NSCAG AGM and Solidarity Event
NSCAG’s Annual General Meeting will take place at 11.30am on Saturday 20th July and will be followed by a solidarity event commencing at 2pm. The events will be run as a hybrid, so attendance can be either in person or via Zoom.
Speakers at the solidarity event will include His Excellency Dr Carlos Arguello, Nicaraguan Ambassador to the Netherlands and Nicaragua’s representative to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and Her Excellency Ismara Mercedes Vargas Walter, Cuban Ambassador to the UK.
For those able to attend in person, both events will take place at the Marx Memorial Library, 37a Clerkenwell Green, London EC1R 0DU. To register for the AGM, please email Louise at nscag@nicaraguasc.org.uk with your name and, if appropriate, name of union branch/district/region. If you wish to join the AGM remotely, please let us know and we will send you the appropriate link.
To register for the solidarity event, please see the link here. A zoom link will be sent out on registration for those who are unable to attend in person. Sanctions Since 1979 the US has used military, economic and political warfare to attempt to destroy the Sandinistas whose main priority has been the fight against poverty. As of June 2024, yet another attempt to force regime change is a bill before the US Senate that would further tighten sanctions, more accurately called illegal coercive measures as they violate the UN charter, international law and Nicaragua’s own constitution.
This deceptively named legislation, the Restoring Sovereignty and Human Rights Act is yet another US attempt to strangle the Nicaraguan economy, destabilise the country and replace the Sandinista government with one more to the liking of the US.
We have produced a briefing on Sanctions – No to Sanctions! Yes to Social Progress! which is attached to this update.
Our international partners, the Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition, have also produced a briefing explaining how the Act referred to above could conflict with US obligations under the CAFTA trade treaty. The briefing can be found here.
Forthcoming webinar – ‘Weaponising human rights: Arrow in the Quiver of Empire
Organised by the Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition, this webinar will take place on Sunday 23 June at 8pm UK time. It will examine the ways that human rights can be manipulated for geopolitical ends and used to justify illegal coercive measures like sanctions. Speakers: - Alfred de Zayas, Professor of International Law at the Geneva School of Diplomacy and a former UN Independent Expert on International Order (2012-18) and John Perry, a 20-year Nicaragua resident who writes about Central American geopolitical issues for such publications as The Nation, London Review of Books, Monthly Review, Council on Hemispheric Affairs, and Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. To register, see link here
LGBT+ Rights in Nicaragua
In 2008, following the Sandinista party's return to power, a law was passed overturning the penalization of homosexuality and making it illegal to discriminate against someone based on sexual orientation. Since then, the Sandinista government has also passed laws specifically guaranteeing equal rights and opportunities for the LGBT+ community. Additionally, public institutions have administrative regulations in place to ensure that no one faces discrimination for their gender identity. To read more, see here.
Palestine – Nicaragua’s Historic and Ongoing Solidarity with Palestine
A recording of this webinar held by the Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition on 19 May can be found here.
Opportunities to visit Nicaragua
Casa Ben Linder are organising three forthcoming delegations to Nicaragua: -
• November 8-17, 2024: Salud & Solidaridad: Hands-On Healthcare in Nicaragua
• February 2025: The Bird Brigade: Birding in Solentiname Arquipelago
• March 2025: Power & Protagonism: Women in Nicaragua
For further information and/or to apply please email casabenjaminlinder@gmail.com
Speakers
Just a reminder that we are happy to provide speakers for regional/branch meetings (online or in person). Just email me on nscag@nicaraguasc.org.uk if you would like a speaker for one of your meetings.
In solidarity
Louise Richards,
Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign Action Group
www.nscag.org /p>
Twitter: @NSCAG_UK