VZCZCXYZ0014
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMU #2499 3171834
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 131834Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8191
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS MANAGUA 002499 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CEN, WHA/EPSC, AND OES 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO EAID ECON ETRD EAGR KIPR NU
SUBJECT: NICARAGUA: NGO ATTEMPTS TO ADVANCE 
ANTI-BIOTECHNOLOGY AGENDA 
 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: In recent weeks, the Nicaraguan-based 
environmental NGO, Centro Humboldt, has stepped up its 
campaign against the distribution of "biotech food" by the 
World Food Program (WFP) and Project Concern International 
(PCI).  While the campaign failed to elicit public support, 
it was launched on the eve of national elections, suggesting 
that the group was trying to attract the attention of 
candidates and possible new legislators.  Humboldt introduced 
an anti-biotechnology bill in the National Assembly in 2005, 
but a series of USDA-led educational programs, targeting key 
legislators and GON officials, armed law makers with the 
knowledge they needed to defeat the bill and to introduce a 
pro-biotechnology bill.  International food aid distributors 
working in Nicaragua predict that Centro Humboldt will 
attempt to persuade newly elected officials to vote against 
the pro-biotechnology bill.  Food aid distributors are ready 
to renew efforts to educate the new government about 
biotechnology.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) In recent weeks, the Nicaraguan-based environmental 
NGO, Centro Humboldt, stepped up its campaign against the 
distribution of "biotech food" by the World Food Program 
(WFP) and Project Concern International (PCI).  Centro 
Humboldt propaganda, appearing in local magazines, on 
television, and in fliers throughout the capital, accused WFP 
and PCI of distributing food "contaminated by dangerous 
transgenic organisms."  Centro Humboldt is demanding that the 
National Assembly pass an anti-biotechnology law to block the 
import of all transgenic organisms into Nicaragua.  It is 
also demanding that WFP and PCI stop importing "risky 
transgenic food" and, instead, buy from domestic producers. 
 
¶3. (SBU) While the campaign failed to elicit public support, 
it was launched on the eve of national elections, suggesting 
that Centro Humboldt was trying to attract the attention of 
candidates and possible new legislators.  Humboldt introduced 
an anti-biotechnology bill in the National Assembly in 2005, 
but a series of USDA-led educational programs, targeting key 
legislators and GON officials, armed law makers with the 
knowledge they needed to defeat the bill and to introduce a 
pro-biotechnology bill.  Ministry of Health insiders assured 
Econoff that the pro-biotechnology bill would pass if it were 
to go before the National Assembly before the end of the 
year.  Insiders doubt, however, that the bill will be 
presented before year-end and predict that it will probably 
have to be voted on by the new crop of legislators arriving 
in January. 
 
¶4. (U) In an October 10th USAID-facilitated meeting, 
representatives from five international agencies working in 
Nicaragua unanimously agreed that the current 
anti-biotechnology campaign was more designed to influence 
future GON officials than it was the general public. 
Catholic Relief Services, Adventist Development and Relief 
Agency, PCI, Save the Children USA, and WFP agreed that any 
public attempt to counter the campaign would only attract 
media attention to Centro Humboldt, providing it with a 
platform to disemminate its message.  Food distributors 
adopted a wait-and-see posture, anticipating that after the 
elections, Centro Humboldt would seek to persuade newly 
elected officials to vote against the pro-biotechnology bill. 
 Food aid distributors are ready to renew efforts to educate 
the new government about biotechnology.  (Comment: The 
Sandinista Liberation Front (FSLN), which won the Presidency 
in the November 5 election, does not have a public position 
on biotechnology although the party is ideologically linked 
and often sympathetic to Humboldt positions.  End Comment.) 
BRENNAN