Tuesday June 16, 04:50 AM
Nicaragua decries US moves to cancel aid
MANAGUA (AFP) - Nicaragua's Sandinista-led government decried Washington's decision to cancel 62 million dollars in aid following the defeat of opposition candidates in contested municipal elections.
"Since their candidate didn't win ... they (the United States) say that the country cannot be governed," but when previous right-leaning governments "stole millions, they did not cut the aid," human rights prosecutor Omar Cabezas told reporters.
The official from President Daniel Ortega's ruling Sandinista Party (FSLN) namely cited the millions of dollars in public funds misappropriated under president Arnoldo Aleman (1997-2002).
Washington said last week it would freeze 62 million dollars in aid to Managua because "democratic principles" had not been respected during November 9 municipal elections.
Nicaragua has been in political turmoil since the Supreme Electoral Council (SLC) said the FSLN won 105 of the 146 mayoral elections on November 9, which the opposition charged were riddled with fraud and has called to be annulled.
"This is retaliation against President Daniel Ortega for having said the truth in international forums on the imperialistic attitude of the United States in Latin America and across the world," said former Sandinista guerilla commander Eden Pastora.
Since his return to power in 2006, Daniel Ortega, a big admirer of the Cuban revolution and a former extreme-left guerilla fighter, has jagged relations with the United States, his arch-foe during the 1980s.
The United Nations, the European Union and the United States, as well as several Nicaraguan NGOs, have expressed concern about the transparency of the voting in November, increasingly seen as a referendum on the performance of Ortega.
|
|
|
Send Article by Email
Send Article by IM
Blog This with Y! 360
Printable View
