NSCAG UPDATE JANUARY 2022
Dear Friends
New Year greetings!
As we enter 2022, the Nicaraguan people need our solidarity more than ever.
We will continue to support Nicaragua’s trade unions in their fight to defend the gains of the Revolution against continued US aggression and hostility.
We will continue to campaign against the punishing illegal sanctions imposed on Nicaragua by the US and supported by the UK government.
And we will stand by the side of Nicaragua’s people in their fight to defend their country’s sovereignty, their right to self- determination and their right to live in peace.
Our work to build a better world continues and we hope that we can count on your continued support and solidarity in the year ahead. We wish you and all your colleagues a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year.
Nicaragua has seen incredible progress over the last fourteen years with priority given to social and economic programmes which benefit the poorest and most vulnerable in society. Health, education, poverty reduction are government priorities in a country which continues to be a shining example to the world. For more about the achievements of the last 14 years, see this article by Nan McCurdy – link here
The piece also includes a link to a webinar ‘Countering the Lies about Nicaragua: Eyewitness reports vs Washington accusations’ – this excellent webinar shows the truth about Nicaragua and the improvements in the lives of the Nicaraguan people under the Sandinistas – it is well worth watching.
An article by John Perry and Rick Sterling counters the misinformation which continues to be spread about Nicaragua and the Nicaraguan elections. A link to the article – ‘How Can Some Progressives Get Basic Information about Nicaragua So Wrong?’ can be found here
Inauguration of ‘El Pueblo Presidente’ (the People as President)
On 7 November 2021, the FSLN and President Daniel Ortega won the elections in Nicaragua with almost 76% of the popular vote. T
he inauguration took place on 10 January this year. Dan Kovalik was there and you can read his piece here. NSCAG’S article on the inauguration can be found here A solidarity statement from North American solidarity delegations who were in Managua and participated in the presidential inauguration can be found here
See also articles by Fabrizio Casari – ‘The challenge continues’ - link here and by Margaret Kimberley, Black Agenda Report – ‘Nicaragua in the Multipolar World’ - link here
US and EU intensify sanctions
Just hours before the inauguration, the US and EU imposed a new raft of sanctions on Nicaragua. The sanctions were welcomed by the UK government. For more on this, see the following by Steve Sweeney, Morning Star, 11 and 12 January – see here and here
‘US Sanctions 116 Ortega Admin Figures for ‘Undermining’ Nicaragua’s Democracy on Inauguration Day’ – article in Orinoco Tribune -see link here ‘Nicaragua: Sovereign State or Vassal State’ – article by Margaret Kimberley, LA Progressive – see link here For more about the new US strategy of soft coups in Latin America see article by Stansfield Smith, Popular Resistance – link here
The Left’s Resurgence in Latin America
Alborada will be hosting a webinar on this topic on 2 February at 7.30pm UK time – see link here See also ‘2021: Latin America and the Caribbean in Review: the Pink Tide Rises Again’ – article by Roger Harris, link here
The Social Economy
‘Education programmes that support rural development and the social economy’ – an article by Winnie Narváez Herrera – see link here ‘Nicaragua’s big secret, the success of the social economy’ – interview with Leonel Rivera, Managua representative of the Ministry of the Family, Community, Cooperative and Associative Economy (MEFCCA) – see link here
Organisation of American States
On 19 November 2021, the Nicaraguan government announced that it was withdrawing from the Organisation of American States (OAS). In explaining the decision to leave the OAS, Nicaragua’s Foreign Minister Denis Moncada said ‘The OAS continues to be an instrument created by the US to project its meddling and hegemonic policy of intervention, of threat and aggression against the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean’. To read more about the OAS and its imperialist agenda see here and here.
In solidarity
Louise Richards,
Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign Action Group
January 2022