National Assembly Establishes New Property Institute, and U.S. Withdraws Visas from 89 Sandinistas and Liberals
National Assembly Establishes New Property Institute, and U.S. Withdraws Visas from 89 Sandinistas and Liberals
On May 16, La Prensa featured a headline reporting "U.S. 'Black List' Filters Out." The article revealed a list, the existence of which had been rumored for days, of prominent Nicaraguans, members of both the Constitutional Liberal Party (PLC) and the Sandinista Party, who have had their visas to enter the United States revoked. The reasons given were either "possible terrorist activities or links" or "corruption on (sic) public activities," according to a United States government document which La Prensa also published. The photostat in English, which appears to have a U.S. government seal, states at the top that it is a "Non Public Document" and at the bottom "Watch List. NIC-4241.May 05." The published photostat does not include the list, only the reasons for it.
It appeared that the withdrawal of many of the visas was connected to the May 10 passage, by a large majority of the National Assembly, of a law setting up the Reformed Rural and Urban Property Institute (INPRUR). This is perhaps the most controversial of all the recent changes in Nicaragua's constitution and laws and is considered by the US government as a threat to US citizens' interests. No fewer than 768 US citizens, many of who are of Nicaraguan origin, have land disputes in Nicaraguan courts over land that was confiscated by the Sandinista government as part of revolutionary land reform of the 1980s. Over half of these demand their land be returned and have said they would not accept compensation. US ambassador in Managua Barbara Moore had said on May 5 that the US embassy is "seriously concerned about the possible creation of INPRUR."
In the days preceding the release of the list, several high-level members of the PLC had abruptly had their visas withdrawn, among them the head of the PLC, Noel Ramirez, and two PLC-affiliated justices of the Supreme Court, Damisis Sirias and Guillermo Selva. PLC leaders, however, meeting on May 14th at the ranch of former President Arnoldo Aleman, decided that they would continue their alliance with the Sandinista Party, agreeing that the director of INPRUR would be a Sandinista and the sub-director someone from COSEP, an important business grouping. Then, on Monday, La Prensa published the entire list.
Some of the prominent government officials who were included on the list were: National Assembly President René Núñez; National Assembly PLC bench leader Enrique Quiñonez; Comptroller Guillermo Argüello Poessy; government Human Rights Ombudsman and former Sandinista mayor of Leon, Omar Cabezas; Managua's Sandinista mayor Dionisio Marenco; Sandinista deputies Edwin Castro and Alba Palacios; Liberal deputies Eduardo Mena and Maria Dolores Aleman; Supreme Court Justices Ivan Escobar, Francisco Rosales, Luis Benavides, Jose Damisis Sirias, and Guillermo Selva; Matagalpa's Sandinista Mayor Nelson Artola; President of the Supreme Electoral Council Roberto Rivas; and Managua Judge Juana Mendez.
Well-known former government officials included former Comptroller General of the Republic Agustin Jarquin, former Foreign Minister Fr. Miguel D'Escoto, and former Minister of Labor Wilfredo Navarro. Some prominent civil society representatives on the list were Alejandro Martinez Cuenca of FIDEG, Orlando Nuñez of CIPRES, Ramiro Gurdian of COSEP, sociologist Oscar Rene Vargas, and Alvaro Fiallos of UNAG, among others.
Comptroller Guillermo Argüello Poessy demanded proof of the illicit acts he is accused of committing. Managua's Sandinista Mayor Dionisio Marenco said it was a "real shame." Sandinista deputy Edwin Castro exclaimed, "What can I tell you? It makes me laugh! It doesn't bother me that these imbeciles are making lists!" Liberal deputy Eduardo Mena protested, "I have never been a terrorist nor have I had any connection with terrorists."
On May 17, El Nuevo Diario reported that the U.S. Embassy had denied the list was genuine. Press Attaché Preeti Shah said, "We have never seen that list nor do we know what its origin is. Neither does the document that accompanies it belong to the Department of State."
Enrique Quiñonez, chief of the Liberal Party bench in the National Assembly, said that while each country has the right to its immigration laws, it is a problem when public officials are subjected to indignities. Several were stopped in Miami, had their visas withdrawn and were deported to Managua. Some had confirmed with the U.S. Embassy that their visas were still valid before traveling. And it is an even greater problem, Quiñonez said, when deputies are told to vote for or against a particular law along with these indignities.
While leaders of political parties believed their members' visas were withdrawn because of votes on the new property office, analysts who, in some cases, have never held public office believe that their names appeared on the list because they have recently spoken out against the Central American Trade Agreement-CAFTA. Among them are Oscar Rene Vargas, Orlando Nuñez and Aldo Diaz Lacayo.
