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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 MANAGUA 000349 
 
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E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/22/2018 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PHUM PINR ECON NU
SUBJECT: NICARAGUA CIVIL SOCIETY: STRUGGLING TO KEEP 
DEMOCRATIC SPACES OPEN 
 
REF: A. 08 MANAGUA 130 
     ¶B. 07 MANAGUA 2135 
     ¶C. 07 MANAGUA 1730 
     ¶D. 07 MANAGUA 964 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Paul A. Trivelli for reasons 1.4 (b and d) 
 
SUMMARY 
- - - - 
 
¶1. (C) Nicaraguan civil society actors have expressed growing 
concern about the anti-democratic tendencies of the Ortega 
government, frustration with the political class, the private 
sector, and the lack of a coherent political opposition. 
They are also convinced that civil society is the only viable 
tool to counter the Ortega Administration's efforts to 
perpetuate its grip on power.  Most groups share a common 
view on issues such as opposition to the Citizen Power 
Councils (CPCs), the importance of mobilizing citizen 
participation ahead of the 2008 municipal elections, the 
challenges of competing for donor resources, and a sense of 
despair about the future.  However, their organizations lack 
a coherent vision on such basic issues as whether to work 
together as a single coalition versus operating 
independently.  Our efforts to engage with these diverse 
organizations and individuals outside the usual political 
party channels were well received and revealed a strong 
desire for more regular dialogue and exchange with the 
Embassy, if only to provide, as one civic leader noted, a 
form of "therapy." 
 
¶2.  (SBU) This is the first of a two-part series of cables on 
civil society organizations currently active in Nicaragua. 
This report will focus on their perceptions of the current 
political situation and their role as an opposition force 
defending democratic reform.  The second cable will focus on 
the challenges these organizations face in working together 
as a coalition of the opposition.  A short directory of the 
NGOs appears in para 13. END SUMMARY 
 
Democracy vs. Authoritarianism 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶2.  (C) We have conducted an extensive outreach campaign with 
twelve different organizations representing youth, women's 
associations, human rights activists, and democracy promoters 
across the ideological spectrum. A number of these 
organizations are, or have been, recipients of USG 
assistance.  Participants were frank, and angry about the 
direction of country under Ortega.  Despite their ideological 
and personal differences, the leaders of these groups are 
unified in the belief that they must work together to defend 
democracy, stop the slide toward authoritarianism, and oppose 
the centralization of power in the hands of the president and 
his wife, Rosario Murillo, which they perceive is well 
underway. 
 
¶3.  (C)  NGO leaders fret that the Ortega government has 
already begun to close the democratic spaces that many of 
them had been fighting to pry open for the past 17 years. In 
their view, Nicaraguans have become disenchanted with the 
traditional political class which has perpetuated historic 
"caudillo" pattern by replacing a corrupt leader on the right 
with a corrupt leader on the left.  All alluded to the 
political "Pacto" power-sharing agreement between former 
President Arnoldo Aleman of the Constitutional Liberal Party 
(PLC) and Ortega's  Sandinista National Liberation Front 
(FSLN) as the primary source of political corruption within 
the party system, the judiciary, and the National Assembly. 
Summing up a typical view of the main difference between the 
two political sides, Maria Jose Zamora, Vice President of the 
center-right NGO Hagamos Democracia, mused that "the right 
isn't good for anything," and the left won't let anything, 
"even the death of one's mother," stand in its way.  While 
they regard the Liberals on the right as being fragmented 
(despite the current electoral unity agreement), the FSLN is 
considered more organized and disciplined but "has no respect 
 
MANAGUA 00000349  002 OF 005 
 
 
for the rule of law." 
 
¶4.  (C) Another key concern, as representatives of the 
election-oriented NGO Etica y Transparencia and the 
independent youth-oriented Juventud para la Democracia de 
Nicaragua (JUDENIC) emphasized, is the ongoing corruption of 
the judicial system and the fate of the eight seats on the 
Supreme Court Justice that will be opening this year.  They 
warned that the next composition of the highest court could 
further entrench the "Pacto" with implications for 
deal-making in the November 2008 municipal elections.  The 
municipal elections will be a major milestone in determining 
the direction of the country; thus many of these NGOs are 
anxious to play a role in getting out the vote, increasing 
citizen participation, educating the people about their civic 
duty, and countering a sense of apathy and resignation they 
fear is underway. 
 
NGOs Regard Government Scrutiny and CPCs as Bad Omen 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶5.  (C)  Our contacts argued that civil society is the only 
sector consistently and vocally opposing the Ortega's 
government and therefore bears the brunt of government 
pressure and "retaliation."  Several organizations complained 
that the FSLN is attempting to infiltrate civil society NGOs 
to foment internal dissent, fragmentation, and mistrust. 
Everyone we met reported experiencing some form of government 
harassment, intimidation, or hostility.  One organization 
termed the government's sudden efforts to audit and impose 
tax fines on NGOs critical of the government as a form of 
"financial terrorism."  The financially-strapped JUDENIC was 
intimidated into paying government fines, even though it was 
up to date on its taxes, rather than incur the legal costs of 
fighting and risk further legal problems. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Some groups, such as the Women's Network Against 
Violence (WNAV), comprised of 100 organizations around the 
country, have been completely shut out by the government. 
Although all previous governments had worked with the Women's 
Network--even if on sometimes confrontational grounds -- 
under Ortega, the government has severed its contact 
entirely.  The Ministry of the Family recently decreed an end 
to all coordination with the WNAV and indicated that it would 
instead be working with the Citizen Power Councils (CPCs) 
(Ref. A). 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Although the CPCs were not officially launched 
until November 30, a number of civil society organizations 
have adamantly opposed them since first announced by 
President Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo a year ago 
(Ref. B).  Our contacts aired concerns that as the CPCs 
become more entrenched, Nicaraguan NGOs will be increasingly 
excluded from major social programs such as "Zero Hunger" and 
"Zero Usury."  (NOTE: A more detailed assessment of the 
impact CPCs are having on civil society actions will be 
provided septel. END NOTE.) 
 
Private Sector, International Cooperation: Whose Side Are 
They On? 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶8.  (SBU) While most of our contacts' ire was directed at the 
government and the traditional political parties, civil 
society actors are also increasingly frustrated by the lack 
of support from the country's business class and with the 
difficulty they have in accessing international funding. 
Some were mystified that international donors were not trying 
to do more to strengthen civil society given the current 
political climate.  With even greater disdain, they judged 
the business class as lacking the "courage" to support civil 
society out of fear of political retribution. 
 
¶9.  (C) Although they stressed that support for civil society 
was now of "utmost importance," several of our contacts 
complained that the conditions for accessing development 
assistance and working with the donor community are too 
 
MANAGUA 00000349  003 OF 005 
 
 
inflexible and bureaucratic.  A representative of JUDENIC 
suggested that the donor community is too entangled in 
promoting their own strategies and do not "really listen to 
the Nicaraguans."  They also warned that assistance to 
government organizations or "government-friendly" NGOs only 
plays right into the hands of Ortega and serves to legitimize 
his regime.  They are often discouraged by the strings 
attached to certain forms of assistance, which they view as 
"interference" in their ability to do their work. 
 
¶10.  (C) Organizations on the left are particularly 
discouraged by the types of USG and international development 
assistance available to NGOs.  One representative found it 
ironic that Ortega was accusing them of being "puppets of the 
empire," when actually their organizations had not received 
any U.S. financial assistance, nor did they understand how it 
was awarded. Georgina Munoz, Director of the left-of-center 
Civil Coordinator's Office, asserted that the international 
community is not doing enough to defend civil society and is 
in effect turning a blind eye to the government's attempts to 
block cooperation with NGOs.  Sofia Montenegro, a former 
Sandinista, journalist, and Director of the Women's 
Autonomous Movement (MAM) (Ref D), admonished the 
international community for allegedly maintaining a neutral 
stance in what she insists is a clear choice: either 
democracy or authoritarianism.  Others complained that 
international assistance, including that from the USG, was 
too bureaucratic, slow, and inflexible. 
 
COMMENT 
- - - - 
 
¶11.  (C) Every organization consulted -- left right, and 
center -- asserted that civil society is the only true 
opposition force capable of mobilizing people, encouraging 
citizen participation, advancing electoral reform, and 
defending citizen rights and democracy.  While they all share 
a common goal of preserving democracy and stopping Ortega's 
authoritarian perpetuation of power, they continue to 
struggle at forging on a common strategy and joint actions to 
advance these goals - thereby undermining their 
effectiveness.  Based on the positive response we received 
from this outreach effort, we will continue to engage civil 
society groups and encourage them to work toward building an 
alliance to promote a spirit of cooperation and 
collaboration, and to avoid the potential of disintegration 
and disunity. We are encouraged by the fact that after this 
series of meetings, several representatives followed up with 
us requesting that we continue to hold a regular dialogue. 
 
DIRECTORY OF NICARAGUAN DEMOCRACY NGOs 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶13.  (U) Our program of outreach involved meeting with 
representatives of the following organizations: 
 
¶A. Movimiento por Nicaragua (Movement for Nicaragua--MpN) 
Year established: 2004 
Staff size and/or members: Permanent staff of 16.  In 2005, 
MpN worked with a network of a 37 member organizations, but 
an unknown number of them are still active. 
Political tendency:  Started off as center-right, but MpN now 
also draws support from members of the Sandinista Renovation 
Movement (MRS) Alliance. 
Coverage: National, with seven departmental chapters. 
Main Issues:  Strengthen democratic institutions, legal 
analysis, citizen participation and rights, and voter 
education; provide training in democratic values, and 
facilitate civil registry and issuance of national 
identification cards (cedulas) to marginalized groups. 
website: www.mpn.org.ni 
 
¶B. Hagamos Democracia (Let's Make Democracy Happen) 
Year established:  1995 
Staff size and/or members:  Permanent staff of 7, with 
approximately 150 volunteers, mainly active during election 
season and/or for certain projects. 
 
MANAGUA 00000349  004 OF 005 
 
 
Political tendency: Center-right 
Coverage: National 
Main Issues: Serve as National Assembly watchdog; promote 
citizen participation, transparency, civic and democratic 
culture; and strengthen civil society. 
website:  www.hagamosdemocracia.org.ni 
 
¶C. Etica y Transparencia (Ethics and Transparency--EyT) 
Year established:  1996 
Staff size and/or members:  Permanent staff includes 174 
coordinators (153 municipal, 17 departmental, 4 in the 
Managua district), plus an extensive network of volunteers 
throughout the country.  For the 2006 elections, EyT 
mobilized approximately 10,000 volunteer observers, and is 
seeking to mobilize at least 5,000 for the municipal 
elections in November 2008. 
Political tendency: Center-right leaning but board members 
and coordinators cover the political spectrum. 
Coverage: National 
Main Issues:  Conduct electoral observation, and promote 
transparency and anti-corruption. 
website:  www.eyt.org.ni 
 
¶D. Movimiento Autonomo de Mujeres (Women's Autonomous 
Movement-MAM) 
Year established:  Formally established in 2006, but began to 
organize in the late 1980s 
Staff size and/or membership: Permanent staff of five, plus 
84 women leader who serve as members at the departmental 
level.  Another 22 women and youth organizations are also 
members of MAM. 
Political tendency: Left-leaning largely affiliated with the 
MRS. 
Coverage: National 
Main Issues:  Social and political movement to promote gender 
equality and women's rights; oppose patriarchal 
authoritarianism in political, economic, and social sectors; 
and defend the rule of law. 
website:  www.movimientoautonomodemujeres.org 
 
¶E. Red de Mujeres Contra la Violencia (Women's Network 
Against Violence) 
Year established:  1993 
Staff size and/or membership: Ten permanent representatives 
with network of over 190 individuals and organizations. 
Political tendency: Center-left, but members come from broad 
spectrum 
Coverage: National 
Main Issues:  Raise awareness of gender-based violence and 
women's rights; strengthen prevention of violence against 
women, assist victims and provide legal advocacy, conduct 
workshops, and provide shelters and protection for battered 
and abused women. 
website:  www.redmcvnica.org.ni 
 
¶F. Coordinadora Civil  (Civil Coordinator) 
Year established:  1993 
Number of members: Umbrella organization of 20 NGOs and 
networks nationwide 
Political tendency: Left-leaning, originally aligned with the 
FSLN, but now openly critical of the government. 
Coverage: National 
Main Issues: Coordinate and build consensus among NGOs; 
promote sustainable development, defend citizen rights, and 
strengthen civil society participation in public policy. 
website:  www.ccer.org 
 
¶G. Federacion de ONGs (Federation of NGOs) 
Year founded:  1989 
Staff size and/or membership: Permanent staff of 8, plus 2 
non permanent contractors, 6 volunteers, and 32 member 
organizations. 
Political tendency: Non-political, but leans left. 
Coverage: National 
Main Issues: Coordinate actions among different NGOs to 
promote and strengthen Nicaragua's social and economic 
development, and ensure the needs of the people are 
 
MANAGUA 00000349  005 OF 005 
 
 
incorporated into the planning and implementation of 
development decisions.  Help member organizations gain access 
to financial resources. 
 
¶H. Juventud por la Democracia de Nicaragua (Youth for the 
Democracy of Nicaragua--JUDENIC) 
Year established: 2004 
Staff size and/or membership:  Permanent staff of 3, with 700 
volunteers and members that are active during election 
periods. 
Political tendency: Centrist 
Coverage: National, presence in 6 departments 
Main Issues:  To promote democratic principles among youth, 
encourage youth citizen participation, support efforts to 
provide citizen identification cards (cedula). 
website:  www.judenic.org.ni 
 
¶I.  Comision Permanente de Derechos Humanos (Permanent 
Commission for Human Rights--CPDH) 
Year established:  1977 
Staff size and/or membership: Permanent staff of 44, plus 168 
other members and volunteers 
Political tendency: Independent, but leans right-of-center. 
Coverage: National 
Main Issues:  To defend the rule of law; promote, protect, 
and defend human rights; serve as human rights watch dog. 
www.cpdh.org.ni 
 
¶J.  Centro Nicaraguense de Derechos Humanos (Nicaraguan 
Center for Human Rights--CENIDH) 
Year established:  1990 
Staff size and/or membership:  Permanent staff of 38, plus 71 
commissions with over 1200 volunteers who serve as human 
rights promoters. 
Political tendency: Independent, but leans left and is 
critical of current government. 
Coverage: National 
Main Issues:  Promote, protect, and defend human rights, 
advise on human rights issues in legislation, provide 
training and awareness on human rights issues, and serve as 
human rights watch dog. 
website: www.cenidh.org.ni 
 
¶K. Consejo de Mujeres del Occidente (Western Women's Council) 
Year established:  2005 
Number of members: Over 220 women are registered members of 
the organization, headed by one director and one technical 
secretary. 
 
SIPDIS 
Polticial tendency: Independent 
Coverage: North-Western Departments (Leon and Chinandega) 
Main Issues:  Promote women's economic empowerment, increase 
women's economic participation and role in development. 
 
¶L.  Centro para la Educacion y Prevencion del SIDA (Center 
for AIDS Education and Prevention--CEPRESI) 
Year established: 1993 
Staff size or membership:  Approximately 80 
Polticial tendency: Centrist, independent 
Coverage: Active in six departments 
Main Issues:  Conduct HIV/AIDS education and prevention; 
promote human rights, raise political awareness of HIV/AIDs, 
sexual health, and sexual and reproductive rights. 
website:www.cepresi.org.ni 
 
 
TRIVELLI