U.S. Aid Cut To Nicaragua
Hurts
Managua - Since the
United States decided last week to cut its
aid for Nicaragua, leaders and government of
the Latin American country have been under
fire as the move affects the life of tens of
thousands of people.
The board of the Millennium Challenge
Corporation, a U.S. taxpayer-funded
operation to fight poverty in developing
nations, announced last week it had cut 62
million dollars from a program for
Nicaragua, citing concerns about democracy,
rule of law and a free market economy.
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega accused
U.S. ambassador Robert Callahan of trying to
unite "oligarchy political forces" in the
country.
Meanwhile, Nicaraguan politicians and
businessmen from the opposition blamed
directly the president, who rejected the
blame by saying that the opposition went to
the U.S. to lobby for the aid cut.
Roger Arteaga, leader of the
American-Nicaraguan Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM),
said what Nicaraguan businessmen from the
opposition did was to lobby for the aid
continuity.
The unfinished quarrel has no way to change
the reality that thousands of Nicaraguan
peasants are to be affected because they are
not going to get credits.
When the 62-million-U.S. dollar aid for
pending projects in Nicaragua was canceled,
the construction of three highways and the
handing in of some 30,000 title deeds were
suspended.
Ortega announced that his Venezuelan
counterpart Hugo Chavez would give about 50
million dollars, through the Bolivian
Alternative for the Americas (ALBA), to
continue these projects.
More than 15 million dollars will be
allocated to more than 140,000 families in
the west of Nicaragua, 19 million dollars
will be used to build highways, and a bit
more than 16 million dollars will be used
for the construction of two rural roads,
Ortega said.
The Nicaraguans, mainly the opposition, ask
whether Chavez' promise enough to continue
the projects.
Eduardo Montealegre, a Nicaraguan
politician, said the Venezuelan cooperation
would be only on paper.
Montealegre also doubted the transparent
management of the resources since the ALBA
aid was said to be managed by a private
company, whose character, according to him,
would reduce the credibility of the aid.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation was
created on Jan. 23, 2004, when Ortega was
leader from the opposition. The U.S. program
has also developed in countries like El
Salvador, Honduras, and Bolivia.
"They (the United States) compromised with
the people and with me, because I was not
president of Nicaragua when the corporation
was created," Ortega said.
The corporation has assisted the milk
industry and tax collection programs in the
west of Nicaragua, while its credits have
benefited more than 5,000 businessmen on
their careers.
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