VZCZCXYZ0004
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMU #0957 1061549
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 161549Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9825
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 000957 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/16/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR NU
SUBJECT: NICARAGUAN JUSTICE SYSTEM AT RISK, ACCORDING TO 
SOLICITOR GENERAL 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Paul Trivelli for reasons 1.4 (b and d) 
 
¶1.  (C) Embassy officials and INR analysts met with Ivan 
Lara, the Solicitor General for the Criminal Division on 21 
March.  According to Lara, the Nicaraguan justice system is 
deteriorating.  He highlighted the enormous pressure to 
politicize the Solicitor General's office and judiciary, and 
the blurring between state and party.  Each government 
institution basically reports to a member of the governing 
party, the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN); the 
Solicitor General's office answers to Lenin Cerna and is 
"oriented" by him.  All the solicitors were given a sheet to 
sign pledging allegiance to the policies of the state/party. 
 Several Assistant Solicitors have quit -- including the head 
of the environmental division.  Lara equated the current 
situation to a "witch hunt" to track down the 
anti-Sandinistas in the organization.  He added that phone 
calls of intimidation from the FSLN are common. 
 
¶2.  (C) Lara stated his commitment to stay in his position 
and remain independent but he does not know how long he will 
be able to last, although he does not feel overt pressure on 
him to quit at this time.  Lara believes the CENI (debt 
bonds) case against Eduardo Montealegre will be taken from 
his unit and handed to the finance division, where the 
Solicitor General and the FSLN party overseers can exercise 
more control over the management of the case. 
 
¶3.  (C) Lara shared examples of general corruption within the 
judiciary as well as illegitimate property seizures. 
According to Lara, the FSLN customarily hires someone to file 
a complaint claiming they were an employee for "X" firm for 
15 years, but never paid.  In one case a year and a half ago, 
an American land owner was accused of owing $24,000 in back 
wages to the fictitious employee.  Such "cases" are decided 
quickly and since the land owner does not have the cash at 
the time of the decision to "pay the employee," the land 
owner's property is auctioned.  In the case Lara mentioned, 
the FSLN party treasurer appeared with cash in hand and paid 
$24,000 for the land.  The FSLN as a party now owns the land 
and gets to keep the payment to the "employee." 
 
¶4.  (C) Lara commented that Nicaraguan National Police Chief 
Aminta Granera answers to the FSLN and is something of a "yes 
woman" although she opposes corruption.  He stated that 
Rosario Murillo now controls the budget for communications 
and publicity which means that the Solicitor General has no 
money to publicize its anti-corruption hotline.  Lara 
believes that the line may be shut down. 
TRIVELLI