Ortega Fulfils Promises to Nicaragua

[Joanne98]

Ortega Fulfils Promises to Nicaragua

Managua, Jan 23 (Prensa Latina) Less than fifteen days after he assumed the Nicaraguan presidency, and after his first international tour, Sandinista Daniel Ortega is committed to meeting the pledges made during the electoral campaign.

As the first step, the Sandinista government brought back free education and public health, social achievements of the 1980s that were reverted under the neoliberal mandates of the last 17 years.

Regarding education, the measure could lead to an explosion of registration for the 2007 school year on January 29, as over 800,000 children are estimated to be out of school due to economic problems.

To face that possible onslaught, new Education Minister Miguel de Castilla gave instructions to have materials available to improvise at schools, and told school administrative staff to be ready.

On Monday, Ortega has also announced the reduction of the so-called "megasalaries" of top State officials, including himself.
http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID={2C9C216F-2DCD-442B-80F9-1A938F158B03}&language=EN

[Joanne98]

1. This is really good news.

[ThomCat]

2. I hope they can pull this off.

I'd love to hear about that registration boom. I hope it happens. But it'll be a logistical nightmare for the first few years.

[Judi Lynn]

3. This is excellent! After seeing your post, I went looking for more,

and found this one which has already been given the propaganda treatment for American readers:

Nicaragua's Ortega slashes own salary
Email Print Normal font Large font January 23, 2007 - 3:04PM

Nicaragua's new leftist President Daniel Ortega has slashed his salary from around $US8,000 ($A10,000) to $US3,200 ($A4,000) a month as part of a government austerity plan.

Ortega, a former Marxist rebel who ruled in the 1980s and took office again on January 10, said on Monday he was cutting his own salary as well as those of ministers and senior civil servants after seeing the government wage bill.

"There are some salaries in there that are surprising," he told reporters.

Ortega has promised to reduce the poverty that has made Nicaragua one of the most underdeveloped countries in the Americas.

While not rich by the standards of Nicaragua's hugely wealthy landowning and business elite, Ortega has some assets.

He declared to electoral authorities in the run up to last November's presidential election that he had $US217,000 ($A275,000), including a large house in the capital.
(snip/...)

http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/Nicaraguas-Ortega-slashes-own-salary/2007/01/23/1169518694705.html

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What the Lord giveth, the propaganda lord attempteth to taketh away! Smoooth, isn't it? In their own way, without being too obvious, they really want to say, "forget Ortega. He's got a little bit of money socked away. He must be a fraud. He's probably a commie" but that would be too obvious!

[Joanne98]

4. "The former Marxist" They never stop...

[xchrom]

5. ...

:applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo:

[nodehopper]

6. yeah too bad he whored himself out to right-wing catholics

and now Nicaragua outlawed ALL abortion, no provisions for rape, incest, or life of the mother.

woo.

[rayofreason]

7. I was wondering about that "promise"

Damn shame. Got a link to a story? Is the ban total?

[nodehopper]

9. here you go

oh, yes, it's total. Not that it was freely available before, but a woman could get an abortion before if three doctors certified that her life was in danger otherwise. Now the ban is completely comprehensive, and abortion is pubishable by prison term for the doctor AND the woman.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6161396.stm

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/27/world/main2130505.shtml

[Judi Lynn]

10. Is it possible a grass-roots movement can reclaim that right?

Just saw this article. Hope there'll be more to come on it later:

Nicaragua Rethinking Abortion

Managua, Jan 24 (Prensa Latina) Cardinal Miguel Obando championed Wednesday for a scientific forum on therapeutic abortion, whose recent penalization in Nicaragua divided the society amid world criticism.

In declarations to El Nuevo Diario paper, Obando assured that it is necessary to hold an event among experts in favor of saving the lives of the mother and child.

His statement disagree with the position of the local Church, which strongly pushed in the last electoral campaign to eliminate therapeutic abortion from the Penal Code.
(snip/...)

~~~~ link ~~~~

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Is it possible there's been a crackdown from the fascist right-wing there, just like the problem Americans are facing here? Maybe the tide will turn.

I'll be keeping an eye out for more information.

[nodehopper]

18. I hope so but I am not optimistic :(

[Judi Lynn]

8. Certain posters are going to ridicule & condemn EVERY "leftist" Latin American leader.

You've probably noticed this if you watch the Latin American and Caribbean island threads (they also hate Aristide, of course) and I'd like to suggest taking a moment to ask yourself how it is some Democrats are wildly inflamed at the very idea these countries want the U.S. to leave them alone.

To the _Bush speech watchers, I'm hoping he's going to be a lot lower in the saddle this time NEXT year. I hope his cockiness tonight is unwarrented.

[Judi Lynn]

11. What the holy hell does THIS mean: "Rapid City guardsmen headed for Nicaragua"

Rapid City guardsmen headed for Nicaragua

RAPID CITY — Members of a Rapid City National Guard unit are heading to Nicaragua next week for a humanitarian mission, according to a news release from the South Dakota National Guard.

Major Orson Ward of the National Guard said that about 25 members of the Company C, 1st Battalion 189th Aviation air-ambulance unit out of Rapid City will be leaving Monday from Ellsworth Air Force Base for the mission, which will last until May.

Members of the 189th will take turns supporting the mission, with a rotation of 25 guardsmen traveling to Nicaragua about every three weeks, Ward said. A total of about 100 to 125 members of the unit will make the trip to Nicaragua during five rotations, he said.

Leaving with the unit Monday are three Army National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters. The helicopters and guardsmen will be transported in one of the biggest types of aircraft in the world, a C-5A Galaxy, Ward said.

The mission is a joint operation between the National Guard and Air Force “in support of a humanitarian assistance exercise known as New Horizons, which involves construction of schools, clinics and water wells in countries throughout the U.S. Southern Command region,” according to Ward.
(snip/...)

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2007/01/24/news/top/news00ka%20guard%20to%20nicaragua.txt

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Isn't the U.S. right-wing finished butting into Nicaragua after the Iran-Contra disaster?

[Vidar]

12. This is how responsible leaders of the people behave as

opposed to the corporate whores we're saddled with.

[nodehopper]

14. in my mind

church whores who win votes at the expense of women's lives are no better.

[Vidar]

15. Okay but what does that have to do with Ortega?

[nodehopper]

17. in order to secure votes for this election

Ortega ran on a platform of "national reconciliation" and made nice with the right-wing catholics and supported and helped push through (as in, instructed "his" Sandinista parliamentarians to vote for it) the total ban on abortions in Nicaragua. Previously abortion was severely restricted in Nicaragua, but could be obtained if three doctors verified that the mother's life was in danger. Under the new ban there are NO exceptions, including for the life of the mother, and abortion is punishable by a 6-year prison term FOR THE MOTHER (not to mention the doctor).

[Vidar]

19. I was unaware of that. Thank you for the info.

[nodehopper]

23. if you want links to some news reports about it

I posted a couple in #9 above.

[AngryAmish]

13. Sp when does Alexis Arguello get his stuff back?

[redqueen]

16. Finally!

:party:

[Joanne98]

20. It's a good day Redqueen!

[redqueen]

21. Amen and Hallelujah!

:hi:

[Joanne98]

22. Back at you!

:)

[killbotfactory]

24. Who the hell thinks getting rid of free education is a good thing?

International power brokers looking for slaves?

[redqueen]

25. Or just rulers who would rather have an easily fooled electorate. n/t

[Judi Lynn]

27. Our wingers are accomplishing the same affect by trying to herd fundie children away from public

schools, by throwing up a vision of them as places teaching evil lies to mislead them and make little secular huuuuumanists of them.

Driving them away from traditional schools, into little hastily thrown together schools, or schooling them at home by disorganized, not well educated parents is the perfect way to build the ignorance higher, and the helplessness.

[redqueen]

28. Yup... and feeding the parents a steady diet of misinformation

helps, too.

Thanks, M$M!

[Judi Lynn]

26. Amazing, isn't it? More workers for the sweat shops, as you say! n/t