VZCZCXYZ0005
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMU #0800 0862300
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 272300Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9632
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 1034
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS MANAGUA 000800 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN, INL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM NU PGOV PINR SNAR
SUBJECT: NICARAGUAN POLICE URGE DONORS TO COORDINATE SUPPORT 
 
¶1.  (U) The Nicaraguan Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a 
meeting of donor nations on March 23, 2007.  The meeting, 
which included remarks by Eva Zetterberg, Swedish Ambassador 
to Nicaragua and chair of the donor group, was attended by 
countries who provide support to the Nicaraguan National 
Police (NNP).  Alfredo Missair, with the United Nations 
Development Programme (UNDP), praised the NNP for their 
innovative approach to gangs and Police Chief Aminta Granera 
detailed the contributions of different donor nations and 
then highlighted the NNP's accomplishments.  She ended with a 
plea to donors to coordinate their efforts and not just 
provide support to their favorite projects within the police. 
 
A Model in Central America 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶2. (U) Swedish Ambassador Eva Zetterberg and Alfredo Missair 
with the UNDP praised the Nicaraguan National Police's 
community policing model and achievements over the last ten 
years.  Missair pointed to the community policing model as 
the primary reason that Nicaragua does not have the same 
problem with gangs as do other Central American countries. 
Both Zetterberg and Missair praised the NNP's focus on human 
rights and women's issues. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) NNP Chief Aminta Granera showed a video that 
detailed donor support since the early 1990s.  Highlights 
included:  Swedish support of the NNP training academy; 
Japanese support for a new jail and training; Spanish support 
of the transit police; the Taiwanese donation of equipment 
for the NNP on the Atlantic Coast; French donations to combat 
organized crime; Danish training on human rights; Canadian 
support for training; and, U.S. support on antinarcotics and 
anticorruption efforts.  (Comment:  Though the Swedish 
received top billing in the video due to their financing of 
the NNP training academy, the segment on the United States 
and Granera's comments during her speech on U.S. support were 
complimentary.) 
 
A Plea for More Coordination 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶4. (U) Granera detailed the NNP's strategy for 2007 to 2011, 
which focuses on strengthening infrastructure and bolstering 
police patrol capabilities.  According to Granera's estimate, 
the NNP will need 45 million dollars in donor support over 
the next five years, primarily to strengthen patrol 
capabilities and community policing efforts.  Granera urged 
donors to coordinate and "respect the system" set up within 
the police to work with donors.  She recognized and applauded 
the support of the donor nations, but as an example, pointed 
out that if donor countries funnel money to the women's 
commissariat without coordinating other support, the women's 
commissariat will receive calls from women who are reporting 
abuse, but the police will not have the ability to respond to 
those calls.  (Note:  According to Granera, 50 percent of the 
calls the NNP receives are from women who are reporting 
abuse, violence or rape.  The women's commissariat of the 
police has been a favorite for donors, but they have not 
typically invested in the other aspects of the police needed 
to support the program.) 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Granera emphasized the need for donors to respect 
the NNP's own assessment of its needs.  She then mentioned 
recent U.S. support of an assessment of the Internal Affairs 
Division as an example of a donor nation consulting the 
police before investing in a program.  As head of the donor 
group, Zetterberg volunteered to more closely coordinate 
donor activities with the police.  (Comment:  Post will 
continue to work with Granera directly on support for the 
police, but will also look for ways to build on other donor 
nations' activities.) 
TRIVELLI