Nicaraguan elections attacked by the Evil Empire

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Sandinista victory in Nicaraguan elections: threats of US destabilisation
 
On 6 November, FSLN candidate Daniel Ortega  won presidential and National Assembly elections  with  72% of the vote.  Next  placed candidates were Maximo Rodriguez,  Constitutionalist Liberal Party (PLC) with 15% of the vote, and Pedro Vallejos Independent Liberal Party (PLI) with 4.5%.  National Assembly election results followed a similar pattern
 
On 8 November, Donald Trump won the US presidential elections with 47.5% of the votes and Republicans gained greater control over both the House of Representatives and the Senate.  This represents the danger of the US approving legislation that would block loans to Nicaragua from international lending institutions thereby destabilising Nicaragua.
 
Polls conducted before the elections indicated overwhelming support for the FSLN government policies that have brought about economic, political and social stability in a country with a history of war and instability and the second highest levels of poverty in the Americas after Haiti.
 
According to the World Bank figures, economic growth has been 4-5% and poverty dropped from 42.5% in 2009 to 29.6% in 2014.
 
On 7 November, the day after the elections, the US State Department issued a statement expressing ‘deep concerns’ about the ‘flawed electoral process in Nicaragua”. A representative added:  "We continue to press the Nicaraguan government to uphold democratic practices, including press freedom and respect for universal human rights."
 
However, a group of Latin American electoral experts were in Nicaragua for five months monitoring all aspects of the process.  This group, headed by Raul Alconada, former foreign minister of Argentina, included former ministers, members of parliament, presidents of electoral commissions, academics, lawyers, members of the Latin America Council of Electoral Experts, and others with extensive knowledge and experience of elections. Members of the group were from Ecuador, Uruguay, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Colombia. On 7 November, Raul Alconada presented the findings of the Group’s technical report that validated the efficient organization, transparency and citizen participation in the elections.
 
There is some possibility of the Trump administration approving legislation that would block loans to Nicaragua from international lending institutions. This would profoundly undermine the Nicaragua economy threatening the advances of the past ten years with the most severe impact on those most vulnerable.
 
The human rights Nicaraguans have voted for are identical to those of everyone on the planet : peace, stability, dignity, jobs, and improvements in the wellbeing and standard of living of their families.
 
Any form of US destabilisation will only serve to violate these basic human desires with dangerous consequences not just for Nicaragua but for the whole region including the US itself.
 
·         See attached briefing for further details.
 
·         To find out more join us at the Latin America conference 26 November https://www.latinamericaconference.wordpress.com Paul Oquist, Nicaraguan Minister for Public Policy and Nicaragua will be a key note speaker.
 
Louise Richards & Helen Yuill
Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign Action Group
Tel: 020 7561 4836
Mob: 07768 736934
www.nscag.org