Category: Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition Newletter

Note: our new website will be https://www.nicasolidarity.com/

May 4: Webinar with Ambassador Carlos Argüello, who will talk about how international law is a tool to protect our peoples from foreign aggression, as in the 1986 case of Nicaragua v. United States, and the current cases of South Africa v. Israel, and Nicaragua v. Germany.

Nicaraguan Day of Dignity Celebration and Press Conference with Carlos Arguello Saturday, May 4, 11 am Eastern, 10 am Central, 9 am Nica, 8 am Pacific

https://zoom.us/j/95432189720?pwd=eWZ6MTRQT2M5VXgzMkl2M0RrZ1l6dz09 Meeting ID: 954 3218 9720 Password: 396006

Statement by the Nicaragua Government  concerning the Ruling of the ICJ on its case against Germany in the ICJ  In its application to the high court Nicaragua made essentially two requests, first, that Germany suspend its military support to Israel, and, second, that it renew its financial support to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA. The Court decided that under the current circumstances there was no need for interim measures, as Germany explained that it had significantly decreased the amount of material to be exported to Israel from 200 million in October 2023 to 1 million in March 2024, and that no further arms licenses had been approved. In addition, Germany also stated that it had provided new funds for UNRWA, which as of today have been completely renewed…. Finally, the Court rejected Germany’s request to dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction, and will therefore continue with the process which involves a review of Germany’s conduct before it reduced its material support to Israel, among other points.

Interview with Dr. Carlos Argüello Gómez, who represented Nicaragua’s case against Germany at the International Court of Justice, speaks on the Court decision  Ambassador Argüello:“what Germany told the Court is that they had stopped… that originally in October they had given a lot of assistance to Israel but then that this has stopped and that now they are complying with all the rules of Europe in supplying weapons of this nature and that all lethal weapons had been stopped. And also that they had announced a few days before that they had reinstated the funding of the [UNRWA] refugee program. So what the Court decided was that at this moment there was not sufficient evidence or need for the Court to dictate provisional measures… [Moreover, the ICJ kept open Nicaragua’s right to return to the case]. “…it’s a small grain of sand that we are contributing to all this international mobilization of people who are appalled at what’s happening”

Daniel Ortega, Rosario Murillo Speeches on the Anniversary of the Death of Tomas Borge: Now it is no longer a question of one country against another, but one where all of humanity is exposed to crimes such as those now being committed against the Palestinian People  “And we see youth in North America raising the protest, the condemnation of the genocide that is being committed against the Palestinian People. North American youth protesting, right now, yes, they are protesting, and the protest is multiplying not only in North America, but in every country of our planet. The Peoples cannot accept, they cannot understand that a genocide is being committed with the participation of the powers of the Empires, headed by the North American Rulers, the Germans, the English, the French. That is, precisely that World where the Rulers pride themselves on being the most just, the most democratic, the most respectful of Rights, of International Law, they are unmasking themselves….

What threat is the People’s Republic of China? It’s just because the People’s Republic of China has been growing, developing and has become close with the world’s developing countries, which the colonialist, imperialist countries used as nothing more than a source of wealth that they could steal…Today, April 30th is Benjamin Linder’s birthday. Ben Linder’s murderers were nothing more than mercenaries, from an army of mercenaries trained by the United States itself, armed by the United States.

Sunday, May 19, 3pm ET, next Nicaragua Webinar, “Nicaragua’s Historic & Ongoing Solidarity with Palestine.”  

Register here:  bit.ly/NicaMay19     Speakers: Coleen Littlejohn, longtime Managua resident and international development economist; Yoav Elinevsky, Israeli-American peace activist, co-founder of FFIPP, an international network that organizes internships & delegations to Palestine; Zeiad Abbas Shamrouch, Palestine refugee from the West Bank, Executive Director of the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) based in Berkeley, CA

Sign on Petition Opposing New US Sanctions on Nicaragua for Defending Palestine in the International Court of Justice

Casa Ben Linder 2024 delegations to Nicaragua: 

Email casabenjaminlinder@gmail.com to apply:

November 8-17 2024: Salud & Solidaridad: Hands-On Healthcare in Nicaragua  

February 2025: The Bird Brigade: Birding in Solentiname Arquipelago 

March 2025: Power & Protagonism: Women in Nicaragua 

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Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition: nicasolidarity.net 

Sign up to receive the Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition weekly newsletter; email NicaraguaSolidarityCoalition@gmail.com

Our monthly zoom meetings: second Monday of the month (next: May 13), 2:30 PM ET. Email NicaraguaSolidarityCoalition@gmail.com in advance to request Zoom access for the meeting, or to make other inquiries.

Organizations:  Apply for coalition membership here This is an important way to increase the influence of our coalition work, as our membership list grows.

Listserve:nicanet@googlegroups.com join atgroups.google.com/g/nicanet

Sign up to receive the weekly Nica Notes:https://afgj.org/signup

Facebook:Friends of Sandinista Nicaragua, Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition

Twitter: @SolidarityNica

Instagram: @NicaSolidarity

Urge the Senate Banking Committee to vote NO on new sanctions on Nicaragua! Just one week after Nicaragua argued at the International Court of Justice to defend the Palestinian people from the genocide in Gaza, the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations gave its approval to a bill to impose more sanctions on Nicaragua. We must stop the bill from being approved by the full Senate and House! Take action by sending an email to the members of the Senate Banking Committee. (Learn more)

New one-page coalition leaflet about Nicaragua’s accomplishments:  This leaflet is useful for handing out at demonstrations, tabling at meetings and conferences.  It provides an up-to-date listing of Nicaragua’s accomplishments.  Here are some excerpts. Nicaragua:

• provides universal and free health care throughout the country, with 24 new hospitals,  182 maternity wait homes, over 3,000 health centers, and dramatic decreases in maternal    and child mortality
• had the lowest rate of excess deaths in Latin America during the pandemic
• has universal and free education from preschool through trade school, university, and professional school
• is a pioneer in defending the rights of indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples, who have communal title to a third of the national territory
• is a world leader in gender equality, ranking first for women in parliament, women’s educational achievement, and women in cabinet positions

Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition: UN Human Rights Council Lends Support to US Regime Change Plans for Nicaragua “The report of the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua, released by the United Nations Human Rights Council on February 28, 2024, is methodologically flawed, biased and should never have been published. This is the second report by the GHREN. The first, published in March 2023, was condemned in a letter signed by many prominent human rights experts and by 119 organizations and 573 individuals. This letter was totally ignored.” A new protest letter was sent this year in response to this second GHREN report. All signers of the present letter are listed in the linked document and on the coalition website.

Washington DC protest April 18 against New Sanctions on Nicaragua The US government’s renewed push to impose sanctions on Nicaragua came just days after it took Germany to the World Court. All signatories to the Genocide Convention have a duty to prevent and punish genocide, and that is what Nicaragua is doing. Germany is Israel’s #2 arms supplier — it is complicit in the Gaza genocide. Nicaragua should be celebrated for its solidarity with the Palestinian people, not punished!

Interview with Ambassador Lautaro Sandino and Jill Clark-Gollub on The Grass is Greener

Margaret Flowers interviews Carlos Arguello Gomez: Nicaragua vs Germany – Palestine Solidarity in Action Nicaragua is a human-rights oriented nation that takes international laws and its obligations under the Genocide Convention seriously. It was the first nation to file a Declaration of Intervention with the International Court of Justice in support of South Africa’s case against Israel and recently filed a case against Germany accusing it of being complicit in Israel’s genocide. Clearing the FOG speaks with Dr. Carlos Arguello Gomez, Nicaragua’s ambassador to The Netherlands and a lawyer with decades of experience in the World Court, about the actions Nicaragua has taken, what they hope will be the result and Nicaragua’s 1984 case against the United States.

Nicaragua Formally Breaks Diplomatic Relations with Ecuador in Solidarity with Mexico After the Ecuador invaded the Mexican embassy in Quito, Nicaragua broke relations with Ecuador, in solidarity with Mexico. ”Given the unusual and reprehensible action carried out this morning in Quito, by forces that should protect the Order and Security of Ecuadorian citizens and their lives, …we…break all diplomatic relations with the Ecuadorian Government… We learned with amazement of the complicity of another recent Ecuadorian Government with the assault on its own Headquarters in London, to violently and illegally extract Julian Assange, a journalist that the World demands and whose work allowed to know and disseminate more the imperialist atrocities in sovereign countries…”

Becca Renk: Nicaragua, The Good Shepherd Yesterday I attended mass. Instead of a priest, the mass was celebrated by Nicaraguan children – 10 fourth and fifth grade students. The kids led the congregation in prayers, passing of the peace, read the gospel and shared a homily. They invited congregants to share reflections on the reading – the Good Shepherd. Just as these children shepherded us through a mass that was every bit as dignified as any mass ever said by a priest, so is Nicaragua shepherding the world. Nicaragua is a small country from the global south that is modeling consistency and dignity – and choosing peace every step of the way. Just in recent days, Nicaragua has: (1) Broken diplomatic ties with Ecuador following its flagrant violation of international law and diplomatic norms when police raided the Mexican Embassy in Quito and forcibly removed former Vice President Jorge Glas, who had been granted political asylum by Mexico; (2) Reminded the UN that the U.S. still owes Nicaragua reparations and requested that these now be paid. In 1986, Nicaragua won a case against the United States wherein the International Court of Justice ruled that the U.S. repeatedly violated international law by training, arming, equipping, financing, and supplying the Contra paramilitaries; (3) Brought Germany to the ICJ for aiding and abetting Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people; (4) Summed up its consistent and dignified approach  in its message at the Economic and Social Council Forum on monitoring financing for development at the UN…

Casa Ben Linder 2024 delegations to Nicaragua: 

Email casabenjaminlinder@gmail.com to apply:

November 8-17 2024: Salud & Solidaridad: Hands-On Healthcare in Nicaragua  

February 2025: The Bird Brigade: Birding in Solentiname Arquipelago 

March 2025: Power & Protagonism: Women in Nicaragua 

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Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition: nicasolidarity.net 

Sign up to receive the Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition weekly newsletter; email NicaraguaSolidarityCoalition@gmail.com

Our monthly zoom meetings: second Monday of the month (next: May 13), 2:30 PM ET. Email NicaraguaSolidarityCoalition@gmail.com in advance to request Zoom access for the meeting, or to make other inquiries.

Organizations:  Apply for coalition membership here This is an important way to increase the influence of our coalition work, as our membership list grows.

Listserve:nicanet@googlegroups.com join atgroups.google.com/g/nicanet

Sign up to receive the weekly Nica Notes:https://afgj.org/signup

Facebook:Friends of Sandinista Nicaragua, Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition

Twitter: @SolidarityNica

Instagram: @NicaSolidarity

Firsthand observations of human rights in Nicaragua, review submitted by Friends of Latin America:  Friends of Latin America (FoLA), guided by Scott Hagaman, has just submitted a review to the UN, in follow-up to Nicaragua’s report on its own efforts to strengthen and protect human rights in the country.  A number of Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition participants joined FoLA and contributed firsthand in-country testimonies to this review, covering many areas like these examples:  victory for peace after failed coup d’etat, right to health and social security, right to education, women’s rights, and right to vote and to run for election.  Please take a few minutes to read this positive review of human rights in Nicaragua.

Action Alert, Reminder and Update:  Sign a Letter Protesting a 2024 Report to the UN on Human Rights Experts in Nicaragua             Español:  bit.ly/NicaONU2024

Please sign a letter from Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), protesting a recent UN report by the mis-named Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua (GHREN).  Collection of signatures is continuing until the deadline Wednesday, April 17, in an effort to show massive resistance to the UN report.  An earlier letter was sent on March 31 by Alfred de Zayas and other human rights experts, as well as other original signers.  But we are now continuing that effort, adding many names.

Date change for the next Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition meeting:  The next monthly meeting has been moved to April 15, one week later than the usual second Tuesday of the month.  Email NicaraguaSolidarityCoalition@gmail.com for more information.

Article:  Germany next up to face Gaza genocide charges in The Hague.  This is an interesting and detailed article on the case at the Hague which will be heard on April 8.   “On April 8 and 9, the International Court of Justice will once again hold hearings on the Israeli genocide in Gaza.  This time the judges in The Hague will be listening to arguments in the case brought by Nicaragua against Germany.  The Central American nation accuses Berlin of violating its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention and other ‘intransgressible principles of international humanitarian law,’ including the Fourth Geneva Convention….”

Johnny Hodgson to speak at the next Nicaragua Webinar on April 21.  Register:  bit.ly/NicaApril21 .  The April 21 webinar will focus on the recent elections in the Caribbean Coast Autonomous Regions on Nicaragua.  Our speaker, Johnny Hodgson, is the ideal person to address this topic, given his life history which is summarized below. 

He was born in Bluefields, and in 1984, after university and postgraduate study, he became “provisional mayor” of Bluefields and  then was chosen as Coordinator of the Regional Autonomy Commission by the FSLN volunteers of that movement.  He coordinated this mission until they achieved the approval of the Autonomy Statute in the National Assembly in 1987.

During  Hurricane Joan of 1988 he was in charge of 3190 people in shelters. Although he had to move all the people in the middle of the hurricane, not a single person died.  In 1990 he was elected for four years as member of the First Autonomous Regional Council.  When universities were founded on the Caribbean Coast, he taught history, natural resources and autonomy of the Caribbean to teach the students where they come from, what they have and what they can do.

In 1996, he was chosen to preside over  the Supreme Electoral Council in his region  where he directed the process for the election of the President of the Republic, national assembly deputies, deputies to PARLACEN, mayors and municipal councilors. Then he worked for ActionAid until 2006.

In 2008 he was appointed Political Secretary of the FSLN in the Southern Autonomous Region and Delegate to the Presidency, a position he still holds today.  He is recognized as one of the Fathers of Autonomy of the Caribbean Coast, for having led the movement for the restitution of the rights of indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants.

New material available from March 24 webinar, “Brave Women, Strong Women: Power & Protagonism in Nicaragua.”  Last week’s newsletter shared the video recording from the March webinar, and links to slideshows presented by two speakers, Virginia Pratt and Krista Chan.  Now, Becca Renk’s slideshow and a video segment featuring Adrienne Ayers are also available.

New one-page coalition leaflet about Nicaragua’s accomplishments:  This leaflet is informative and useful for tabling at meetings and conferences.  It provides an up-to-date listing of Nicaragua’s accomplishments.  Here are some excerpts.

Did you know that NICARAGUA…

·         provides universal and free health care throughout the country, with 24 new hospitals, 182 maternity wait homes, over 3,000 health centers, and dramatic decreases in maternal and child mortality?

• had the lowest rate of excess deaths in Latin America during the pandemic?
• has universal and free education from preschool through trade school, university, and professional school?
• is a pioneer in defending the rights of indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples, who have communal title to a third of the national territory?
• is a world leader in gender equality, ranking first for women in parliament, women’s educational achievement, and women in cabinet positions?

Other Interesting Media:

India-UN Fund: Building Futures – South-South Cooperation Paves the Way for Inclusive Education in Nicaragua

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Events and Delegations:

UNAC Conference, April 5-7, St. Paul: “Decolonization and the fight against Imperialism” Nicaragua’s Charge d’Affaires in Washington DC, Lautaro Sandino, will be a keynote speaker.

Webinar – Sunday, April 21, 3pm ET: “Recent Elections on Nicaragua’s Autonomous Caribbean Coast.”  Register: bit.ly/NicaApril21.  What does “autonomy” mean for people living in the Caribbean Coast Autonomous Regions of Nicaragua?  How and why did these two regions (North and South) hold their own elections on March 3 of this year?  Who ran for election, from which parties, for what offices?  Our webinar speaker, Johnny Hodgson, will address these questions and more during a 60-minute webinar.  He is a Representative to Nicaragua’s National Assembly, and political secretary of the Sandinista Front (FSLN), from the South Caribbean Autonomous Region. 

End all Unilateral Measures in the Americas: Endorse the Americas without Sanctions Campaign  Find more information and send a letter to your Congressperson here: https://linktr.ee/americas_without_sanctions.

Upcoming Delegations to Nicaragua Casa Ben Linder 2024 delegations: 

June 8-16: Global Health Intensive

July 9-21: Solidarity in Action: Celebrating 45 Years of Revolution in Nicaragua

November 8-17: Salud & Solidaridad: Hands-On Healthcare in Nicaragua

Action Alert:  Sign a Letter Protesting a 2024 Report to the UN on Human Rights Experts in Nicaragua bit.ly/NicaUN2024                 Sign the Spanish Version:  bit.ly/NicaONU2024

Please sign our letter protesting a recent UN report by the mis-named Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua (GHREN).  In a few days, we will forward our letter to the UN Human Rights Council, following a similar missive being sent this week by authentic human rights experts including former UN Independent Expert on International Order, Alfred de Zayas.  [See coverage further below of another statement to the UN by de Zayas, denouncing “sanctions.”]

An excerpt from our letter follows:

This is the second report by the GHREN. The first, published in March 2023, was condemned in a letter signed by many prominent human rights experts and by 119 organizations and 573 individuals.[2] This letter was totally ignored.

The Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition submitted detailed evidence to the GHREN on the errors and omissions in their first report. These submissions received no response, nor are they acknowledged in the new report. Clearly, the GHREN takes into account only evidence that is supplied by opponents of Nicaragua’s government. This renders absurd the study group’s claim to exercise “independence, impartiality, objectivity, transparency, integrity.”

Second Action Alert:  Letter to UN, 1,000 Signatures Sought; Protest Assassination Plots Against President Maduro, Defend Venezuela’s Sovereignty bit.ly/defend-vzla-sign-on

“…. these assassination plots are taking place in a country that is subject to over 900 unilateral coercive measures. These measures threaten Venezuela’s right to development and contradict the principles of sovereignty affirmed in the Charter of the United Nations….”

New Charge d’Affaires at Nicaraguan Embassy in the US Will Speak at UNAC Conference:  We wish Ambassador Francisco Campbell well in his retirement, and we welcome M. Lautaro Sandino  Montes as the new Charge d’Affaires at the embassy in Washington, DC.  Lautaro Sandino brings an impressive forty years of experience to his new assignment.  His more recent positions have included Ambassador to Ethiopia (2023); law professor at the National University of Nicaragua (2020-2022); Ambassador to Belgium (2009-2020); and project and planning director at the Augusto C. Sandino Foundation (FACS) ((2000-2007).  His native language is Spanish, and his English is advanced level; he also speaks basic French.

He is already heavily engaged in his new work.  He will give a morning keynote speech on April 6 at the conference of The United National AntiWar Coalition (UNAC).  [See conference schedule here.]  His presentation will cover the accomplishments of the revolution, the new world order, and Nicaragua’s role in international law.  That afternoon he is a panelist at a conversational workshop on sanctions; other panelists are William Camacaro, David Paul, Sara Flounders, and Allison Bodine.  In the evening, a reception for international solidarity will feature Lautaro Sandino and also the ambassador from the Polisario Front.

Impressive Status of Women in Nicaragua:  Message From Nicaraguan Government to the 68th Session Of The Commission Of The Status Of Women (CSW):  March 11-22, 2024, New York.  This statement contains some remarkable information.  Here is a sample: “In 2023, the World Economic Forum ranked Nicaragua as the first country in Latin America with the highest gender equality and as the number 7 worldwide, while on the UN Women Political Map we are ranked fourth in countries with women in Ministerial positions and in the Third Place with the most women in the National Assembly.  In the National Assembly, out of 91 Deputies, 50 are Women and in the Central American Parliament, out of 20 Deputies, 10 are Women. In Local Governments, out of 153 Municipal Mayorships, 82 are female Mayors.”

Video recording from March 24 webinar, “Brave Women, Strong Women: Power & Protagonism in Nicaragua.”  This is an interesting and inspiring report-back from January delegation members who explored Nicaraguan women’s roles and experiences as active protagonists in their society Speakers are Adrienne Ayers, Krista Chan, Virginia Pratt, and delegation leader Becca Renk.  Links to their slideshows:

Virginia Pratt’s slideshow

Krista Chan’s slideshow

Human Rights Expert Denounces “Sanctions” at UN:  On March 25, the former UN Independent Expert on International Order, Alfred de Zayas, made a presentation to the UN Security Council about unilateral coercive measures (UCMs), often called “sanctions.”  He denounced UCMs and urged, “Let us …stop referring to UCMs as ‘sanctions’.  The only legal sanctions are those imposed by this Security Council.  Everything else constitutes the unlawful use of force in contravention of the letter and spirit of the UN Charter…. Moreover, the word ‘sanctions’ implies that the State imposing them has the moral or legal authority to do so.  This is not the case….”

De Zayas then proposed seven action steps “to rescue the international order and … give recourse and remedy to the victims.”  His entire statement is well worth reading, but here is a summary of the seven proposals:

1.      Charge international welfare organizations to asses and publicize impacts of sanctions

2.      Establish a sanctions watch international observatory

3.      Address victim compensation and crimes against humanity through the UN General Assembly/World Court.

4.      Invoke the genocide convention.

5.      Treat under inter-state complaints procedures.

6.      Apply duty of rescue laws.

7.      Extend state diplomatic protection to victims of sanctions.

Other Interesting Media Items:

Zoom video:  Nicaragua’s Radio Ya describes the fire bombing of its station while staff were inside (2018) – Green Renaissance-Sovereign Rights Movement

Radio show, WPFW FM:  March 26 episode of Voices with Vision has a great overview of Latin American politics, by Camila Escalante

Article:  International Court of Justice (ICJ) Will Hold Nicaragua Case Against Germany on Facilitating Israeli Genocide in Gaza; Hearings Scheduled for April 8 and 9 – PopularResistance.Org

Article:  Democracy and democratization – Palestine and Haiti.  Crises in both countries have their origins in their respective episodes of destructive foreign intervention in the first decades of the last century. – tortilla con sal

Spanish translation of article:  https://www.tortillaconsal.com/bitacora/node/3756

Events and Delegations:

UNAC Conference, April 5-7, St. Paul: “Decolonization and the fight against Imperialism” Nicaragua’s Charge d’Affaires in Washington DC, Lautaro Sandino, will be a keynote speaker.

Webinar – Sunday, April 21, 3pm ET: Mark your calendars!  A government representative from Nicaragua’s Caribbean Coast will speak about the recent elections in the Caribbean Coast autonomous regions.  More information is coming soon.

End all Unilateral Measures in the Americas: Endorse the Americas without Sanctions Campaign  Find more information and send a letter to your Congressperson here: https://linktr.ee/americas_without_sanctions.

Upcoming Delegations to Nicaragua Casa Ben Linder 2024 delegations: 

June 8-16: Global Health Intensive

July 9-21: Solidarity in Action: Celebrating 45 Years of Revolution in Nicaragua

November 8-17: Salud & Solidaridad: Hands-On Healthcare in Nicaragua

Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition: nicasolidarity.net 

Sign up to receive the Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition weekly newsletter; email NicaraguaSolidarityCoalition@gmail.com

Our monthly zoom meetings: Date change for April only:  Monday, April 15, 2:30 PM ET.  Usually held the second Monday.  Email NicaraguaSolidarityCoalition@gmail.com in advance to request Zoom access for the meeting, or to make other inquiries.

Organizations:  Apply for coalition membership here This is an important way to increase the influence of our coalition work, as our membership list grows.

Listserve: nicanet@googlegroups.com join at groups.google.com/g/nicanet

Sign up to receive the weekly Nica Notes:https://afgj.org/signup

Facebook: Friends of Sandinista Nicaragua, Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition

Twitter: @SolidarityNica

Instagram: @NicaSolidarity

More Sanctions on Nicaragua Will Deepen US Migration Crisis: Interview with Barbara Larcom and Jill Clark-Gollub Increased US economic warfare against Nicaragua will only translate into a worsening of the migration problem in the US and affect supply chains in Central American and Caribbean countries that trade with Nicaragua.  Barbara and Jill explained that the threat of new illegal US sanctions motivated them to launch a campaign to put pressure on US Congresspersons to oppose this strategy. They are inviting all concerned US citizens to join the campaign with their Congresspersons to prevent new illegal sanctions that will deepen the already complex US migration issues and affect the food supply that many Central American and Caribbean countries count on from Nicaragua. 

On the current political and economic developments in Nicaragua, the activists explained that Sandinismo has promoted people’s participation in every aspect of social life, improving people’s lives in human rights, healthcare, and gender equality, among others, and leading to an increase in infrastructure projects for citizens. They explained that the smear campaign launched against Nicaragua has drawn people into a defensive position.  accusations. The Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition strives to rectify that by pointing to the vast number of achievements that the Sandinista Revolution can claim, from fighting poverty to reducing child mortality and malnutrition.

Women’s Liberation in Nicaragua today: Interview with Jessica Leyva, Minister of Women, and Jahosca Mendez, Attorney for the Defense of Human Rights Jessica Leyva and Jahosca Mendez discuss the progress women have made during the second phase of the Sandinista Revolution in advancing their rights and their stature in society. Today women are half of all representatives in the different governing bodies, so that their priorities are well-known and acted upon. A centerpiece of these has been economic independence and an autonomous life, and programs to protect women from abuses. They point out that women are the backbone of the family, and thereby become the backbone of society, of building a new society.

Nicaragua shows Solidarity with Zimbabwe over US Aggression Nicaragua “strongly condemns the continuity of the aggressive, interfering and interventionist policy of the United States of North America against the Worthy Peoples of the World, and in particular, against the Republic of Zimbabwe. We continue to witness the ideology of imperialist and neocolonialist domination of the West by attempting to subjugate and intimidate with unipolar, racist and exclusive practices, the development of our Peoples and their efforts in the fight against poverty.”

March 24 webinar: Power and Protagonism: Women in Nicaragua Please join us for a 90-minute report-back from a January 2024 delegation to Nicaragua that explored Nicaraguan women’s roles and experiences as active protagonists in their society.  Speakers include Adrienne Ayers, Krista Chan, and Virginia Pratt, along with delegation leader Becca Renk.  Register: https://bit.ly/NicaMar24  The webinar will be in English only, with a translated captions option.

April 5-7: UNAC Anti-War conference, “Decolonization and the fight against Imperialism” St. Paul, Minnesota. Lautaro Sandino, Head of Mission, Nicaraguan embassy in Washington, will be a key speaker.

April 21 Webinar: Hear about the March 3 elections on the Caribbean Coast (the results, as well as an explanation of what these elections are and their importance). There will be a Nicaraguan government representative speaking in English.75 minutes. The webinar will be in English only, with a translated captions option.

May 19 Webinar: This is a second webinar on the Caribbean Coast. It will be a report back from the April delegation that is going to the Caribbean Coast facilitated by Becca Renk and Jill Clark-Gollub. This will be in English only, with a translated captions option

Upcoming Delegations to Nicaragua Casa Ben Linder 2024 delegations: 

June 8-16: Global Health Intensive

July 9-21: Solidarity in Action: Celebrating 45 Years of Revolution in Nicaragua

November 8-17: Salud & Solidaridad: Hands-On Healthcare in Nicaragua

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Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition: nicasolidarity.net 

Sign up to receive the Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition weekly newsletter; email NicaraguaSolidarityCoalition@gmail.com

Our monthly zoom meetings: second Monday of the month (next: April 9), 2:30 PM ET. Email NicaraguaSolidarityCoalition@gmail.com in advance to request Zoom access for the meeting, or to make other inquiries.

Organizations:  Apply for coalition membership here This is an important way to increase the influence of our coalition work, as our membership list grows.

Listserve: nicanet@googlegroups.com join atgroups.google.com/g/nicanet

Sign up to receive the weekly Nica Notes:https://afgj.org/signup

Facebook:Friends of Sandinista Nicaragua, Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition

Twitter: @SolidarityNica

Instagram: @NicaSolidarity

Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition Statement: UN Human Rights Council Lends Support to US Regime Change Plans for Nicaragua

Sign on in support of statement here. “The report of the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua (GHREN), released by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on February 28, 2024, is totally biased and should never have been published. The Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition submitted detailed evidence to the GHREN on the errors and omissions in their first report. These submissions received no response, nor are they acknowledged in the new report. Clearly, the GHREN takes into account only evidence that is supplied by opponents of Nicaragua’s government… the report is an attempt to use a multilateral human rights body to lend legitimacy to a regime change campaign and to justify further sanctions, which already violate Nicaraguans’ socioeconomic rights and frustrate the achievement of UN development goals.”

Nicaragua responds to the  latest UN Human Rights Council “report”  “In our statements, we have affirmed that we do not accept the manipulation of these forums to show off reports that are supposedly prepared with objectivity or reasonableness, justifying these, with an evident zero concern for our state; when in reality, they seek to continue manipulating these, with the sole purpose of intervening in the internal affairs of our country….May this intervention serve to DENOUNCE again, as we have already done, the lack of integrity and morality of these mechanisms; that rather they should promote the practice of respect, tolerance and peaceful coexistence between nations, guaranteeing the sovereign right of peoples, so that with dignity and independence, they can continue to build their own destiny, in the search for social peace, as well as economic, cultural and social development, which guarantees the common good and the real human rights that Nicaraguan families deserve.”

Nicaragua rejects spurious report of so-called “Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua” “…the inputs they take for their reports are from criteria manipulated by a group of people, who are financed, precisely to distort the reality of our country. These groups have a defined agenda framed in guidelines imposed by imperial powers, whose sole purpose is to distort the advances that the Nicaraguan people have achieved in terms of Human Rights…. we will not accept these self-proclaimed Human Rights experts, so they can use their unilateral and biased reports to issue unrealistic and irrational criteria about the reality of the Nicaraguan people, who are proud of so many achievements and advances in the field of Human Rights, such as, for example, the right to education, health, housing, fight against extreme poverty, legal, citizen and food security, protection of children, women, people with disabilities, the elderly; in short, of the sectors of the population in vulnerable situations.”

In International Court of Justice Nicaragua indicts Germany for complicity in the genocide of Palestinians  “…With all the public news reports and videos of the atrocities available as they occurred, along with the declarations of international officials and with the Order of the Court of 26 January 2024; Germany cannot deny knowledge of the serious illegality of the conduct of Israel, nor can it deny that its knowledge triggered obligations for Germany under international law to prevent genocide, to not aid and assist or be complicit in genocide, and to ensure respect for international humanitarian law and other peremptory norms of international law, such as not rendering aid or assistance and to prevent the illegal regime of apartheid and the negation of the right of self-determination of the Palestinian people.

“Germany has provided political, financial, and military support to Israel with the knowledge at the time of authorization that the military equipment would be used in the commission of serious breaches of international law. The German Government has also cut off assistance to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which is the primary agency in charge of delivering aid to the Occupied Palestinian Territories…. Germany continues to disregard its obligations, and to actively facilitate violations of the rules of international law by Israel to the severe and immediate prejudice of the Palestinian people, particularly Gazans, and the international community.” Full document indicting Germany for complicity in genocide.

Webinar video “The Evolution of Education in Nicaragua” English Spanish Speakers:  Juan Salvador Mendez, member of the Directors’ Council of the Ministry of Education; and Maria Esmeralda Aguilar, Deputy Director for Vocational Training, National Technological Institute (INATEC). Here are links to the slideshow presentations by the speakers, Juan Mendez and Maria Esmeralda Aguilar:English – Juan Mendez; English – Maria Esmeralda Aguilar; Español – Juan Mendez; Español – Maria Esmeralda Aguilar

Events and Delegations:

Webinar – Sunday, March 24, 3pm ET: Power and Protagonism: Women in Nicaragua This will be a report-back from January delegation members who explored this topic in depth. Speakers are Adrienne Ayers, Krista Chan, and Virginia Pratt, along with delegation leader Becca Renk.

UNAC Conference, April 5-7, St. Paul: “Decolonization and the fight against Imperialism” Nicaragua is sure to be on the agenda. Watch this space for more details as the conference schedule is firmed up.

End all Unilateral Measures in the Americas: Endorse the Americas without Sanctions Campaign  Find more information and send a letter to your Congressperson here: https://linktr.ee/americas_without_sanctions.

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Upcoming Delegations to Nicaragua Casa Ben Linder 2024 delegations: 

June 8-16: Global Health Intensive

July 9-21: Solidarity in Action: Celebrating 45 Years of Revolution in Nicaragua

November 8-17: Salud & Solidaridad: Hands-On Healthcare in Nicaragua

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Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition: nicasolidarity.net 

Sign up to receive the Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition weekly newsletter; email NicaraguaSolidarityCoalition@gmail.com

Our monthly zoom meetings: second Monday of the month (next: March 11), 2:30 PM ET. Email NicaraguaSolidarityCoalition@gmail.com in advance to request Zoom access for the meeting, or to make other inquiries.

Organizations:  Apply for coalition membership here This is an important way to increase the influence of our coalition work, as our membership list grows.

Listserve: nicanet@googlegroups.com join at groups.google.com/g/nicanet

Sign up to receive the weekly Nica Notes:https://afgj.org/signup

Facebook: Friends of Sandinista Nicaragua, Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition

Twitter: @SolidarityNica

Instagram: @NicaSolidarity

President Ortega Paid Tribute to General Sandino “For General Sandino, the father of the Nicaraguan revolution and anti-imperialist struggle… the people never surrender or sell themselves. Born on May 18, 1895, Sandino became the leader of the Nicaraguan resistance against the American occupation army. In 1912, during his youth, he witnessed the first intervention of American troops in Nicaragua. In 1927, Sandino began the fight against the U.S.-backed government and formed the “Army in Defense of the National Sovereignty of Nicaragua.” In 1928, the ranks of the Sandino’s army were fed by members of the Anti-Imperialist League of the Americas, among whom would be Farabundo Marti, the Salvadoran revolutionary who became a colonel in the guerrilla army. Faced with the impossibility of defeating Sandino,  US President Hoover ordered the withdrawal of US troops, which allowed Sandino to begin negotiations with the Nicaraguan government for the return to civilian life in 1933. On February 21, 1934, during a dinner at the Presidential Palace, generals Sandino, Francisco Estrada and Juan Umanzor were arrested, and murdered by soldiers under orders from Somoza.

Daniel Ortega speech on the 90th anniversary of the killing of Sandino “This Manifesto of our General Sandino is still valid, because the Struggle continues, the battle continues, the imperialists of the earth have not disappeared, rather they are committing horrendous crimes, like those they are committing against the Palestinian people, day by day, in the sight and patience of the countries that call themselves civilized, the European countries, accomplices of these crimes, and they launch aggression against all peoples, against the Nicaraguan people. They launch aggression against all the peoples of the world, but the peoples resist, the peoples do not surrender, the peoples do not sell out, ever!”

Venezuelan President Maduro Letter to Daniel and Rosario on Sandino’s Anniversary “I want to extend to the Nicaraguan government and people the Venezuelan people’s committed embrace on the commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the passing into immortality of Augusto Cesar Sandino, the general of free men and women. The life and work of General Sandino encapsulate the nobility and strength that define the soul of the Nicaraguan people. The relevance of General Sandino’s anti-imperialist thought is unquestionable: neither the imperialism’s crime nor the oligarchy’s betrayal could erase the historical significance of Gen. Sandino’s figure, which stands as a beacon and guide for those who struggle for the defense of the peoples’ independence and self-determination….”

Webinar – Sunday, March 24, 3pm ET: “Power and Protagonism: Women in Nicaragua” This will be a report-back from January delegation members who explored this topic in depth. Mark your calendars, Zoom registration link is coming soon.

End all Unilateral Measures in the Americas: Endorse the Americas without Sanctions Campaign  Find more information and send a letter to your Congressperson here: https://linktr.ee/americas_without_sanctions.

Upcoming Delegations to Nicaragua Casa Ben Linder 2024 delegations: 

June 8-16: Global Health Intensive

July 9-21: Solidarity in Action: Celebrating 45 Years of Revolution in Nicaragua

November 8-17: Salud & Solidaridad: Hands-On Healthcare in Nicaragua

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Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition: nicasolidarity.net 

Sign up to receive the Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition weekly newsletter; email NicaraguaSolidarityCoalition@gmail.com

Our monthly zoom meetings: second Monday of the month (next: March 11), 2:30 PM ET. Email NicaraguaSolidarityCoalition@gmail.com in advance to request Zoom access for the meeting, or to make other inquiries.

Organizations:  Apply for coalition membership here This is an important way to increase the influence of our coalition work, as our membership list grows.

Listserve: nicanet@googlegroups.com join at groups.google.com/g/nicanet

Sign up to receive the weekly Nica Notes: https://afgj.org/signup

Facebook: Friends of Sandinista Nicaragua, Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition

Twitter: @SolidarityNica

Instagram: @NicaSolidarity

NICARAGUA WEBINARS presents “The Evolution of Education in Nicaragua”

The International Coalition to Stop Genocide in Palestine (ICSGP) commends Nicaragua: The ICSGP commends Nicaragua for being the first nation to take formal steps to intervene on behalf of the South African ICJ case; and furthermore, for taking the bold step of putting countries that are complicit under the Genocide Convention on notice that they will be subject to legal action if they fail to desist. The ICSGP also urges social movements to continue to use the tactics of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions by pressuring governments and corporations that are sending money and/or weapons to Israel to immediately cease those genocidal activities.

Upcoming Webinar Sunday, February 25, 3pm ET:  “The Evolution of Education in Nicaragua” Spanish & English Interpretation provided. Speakers:  Juan Salvador Mendez, member of the Directors’ Council of the Ministry of Education; Maria Esmeralda Aguilar Gutiérrez, Deputy Director for Vocational Training, National Technological Institute (INATEC); (Invited) Member of the National Council of Universities (CNJ).  Register:  bit.ly/NicaFeb25.

Ben Linder Solidarity School 2023 Nicaragua Educational Program – full nine part webinar video program

1. Introduction to ATC, with Edgardo García, Founder and Secretary General of the ATC(Nicaragua) Original: https://youtu.be/G9T5RRYh65Y.English: https://youtu.be/EGHHLwmR-vI, Spanish: https://youtu.be/tEGgZRiO-o0

2. The History of the Sandinista Popular Revolution and recent events in Nicaragua, with Dan Kovalik, author of Nicaragua: History of US Intervention & Resistance;  Camila Escalante, Kawsachun News Original: https://youtu.be/RAARQ2tSLfU, English:https://youtu.be/RAARQ2tSLfU, Spanish: https://youtu.be/iPrQDYF93Cc

3. The Struggle for Food Sovereignty, with Blanca Ruiz, Nicaraguan resident from the Dominican Republic, IALA Ixim Ulew graduate & CLOC Operating Secretariat; Jose Antonio Cruz, farmer & secretary of training of the ATC Estelí  Original: https://youtu.be/xiiLsBe2O1U, English: https://youtu.be/33yPkR4LEPU, Spanish: https://youtu.be/xiiLsBe2O1U 

4. The Multipolar World, with Fausto Torrez, ATC International Relations (Nicaragua) Original: https://youtu.be/bXmjAI07Vjg, English: https://youtu.be/7WfWsGvYjdk, Spanish: https://youtu.be/bXmjAI07Vjg

5. Advancements for Women in Nicaragua, with Yolanda Areas Blas, ATC Women’s Secretariat (Nicaragua), “Original: https://youtu.be/OM9URQ3-1Ek, English:  https://youtu.be/GgYGIYwPiIU, Spanish: https://youtu.be/OM9URQ3-1Ek

6. The Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast, with Professor Victor del Cid (anthropologist & professor at IALA Ixim Ulew, Nicaragua) Original: https://youtu.be/OVHYBnmsyqo, English: https://youtu.be/j5rCeCBy8CY

7.  Report from the Delegation of the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua, with Participants in Friends of ATC’s 2023 Caribbean Coast Delegation Original: https://youtu.be/gWF4H4pPC2Q, English: https://youtu.be/uRYrDEq0CRs, Spanish: https://youtu.be/Unma4JuAQU4

8. Solidarity Panel with Black Alliance for Peace, Casa Benjamin Linder, Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign Action Group, Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition, Friends of the ATC, Original: https://youtu.be/IgKbOfmumKc, English: https://youtu.be/IgKbOfmumKc, Spanish: https://youtu.be/G4ZJryLyj18

9. IALA, youth and agroecology, and closing of the course, Marlen Sánchez, Latin American Institute of Agroecology, Original: https://youtu.be/ay6JBRbAZl0 English: https://youtu.be/hJJO1a6kQ8c, Spanish: https://youtu.be/L2pgqyToCpo

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1062lRyPP_tfmvJJfYdupJYKxMPAmCtqERqiGXGK2_5A/edit#gid=0

Webinar – Sunday, March 24, 3pm ET: “Power and Protagonism: Women in Nicaragua” This will be a report-back from January delegation members who explored this topic in depth. Mark your calendars, Zoom registration link is coming soon.

End all Unilateral Measures in the Americas: Endorse the Americas without Sanctions Campaign More information and send a letter to your Congressperson here: https://linktr.ee/americas_without_sanctions

Protest at Republican National Convention, July 15-18, Milwaukee

Protest at Democratic National Coalition August 19-22, Chicago

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Upcoming Delegations to Nicaragua Casa Ben Linder 2024 delegations: 

June 8-16: Global Health Intensive

July 9-21: Solidarity in Action: Celebrating 45 Years of Revolution in Nicaragua

November 8-17: Salud & Solidaridad: Hands-On Healthcare in Nicaragua

.

Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition: nicasolidarity.net 

Sign up to receive the Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition weekly newsletter; email NicaraguaSolidarityCoalition@gmail.com

Our monthly zoom meetings: second Monday of the month (next: March 11), 2:30 PM ET. Email NicaraguaSolidarityCoalition@gmail.com in advance to request Zoom access for the meeting, or to make other inquiries.

Organizations:  Apply for coalition membership here This is an important way to increase the influence of our coalition work, as our membership list grows.

Listserve: nicanet@googlegroups.com join at groups.google.com/g/nicanet

Sign up to receive the weekly Nica Notes: https://afgj.org/signup

Facebook: Friends of Sandinista Nicaragua, Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition

Twitter: @SolidarityNica

Instagram: @NicaSolidarity