El miércoles 11 de este mes, los Directores del programa Cuennta Reto del Milenio discutirán en su reunión en Washington DC si esa agencia desembolsará el resto de fondos designados a Nicaragua.

Esos fondos fueron suspendidos el pasado noviembre luego que se llevaran a cabo las elecciones municipales en las que gran parte de la población y los partidos políticos de oposición determinaran que el partido del presidente Daniel Ortega cometió fraude al violar abiertamente el procedimiento electoral y llevar a cabo otras acciones contra la voluntad popular.

Pensando que continuar con la ayuda de la Corporación Reto del Milenio sería contraproducente en la lucha que el pueblo de Nicaragua sostiene contra el gobierno tiránico del Presidente Ortega, un grupo de ciudadanos nicaragüenses y nicaragüenses/estadounidenses han decidido enviar una carta a los directores del programa Cuenta Reto del Milenio para solicitarles que no autorizen, todavía, el desembolso de los más de $110 millones de dolares a los que Nicaragua tendría derecho.

En su última parte, la carta define que la continuación del paquete enviaría un mensaje tácito de que “todo está bien en Nicaragua”.

A continuación, la carta y las direcciones electrónicas de los personeros del programa Cuenta Reto del Milenio a quienes se les envió.

Mr. Rodney Bent

Acting Chief Executive

Millennium Challenge Corporation

bentrg@mcc.gov

Mr. Darius Mans

Vice President for Compact Implementation

Millennium Challenge Corporation

mansd@mcc.gov

Ms. Sherry Kraham

Acting Vice President for Policy and International Relations

Millennium Challenge Corporation

Dear Board Members:

The violent events that took place on the 28th of February through Nicaragua, in which pro government mobs attacked those who attended a peaceful rally called by the non political Unión Ciudadana por la Democracia (UDC by its initials in Spanish) in different cities, should be a good indicator of the lack of political tolerance that reigns in the country motivated by the actions and expressions of president Ortega.

On that day Luís Callejas, an opposition deputy to the National Assembly who was participating in the protest rally in the city of Chinandega, was hit in the head by a home made mortar launched by an Ortega sympathizer. Mr. Callejas had to be taken by ambulance to Managua. (See picture below). *

luis-callejas

La Prensa 2/28/09

Ever since Mr. Ortega took office, the political climate has changed dramatically. Two political parties, Partido Conservador (PC) and the Movimiento de Renovación Sandinista (MRS), have been abolished through the use of obscure and dubious tactics applied by the Supreme Electoral Council (CSE) under the control of the President. Several NGO’s have been harassed and placed under investigations without solid evidence of any wrongdoing.

During the nationwide municipal elections held in November 2008, President Ortega’s government refused to allow international observers. The elections resulted in massive fraud. Since his election in November 2006, Mr. Ortega has systematically abolished what are considered basic rights under a democracy, such as a free press and expression; the petition for a redress of grievances in a peaceful manner. Mr. Ortega’s wife has been acting as a de facto Prime Minister. Her influence has been felt in every repressive measure taken by the Ortega administration.

Therefore, we, citizens of Nicaragua and citizens of the Unites States of Nicaraguan origin urge you to wait before allowing the funds that are provided by the Millennium Challenge Corporation program, to start flowing to Nicaragua once again, until clear and unequivocal signs that democracy is being reestablished in that country can be felt by its inhabitants.

It would be unwise, under the current circumstances and political climate to provide funds to the Nicaraguan government. Such action could only be interpreted as a tacit agreement that all is well.

Sincerely,

* The use of the photograph does not imply endorsement of this letter by Mr. Callejas.