Central America Report- Winter 2010

8/8/2019 Central America Report- Winter 2010

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Central America ReportWinter 2010

Also in this issue:

How fair is Fairtrade?

1.26 million Honduransdemand new constitution

ALBA, who benefits?

El Salvador gangsMilitarisation ofCosta Rica

Nicaragua free of illiteracy


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Editorial

Published by Central America Report,

86 Durham Road, London N7 7DTEmail: [email protected]

Editorial committee: Ruth Collins, CherylGallagher, James Poke, Megan Rowling,Helen Yuill

Cover photos: Celebrating the 30thanniversary of the Literacy crusade.Yo, si puedo materials used for teachingliteracy. Credit: Ruth Moulton

Design: Jane Warring

Our thanks to all the contributors for helpingto produce this issue of CAR. The articles inthis magazine should be taken as having

been written in a personal capacity, unlessotherwise stated. Any views stated in thearticles should not be taken to represent thepolicy of any of the organisations that supportthe production of Central America Report.

Latin America takes the lead

TWO RECENT DEVELOPMENTS highlight the key role that Latin America

is playing in global geopolitical power shifts by leading the way with

innovative ideas and action on issues facing us globally.

From 29 November to 10 December the 2010 UN Climate Change Conferencewill take place in Cancn, Mexico. This comes at a critical moment in climate

change talks after the catastrophic failure of the 2009 Copenhagen Summit

where the US, Europe and their allies, backed by corporate lobbyists, hijacked

the agenda. The outcome of these talks was denounced by environmentalists

and the ALBA countries and their allies as being anti the environment, anti the

impoverished and failing to address the gravity of the problems facing us all.

Following this failure, a Social Summit on Climate Change was held in

Cochabamba, Bolivia in April. Thirty-five thousand people from 147 countries

attended including 47 government delegations, an historic gathering in the

process of climate change negotiations. It represented an vital step in unifyingaround a common agenda and counteracting the manoeuvres of wealthy

countries. Agreement was reached on the following demands:

climate justice: rich countries are primarily responsible for causing climatechange and therefore have a moral responsibility to assist poorer countries

to adapt to change and to introduce low carbon measures

the limitless growth assumption of free market capitalism fails to take intoaccount the environmental impact: a new model is needed whereby humans

live in harmony with nature that should be protected through a Universal

Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth, a demand that should be taken

up by a world peoples movement to defend the rights of Mother Earth. rejection of the Copenhagen Accord, carbon markets, carbon off-setting,agro-fuels and privatisation of water

a demand for 50% reduction of emissions of rich countries, comparedwith 1990 levels, by 2017

an International Climate Change Tribunal should be set upSee: boliviainfoforum.org.uk & www.cambioclimatico.org.bo

Bolivia and the ALBA countries took the lead in Copenhagen on behalf

of poorer, most vulnerable countries nations demanding immediate action.

In Cancun the ALBA countries will again take the lead reflecting the demands

of the Social Summit. As Venezuelan president, Hugo Chvez, commented:We go to Cancun to continue the battles of Copenhagen and Cochabamba

more furiously and strongly.

Another development is being led by Miguel DEscoto, former Nicaraguan

foreign minister and UN president in 2008 9. Profoundly disillusioned with

the state of the UN which he sees as a dominated by a severely diabolically

possessed United States, DEscoto calls for the reinvention of the UN in a

proposal that he intends to present to regional groupings of heads of State

and governments of the G77. See www.reinventingtheun.org

ContentsWhat ALBA means for Nicaragua 3

Helen Yuill highlights the social benefits

How to make Fairtrade fairer 4 5

Fairtrade is regarded as a success

story but much more needs to doneto address the inequalities of benefitswithin the supply chain.Megan Rowling reports.

Regional update 6 7

What to do about gang violence 8

El Salvadoran civil society organisationsbelieve the governments anti-ganglegislation is not the answer

Your gold or your money 9

Martin Mowforth and Lucy Goldmanupdate on Pacific Rim gold miningcompanys case against El Salvador

Turning the page on illiteracy 1011

Ruth Moulton reports on theSandinista literacy crusade 30thanniversary and the recent ALBAsupported literacy campaign

Womens voices heard through

grass roots action 12

Honduran Feminists in Resistancecontinue their struggle despiterepression, Jennifer Browne reports.

Pesticide poisoning legal action

thrown out by US court 13

Suing US companies is fraught with

obstacles: the case of theNicaraguan banana workers

War on drugs pretext for

military buildup 14

Cheryl Gallagher questions what7,000 troops and 46 warships are doingin Costa Rica, famous for abolishingits army in 1948.

Take action 15 16

Central America Report is online at: www.central-america-report.org.uk

For information and article submissions please contact us at:[email protected]


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Nicaragua

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What Latin Americas alternativealliance means for NicaraguaHelen Yuill reports on how resources and other forms of solidarity under the Bolivarian Alliance for the

Peoples of our America (ALBA) have contributed to social programmes in Nicaragua and reduced

dependence on Northern institutions and governments.

BETWEEN LAST December andApril this year, a Cuban-Nicaraguanhealth brigade conducted a nationalcensus to determine the number andneeds of Nicaraguas disabledpopulation. Under the name A Voicefor Everyone (Todos con Voz), the teamcarried out 82,501 consultations with

disabled people and their families.This is the first ever nationwideanalysis of disability which will enablethe government to develop supportprogrammes. Another initiative thatrepresents ALBA solidarity isOperation Miracle run by Cubandoctors, which has carried out 65,527free eye operations for Nicaraguanswith few resources since 2007.

These are just two examples of themany social programmes based on

solidarity, cooperation and respect fornational sovereignty that are the basisof the ALBA model. Formed in 2004by Cuba and Venezuela, ALBA is aregional bloc of Caribbean and LatinAmerican countries that believe unityis essential to address present andfuture challenges. It is inspired by theideas of Simon Bolivar, the hero of19th century liberation strugglesagainst the Spanish, who fought

for national sovereignty and anintegrated Confederation of LatinAmerican Republics.

States that make up ALBA

Name of country Date joined Population

Antigua and Barbuda 2009 85,632

Bolivia 2006 9,119,152

Cuba 2004 11,451,652

Dominica 2008 72,660Ecuador 2009 14,573,101

Nicaragua 2007 5,891,199

Saint Vincent and Grenadines 2009 120,000

Venezuela 2004 28,199,825

Total 69,513,221

Grenada, Haiti, Paraguay and Uruguay have observer status in ALBA. In August 2008,

then Honduran President Manuel Zelaya signed an agreement to join, but after the

June 2009 coup, the de facto government of Roberto Micheletti withdrew from ALBA.

ALBA principlesRelations between ALBA countries

are based on complementary action,

cooperation, solidarity and respect

for national sovereignty.

Complementary action: This

acknowledges the strengths of each

nation for example, Nicaragua

produces food needed by Venezuela,

and oil-rich Venezuela provides fuel

for Nicaragua. Another example is the

agreement between Venezuela and

Cuba under which Caracas provides

about 96,000 barrels of oil per day

in exchange for 20,000 medical staff

and thousands of teachers who work

in Venezuelas poorest states.

Venezuelans can also travel to

Cuba for free medical care.

Cooperation: One example is the

construction of an oil refinery, a fertiliser

plant and a milk processing factory in

Nicaragua being financed by ALBA

funds, with each country contributing

its own specialist knowledge.

Solidarity: As Caribbean countries

have extremely limited hydrocarbon

resources, Venezuela helps them obtain

fuel at fairer prices through state-owned

company Petrocaribe in a typical

gesture of ALBA solidarity.

Respect for sovereignty: All

agreements are conducted with respect

for the sovereignty and right to self-

determination of the nations involved.

There is no set formula, but instead

a strong emphasis on appreciating

different realities and recognising that

ALBA will be implemented in varying

ways according to the local context.

Nicky Hoskyns, who works in rural

development in Nicaragua, explains:

ALBA is characterised by spontaneity

and directness of action to benefit those

in most need. It is so dynamic that the

understanding comes after the action

rather than vice versa.

Further information

www.nicaraguasc.org.uk

Nicaragua has benefited from themost ingenious innovation indevelopment financing of the 21stCentury. This consists in Venezuelansolidarity channeled via thePetroCaribe agreements whichconverts half of the petrol costs ofpoor countries into low interest, long

term credit for poverty reduction.Paul Oquist Kelley,

Secretary of National Policy for the Nicaraguan Presidency,

at the UN summit to review progress on the

Millennium Development Goals 20 20 September.



Central America

Making Fairtrade fairerFairtrade is largely regarded as a success story but what more should

be done to make Fairtrade fairer? Megan Rowling reports on the

perspective of producers.

NOW OVER 20 years old, theFairtrade market is largelyregarded as a success story. Globalsales have more than trebled over thepast four years and hundreds moreproducer organisations have becomecertified. The minimum guaranteedprice and additional FairtradePremium that small farmers receivehave brought social and economic

benefits to their communities.Consumer support has grown:

in some national markets Fairtradeaccounts for between 20 50% ofmarket share in certain products.

Yet there are many challengesfacing the Fairtrade system not leastthe participation of transnationalcorporations like Nestl and volatilecommodity prices. Some producersfeel Fairtrade has done little to helpthem gain ownership of brands or

take control over of the more ofsupply chain. This raises the question

of whether Fairtrade will have a far-reaching transformative impact oninternational trade. Can it reallyplay a significant role in makingdevelopment more sustainable?

Sharp increase in the price offree market coffee

Since the beginning of 2010, coffeefarmers have watched prices risemore than 45% to a 13-year high,with higher-quality arabica soaringon international markets to above$2 a pound compared with theFairtade price of $1.35 includingthe premium. That contrasts withthe period from 2000 2005, when

prices plunged to around half theminimum Fairtrade price.When free market prices rise above

the minimum, Fairtrade buyers shouldmatch them. But, as FairtradeLabelling Organizations International(FLO) notes, some farmers dontbenefit if the price in their contracts isfixed at an earlier date. According toa survey carried out earlier this yearof 19 Nicaraguan producersorganisations by Catalan research

organisation Alba Sud, since 2009, theFairtrade price has fallen substantiallybelow that for uncertified coffee. Thatcould tempt hard-up farmers toabandon Fairtrade and deter othersfrom joining. Price spikes also have adestabilising effect on small producers,FLO notes, especially in the wake ofthe financial crisis, which made it hardfor farmers to access credit.

Lack of investment in infrastructureand skills of Fairtrade producers

Albert Tucker, a consultant working inFairtrade for many years, includingwith CLAC, the Latin AmericanFairtrade small producers association,says that Nicaraguan farmers wantFairtrade to help them do businessbetter, but this hasnt happened.Tucker believes that, with higher-quality Fairtrade products available,they can move beyond the traditional

solidarity-focused producer-consumerrelationship. He says companiesinvolved in Fairtrade should investmore in building infrastructure and

Fairtrade coffee producer, 19 July cooperative, Jinotega, Nicaragua

Photo:LizLight


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Central America

training farmers in marketing andother business skills so they can gainpower and pursue more value-addedactivities in the supply chain.

As (Fairtrade) gets bigger, themanagement side is getting larger,

and it costs producers to implementmanagement and traceability systems.In terms of investing in the market,there isnt enough on their side. Oneidea is to use Fairtrade licensingmoney to reduce their costs and helpchange trade globally, says Tucker.Inspection systems for Fairtrade andorganic labels could be simplified,localised and harmonised, making itcheaper for farmers, he adds.

Role of major transnationals

in the Fairtrade market

A growing number of transnationalcorporations like Nestl, Cadbury,Dole and Chiquita offer Fairtradeproducts, a shift that has dividedopinion among consumers since somehave campaigned against their tradepractices for many years. AlbertTucker says most producers want

these firms to expand Fairtrade tomore of their range and open up theirpractices to better monitoring. Somebig companies have a weak Fairtradeproduct and you dont hear muchabout it they are not that serious.They should not just be payingfarmers a bit more and changepractices in that part of the chainonly, he says. If we could get the bigplayers to punch above their weight,and support the infrastructure and

boost sustainability, farmers couldengage more.

Cadbury now owned by US foodgiant Kraft is one example of a

company that has been moving in theright direction. It decided to make itsannual production of 300 millionDairy Milk bars its signature product Fairtrade in 2009, and is workingwith 100 communities in Ghana to

help farmers boost declining cocoayields, as part of a wider sustainabilitypartnership also covering India,Indonesia and the Caribbean.

Insufficient consultation

with producers

According to the Alba Sud report, eventhough producers organisations claimthey have built schools, houses,bridges and roads thanks to Fairtrade,

it is unknown what proportion ofthese were paid for with the Premium.Most organisations interviewedhighlighted the fact that Fairtradehasnt produced substantial changesin the life of members; the fundsreceived are very small in relationto the needs, it says.

Producers feel Fairtradecertification requirements are fixedwithout properly consulting them,and are becoming more onerous

without an accompanying increase inbenefits at their end, the report notes.Some producers are getting quitesceptical about us here we arealways demanding more, explainsTucker, who is based in the UK.We dont think about them, we justsatisfy ourselves and think about howto get our system working better.Small farmers hope their voices willbe strengthened at the international

level following the announcement ofa formal partnership between regionalproducers networks in Asia, Africaand Latin America.

Limited interaction between

producers and consumers

One way farmers believe they couldstrengthen their ownership of thesupply chain is to develop closer linkswith the consumers even selling tothem directly where possible. That

may be challenging when it comes toFairtrade exports to Europe or theUS, but is it something that could bepromoted more easily closer to home?

The Alba Sud survey notes that theNicaraguan local market is still atan early stage, and there are only 10markets specifically catering for smallfarmers in the whole country. If therewere a small producers market in

each of the 153 municipalities... wherethe producers could sell their harvestsat a more favourable price toconsumers, this would be a great stepforward and it would represent thebeginning of a producer-consumeralliance which could be developedat other levels, the report says.

According to the findings of thesurvey, Nicaraguan Fairtradeproducer organisations generally

consider Fairtrade to best representtheir interests, but there are still majorchallenges ahead to achieve greaterfairness. These include taking greaterownership of more of the Fairtradechain, achieving greater participationin decision making, ensuring thelevels of transparency demanded ofproducers are also demanded of therest of the chain, and achieving fairerprices for producers and consumers.

For more information:www.albasud.orgwww.fairtrade.netwww.fairtrade.org.uk

Fairtrade facts

and figures

Thousands of products carry the

FAIRTRADE Mark, with standards in place

for food products ranging from tea, coffee

and cocoa to fresh fruits and nuts. There

are also standards for non-food items like

flowers, sports balls and seed cotton.

There are now 746 Fairtrade certified

producer organisations in 58 producing

countries. They represent over 1 million

farmers and workers; including their

families and dependents, around 5 million

people benefit directly from Fairtrade.

Sales of Fairtrade certified products

have grown at an average annual rate of

almost 40 percent in the last five years.

In 2008, sales amounted to some$2.9 billion (2.5 billion) worldwide.

Source: Fairtrade Labelling Organizations

International (FLO)

Transparency is demanded ofproducers but there is no sense ofaccountability on the part of therest of the chain. There must betransparency in the whole chain,exporters, importers, toasters,shops, supermarkets and alsowithin FLO. Where does the moneygo? Who pays the bill for what?



Central America

Regional update

NICARAGUA

Floods claim 66 livesExceptionally heavy rains overa four-month period havebrought severe floods, causingclose to 70 deaths, extensiveinfrastructural damage andthe destruction of crops. Anestimated 70,000 people havebeen affected, the majority inManagua, Leon, Esteli andJinotega. At the end ofSeptember, 9,000 people wereliving in shelters on the shoresof Lake Xolotlan (LakeManagua), as the lake rosehigher than during HurricaneMitch in 1998. On October 1,a Red Cross truck andambulance returning fromdistributing supplies tosurvivors were swept awayin a flooded river in Boacodepartment. Five aid staff and

a journalist lost their lives.

Nicaragua on track

to meet MDGs

On October 6, Helmut Rauch,the UN World FoodProgramme representativein Nicaragua, said thegovernments NationalDevelopment Plan is anexample to other nations. He

applauded as outstandingNicaraguas efforts to reducehunger, poverty andmalnutrition among children,adding the country is oncourse to meet the MillenniumDevelopment Goals by 2015,especially the goals relatedto reduction in hunger andcutting malnutrition by half.

Supreme Court OKs

consecutive re-election

On September 30, the SupremeCourt confirmed the 2009decision of its Constitutional

Panel that the articleprohibiting consecutive re-

election of the president andthe limiting of presidentialterms to a total of two isinapplicable because itviolates citizen rights. Thepanel had ruled that thedecision applied only toPresident Daniel Ortega andthe 110 mayors who hadbrought the suit, but the fullcourt determined it applies toall citizens who run for office.

Ortega condemns Ecuador

coup attempt

President Daniel Ortega statedthat Septembers attemptedcoup in Ecuador was promotedby right wing forces ofEcuador cheered on by themost reactionary sectors of theUnited States. He indicatedthe move was part of wider

actions against governments inthe Bolivarian Alliance for thePeople of Our Americas(ALBA). The US embassyin Managua responded:Any suggestion that the USsupported the occurrences inEcuador is without basis in factand any suggestion that the USpromotes coups in Nicaraguaor in any other place is also

without merit.

Marchers deliver

abortion petition

The Nicaraguan Centre forHuman Rights (CENIDH)and the Strategic Group forthe Decriminalisation ofTherapeutic Abortion led amarch on September 28 todeliver 37,000 signatures anda sample of 6,000 postcards

collected from aroundthe world by AmnestyInternational, to the home ofPresident Ortega. Bayardo

Izaba, head of CENIDH, calleddirectly on Ortega to recognisethat therapeutic abortion isa human right. It wascriminalised during thegovernment of Enrique

Bolaos and enshrined ina new penal code approvedunder the Sandinistagovernment. Nicaraguanorganisations presented achallenge to the ban in theSupreme Court in 2007, butthree years have passedwithout a ruling.

Protecting endangered

sea turtles

In 2009, more than 100,000Oliver Ridley sea turtles listed as threatened produced400,000 babies on the beachesof the La Flor WildlifeSanctuary and similar numbersare expected this year. Anenvironment ministry officialsaid nearly 69,000 turtles cameout of the sea to lay their eggson the nights of September 28

and 29, the peak of the layingseason. To guarantee theirsafety, the wildlife refuge hasput five additional parkrangers and 15 military troopson duty, together with policeand volunteers for nights whenthere are the most turtles.Community volunteers earn$38 as an incentive to stopthem taking the eggs to sell.

Building infrastructure, such asguest houses and foot paths,and offering eco-tours couldalso offer alternative economicopportunities and help protectthe turtles.

GUATEMALA

US medical tests crime

against humanity

In early October, PresidentAlvaro Colom said US testingthat infected hundreds ofGuatemalans with gonorrhoea

and syphilis more than 60years ago is a crime againsthumanity. US PresidentBarack Obama has apologisedfor the medical experiments, inwhich mentally ill patients and

prisoners were infectedwithout their consent, tellingColom they ran contrary toAmerican values. The US haspromised an investigation.

Hunger expected to increase

Experts say Guatemala shouldprepare for a worseninghunger situation in 2011 dueto climate change and farmersdependence on a few basiccrops like corn and beans,Inter Press Service reported inOctober. A drought last yearhas been followed byextremely heavy rains in 2010,which have ruined harvests inthe south and west and areexpected to continue into 2011.According to a regional foodsecurity study released by theUN Food and Agriculture

Organisation, the proportion ofmalnourished people rose from15 percent (1.4 million people)in 1990 1992 to 21 percent(2.7 million people) in 2005 2007. Honduras andNicaragua, meanwhile,reduced their malnutritionrates from 19 to 12 percent and50 to 19 percent respectively inthe same period, the report

said. The number of hungrypeople in Latin America andthe Caribbean rose in 2009 due to the global food priceand financial crises to 53million, close to its level in1990, having dipped to around47 million in 2005 2007.

EL SALVADOR

FMLN celebrates

30th anniversary

On 10 October, the FarabundoMart National Liberation


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Central America

Central America Report: Winter 20107

Front (FMLN) celebrated its30th Anniversary with amassive mobilization andrally in San Salvador. Morethan 250,000 people formeda sea of red that stretched

for dozens of blocks. In hisspeech, FMLN GeneralCoordinator MedardoGonzlez made clear thatthe massive mobilizationwas also a message thatany attempt at a coup inEl Salvador like that inneighbouring Honduras orthe unsuccessful attempts inVenezuela, Bolivia andEcuador would be met withan organised and tenaciousresistance.

Three convicted for

activists murder

Three men have beensentenced to 40 yearsimprisonment for the June2009 murder of MarceloRivera, an environmentalistand social activist opposed to

Pacific Rims proposed goldmine near San Isidro inCabaas (see page 9). Riverawas also a prominentcampaigner against electoralfraud, and publiclydenounced the Mayor of SanIsidro for supportingfraudulent voting activity.In the year before hisassassination, he received

numerous death threats. Hisfriends and family continueto call for a more thoroughinvestigation into his murder,which they believe has beensidelined as gang activityby officials unwilling toinvestigate the politicalmotives and intellectualauthors behind hisassassination.

ON JUNE 28 last year, Honduran

President Manuel Zelaya was ousted in

a military coup, denounced by most of theworld as illegitimate. Fake elections followed

in November and Porfirio Lobo was

inaugurated as president on January 27.

The broad-based National Front of Popular

Resistance (FNRP), which called for the

reinstatement of Zelaya, was left with

a profound sense of betrayal by the

international community. In June this year,

US President Barack Obama accepted the

credentials of Jorge Hernandez Alcerro,

the new US envoy of the post-coup regime.Obama spoke effusively about the new

Honduran governments deep love of

democracy, freedom and human rights, and

the wonderful values the two nations share.

The day Zelaya was ousted Hondurans

were due to vote on the inclusion in the ballot

for planned November 2009 elections of

a question about setting up a national

constituent assembly to rewrite the

constitution. The FNRP has continued to

pursue this demand despite increasing

attacks. On July 29, Human Rights Watch

said in a report: Six months after President

Lobo took office, Honduras has made little

progress towards addressing the serious

human rights abuses since the 2009 coup

Threats and attacks against journalists and

the political opposition have fostered a climate

of intimidation, while impunity for abuses

remains the norm. It added that at least eight

journalists and 10 FNRP members have been

killed since Lobo came into power.

The post-coup government claims thatover one million people voted in Januarys

sham elections. In response, the FNRP

decided to drum up more signatures in

support of a constituent assembly

gathering more than 1.26 million. Activists

spent five months raising awareness across

the country of the importance of such an

assembly, and collecting the signatures. The

FNRP reported that many were reluctant to

sign for fear they would later be identified,

then threatened or killed.

The case of peasant leader Maria Teresa

Flores is one example of the severe

repression faced by FNRP activists. She was

found dead on August 21, with signs she

had been tortured and then executed. Flores,

the mother of 14 children, was part of theCoordinating Council of Peasant Organisations

of Honduras (COCOCH). She disappeared

on August 7 after leaving Tegucigalpa for her

home in the department of Comayagua. FNRP

leader Carlos H. Reyes called the death of

Flores a political assassination.

US resumes military aid

In June this year the US renewed military aid

to Honduras with a donation of 25 heavy

trucks valued at $812,000, according to theSpanish website infodefensa.com. On June

18, US Ambassador Hugo Llorens announced

that Washington would give Honduras

$75 million through USAID for various

development projects and $20 million as part

of the Merida Program to enhance security.

These developments signify a major step in

the normalisation of the relationship between

the US and Honduras. In April the US

inaugurated a second US military case and

a third is under construction.

The many offences committed by

President Manuel Zelaya

According to Chuck Kaufman of the Alliance

for Global Justice, the key offences

commited by Manuel Zelaya before he was

ousted include:

When the US had to get Cuban terroristLuis Posada Carriles out of Panama, Zelaya

refused a US request to give him asylum.

Zelaya put the franchise to provide oil to

Honduras out for tender and the US backed

the companies that already held the

franchise over a low bidder.

Zelaya proposed turning the US PalmerolaAir Base into a much needed civilian airport.

Zelaya began to investigate internet phonecompanies that were costing the country millions

of dollars and the US reportedly had a fit.

The final straw was when Honduras joinedthe Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of

Our America (ALBA).

Further information:

www.resistenciahonduras.net

Over 1.26 million Hondurans demandconstituent assembly



El Salvador

ON 1 SEPTEMBER the SalvadoranLegislative Assembly approvedlegislation to proscribe youth gangs.The law comes during the first termof FMLN president Mauricio Funes.Ironically, the new legislation bearsremarkable similarities to that of the1990s promoted by the rightistARENA party and heavily criticised

at the time by the FMLN.The countrys gang problem is

fuelled in part by prolonged economiccrises and family disintegrationcaused by immigration. Original gangmembers were often the children ofillegal immigrants, who learned gangtechniques on the streets of US citiesand were later deported to theirparents countries of origin. Estimatesput gang membership at between

nine and 27,000. Gangs have linkswith organised crime and narcoactivity and are responsible forhomicides, and extorting payment

Fear of gang reprisals sparks nationaltransport boycottChristine Damon, Program for Youth Security Guatemala-El Salvador-Honduras, reports on the power

of the gangs and calls for real alternatives to gang membership for disenfranchised young people.

from bus companies and residentsof neighbourhoods they control.

This new anti-gang legislationcomes on the heels of a bus burning bya member of the 18th Street gang on20 June in which 17 people died fromburns and bullet wounds. The attackoccurred the same day as unidentifiedgunmen climbed aboard another bus

and shot dead three passengers, twoof them children. The killings horrifieda nation already numbed by homiciderates of ten per day, and promptednew calls for tougher sanctions,including the death penalty.

In response to the legislation, on6 September gangs distributedpamphlets criticising the law andcalling for a bus boycott in thepopulous northern suburbs of San

Salvador, threatening reprisalsagainst drivers and bus owners ifthe boycott went unheeded. Over100 bus drivers have been murdered

this year, providing substantialimpetus to heed the boycott.

The first day of the boycott foundthe streets of the metropolitan areafilled with cars and people, but fewbuses. During the three-day strikeover 50% of the collectivetransportation was paralysednationally. On the following days

by 6pm the streets were empty anduniversities and shopping mallsclosed early. Businesses estimatedfinancial losses in the millions.

By the fourth day, the presidentsigned into law the anti-ganglegislation. Soldiers and police wereplaced on every bus for the morningcommute. In the weeks thatfollowed, the legislative andexecutive branches negotiated

changes to the penal code necessaryto provide teeth for the new law.Legal experts argue that the new

legislation will be difficult to apply.Alongside the questionof how to prove gangmembership, attemptingto sanction individualmembers withoutdemonstrating thecommission of a crimecalls into question freedom

of association.Meanwhile, youth

organisations and NGOsworking on preventionanalysed the human rightsand civil rights implicationsof the measures. Thisincludes fears that their ownorganisations could betargeted. They highlight theimportance of a commitment

to rehabilitation thatincludes realistic alternativesto gang membershipfor disenfranchisedyoung people.



El Salvador

Bleeding El Salvador dryMartin Mowforth and Lucy Goodman report on how the free trade agreement with the US, DR-CAFTA

has opened the door for a Canadian mining company to sue El Salvador for protecting its own citizens

and the environment.

AS REPORTED IN the summerissue of CAR, in April 2009,under the terms DR-CAFTA,Canadian gold mining companyPacific Rim filed a lawsuit against theGovernment of El Salvador (GOES)with the International Centre forSettlement of Investment Disputes(ICSID), a World Bank institution. TheGOES had refused mining permits to

Pacific Rim largely due to widespreadpublic concern over environmentaland social problems related toopencast gold mining and the cyanideheap leaching technique used toseparate gold from the spoil. Thelawsuit amounts to a $100millioncompensation claim for loss ofinvestments and profits.

In May and June 2010 the ICSIDheard the GOES objections to the

claims. On 22 July, along withrepresentatives of communitiesaffected by the mine in Cabaas, weparticipated in an attempt by theNational Roundtable Against MetalMining (a coalition of environmental,faith-based and community activists)to deliver a letter to the CanadianAmbassador. Access to the embassywas denied and the Ambassadornot only refused to receive thedelegation but even more rudely

and unnecessarily, the letter wasreturned to the delegations leader,Hector Berrios.

Berrios commented, we wantto deliver a letter asking theambassador to use her good officesto withdraw companies of Canadianorigin from our country. A PNC[national civil police] official offeredto take the letter in. All the embassydid was to put their stamp on it If

only we could do the same whenthey arrive with their machinery not receive them when they arrive inour community

In August, the ICSID tribunalruled in favour of Pacific Rim. Thecompanys claims for compensationwill be considered at a later date.However, the ICSIDs decision doesnot mean that Pacific Rim is anycloser to securing mining exploitationpermits. Public support for miningin the department of Cabaas hasreached an all time low: Voices ElSalvador reports that even MayorBautista (once a Pacific Rimpromoter) from San Isidro wherethe El Dorado mine is located hasexpressed his opposition to mining.The decision does, however, take ita little closer to bleeding the coffersof El Salvador dry.

As regards the assassinations offour anti-mining activists in thedepartment of Cabaas, where Pacific

Rim wishes to operate, Hector Berriosexplained, Professor Richard Steiner[a member of the International Unionfor the Conservation of Nature],

presented a report to the CanadianCongress on the damage the companyis doing. They sent out a call to thePresident of Pacific Rim, ThomasShrake but he denied any link to thehomicides and the acts of violenceand held ADES (Association forEconomic and Social Development,Santa Marta) responsible for thesekinds of events. He said that officials

of Pacific Rim had been trained toshow a profile like that of MahatmaGandhi and that its us who havegenerated the violence against thecompany, damaging and holdingup the development of the country.He used very aggressive languagein his speech, very violent.

Hector Berrios, National Roundtableagainst Mining, with the letter denouncingmining that the Canadian Embassy

refused to accept.

In a related case, in September

the Costa Rican Second Circuit

Court held a hearing on the

legality of a concession for a

controversial open pit gold mine

awarded to the Canadian

company Infinito Gold.

Environmentalists claim the

mining operation would threaten

the biodiversity and water

quality near the Rio San Juan.

The stakes are high as Infinito

Gold projects that it will mine

one million ounces of gold at

the site. Infinito Gold claims that

it has a good environmental

record and has prevented the

area from being deforested. If

the court rules against Infinito

Gold, the company is likely tosue Costa Rica for lost profits

under the terms of DR-CAFTA.

Photo:MartinMowforth


10/16

THIS YEAR MARKS the 30thanniversary of Nicaraguas

National Literacy Crusade, a five-month campaign starting in March1980 that sent more than 60,000 youngpeople across the country to participatein community life and teach localpeople to read and write in areas whereover half the adult population wasilliterate. The initiative also built a newrelationship between the countrysideand the city. One volunteer commented:

I want to go into the countryside and learnwhat it means to be a peasant in Nicaragua,

to get rid of this stupid idea that heres the

town and theres the countryside, that

theyre two different things. Were all in

this revolution together.

Four hundred thousand peoplelearned to read and write, reducing

Central America Report: Winter 2010 10

Nicaragua

illiteracy from 50.3 percent to 12.9percent. The crusade wasinternationally acclaimed, with theUnited Nations Education, Science andCulture Organization (UNESCO)

awarding Nicaragua a prize in 1980.UNESCO Permanent Secretary JuanBautista Arren said: The LiteracyCrusade impacted on everything thats alive

in a society. Nicaragua became a kind of

beacon, a symbol of what a country can

do, above all through its young people.

It was extraordinary.

When the Sandinistas returned topower in 2007, illiteracy had once againrisen to a quarter of the adult population.In July that year, the new governmentlaunched a national campaign with theaim of eradicating illiteracy in two

years. Thousands of university studentsworked with community leaders tocarry out surveys and act as literacyfacilitators, with support from Cubanadvisors and equipment supplied byVenezuela. The method used Yo, spuedo (Yes, I can) was developed inCuba and has been used successfullyin more than 30 countries.

An independent UNESCOcommission declared in June 2009 that

Nicaragua had achieved a nationwideilliteracy level of 4.73 percent, qualifyingit as a country free of illiteracy thefourth Latin American nation to achievethis distinction. The others are Cuba,Venezuela and Bolivia, all members ofthe Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoplesof Our America (ALBA).

Nicaragua turns the pageon illiteracy once again

On August 22 23 this year, an NSC education study tourjoined a celebratory cavalcade making a 24-hour journey

from Waspam on the Atlantic Coast to join celebrations inManagua. Study tour member Ruth Moulton reports: Pickuptrucks with flag-waving people riding in the back echoedthe spirit of the original brigadistas of 30 years ago. Thecelebratory energy which still fires the literacy campaigntoday was obvious. We joined the gathering crowd inRevolution Square. As the crowd waited [for the speeches,including from President Daniel Ortega and UNESCOrepresentative Juan Bautista Arren] human pyramids formed,topped with flag-waving men and women.

The banner reads: Everyone, fists held high, books open. 30 years of the National Literacy Crusade.

Photo:RuthMoulton

Its all about the loss of fearthefear of expressing oneself, the fearof learning. All that has gone.

Catalina Torres,

Nicaraguan Minister of Education, 1980

Photo:RuthMoulton


11/16

Nicaragua


Yo, s puedo

(Yes, I can)

THIS METHOD IS based onself teaching using videos,

and takes into account students

social circumstances. A facilitator

provides support and

encouragement, while the

education ministry, local councils

and NGOs are responsible for

supervision, training and logistical

support. Eighty Cuban

educationalists have providedoverall support, and Venezuela

technical equipment. The initial

12-week course takes place in

peoples homes or community

centres. A graduation exercise

involves writing a letter. If

resources allow, this is followed

by a 10-week programme,

Yo puedo leer(I can read), and

an accelerated 18-month primaryeducation course.

For people in Waspam on the

Honduran border, literacy

means the opportunity to take

more control of their lives,

participate in decision making,

write letters, run their own

small businesses, and improve

things for themselves, their

children and their communities.

Their vision of a better future is

what motivates them that and

their realisation of the long-

denied right to education.

NSC chair Ruby Cox commentson the literacy campaign runby the Carlos Fonseca Amador

Popular Literacy Association onthe Atlantic Coast.

www.nicaraguasc.org.uk

Ruth Moulton, a maths teacher and member of

the NSC education study tour, reports on visits

to two classes in Managua.

MARIA (67) and Noami (21) werecompleting a Yo, s puedocourse. Maria had learned to read and

write during the first literacy crusade,

but lost her skills due to lack of

practice. This time, she is determined

to use them at home, and enrol on the

follow-up course. I didnt want to be

in darkness not to be able to read

and write is like being blind, she said.Naomi had been unable to finish

her schooling because she became

pregnant. The course has given her

another opportunity to continue her

education and further her interest in

maths and literacy. The women

explained the difference that literacy

has made to their lives: the ability to

understand and claim their rights; to

help their children and grandchildren

with their school work; and to

support and encourage others to

start classes. Noami explained it

had been difficult for her to be seen

to join the course, but now she is

pleased she has and hopes to

become a teacher herself.

The Institute for Qualifications and

Training (IHFOCATT) is a school run

by the Confederation of Self-employed

Workers (CTCP), whose members

work in very tough conditions, often on

the streets. It provides free primary

and secondary education for adults

over eight years through classes oncea week on Sundays. Attendance

increases students employment

opportunities.

Photo:RuthMoulton

Hairdresser Claudia said learning

both literacy and maths has enabled

her to manage her business. She

can now negotiate micro-loans frombanks, whereas previously her

husband or daughter had to help

her. In the past, unscrupulous

people would try to cheat her,

knowing she was illiterate and

innumerate. She described the

courage she had to pluck up to

attend classes, and how she felt

insecure and awkward. But she has

been encouraged and supported

by a dynamic teacher.

I was impressed by the

dedication and motivation of the

students. Everyone spoke about

doing their homework, on top of

their day jobs and family duties.

Completing primary and secondary

grades in this way requires a lot

of independent learning. The

concentration and attention evident

in every class contrasted sharply

with some of my experiences in the

UK. The people we met placed a

very high value on education to

have the opportunity to learn as anadult is considered a very precious

and special thing.

Photo:RuthMoulton

Literacy students Maria and Noami

Hairdresser Claudia in a literacy class



Honduras

SINCE THE COUP 15 months ago,Feministas en Resistencia/FER(Feminists in Resistance), a coalition offeminist and womens organisations,have continued their struggle for therecognition of their rights as workers,mothers, wives and most importantlyas equals to men. This period hasbeen punctuated by an increase indisappearances, death threats, rape,harassment and a shocking rise in thenumber of femicides (176 by June 2010,according to the Centre for WomensRights www.derechodelamujer.org).The targets of these violations aremainly women leaders of theresistance, and even those whohave merely taken part in peacefulanti-coup demonstrations.

Impunity for such crimes continues,

with the majority not even beinginvestigated. Although some of theinstitutions mandated with theprotection of womens rights, such asthe Womens Public Prosecutors Officeand the National Womens Institute

(INAM), have remained in place, theyfulfil little more than a symbolic role forthe government. Grassroots womensorganisations have decided against anyworking relationship with them.

Against this background, the needfor these organisations to workeffectively and collectively towards theprotection of womens rights is greaterthan ever. Among the many casesof harassment, a leader of the localwomens groups supported byCAWNs partner CEM-H (Centre forWomens Studies Honduras) wasforced to leave Tegucigalpa when acriminal gang killed her partner in herown house, while another is too scaredto leave her home after receiving dailydeath threats. Although CEM-H hasreported this situation to the

authorities, no action has been taken.Indeed, CAWN has been informedby CEM-H that the police refuse tointervene in communities that havefallen under the control of organisedcriminal gangs.

Emphasis on grassroots

An additional source of concern forwomen is the militarisation of thecountry, despite the apparentstabilisation of the politicalenvironment. This is reflected in

Honduras opening its second USmilitary base, and the declarationsigned with Colombian ex-presidentlvaro Uribe in which both nationsagreed to implement an action planin security matters. CAWN sharesthe concerns of the Inter-AmericanCommission of Human Rights, whichin May challenged the status ofprominent perpetrators of the coupin positions of power within the

new government.Despite the difficulties Honduranwomen have encountered since thecoup in accessing political spaces andthe lack of dialogue with Porfirio Lobosgovernment, the movement has refusedto give up, and through hard work andpersistence has created a voice for itselfas Feminists in Resistance. Throughthis network, women have supportedpeaceful demonstrations, rejectedthe adoption of arms by resistance

groups, and continued to denounceviolations of womens and humanrights through the avenues offeredby international law.

The challenge is that the exclusionof the womens movement from thepolitical space and the strong influenceof pro-coup agents over the mediamean the struggle to guarantee thatwomens voices are heard has to takeplace through grassroots action

meetings, demonstrations anddenunciations. However, continuingthis kind of action is more difficult thanin the past, as the intimidation andrepression of women is increasingdue to growing social violence, theimpunity of criminal gangs andthe failure of the police and rightsinstitutions to improve womenssecurity and prevent violations oftheir rights. The voice of the feministmovement is thus being weakenedsignificantly at a time when it isneeded more than ever.

Further information: www.cawn.org

Honduran feminists fightgrowing harassment

Jennifer Browne of the Central America Womens Network (CAWN) chartsthe challenges facing the womens movement following the 2009 coup.

Feminists in Resistance protest outside Congress in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, onInternational Womens Day, March 2010

Photo:SaraTome/CEM-H



Nicaragua

Award for Nicaraguan pesticide victimsthrown out by US court

IN 2007 SIX OUT OF twelveNicaraguan banana workers wereawarded damages of $2.3 million bya Los Angeles jury, after it concludedthat the sterility suffered by thebanana workers had been causedby exposure to the chemicalDibromochloropropane (DBCP), morecommonly known as Nemagon.

The chemical was developed in the1950s and widely used until the 1970s,when concerns about its health effectsled to it being banned in the US.However Dole Food Companycontinued to use it on its plantationsin Nicaragua until 1985. It is well-documented that Nemagon causessterility in men, disrupts menstruationin women, and can lead to variouscancers as well as many other

unpleasant effects such as migraines,hair-loss and liver damage.In 1992 Dow Chemical, who

manufactured DBCP, was forced to pay$22 million in compensation to 812Nicaraguan banana workers affectedby Nemagon, although reputedly only$132,000 found its way to them, therest being swallowed up by the lawfirms representing them in the US.

But by the end of the 1990s,increasing pressure in Nicaragua from

former banana workers, who marchedto Managua in their thousands in 1999to press their case, led to Law 364being approved by the NicaraguanNational Assembly, which facilitatedlegal action by Nicaraguans againstforeign companies.

As a result of this law, a Nicaraguancourt awarded $489 million to 583workers in December 2002 but to noavail, as Dole and the other companies

involved refused to pay, and describedthe award as unenforceable.However by July 2007, a Los

Angeles lawyer, Juan Dominguez,

had taken up the case and sued Doleon behalf of twelve workers, resultingin the award of $2.3 million.

Dole appealed the case, claiming

that it was fraudulent and that someof the workers had not even workedon the plantations, and alleged thatthe workers representatives hadconspired in 2003 to extort moneyfrom Dole. In July 2010 Judge VictoriaChaney ruled that Dole had no caseto answer and dismissed the lawsuit.

This was despite the fact that SteveCondie, a lawyer representing thedefence, had produced a wealth ofevidence indicating that Dole witnesses

had been bribed. Video tapes andsworn affidavits were produced todemonstrate that representatives ofDole had offered money to witnesses,including Sergio Antonio GarciaGomez, who stated on his deathbedthat he had been offered $500,000.Seven of the witnesses formallyretracted their testimony in May 2009.Many also stated that Dole had goneback on their promises and that the

bribe money had never been paid.In addition to this, Judge Chaneytook the unprecedented step ofsealing the case, preventing the

identity of the witnesses becomingknown and hearing testimony insecret, making it virtually impossiblefor the claimants lawyers to contest

the witnesses evidence.Nonetheless Judge Chaney ruledthat there had been blatant fraud,witness tampering and activemanipulation by the lawyers and she was not referring toDoles representatives.

Other similar cases were thrownout in the process, and it sets anunfortunate precedent for many otherworkers from Central Americancountries attempting to gain

recompense in US courts for thedeleterious effects of working for USmulti-national corporations. Morethan $2 billion has been awarded byNicaraguan courts against various UScompanies, including Dole, but theseawards have been virtually impossibleto enforce in US courts.

Steve Condie commented that theruling has effectively destroyedany Nicaraguans ability to seek

compensation in [a US] court,but has stated that he will appealthe decision.

An award of damages to six Nicaraguan banana workers exposed to the banned pesticide DBCP by Dole Food

Company has been thrown out, despite evidence that witnesses were bribed by Dole, writes James Poke.

Encampment of Nemagon victims, Managua

Photo:RalphGayton,

BananaLink



Costa Rica

War on drugs serves as pretextfor US militarisationCosta Rica is famous for abolishing its army in 1948. However, the governments decision to allow a massive

US military build-up calls into question its commitment to peace. Cheryl Gallagher reports.

COSTA RICA HAS long beenapplauded for protecting theenvironment and promoting humanrights and peace in a region that hasexperienced so much violent conflict.In fact, peace is so fundamental thearmed forces were abolished in1948, the country is home to the UN-mandated University for Peace and it

became the first state to recognise theconstitutional right to peace. However,despite these longstanding traditions,on 1 July this year the LegislativeAssembly approved a measureallowing the US to send 7,000 troops,200 helicopters, and 46 warships tothe Central American nation.

The agreement is part of acontroversial trend of militarisationacross Latin America which has seen

11 anti-narcotic military basesopened in Panama, seven new basesin Colombia and the deployment of20,000 troops to Haiti as part of thehumanitarian response to theearthquake. The US now has close to40 military facilities in Latin America.

According to article 12 of the CostaRican constitution, military forces canonly be formed for national defence orthrough continental agreement andmust be under civilian control. The US Costa Rica Maritime CooperationAgreement is in clear violation of this.Ostensibly, the deployment is to tackledrug trafficking but the conditions ofthe Agreement show that the remit ofthe US could extend well beyond anti-narcotics. According to a letter obtainedby the Costa Rican newspaper Nacin,the US will have the right to carry outactivities it deems necessary to fulfil itsmission amounting to what some see

as a carte blanche for the US.The military build-up has been

heavily criticised by oppositionleaders and civil society. Opposition

parties havedenounced the lackof transparency anddebate in parliament.The PeoplesMovement party saidthe deal turns CostaRica into a USprotectorate. Luis

Roberto ZamoraBolaos, a Costa Ricanlawyer who has sentan appeal against theagreement to thecountrys SupremeCourt, said that itamounts to allowingthe US military to playwar games on oursovereign land as if it

were a game of chess.For some, the so-called war on drugsis a veiled attempt tohalt the proliferationof progressive governments. DrFrancisco Dominguez, head of LatinAmerican studies at the University ofMiddlesex, says: Since the collapseof Communism the US has beenusing the war on drugs as a pretextto militarily and politically interferein the internal affairs of LatinAmerican countries. It is used asa powerful weapon to justify USmilitary deployment, sanctions andaggression against governments theUS doesnt like.

Dr Dominguez also underlines thegeographical significance of CostaRica: the stationing of a large amountof US military personnel and thedeployment of military equipment

in Costa Rica has the objective ofmilitarily surrounding Nicaragua withUS military bases from its Southernborder and to its North with the Soto

Cano military base in Honduras andthe Camalapa base in El Salvador. Ifone adds the US military deploymentto Haiti, the access to military bases inPanama and the resuscitation of the4th Fleet in the Caribbean and SouthAtlantic, then not only is Nicaraguasurrounded but also Guatemala,Cuba, Venezuela, Honduras, Panama,Mexico, El Salvador, Haiti, Cuba,Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic andCosta Rica itself.

The US-Costa Rica MaritimeCooperation Agreement is due toexpire on 31 December but whetherthat deadline is respected remains tobe seen. History shows that once theUS moves forces into a country on

such a massive scale, it rarely movesthem out.

Credit:AllianceforGlobalJustice


15/16

NICARAGUA

Fresh perspectives

on fair trade

This was the theme of a publicmeeting in London in June,organised by the NicaraguaSolidarity Campaign (NSC) andaddressed by Guisell Morales-Echaverry from the Embassy ofNicaragua, NSCs representative inNicaragua Julian Guevara, AlbertTucker, a leading figure in theFairtrade movement, and Silvio

Cerda from the coffee network ofthe Latin American FairtradeProducers. The meeting focusedon a new form of fair trade linkedwith food security that is emergingthrough the Bolivarian Alliance forthe Peoples of our America (ALBA),a regional integration initiative (seepage 3). ALBA will also be the focusof the Latin America conference onDecember 4 at which Walter CastilloSandino (grandson of AugustoCesar Sandino) will be one of thekeynote speakers.Further information:www.nicaraguasc.org.ukwww.latinamericaconference.org.uk/2010


Take action

LATIN AMERICA

New research on violence

against women

The Central America WomensNetwork (CAWN) has publisheda research paper on discriminationagainst women entitled IntersectingViolence: a review of feminist theories and

debates on violence against women and

poverty in Latin America. The reviewconsiders, among other things, theeffects of religious fundamentalism,patriarchy-derived discrimination and

neo-liberal policies on the perpetuationof womens subordination and thustheir vulnerability to violence andpoverty. The report was released inHonduras in July, where it was wellreceived by academics, activists andpolicy makers, in particular CAWNslocal partner CEM-H (Centre forWomens Studies Honduras).Further information: www.cawn.org

EL SALVADOR

Scholarship scheme enables

young people to go to university

A scholarship scheme in the villageof Dimes Rodriguez, north of SanSalvador, gives students the chance togo to university. Local work prospectsare limited and a lack of funds hasprevented many young people fromaccessing higher education, one of

the main reasons why such a largenumber migrate to the US. Funds godirectly to community leaders whodecide which students should receivesupport. In return, the young peopleagree to undertake community workso that the whole village benefits.Details of past and currentscholarship students are availableat: www.educationforthefuture.blogspot.com.To contribute, contact Topsy Page:

[email protected]

Mobile library fosters

love of learning

Members of the Nicaragua SolidarityCampaign (NSC) Education Study Tourand students from Cheney School inOxford visited Len in August, wherethey encountered a mobile library witha difference. The tricycle library,operated by the Nicaragua EducationCulture and Arts Trust (NECAT), visitslocal schools that lack library facilitiesand takes books and scientificexperiments to schoolchildren whoeagerly await the visits.

Further information:www.necat.org.uk

Santa Rosa Fund, Tavistock

Plymouth University graduates, AmyHaworth Johns and Rachael Wright,spent two months in the summer

providing computer training to pupilsand teachers at the Santa Rosa Schoolin Managua. The volunteers alsovisited a range of other Nicaraguaneducational initiatives supportedby the Santa Rosa Fund.Interested in volunteering?See www.santarosafund.org

Leeds e-auction raises 1,000 for

La Concha community projects

Leeds Central America Solidarity hasbeen providing support for theCommunity Movement (MCN) in itstwin community of La Concha since 1995.

(Continued overleaf)

Solidarity and campaign news

NSC supporter Gay Lee completes

the London half marathon and raises

funds for environmental projects

in Nicaragua.

Photo:WillEmbliss

The mobile library in Leon

Photo:MartinRoger


16/16

Take action

This summers fundraising includedan e-auction featuring salsa lessons,house cleaning, church bell ringing,tetrapack purses, homemade icecream from a secret family recipeand a weeks accommodation at the

La Mariposa ecohotel in Nicaragua.The funds raised will go tocommunity projects in La Concha.Further information:[email protected]

Verifying results of

literacy campaign

Asun Machin from the NicaraguaLearning Exchange (NLE) in Edinburghjoined an international brigade of

31 people who visited indigenouscommunities on the Atlantic Coast toverify the results of the Yo, s puedoliteracy programme carried out by theCarlos Fonseca Amador PopularLiteracy Association (see page 10). Thebrigade then travelled in a celebratorycavalcade to join the 30th anniversary ofthe literacy crusade in Managua. Asunsvisit was part of a two-way learningprogramme between Europe and LatinAmerica that includes the Edinburgh-

based NLE.Further information:[email protected]

Swindon Ocotal Link celebrates

20th anniversary

Swindon Ocotal Link (SOL) hadplanned to bring over two dancersfrom Ocotal to take part incelebrations in Swindon, butunfortunately they were refused

transit visas for the US. However, SOLfounder member and Ocotal Rotarychair Jorge Caldern arrived safely.Jorge visited and danced at severalschools, attended Rotary meetings,spoke at the Swindon Mela and hadlunch with the mayor. Links wereestablished between two secondaryschools and three local Rotary clubscommitted to joining up with afledgling club in Nicaragua. TheSwindon clubs have pledged to raise

funds to bring electricity to a newschool for disabled students in Ocotal.Further information:[email protected]

Linking UK and Nicaraguan

young trade unionistsIn April eight trade unionists fromUNISON, Unite, GMB and NASUWTtook part in the second NSC ActionGroup (NSCAG) Trade Union YouthDelegation. Participants learned aboutthe historical context, the situation forworkers and trade unionists, and howtrade unions are involving youngpeople. Delegates joined theInternational Workers Daycelebrations, took part in cultural

activities, strengthened existingsolidarity links and formed new ones.Further information:www.nicaraguasc.org.uk/nscag

What impressed me most was the way

young people have been engaged in the

political process and how... they see the

need and have the desire to participate.

Their youth committees are so much more

focused on trade unionism as well,

whereas in the UK we are constantly

pushing for young people to take on roles

within the union in young members

structures... Fazia Hussain, Unite (North East)

GET IN TOUCHWales NSC:

Betws,Fford Haern Bach,Pen Y Groes LL54 6NY

Tel: 01286 882359Email: [email protected]

NSC, ENCA and local links:

86 Durham Rd,London N7 7DT

Tel: 020 7561 4836Email: [email protected]

GSN:

6 Marylands,Haywards Heath,

West Sussex RH16 3JZTel: 01444 443401Email: [email protected]

CAWN:

c/o One World Action,Bradley Close,White Lion Street,London N1 9PF

Tel: 020 7833 4174Email: [email protected]

Volcanoes, bridges and balloons feature in a mural to celebrate twenty years ofsolidarity between Bristol and Puerto Morazan. It was painted by local young peopleand artists and a volunteer from Bristol. Funds from the Lord Rootes Trust were usedto prepare the surface, buy materials and provide snacks for participants.

Photo:G.Perez/BLINC

UK and Nicaraguan young trade unionistscelebrate May Day

Central America Report- Winter 2010

Documents

Transcript of Central America Report- Winter 2010