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INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
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RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAGUA 002059 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/19/2016 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR KDEM NU
SUBJECT: DANNY,S DOUBLE WHAMMY: ALN NUMBER THREE ASSEMBLY CANDIDATE AND RIZO,S SISTER JUMP SHIP FOR THE FSLN
 
Classified By: Ambassador Paul A. Trivelli. Reasons 1.4 (B,D). 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY: As part of Sandinista Front (FSLN) candidate 
Daniel Ortega's concerted efforts to discredit the political 
prowess of his competitors, Ortega successfully recruited 
Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance (ALN) National Assembly candidate 
Salvador Talavera and Maria Elena Rizo, the sister of Liberal 
Constitutional Party (PLC) candidate Jose Rizo.  Both 
"converts" were featured during one of Ortega's TV marathons. 
 Talavera -- who is also the President of the Nicaraguan 
Resistance Party (PRN) -- and Ortega signed their accord on 
the cloth of a Nicaraguan flag, an act that drew harsh 
criticism.  Talavera's betrayal reflects his lack of scruples 
on the one hand, but Montealegre's poor judgment in selecting 
him and the ALN's unfocused leadership on the other.  Other 
ALN and Resistance members had warned Montealegre that 
placing Talavera so high on the ALN's deputy list was unwise; 
his campaign manager's refusal to give Talavera the time of 
day compounded the problem.  Talavera's departure has shocked 
Montealegre and may be the wake up call he needed. 
Montealegre told DCM on September 17 that he will convene an 
emergency session on September 18 to address the problem and 
rally his supporters.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (C) As part of FSLN candidate Daniel Ortega's concerted 
efforts to discredit the political prowess of his 
competitors, Ortega successfully recruited ALN National 
Assembly candidate Salvador Talavera (ranks third on the 
ALN's list of national candidates) and Maria Elena Rizo, the 
sister of PLC candidate Jose Rizo.  Both "converts" were 
featured during one of Ortega's TV marathons, which he calls 
his "debates with the Nicaraguan people."  Talavera 
-- who is also the president of the Nicaraguan Resistance 
Party (PRN) -- and Ortega signed their accord on the cloth of 
a Nicaraguan flag, an act that drew harsh criticism from a 
number of quarters, including claims that the defacement of 
the flag violates Nicaraguan laws.  (NOTE: According to 
Article 25 of Nicaragua's Electoral Law, marking or stamping 
anything on the flag is prohibited, but given the FSLN's 
control of the CSE and the courts, no action against Ortega 
is likely to be effective.) 
 
¶3.  (C) Accompanying Talavera were several members of the 
PRN's leadership -- Julio Cesar Blandon, Roberto Ferrey, Jose 
Benito Bravo ("Comandante Mack"), Jorge Luis Gutierrez and 
seven PRN department presidents (NOTE:  Responding to the 
concerns of two Resistance leaders (Oscar Sobalvarro and Luis 
Angel Fley, who support Eduardo Montealegre) regarding 
Montealegre's decision to include Jose Benito Bravo Centeno 
("Comandante Mack") on his list of Parlacen candidates, 
Embassy addressed the matter with Montealegre and his chief 
of staff Edmundo Leal in early June (Bravo Centeno ranked 
third on the ALN's Parlacen list).  After we provided 
information that Bravo Centeno was involved in murder, 
torture and other human rights abuses during the 1980s and 
was associated at one point with the FSLN, Montealegre 
removed Bravo Centeno from the slate, replacing him with 
Talavera's brother Jose Angel.  END NOTE). 
 
¶4.  (C) The ALN issued a press release on September 16 
condemning Talavera's treachery and calling for him to 
renounce his position on the ALN Assembly slate.  A number of 
PRN members supporting Montealegre also denounced Talavera, 
including Oscar Sobalvarro (Comandante Ruben) and Luis Angel 
Fley (Comandante Johnson).  Despite the ALN's calls for his 
resignation -- including by his brother/ALN candidate for 
PARLACEN Jose Angel -- Talavera insists that he will remain 
on the slate.  CSE magistrate Emmet Lang informed the press 
on September 17 that it is too late to make changes in 
Assembly deputy slates, while on September 18, ALN campaign 
manager Adolfo Arguello argued on Channel 2 that a precedent 
exists to substitute names, citing the case of an FSLN 
candidate who resigned ten days before the November 2001 
election and was replaced by another candidate. 
 
¶5.  (C) NOTE: The electoral law allows for the resignation or 
substitution of presidential and vice presidential candidates 
in cases of force majeure, but does not mention the 
resignation of legislative candidates.  Further, now that the 
ballots are at the printers, changing the ballot is out of 
the question -- unless, of course, the FSLN decides it would 
suit their interests.  END NOTE. 
 
¶6. (C) According to ALN contacts, Talavera, who ranks third on the ALN's national list of Assembly candidates, was disgruntled with the ALN's "lack of attention", and he also faces serious financial problems. Montealegre's personal secretary Edmundo Leal told polcouns on September 16 that Talavera had requested to meet with ALN campaign manager Adolfo Arguello on numerous occasions, but was rebuffed. Ortega probably is paying Talavera well for his loyalty and stroking his ego, assessed ALN Assembly candidate Maria Eugenia Sequeira.
 
¶7.  (C) COMMENT: In addition to his financial woes, 
Talavera's former wife has filed a claim against him for 
alleged domestic abuse (he recently remarried).  Possibly, 
the FSLN is holding the outcome of this case over Talavera's 
head.  Talavera's betrayal reflects his lack of scruples on 
the one hand, but Montealegre's poor judgment in selecting 
him and the ALN's unfocused leadership on the other.  ALN 
supporters, including a number of other PRN members, had 
warned Montealegre that placing Talavera so high on the ALN's 
deputy list was unwise.  The campaign manager's refusal to 
give Talavera (whose ego knows no bounds) the time of day, 
compounded the problem.  Talavera's departure has shocked 
Montealegre and may be the wake up call he needed. 
Montealegre told DCM on September 17 that he will convene an 
emergency session on September 18 to address the problem and 
rally his supporters.  END COMMENT. 
TRIVELLI