VZCZCXYZ0025
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMU #0125 0181718
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 181718Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8645
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 000125 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/16/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PINR KDEM NU
SUBJECT: ALN NEGLECTING DISGRUNTLED LIBERALS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Paul Trivelli for reasons 1.4 (b and d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: The Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance (ALN) is 
missing an historic opportunity to capture disgruntled 
Liberal voters from the Liberal Constitutional Party (PLC), 
claims Liberal Matagalpino Eugenio Rodriguez.  According to 
Rodriguez, Liberals in key northern areas are upset with the 
PLC for "lying" during the recent national elections 
campaign, but the ALN structure virtually "disbanded" after 
the elections and no one is picking the low-hanging fruit. 
He does not believe that the PLC will reform from within and 
oust its discredited leadership, although some National 
Assembly deputies and local leaders may be "salvageable." 
End Summary. 
 
¶2. (C) Poloff met with Liberal Matagalpa city councilor 
Eugenio Rodriguez on January 16 to discuss the future of the 
ALN and the PLC in Nicaraguan politics after the elections. 
During the pre-election campaign, Rodriguez created an 
organization (GANARAM) within the PLC to support Eduardo 
Montealegre, the presidential candidate for the ALN.  He 
indicated that he no longer considers himself part of the 
PLC.  Although he has not formally joined  the ALN, he 
clearly supports this party and the leadership of Montealegre. 
 
¶3. (C) Rodriguez agreed that the PLC misinformation campaign 
regarding Montealegre's candidacy -- especially the 11th-hour 
distribution of false letters of resignation -- caused many 
Liberals sympathetic to the ALN in Matagalpa, Jinotega, Nueva 
Segovia, and other northern areas to waiver and vote for PLC 
candidate Jose Rizo in an effort to defeat Daniel Ortega. 
Once the PLC's deception was revealed after the election, 
however, these voters felt betrayed by the PLC.  Rodriguez 
commented that these voters are ready to support the ALN, but 
ALN officials are nowhere to be seen in the northern regions, 
having redirected their focus to business and professional 
activities. 
 
¶4. (C) Rodriguez does not believe that the PLC's "internal 
restructuring" will lead to substantive changes.  Although he 
appreciated Rizo's post-election remarks calling for 
convicted PLC chief and ex-President Arnoldo Aleman to leave 
the party, he agreed that Rizo no longer exercises much 
influence in the PLC.  Rodriguez mentioned that some PLC 
deputies may be pulled away from Aleman, specifically naming 
fellow Matagalpino Freddy Torres and ex-Foreign Minister 
Francisco Aguirre Sacasa. 
 
¶5. (C) Rodriguez equivocated when asked how the ALN should 
select candidates for the 2008 municipal elections.  He said 
that the 2006 national primaries to select deputy candidates 
had "left a bad taste" in his mouth since many of the winners 
had their positions "adjusted" to make room for alliance 
members.  Rodriguez commented that "the people don't believe 
in polls," although they might work if the sample size was 
large enough.  He agreed in principle that the ALN should use 
a transparent method of selection, but then noted that it is 
better to have a "loyal dog" who will stick with the party. 
Rodriguez mentioned the example of Horacio Brenes, the PLC 
First Councilor in Matagalpa who joined the FSLN after 
receiving a substantial bribe.  Rodriguez claimed that the 
FSLN had offered him personally $50,000, a scholarship for 
his daughter, and a job for life in exchange for abandoning 
the Liberals during the campaign, but he refused. 
 
¶6. (C) Comment: We have heard from several contacts that many 
in the PLC are uncomfortable with the ongoing PLC-FSLN 
political pact and Aleman's continued domination of the 
greatly weakened party.  ALN deputy Eliseo Nunez, Sr. will 
provide us with a list of PLC deputies who may be willing to 
vote independently.  Barring a full implosion of the PLC, 
however, the ALN must work harder to win over Liberal votes 
before the 2008 municipal elections. 
TRIVELLI