Interesting Days Afoot in Nicaragua (1 Viewer)

[Gigantomachia]

Having lived on the Caribbean side of Nicaragua I can tell you most of the black/native people do not consider themselves Nicaraguan. In fact, there is some deep hatred between the western and eastern parts of Nicaragua. Here is the article a friend of mine that still lives there posted. Thought the FFA might like it as a Friday read.

Nicaragua: Miskito elders declare independenceSubmitted by WW4 Report on Thu, 06/11/2009 - 23:21.A Council of Elders of the Miskito indigenous people onNicaragua's Caribbean coast, citing the central government'sopening of the region to corporate exploitation with littlereturn to local residents, have announced their secessionfrom the country and declaration of a "Communitarian Nationof Mosquitia." But the ruling Sandinista government arecharging that the US embassy has fomented the move.Upon declaring independence on April 19, Miskito Elders andtheir supporters seized the headquarters of the ruling partyof the autonomous region, Yatama, or "Sons of Mother Earth,"in Puerto Cabezas. No move was taken to remove them, butNational Police seized the locally caught green sea turtlemeat they planned to consume at their celebratory feast, onthe grounds that it is an endangered species. The occupierswere finally ousted from the party headquarters this pastweekend by Yatama adherents.Yatama said the eviction was peaceful. "We're not going tofight between Miskito and Miskito," Reynaldo Francis, theregional governor, said before this weekend's action. "It'snot that we're afraid of that movement." But Miskito Elderssaid they were armed. The National Police apparently did notget involved.The separatists are still maintaining that they are nolonger part of Nicaragua, and have appointed Hctor Williamsas their wihta tara, or great judge. Speaking to the NewYork Times, Williams cited lack of central governmentresponse to devastating hurricanes, a rat plague, and amysterious hysteria-causing disease known as grisi siknis.(Ignorantly, the Times refers to the central government asthe "federal government" despite the fact that Nicaraguadoes not have a federal system.)"We have the right to autonomy and self-government," WycleffDiego, the separatist movement's ambassador abroad, told theTimes, holding up a copy of the UN Declaration on the Rightsof Indigenous Peoples.Even the government's allies concede that the separatistshave valid grievances. "We haven't been the bestadministrators of public things, but that doesnt mean weshould spill blood," said Steadman Fagoth, a former Miskitoguerilla leader who has recently allied himself withSandinista President Daniel Ortega.Two major drilling concessions have been granted offNicaragua's Caribbean coast, but officials fear theseparatist movement could scare off investors. "It's goingto send the signal that you cant do business in Nicaragua,"said Stan Ross, chief executive at Infinity Energy, aDenver-based company. (A maritime border dispute withHonduras and Colombia has also been an obstacle to offshoreoil development.)Puerto Cabezas has twice been rocked by violent protests inrecent years: in 2007, over the central government's slowresponse after a devastating hurricane, and in 2008, whenOrtega's government postponed municipal elections.Separatist leader Williams, who has enlisted the support ofhundreds of Miskito lobster divers who are protesting a dropin pay as lobster prices plunge, said he had to discouragethe divers from attacking the party offices after they werere-taken. The separatists say they are seeking financing totrain and equip an army of 1,500. "We'll defend our naturalresources," vowed Guillermo Espinoza, the movement's defenseminister, who was known as Comandante Black Cat during the1980s war. If no guns can be procured, he said, theseparatists will make weapons themselves.A top Sandinista leader, Gustavo Porras, accused RobertCallahan, the US ambassador to Nicaragua, of conspiring withthe separatist movement in Cold War-era fashion. Callahanwhoworked in the US embassy in Honduras when it was the commandcenter for the Reagan administration's Contra war inNicaraguadenies involvement. "The question regarding anycontentious issues that may exist between parts of theMiskito community and the government of Nicaragua is amatter for the Nicaraguans, and one that they themselvesmust resolve," he said in a statement. (NYT, June 9)Sandinista-aligned Miskito leader Steadman Fagothpresidentof Nicaragua's Fishing Institutesaid he witnessed AmbassadorCallahan and US State Department officials meeting withseparatist leaders in Puerto Cabezas last month. He saidlocal leaders of the right-opposition LiberalConstitutionalist Party (PLC) and Nicaraguan LiberalAlliance (ALN) were also present at the meeting. (InsideCosta Rica, May 14)The US this week canceled more than $60 million inassistance to Nicaragua, citing concerns about democracy,rule of law and a free market economy. The board of theMillennium Challenge Corporation, a US-funded operation setup by former President George W. Bush to fight poverty indeveloping nations, said it had cut $62 million from a $175million program for Nicaragua."This decision is made with deep disappointment, as ourpartnership with Nicaragua has yielded tremendous progressover the past years in reducing poverty through innovativeeconomic growth projects," said Rodney Bent, thecorporation's chief executive. The cut in aid follows asuspension in new US assistance announced last Novemberafter the contested municipal elections. Ortega accused theUS of punishing the poor with the suspension and defendedthe local elections, in which his Sandinistas won a majorityof municipalities."Given the lack of meaningful reforms or progress in theseareas by the government of Nicaragua, the board has agreedto terminate these projects," Brent said. The canceledprojects include a property regularization project andimprovement of a road in Len department. Secretary of StateHillary Rodham Clinton, who chairs the MCC board andparticipated in the decision, said US assistance must be "aseffective and transparent as it is generous." (AP, June 10;Nuevo Diario, Managua, Dec. 13, 2008)

 

[Ozymandias]

We need to send Harrison Ford down to that Miskito Coast.

 

[Gigantomachia]

We need to send Harrison Ford down to that Miskito Coast.

That was Honduras.But still, nice play.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Nicaragua approves route for $40 billion canal linking oceans(Reuters) - A Nicaraguan committee approved a proposed route on Monday for a $40 billion shipping channel across the Central American country that would compete with the Panama Canal.

The committee of government officials, businessmen and academics approved a 172 mile (278 km) route from the mouth of the Brito river on the Pacific side to the Punto Gorda river on the Caribbean that was proposed by executives from the HK Nicaragua Canal Development Investment Co Ltd (HKND Group).

The Hong Kong-based HKND group, which is leading the project, is headed by Chinese lawyer Wang Jing, who also heads Chinese company Xinwei Telecom Enterprise Group.

The proposed canal would pass through Lake Nicaragua, Central America's largest lake, and will be between 230 meters and 520 meters (755 feet to 1,706 feet) wide and 27.6 meters (90 feet) deep, said HKND engineer Dong Yunsong.

The proposed route still faces environmental and social impact studies that could recommend some changes to the plan, but those studies should be finished later this year to allow work to begin by December, said committee member Telemaco Talavera.

Opponents of the plan are concerned about the canal's effect on Lake Nicaragua, an important fresh water source for the country, as well as the impact on poor communities.

The plan is to finish the canal in 2019 and begin operations in 2020, Talavera said.

The proposed channel would be more than three times longer than the 48-mile (77-km) Panama Canal, which took the United States a decade to build at the narrowest part of the Central American isthmus. It was completed in 1914.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/08/us-nicaragua-canal-idUSKBN0FD06Q20140708

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

$40B Nicaragua Canal would be 3X bigger than Panama CanalBy Sebastian Martinez

Video transcript provided by Newsy.com

Looks like the Panama Canal, long the only shipping canal connecting the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans, might be losing that distinction in the near future. (Via Flickr / el.chamilo)

The proposed Nicaragua Canal's potential final route was announced Tuesday by Hong Kong-based developer HKND Group. (Via RT)

​ The canal, which HKND CEO Wang Jing calls, "the biggest project built in the history of humanity," would stretch some 173 miles across the Central American country, connecting Punta Gorda on the Caribbean to the mouth of the river Brito on the Pacific. (Via Google Earth)

>> Read more trending stories

If you want to understand just how massive this is, people consider the Panama Canal one of the engineering wonders of world. This thing would be three times as big.

The new canal, which would cost an estimated $40 billion, could accommodate Maersk Triple E class ships, which can carry 18,000 containers: more than triple the current capacity of the Panama Canal. (ViaGetty Images, Maersk)

The Panama Canal authority is currently working to expand it, but even after construction is finished, it would fall short of the Nicaragua Canal by about 6,000 containers. (Via Panama Canal Authority)

But according to Nicaraguan officials, the Nicaragua Canal isn't looking to compete with its Panamanian neighbor.

Instead, as the BBC reports, officials hope to complement the existing canal.

In fact, according to La Prensa, the University of Nicaragua is collaborating with its counterpart in Panama to prepare students for work on the project.

And they're not the only ones collaborating. As Russia Beyond the Headlines reports, the Russian government will also be joining in, providing security for the project.

So Russia and China are working together some 2,000 miles south of the American border. Where does that leave the U.S.?

Well, while there still hasn't been any word from the White House on the issue, some pundits argue the U.S.'s biggest problem lies in our ports. (Via The White House)

"​Only 10 of America's approximately 55 major ports will be ready for the bigger ships [by 2015]" (Via CNN)

And the entire project is still pending environmental impact studies, as the canal passes through Lake Nicaragua, and critics are concerned it could have disastrous effects on the lake. (Via Flickr / orangebrompton)

Officials say they plan on starting work on the canal by the end of this year.

http://www.ajc.com/news/news/world/40b-nicaragua-canal-would-be-3x-bigger-panama-cana/ngb4P/

So apparently this is a Chinese project... and now the Russians are also sniffing around to invest.

 

[timschochet]

If it improves the economy of the region that can only be good for us.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

If it improves the economy of the region that can only be good for us.

I don't think the Chinese and Russians having a major economic and political foothold in Central America is in any way good for us.

Not to mention this will hurt our ally Panama and our own economic interests there.

 

[Christo]

If it improves the economy of the region that can only be good for us.

I don't think the Chinese (and maybe teh Russians) having a major economic and political foothold in Central America is in any way good for us.

Not to mention this will hurt our ally Panama and our own economic interests there.

So competition isn't good?

 

[Koya]

If it improves the economy of the region that can only be good for us.

I don't think the Chinese (and maybe teh Russians) having a major economic and political foothold in Central America is in any way good for us.

Not to mention this will hurt our ally Panama and our own economic interests there.

So competition isn't good?

Not when you are the far lesser competitor.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

If it improves the economy of the region that can only be good for us.

I don't think the Chinese (and maybe teh Russians) having a major economic and political foothold in Central America is in any way good for us.

Not to mention this will hurt our ally Panama and our own economic interests there.

So competition isn't good?

Not when you are the far lesser competitor.

No not all competition is good.

Wal-Mart opens across the street from your family grocery store. How're ya lookin now? See Mainstreet across America for examples.

But we're not talking groceries here, internationally political and ideological competition in our own backyard from global powers and economic competition meant to harm us is definitely not good.

 

[timschochet]

If it improves the economy of the region that can only be good for us.

I don't think the Chinese (and maybe teh Russians) having a major economic and political foothold in Central America is in any way good for us.

Not to mention this will hurt our ally Panama and our own economic interests there.

So competition isn't good?

Not when you are the far lesser competitor.

No not all competition is good.

Wal-Mart opens across the street from your family grocery store. How're ya lookin now? See Mainstreet across America for examples.

But we're not talking groceries here, internationally political and ideological competition in our own backyard from global powers and economic competition meant to harm us is definitely not good.

Is it an act of aggression?

 

[Abraham]

40 billion doesn't seem like a big cost for such a project.

 

[msommer]

40 billion doesn't seem like a big cost for such a project.

The overruns haven't started yet

 

[Christo]

40 billion doesn't seem like a big cost for such a project.

No unions to deal with.

 

[Sand]

40 billion doesn't seem like a big cost for such a project.

The overruns haven't started yet

In the US that would be 3x, or 120B to complete after the overruns. There? Probably 200B.

 

[msommer]

40 billion doesn't seem like a big cost for such a project.

The overruns haven't started yet

In the US that would be 3x, or 120B to complete after the overruns. There? Probably 200B.

In comparison the Panama canal expansion was supposed cost 5.25b, now looks like 7b (and two years late). That's more than a 30% increase.

60b might not be a bad estimate and ready in ten years or so

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

If it improves the economy of the region that can only be good for us.

I don't think the Chinese (and maybe teh Russians) having a major economic and political foothold in Central America is in any way good for us.

Not to mention this will hurt our ally Panama and our own economic interests there.

So competition isn't good?

Not when you are the far lesser competitor.

No not all competition is good.

Wal-Mart opens across the street from your family grocery store. How're ya lookin now? See Mainstreet across America for examples.

But we're not talking groceries here, internationally political and ideological competition in our own backyard from global powers and economic competition meant to harm us is definitely not good.

Is it an act of aggression?

No, it's not. It's not an act of war.

But if it's real it's a problem.

 

[Christo]

If it improves the economy of the region that can only be good for us.

I don't think the Chinese (and maybe teh Russians) having a major economic and political foothold in Central America is in any way good for us.

Not to mention this will hurt our ally Panama and our own economic interests there.

So competition isn't good?

Not when you are the far lesser competitor.

No not all competition is good.

Wal-Mart opens across the street from your family grocery store. How're ya lookin now? See Mainstreet across America for examples.

But we're not talking groceries here, internationally political and ideological competition in our own backyard from global powers and economic competition meant to harm us is definitely not good.

Is it an act of aggression?

No, it's not. It's not an act of war.

But if it's real it's a problem.

Please explain.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

If it improves the economy of the region that can only be good for us.

I don't think the Chinese (and maybe teh Russians) having a major economic and political foothold in Central America is in any way good for us.

Not to mention this will hurt our ally Panama and our own economic interests there.

So competition isn't good?

Not when you are the far lesser competitor.

No not all competition is good.

Wal-Mart opens across the street from your family grocery store. How're ya lookin now? See Mainstreet across America for examples.

But we're not talking groceries here, internationally political and ideological competition in our own backyard from global powers and economic competition meant to harm us is definitely not good.

Is it an act of aggression?

No, it's not. It's not an act of war.

But if it's real it's a problem.

Please explain.

You can start with the Monroe Doctrine. I realize that it is not entirely a doctrine or 100% maintained over the years, but we have indeed been the biggest guy on the block for some time now. We have been blissfully free of major foreign influence off our border for a very long time. That could change.

 

[DiStefano]

If it improves the economy of the region that can only be good for us.

I don't think the Chinese (and maybe teh Russians) having a major economic and political foothold in Central America is in any way good for us.

Not to mention this will hurt our ally Panama and our own economic interests there.

So competition isn't good?

Not when you are the far lesser competitor.

No not all competition is good.

Wal-Mart opens across the street from your family grocery store. How're ya lookin now? See Mainstreet across America for examples.

But we're not talking groceries here, internationally political and ideological competition in our own backyard from global powers and economic competition meant to harm us is definitely not good.

Is it an act of aggression?

No, it's not. It's not an act of war.

But if it's real it's a problem.

Please explain.

You can start with the Monroe Doctrine. I realize that it is not entirely a doctrine or 100% maintained over the years, but we have indeed been the biggest guy on the block for some time now. We have been blissfully free of major foreign influence off our border for a very long time. That could change.

Well, that one is going to run head straight into the Putin Doctrine.

 

[Christo]

If it improves the economy of the region that can only be good for us.

I don't think the Chinese (and maybe teh Russians) having a major economic and political foothold in Central America is in any way good for us.

Not to mention this will hurt our ally Panama and our own economic interests there.

So competition isn't good?

Not when you are the far lesser competitor.

No not all competition is good.

Wal-Mart opens across the street from your family grocery store. How're ya lookin now? See Mainstreet across America for examples.

But we're not talking groceries here, internationally political and ideological competition in our own backyard from global powers and economic competition meant to harm us is definitely not good.

Is it an act of aggression?

No, it's not. It's not an act of war.

But if it's real it's a problem.

Please explain.

You can start with the Monroe Doctrine. I realize that it is not entirely a doctrine or 100% maintained over the years, but we have indeed been the biggest guy on the block for some time now. We have been blissfully free of major foreign influence off our border for a very long time. That could change.

That doesn't explain why you think it's a problem.