LADBAC@UNMB.BITNET (Dr. Barbara A. Kohl) (09/28/89)
September 27, 1989
CENTRAL AMERICA UPDATE
Copyright 1989
(Latin America Data Base, Latin American Institute, University
of New Mexico. Project Director: Dr. Nelson Valdes. Managing
Editor: Dr. Barbara A. Kohl)
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GENERAL
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U.N. TO SEND 700 OBSERVERS TO PATROL
CENTRAL AMERICAN BORDERS
On Sept. 23 at a press conference in Tegucigalpa,
Honduran President Jose Azcona Hoyo said the UN has agreed
to send 700 military and civilian observers to patrol the
borders of Central American nations with the aim of
overseeing fulfillment of regional accord security
provisions.
Azcona said the UN peacekeeping force will be based in
all five countries. He gave no date for their arrival.
Next, the president said the demobilization,
repatriation and resettlement of the Nicaraguan contras is
"progressing." He added, "The contras must accept
demobilization because they haven't got the resources to do
anything else."
At the most recent count, US agencies were feeding
12,000 fighters and 42,000 relatives. (Basic data from AP,
09/23/89)
GUATEMALAN & NICARAGUAN PRESIDENTS: CONTINUED CONTRA
PRESENCE IN HONDURAS THREATENS STABILITY IN CENTRAL AMERICA
In an interview with the New York Times on Sept. 26 in
New York, Guatemalan President Vinicio Cerezo warned that if
the US fails to encourage the Nicaraguan contras' rapid
repatriation, they may remain indefinitely in Honduras, and
become a "destabilizing element in Central America."
During an address to the UN General Assembly, Cerezo
pointed out that the five Central American presidents are
committed to speeding the return of the contras under the
Aug. 7 summit accord. Guatemala would be prepared to give
permanent homes to a few of the contras, he said, but many
would probably attempt to obtain refugee status in the US.
On the same day in Managua, Nicaraguan President Daniel
Ortega told reporters that the contras are selling weapons
to rightwing groups in Guatemala. He mentioned the
escalation of political violence in Guatemala, including
numerous bomb explosions in the capital city, and increased
death squad activity against university students, and human
rights activists, among others. Ortega added that the
continued presence of the contras in Honduras will increase
instability throughout Central America.
Earlier this year the US Congress approved $49 million
in contra aid to be spent by next February. Under an
agreement with the congressional leadership, the Bush
administration is obligated to first consult Congress before
spending more money on the contras after Nov. 30. As a
result, Congress has the opportunity to insist that the $10
million to $15 million remaining in the fund at the end of
November be used to assist in the contra demobilization
process as specified by the Central American presidents,
rather than maintaining them in Honduras. (Basic data from
Xinhua, 09/26/89; New York Times, 09/27/89)
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COSTA RICA
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COSTA RICAN GOVERNMENT ELIMINATES COFFEE EXPORT TAX
In statements to reporters on Sept. 14, Costa Rica's
new finance minister, Rodrigo Bolanos Zamora, announced that
a tax levied on coffee exports paid by producers had been
eliminated, result of low world market prices. Coffee ranks
as the country's top export revenue earner.
The minister asserted that economic policy will be
adjusted in coming months to meet requirements contained in
the government's agreement with the International Monetary
Fund.
Bolanos replaced Fernando Naranjo, who opposed dropping
the coffee export tax. Naranjo predicted that with the loss
in annual revenues of $34 million, the public deficit will
increase to over $120 million, or more than 2% of GDP.
The new minister said the elimination of the coffee tax
would be "gradual," or implemented in stages.
In the last three years, Costa Rica has signed two
agreements with the IMF. The public deficit in 1986 was
equivalent to 3.3% of GDP. Last year, the deficit had been
reduced to 2% of GDP. (Basic data from Notimex, 09/14/89)
COSTA RICA: TEACHERS ON STRIKE, SEPT. 5-SEPT. 22
On Sept. 22, a strike called Sept. 5 by CIMA, a
national teachers' union federation, ended with the
conclusion of an agreement with the Education Ministry. The
agreement states that the CIMA and the government will
negotiate a series of demands, including salary hikes,
within a 20-day period. The accord also includes a pledge
by the Ministry to refrain from adopting sanctions against
teachers who participated in the strike. (Basic data from
Xinhua, 09/22/89)
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EL SALVADOR
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ON U.S. SENATE APPROVAL OF INCREASED MILITARY
AID TO EL SALVADOR & REACTIONS
On Sept. 20, the US Senate voted to increase aid to El
Salvador to $90 million, and remove restrictions on access.
By a 67 to 33 vote, the senators removed a provision from
the FY 1990 foreign aid bill that would have cut the aid
into three portions to be sent at four-month intervals and
would have given Congress what amounted to veto power over
the final installment.
Minutes later, the senators approved 82 to 18 a
substitute provision that would increase the military aid
from $85 million to $90 million and offered rhetorical
praise for peace talks between the Salvadoran government and
the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN).
--On Sept. 22 in San Salvador, President Alfredo
Cristiani said the US Senate vote on military aid, and the
large margin of votes in favor, constituted a demonstration
of confidence in his government. He said US military aid is
justified as long as the rebels refuse to disarm and join
the country's "democratic process."
--In statements to reporters on Sept. 24, Archbishop of
San Salvador, Arturo Rivera y Damas, denounced the approval
of more US military aid for El Salvador. He said the aid
will not enhance prospects for ending the war through
dialogue.
Rivera y Damas warned that "ultraconservative" sectors
could block dialogue with the rebels. The existence of such
sectors within the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA)
"is nothing new," said the archbishop. It is necessary, he
added, to support President Cristiani in his efforts to
organize and promote peace talks.
The archbishop condemned the capture of over 100 union
members in the past week. Next, Rivera y Damas denounced
the assassination by former members of the armed forces of
an entire family in the village of Llano los Pasos, La Union
department.
The archbishop's Sunday homily was cancelled to
demonstrate his opposition to the placement of a 20-meter
FMLN banner above the cathedral's main entrance. The banner
was hung by a group of rebel war wounded who have occupied
the cathedral for over a month. The occupation was
undertaken to pressure the government to honor the Geneva
Convention by authorizing them to seek medical treatment
abroad.
--On Sept. 25 in Mexico City, Mario Lopez, member of
the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front's (FMLN)
political and diplomatic commission, told reporters that the
rebels may withdraw their decision to terminate economic
sabotage due to the Salvadoran military's stepped-up
repression. He enumerated several recent actions by the
armed forces, including the arrest of over 100 labor union
members, and the bombing of three villages.
Lopez said he was concerned about the US Senate's
decision to not only continue large-scale military aid to
the Salvadoran government, but to increase it, and to remove
all conditions. He said the decision will only provide
further incentive to El Salvador's "most recalcitrant"
sectors who favor a military solution, while weakening those
supporting negotiations. (Basic data from AP, 09/20/89;
Prensa Latina, 09/22/89; Notimex, 09/22/89, 09/24/89,
09/25/89)
EL SALVADOR: REBELS LAUNCH ATTACKS IN SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS
At about 2 a.m. on the morning of Sept. 26, Farabundo
Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) units attacked the
4th Army Detachment barracks in San Francisco Gotera,
capital of Morazan department, and the 1st Army Detachment
barracks in Chalatenango, capital of the department of the
same name. According to rebel station Radio Venceremos,
FMLN units also attacked a military barracks in the capital
of Cabanas department, and military posts in San Salvador
and in several towns in Morazan, San Miguel, La Union,
Usulutan, La Paz, San Vicente, Chalatenango, and Cuscatlan
departments.
According to a report by AFP, at least 14 rebels and
soldiers were killed. A broadcast by Radio Venceremos early
in the day said rebels captured six soldiers and killed
several others in the fighting.
A military spokesperson confirmed the rebel attacks and
reported that four soldiers were wounded in the attack in
San Francisco Gotera. He said the rebels destroyed part of
an airstrip at the edge of the city. According to the
spokesperson, troops killed 14 rebels in fighting near the
town of Tejutla, in Chalatenango.
Ciro Lopez Roque, commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade
in Chalatenango, said the FMLN's intent was "to give the
impression that it is capable of simultaneous attacks in
several locations, but in reality these attacks are little
more than harassment."
Later in the day, Radio Venceremos said the operation
was in response to "acts of provocation by the government
and the army" since the mid-September preliminary talks in
Mexico City. The provocative acts include the recent
bombings of Torola, Guazapa and Perquin; the arrest of 140
labor union members; military surveillance of union
headquarters; maintenance of a military cordon surrounding
the country's major university; and stepped up military
operations throughout the country during the FMLN's
unilateral Sept. 13-23 ceasefire.
Radio Venceremos reported that in San Sebastian, La
Union department, rebels attacked the 3rd Brigade, where
they captured three soldiers.
At the Tres Rios cooperative in La Paz department, the
FMLN destroyed three military aircraft. The cooperative is
kept under heavy military surveillance.
On Tuesday evening, Radio Venceremos broadcast a report
by the FMLN claiming that the rebels had caused a total of
223 casualties, and captured nine prisoners. The FMLN, said
the report, sustained 11 casualties.
FMLN commander Joaquin Villalobos was quoted as saying
that El Salvador's civil war cannot be ended on the basis of
statements proclaiming democracy by persons who have created
and maintained dictatorships. The armed struggle, he said,
will cease only when solutions proposed by the FMLN are
implemented.
According to Villalobos, the potential for establishing
a fascist dictatorship in El Salvador is increasing. The
FMLN, he said, is doing its part to stop fascism and create
a real democracy.
The FMLN commander asserted that peace will come to El
Salvador after democracy is established, and not before.
(Basic data from AFP, Notimex, 09/26/89)
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GUATEMALA
*********************
FAMILY OF HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST FLEES GUATEMALA
On Sept. 23, the family of Maria Rumualda Camey fled
Guatemala for Madrid under Spanish diplomatic protection.
Rumualda Camey, 23, was abducted Aug. 15. Her husband, Jose
Gonzalo Camey, their two babies, her brother and his family
left the country after spending six weeks in a room at the
Guatemalan Red Cross headquarters. They followed six other
relatives granted political asylum by Spain last week.
In an interview with the AP last week, Gonzalo Camey,
a 23-year-old farmer, said his wife was kidnapped at about 5
a.m. on Aug. 15 from their home in Esquintla department.
Rumualda Camey was the fourth person in her family to
disappear in 10 months. The others eventually were
discovered, shot dead and dumped on roadsides. Camey, a
23-year-old farmer, believes his wife is dead.
Rumualda Camey was a member of the Mutual Support Group
(GAM), an organization of relatives of the disappeared.
After his wife was abducted, Camey's family and his
brother-in-law's family sought refuge at the GAM office in
Guatemala City, 30 miles from their homes. About 30 minutes
after their arrival, a grenade was lobbed through the
window. They were evacuated to the Red Cross, where they
remained for nearly six weeks.
In the past few weeks, at least 13 university student
leaders have fled the country, and are now residing in
Mexico, Panama and Costa Rica.
According to GAM president Nineth de Garcia, a cadaver
located in Escuintla department on Sept. 14 may be the body
of Rumualda Camey.
In an interview with Notimex on Sept. 22 in Guatemala
City, Peter Kooijmans, special investigator on torture for
the UN Human Rights Commission, said that because a
significant proportion of the population in Guatemala lives
in fear of their lives and physical safety, the country's
human rights situation is "very serious and worrisome."
Kooijman spent six days interviewing representatives of
government and non-governmental human rights organizations.
His visit was the result of an invitation by Guatemalan
government to the UN Commission dated December last year.
The special investigator will present a report to the
Commission in February 1990, shortly before the UN
organization's annual meeting in Geneva.
Kooijman said that when his visit was scheduled he did
not expect it to occur at such a grim "moment...in the
already sad history of human rights in Guatemala."
The UN investigator said that all governments have the
responsibility of providing a "social climate" in which
citizens can live without fear of being taken from their
homes to suffer torture, and in some cases, to be
assassinated. (Basic data from AP, 09/23/89; Notimex,
09/22/89, 09/24/89, 09/25/89)
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NICARAGUA
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U.S. SEEKS FOREIGN PRIVATE FUNDS TO SUPPORT
NICARAGUAN OPPOSITION PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
On Sept. 26, unidentified US officials told AP that
Secretary of State James Baker has approached Japanese
Foreign Minister Taro Nakayana to request that Japan's
Liberal Democratic Party assist in channeling private funds
to the election campaign of Nicaraguan opposition candidate
Violeta Barrios Chamorro.
Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Seiicho Kondo,
who first revealed Baker's activities, said the secretary
did not put a dollar figure on the contribution he was
seeking for the UNO candidate. Nakayana simply agreed to
transmit the request to party leaders in Tokyo.
The US officials also told AP that Baker made an
indirect approach to West German Foreign Minister
Hans-Dietrich Genscher, who heads the Free Democratic Party.
Two larger West German parties, the Christian Democrats and
the Social Democrats, are linked to private foundations that
make political contributions.
Baker's requests were made during separate meetings in
New York with the foreign ministers. All were attending the
44th UN General Assembly.
An unidentified senior State Department official told
AFP that the requests were suggested by Democrat
congresspersons. (Basic data from AP, AFP, 09/26/89)
NICARAGUA: SANDINISTA NATIONAL LIBERATION FRONT SELECTS
CANDIDATES, APPROVES PLATFORM FOR FEBRUARY ELECTIONS
On Sept. 24, 1,746 delegates attending the Sandinista
National Liberation Front's (FSLN) national convention
approved a party platform for the February 1990 elections
and candidates for president and vice president. The
delegates, representing a wide spectrum of society including
youth groups, women, peasants, the handicapped, and the
armed forces, also debated and approved 90 candidates for
the National Assembly and for mayor of 145 municipalities.
The convention took place at the Olaf Palme center in
Managua.
Nicaragua's current president, Daniel Ortega, and vice
president, Sergio Ramirez, were nominated to run for the
same offices next year. The pair captured 62% of the vote
in 1984.
The party platform promises to increase economic growth
to an average 5% per year, reduce infant mortality of 60 per
1,000 by about half, expand free education to reduce
illiteracy to 6%, and to seek a "respectful accord" with the
US, among many other points.
On Sept. 25, the FSLN registered its candidates with
the Supreme Electoral Council. (Basic data from AP,
09/24/89; Notimex, 09/24/89, 09/25/89; Xinhua, 09/25/89)
THREE INDIAN CONTRA LEADERS SIGN AMNESTY
AGREEMENT , RETURN TO NICARAGUA
On Sept. 25 in Tegucigalpa (Honduras), Indian contra
leaders Julian Holes, Wycliff Diego and Raul Tobias signed
an amnesty agreement at the Nicaraguan Embassy. Holmes, a
political leader of Yatama, said the organization has some
30,000 members. Of the total, he said, 1,000 combatants are
located inside Nicaragua, and 2,500 in Honduras.
According to Holmes, 10,000 Yatama adherents have
refugee status in Honduras, and another 12,000 are in the
country as "illegals."
Holmes and Tobias said they would return to Managua
within the next few hours.
Diego said he planned to travel to Guatemala where he
will meet with Brooklyn Rivera and Steadman Fagoth. He
added that the three plan to return to Nicaragua together.
Next, Diego told reporters that the former Indian
contra leaders will support the Nicaraguan peace process,
and plan to request an extension of the Sept. 29 deadline
for political party registration. (Basic data from Notimex,
09/25/89)
NICARAGUA: ON OPPOSITION ACCUSATIONS
THAT MILITARY RECRUITMENT CONTINUES
In a Sept. 22 communique, the Defense Ministry said
that military recruitment has been suspended until after the
Feb. 25, 1990 elections, as stipulated in the Aug. 4
agreement between the government and 14 opposition parties
and factions.
Opposition politicians and the La Prensa newspaper have
repeatedly accused the government of reneging on this
agreement. The Defense Ministry communique pointed out that
the Aug. 4 accord applied to active military service, and
not to regular activities of the military reserves.
Next, the communique said that many of the cases
referred to by opposition spokespersons constituted "normal
activities of seeking and processing of persons on active
military service who have deserted or are suspected of other
infractions as defined by the law." (Basic data from
Notimex, 09/22/89)
NICARAGUA: NOTES ON CONTINUING CONTRA ATTACKS
On Aug. 26, a group of about 30 contras attacked the El
Achiote refugee settlement, located near Rio Blanco. Three
campesinos were killed and two kidnapped. On Aug. 31,
approximately 30 contras stopped a vehicle traveling near
Sarayal (outside Jinotega) carrying 60 campesinos and
singled out civilian Marcos Castro, 40, one of the campesino
leaders at the Abisinia refugee settlement. The contras
took him away, and before killing him, subjected him to a
series of torture, including removal of eyes, tongue and
genitals.
About 3,000 contras are expected to infiltrate from
Honduras for purposes of preventing people from voting next
year.
On Sept. 22, the Nicaraguan Defense Ministry reported
contra attacks between Sept. 16 and Sept. 20 resulted in the
deaths of 11 contras and two soldiers. On Sept. 18-20,
eight contras and two government troops were killed during
clashes in the South Atlantic Autonomous Region, and in Rio
San Juan department (bordering on Costa Rica). Next, three
contras died Sept. 16 in Nueva Segovia department.
According to Nicaraguan officials, contra attacks
against civilians and soldiers have increased since the Aug.
7 regional summit agreement endorsing the demobilization,
repatriation and relocation of the contra army camped in
Honduras. [Basic data from 09/16/89 report by Nicaline
(Berkeley, CA); Xinhua, 09/22/89]
NICARAGUAN CORDOBA DEVALUED 3.18%
On Sept. 22, the Nicaraguan government devalued the
cordoba by 3.18% relative to the US dollar. As of Friday,
the official exchange rate was 22,700 cordobas per dollar.
In the government-controlled parallel market, the dollar was
going for 25,000 (purchase), and 25,500 cordobas (sale).
The move constituted the second currency devaluation in
September, and the fourth since Aug. 16 when the government
adopted a "mini-devaluation" policy.
Prices for gasoline remained unchanged, at 41,000
cordobas ($1.80) per gallon. The price for diesel fuel
was increased 3.66% to 19,000 cordobas ($0.87) per gallon.
(Basic data from Notimex, 09/22/89)
NICARAGUA RELEASES CREWS OF TWO
U.S.-REGISTERED FISHING VESSELS
On Sept. 21, Deputy Cmdr. Roger Ramirez, Interior
Ministry representative for the South Atlantic coast,
announced that the government had authorized the departure
of two US-registered fishing vessels and the release of
their nine crew members.
According to the Sept. 22 issue of Barricada, the
Sandinista National Liberation Front's official newspaper,
seven US nationals and two Britons were arrested and their
vessels impounded about a month ago on charges of illegal
fishing in Nicaraguan waters. The vessels were seized 12
miles northwest of Corn Island.
Ramirez said he had also informed captains Peter Rathey
and Ronnie Avery that they had been exempted from paying
fines of up to $70,000. (Basic data from Xinhua, 09/22/89)
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