VZCZCXYZ0003
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMU #1556/01 1981406
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 171406Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6989
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAGUA 001556 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/13/2016 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM SOCI NU
SUBJECT: PLC MAYORS DEMAND ALEMAN LEAVE PARTY 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Paul Trivelli for reasons 1.4 (b and d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: A group of 15 mayors and municipal leaders 
from northern areas of Nicaragua held a press conference in 
Managua on July 12 to insist that convicted PLC leader 
Arnoldo Aleman and his family leave the PLC for the good of 
the party and the good of the country.  This event followed a 
series of meetings with Ambassador and emboffs where we 
clearly explained our policy rejecting Aleman and his 
followers.  Emboffs are working to pull more PLC mayors and 
other officials away from Aleman.  We believe that the 
mayors' efforts will likely fail, but if Aleman refuses to 
release his grip on the PLC, they may decide to abandon the 
PLC and join forces with the ALN.  End Summary. 
 
PLC MAYORS WANT ALEMAN OUT OF PARTY 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶2. (C) A group of PLC mayors )- several of whom Ambassador 
and poloffs met on previous regional reporting trips -- 
requested a meeting on June 30 to discuss the upcoming 
elections and their discontent with the national management 
of the PLC.  The group of 16 mayors, vice mayors and 
municipal officials from seven northern municipalities 
expressed their deep concern over the possible victory of 
FSLN presidential candidate Daniel Ortega on November 5. 
They asserted the need to unite the Liberal forces under one 
candidate to prevent an Ortega victory and expressed 
acceptance for both ALN candidate Eduardo Montealegre and PLC 
candidate Jose Rizo. 
 
¶3. (C) The mayors complained that PLC leader Arnoldo Aleman 
and the PLC Central Committee (CEN) have mismanaged the party 
and given too much power to the FSLN through the political 
pact formed by Aleman and Ortega.  They agreed that the PLC's 
list of deputy candidates is filled with Aleman loyalists who 
have no popular support ) a "dedocracy" (personal selection 
by the party caudillo).  Although most rural people are still 
firmly pro-Aleman, the mayors claimed, many Liberals are 
tired of the caudillos and may not bother to vote on election 
day.  Also, the division of the Liberal forces has caused 
confusion in the Liberal ranks.  They repeated, however, that 
Liberal dissident Eduardo Montealegre has little support in 
rural areas and only the PLC has the "party machinery" to 
confront the FSLN. 
 
¶4. (C) The mayors agreed with the Ambassador that Aleman must 
leave the PLC for the party to recover.  They claimed that 22 
(out of 50  PLC mayors) agree that Aleman must go and are 
ready to make some sort of public statement to that regard. 
The mayors spoke of organizing a meeting with Jose Rizo, Jose 
Antonio Alvarado, and Eduardo Montealegre to try to find a 
way to reunite the Liberals without the stain of Aleman,s 
involvement.  They promised to develop a strategy and inform 
the Embassy. 
 
PLC MAYORS PUBLICLY DENOUNCE ALEMAN 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶5. (C) A group of 15 mayors and councilors held a press 
conference in Managua on July 12 to insist that Arnoldo 
Aleman and his family leave the PLC for the good of the party 
and the good of the country.  A large banner displayed behind 
the group read, "We are not blind, deaf, or dumb!"  The 
mayors expressed support for PLC presidential candidate Jose 
Rizo and vice presidential candidate Jose Antonio Alvarado. 
 
¶6. (C) The driving force behind the mayoral revolt is the 
president of the national municipal development organization 
(INIFOM), Eduardo Cuadra.  Cuadra, a member of Eduardo 
Montealegre's Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance (ALN), plans to 
organize another set of press conferences with additional 
mayors unhappy with Aleman.  His strategy is to emphasize the 
fact that Aleman,s presence is preventing Liberal unity (and 
risking an FSLN victory).  Cuadra feels this strategy will 
gain him more mileage with more mayors for the time being, 
with the eventual goal of pushing them to the ALN when Aleman 
refuses to back down. 
 
¶7. (C) In response to the press conference, Cuadra reported 
that Aleman and PLC vice president Wilfredo Navarro are 
lobbying all of the PLC mayors to remain compliant and 
threatening some with trumped up legal charges from 
Arnoldista judges.  (Comment: The completely politicized 
court system is commonly used by the PLC and FSLN to 
intimidate political opponents and extort money from the 
private sector.  End Comment.) 

COMMENT: ALEMAN POLICY SINKING IN? 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶8. (C) Cuadra reported that our regional visits, and 
especially the meeting with the mayors in Managua at the end 
of June, have had a tremendous impact.  Our repeated 
statements that Aleman is the true obstacle to Liberal unity 
and must leave the PLC seem to finally resonate with some 
local officials.  We will continue to support Cuadra's 
efforts with the PLC mayors.  We believe that the mayors' 
efforts will likely fail, but if Aleman refuses to release 
his grip on the PLC, they may decide to support Montealegre's 
campaign. 
TRIVELLI