The statement also said that the Initiative was “aimed at promoting the construction of a more just and rational system of global governance, working together for the community of a shared future for humanity.” (El 19 Digital, 1 September 2025)

“Blockades and Sanctions Cannot Impede Development and Growth”

On Sept. 2, Co-President Daniel Ortega spoke at an event marking the 46^th anniversary of the Nicaraguan Army. He saluted the families of the comrades who had been promoted, a total of 262. Then he said that Nicaragua is supporting the initiatives taken at the meeting being held in the People’s Republic of China, where leaders, politicians, and presidents from many countries were meeting to define a new balance of power, not for war, but for development. “President Xi Jinping made a proposal that we immediately welcomed, in which he suggested joining forces with countries … that respect us for our dignity, our courage, and our honor so that we can come together and develop programs for peace,” he said. Ortega said that President Xi announced funds to protect and help countries and peoples in the most difficult conditions, and made a commitment that the support would be based on solidarity and without conditions. He said that the aid is in the areas of health, education, economic development and military. Countries that do not have significant resources and are victims of anarchy, such as the case of Haiti, will be helped.

The Co-President stated that “in Latin America, we have a commitment, an agreement, the Latin American community of states, CELAC and we are committed to being a zone of peace, but there are always governments that submit to interventionist policies in order to find ways to dismantle this type of project.” He went on to say that despite the blockades and sanctions, growth and development are being achieved. “And of course, we have cooperation from sister nations, the Venezuelan people who have provided us with extraordinary cooperation, the People’s Republic of China is providing us with extraordinary cooperation, without any political conditions, without getting into that, simply buses, here come the buses, prepared in China, with the high technology they have, they have given us scholarships for young people to go there to study advanced technology. In other words, these countries offer cooperation for peace, for well-being so that even more homes can be built than are already being built.”

The Co-President reiterated that Latin America wants peace. What the United States has done, with its warships carrying planes, helicopters, and rockets, is going nowhere.

He commented that they do this to intimidate Latin American governments and attempt to overthrow them. (La Primerisima, 3 September 2025)