America in Nicaragua: the best of enemies

Press, 21 November 1987, Page 22

America in Nicaragua: the best of enemies

IT CONTINUALLY amazes Nicaraguans and foreigners alike that, after more than six years of deteriorating relations with the United States, including dark hints of invasion by the Marines, Managua and Washington still maintain full diplomatic ties. True, the American Embassy sits encased in the tightest security, with huge iron gates high walls topped with concertina wire, and surrounded by a swarm of armed guards. But American diplomats and their families lead almost normal lives, are rarely the target of abuse and often admit to feeling safer in Managua than in many another diplomatic post. That their Government back in Washington is funding a guerrilla war, that the Nicaraguan economy is in a shambles (partly because of the conflict) and that President Reagan is portrayed by the official press almost daily as being the Devil incarnate does not seem to intrude on the daily routine.

politicians and see nothing of the countryside or the ordinary people. The Republicans concentrate on talking to the opposition: the Democrats focus more on Sandinista officials.

After the visit earlier this week of yet another senatorial delegation a Managuan businessman commented: “You would think by now that they would understand the ‘Nicaraguan problem.’ It’s the same as it always was in the past — they can’t help thinking they know what is best for our country.”

Nicaraguans of varying stripes (although not the most conservative ones) were particularly incensed by the flying visit of Mrs Jeane Kirkpatrick, the former United States Ambassador to the United Nations, who is still an informal adviser to President Reagan. She had come, she said, to help American residents of Managua celebrate Columbus Day. But her real purpose was to deliver a highly controversial speech to those Right-wing Nicaraguans opposed to their Government.

Nicaraguans appear to be well aware that a majority of the American people is opposed to President Reagan’s central America policies, especially his support for the contra rebels. What does seem to annoy the Nicaraguans is the constant stream of talkative Congressmen and Senators coming to inspect their society. Barely a week goes by without a U.S. Air Force plane whistling to a stop at Managua airport with a cargo of eager-beaver legislators looking for "the facts.”

At a moment of such delicate relations Mrs Kirkpatrick’s foray was seen as being untimely, to say the least. It prompted one of the official newspapers to comment that she seemed to think she was the “owner of democracy.” After a tense day Mrs Kirkpatrick did manage one lighthearted response to a Nicaraguan journalist’s questions. Asked if she was considering entering the race for the Republican presidential nomination she said: "Only if Jane Fonda enters for

They invariably spend but a few hours in Managua talking to

the Democrats." (Mrs Kirkpatrick has since formally declared that she will not seek the nomination.)

The Nicaraguan economy has never been one of Latin America’s best. But after more than six years of guerrilla war, experiments with Socialist-style centralisation and a United States trade embargo it is in deep trouble. The main monetary unit, the cordoba, seems to lose value daily and people have taken to carrying their bundles of notes around in paper bags. With a simple breakfast of coffee and rolls costing 28,000 cordobas the logistical problems of lugging around enough cash for daily operations may be imagined. Foreign tourists are seen emerging from their hotels clutching plastic laundry bags packed with 100,000-cordoba, wads. '

One bright spot for the Sandinistas is their improving relations with the Creole and Miskito Indian peoples on the Atlantic coast. The entire eastern half of Nicaragua has always been culturally separate. Until 1894 it was under the protection of Britain and many of its inhabitants speak English. When the Sandinistas seized power in 1979 they found that their harsh methods of “re-edu-cating” the local population were fiercely resisted.

But in recent months the Government has seen the errors of its ways and there is now a good chance that the people of the east will receive a measure of autonomy.