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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAGUA 001021 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
WHA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/23/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL KDEM NU
SUBJECT: ANOTHER CONVERGENCIA MEMBER QUESTIONS ORTEGA,S 
INTENTIONS AND COMMITMENT TO CAMPAIGN PROMISES 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Paul A. Trivelli.  Reasons 1.4 (B,D). 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary:  Azucena Ferrey, a former Contra and 
longstanding Christian Democrat currently associated with 
Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) political ally 
Convergencia, tells us that a number of Convergencia members 
are disillusioned with the Ortega administration.  Ferrey, 
who directs the City of Managua's Women's Affairs Office, 
also noted that divisions within the FSLN are increasing, and 
some Sandinista militants reject President Ortega's hermetic, 
autocratic style of governance.  Ferrey is one of the eight 
beneficiaries of the Inter-American Human Rights Commission's 
(IAHCR) recent resolution in favor of the Nicaraguan Human 
Rights Center's petition concerning electoral fraud committed 
in 1996.  She intends to use the IAHCR decision as a platform 
to advocate for electoral reform and the depoliticization of 
Nicaragua's Supreme Electoral Council.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (C) On April 17, PolCouns lunched with Azucena Ferrey, 
Director of City of Managua's Women's Affairs Office. Ferrey, 
who is a former Contra and longstanding Christian Democrat is 
now associated with Sandinista National Liberation Front 
(FSLN) political ally Convergencia.  She was a National 
Assembly deputy with Violeta Chamorro's UNO from 1990-1995. 
Ferrey was recently interviewed by the media regarding the 
IAHRC's recent resolution in favor of the Nicaraguan Human 
Rights Center's (CENIDH) petition concerning electoral fraud 
committed in 1996.  Ferrey and seven other candidates 
competing in the 1996 National Assembly elections claimed 
that the Supreme Electoral Council's (CSE) manipulation of a 
complex formula for vote tally remainders caused them to lose 
their seats to other candidates representing the FSLN and the 
Liberal Constitutional Party (PLC), the two parties 
controlling the CSE. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Ferrey explained that the CENIDH filed the petition 
on behalf of the eight candidates over ten years ago.  The 
Commission reached a decision in October 2006, but decided to 
delay its release until after Nicaragua's November 2006 
national elections to avoid politicizing the process.  She 
reported that the IAHCR decision (Resolution 11,878, dated 16 
March 2007) will be included in the body's annual report. 
While Ferrey does not expect the decision will enable her to 
gain an Assembly seat, she intends to use the resolution as a 
launching point to advocate for electoral reform and the 
depoliticization of the CSE. 
 
¶4.  (C) Ferrey confirmed her recent comments to the press 
that she suspects the FSLN-PLC "pact" controlling the CSE 
also finagled some results of the November 2006 Assembly 
elections to favor the PLC and FSLN in detriment of 
Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance (ALN) and the Sandinista 
Renovation Movement (MRS) candidates.  The fact that the CSE 
has declined to release the final election results feeds this 
suspicion, asserted Ferrey.  (Note: Ferrey was ninth on the 
FSLN-Convergencia slate of Parlacen candidates for the 
November 2006 elections and hence did not make the cut. End 
Note.) 
 
¶5.  (C)  Moving on to the subject of Convergencia and its 
views on the Ortega administration thus far, Ferrey commented 
that she and a number of other Convergencia members are 
quickly becoming disillusioned with Ortega, citing Christian 
Democrats Agustin Jarquin and Myriam Arguello, as well as 
Contra/Resistance leader Elida Maria Galeano ("La Chaparra") 
as examples.  First, he has not delivered on his campaign 
promises to their movement, and second, they are 
uncomfortable with his hermetic, autocratic style of 
governance.  Third, first lady Rosario Murillo's 
co-governance is "out of line" and has aggravated the 
divisions within the FSLN to the point that it is hurting the 
government's ability to function.  Ferrey claimed that some 
Sandinista militants, especially those working in 
departmental and municipal government and in civil society, 
are also upset over Ortega's failure to deliver on his social 
campaign promises and apparent overreaching goal to create a 
family dynasty. 
 
¶6.  (C) Ferrey considers the public school teachers' and 
administrator's recent protests (septel) a trial balloon for 
the Ortega government.  They are calling on Ortega to deliver 
on his campaign commitment to raise their wages and living 
standards.  If he does not address their demands, his entire 
 
MANAGUA 00001021  002 OF 002 
 
 
"social project" will come into question, she warned. 
 
¶7.  (C) Responding to PolCouns' remark that Ortega, likely 
with the support of PLC leader/convicted money launder 
Arnoldo Aleman, will attempt to postpone Nicaragua's November 
2008 municipal elections, Ferrey was unequivocal -- Ortega 
intends to delay the municipal elections to buy time and gain 
more support.  The Sandinistas know that if elections were 
held today, they would lose Managua, she explained, basing 
her assessment on what she hears from her FSLN colleagues. 
 
¶8.  (C) In Ferrey's view, another area of concern is Ortega's 
treatment of Cardinal Obando y Bravo, a close friend.  Ferrey 
mentioned she had met with Obando the previous day and he had 
shared his frustration over Ortega's delay in issuing a 
presidential decree formalizing his appointment as director 
of the new Peace and Reconciliation Council.  Reportedly, 
Obando had also complained that the Council is penniless and 
inoperable.  (Comment: Ferrey defended Obando's decision to 
support Ortega, asserting that Ortega had "rescued" Obando 
from then-President Aleman's personal attacks against him and 
claiming that he has "curbed" Ortega's extremist 
inclinations.) 
 
Bio 
- - - 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Maria Azucena FERREY Echaverry was born in Granada, 
Nicaragua on June 2, 1945.  She studied business 
administration at Nicaragua's National Autonomous University 
(UNAN), joined the Social Christian Unity party in the 1950s. 
 An active opponent of the Somoza regime,  Ferrey became 
disillusioned with the Sandinista revolution, joined the 
Contra movement, and then moved to Miami in 1987 where she 
became one of the movement's political leaders in exile.  She 
was a member of the National Assembly under Violeta 
Chamorro's UNO alliance and ran for re-election under a 
Christian Democrat alliance in 1995, but lost, allegedly 
because of the CSE's manipulation of the vote tally.  Before 
serving as the city's Director of Women's Affairs, Ferrey was 
Managua's External Relations Director.  She is a founding 
member of a number of women's organizations, including the 
Nicaraguan Women's Foundation, and the Nicaraguan Women's 
Alliance.  Ferrey has one son, Carlos Alfredo Montealegre 
Ferrey, born in 1974. 
Comment 
- - - - 
 
¶10.  (C) Ferrey's views on the Ortega administration track 
with what we are hearing from other Convergencia members, 
such as Jarquin, Galeano, and Arguello.  Whether or not they 
act on their discontent is another matter, especially since 
some of them appear to be more driven by narrow, personal 
interests than broader social or political concerns. 
TRIVELLI