VZCZCXYZ0022
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMU #0517/01 1202038
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 292038Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2514
INFO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS MANAGUA 000517 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CEN, EB/IFD/OIA, AND L/CID 
STATE ALSO FOR WHA/EPSC 
STATE PASS TO USTR 
TREASURY FOR INL AND OWH 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EINV ECON USTR KIDE NU
SUBJECT: NICARAGUA: AMCIT PROPERTY CLAIMS MONTHLY UPDATE: MARCH 
2008 
 
REFS: A) MANAGUA 301  B) MANAGUA 173 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  In March 2008, the Government of Nicaragua (GON) resolved 5 
claims, and 2 U.S. citizens withdrew a total of 4 claims from the 
Embassy Property Office database.  With the inclusion of 5 claims 
resolved in March, the GON has resolved 12 claims during the 
2007-2008 waiver year.  The Property Office database now includes 
657 registered property claims belonging to 309 Amcits.  Most 
resolutions have involved compensation via government-issued 
indemnification bonds ("bonos de pago de indemnizacion" or BPIs). 
As of March 31, 2008, the GON has issued BPIs with a face value of 
$324,059,784 to Embassy-registered claimants during this waiver 
year.  Since taking office in January 2007, the Ortega 
administration has resolved a total of 17 claims. 
 
EMBASSY-REGISTERED CLAIMS RESOLVED IN MARCH 2008 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶2.  On March 6, 2008, Dr. Elizabeth Karim, legal representative for 
U.S. citizen Octavio Bustamante, provided a copy of the final 
settlement document (finiquito) to the Embassy Property Office 
attesting that on August 24, 2007, the GON compensated Bustamante 
with BPIs for three fishing vessels.  Mr. Bustamante settled with 
the GON for BPIs with a face value of 330,200 cordobas, 
approximately $17,257.50.  We have updated our database to reflect 
this settlement. 
 
                     Type of     No. of    Type of 
Claimant             Claim       Claims    Resolution 
--------             -------     ------    ---------- 
Bustamante, Octavio   vessels       3        bonds 
 
 
¶3.  On March 4, 2008, Dr. Ricardo Larga Espada, legal representative 
for U.S. citizen Perla Ordonez, informed the Property Office that 
she has control of 2 Embassy-registered claims and he requested that 
we remove the cases from our database. 
 
                     Type of     No. of    Type of 
Claimant             Claim       Claims    Resolution 
--------             -------     ------    ----------- 
Ordonez, Perla       houses        2      prop. returned 
 
 
EMBASSY REGISTERED CLAIMS WITHDRAWN BY U.S. CITIZEN 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶4. On March 4, Dr. Ricardo Larga Espada, legal representative for 
U.S. citizen Perla Ordonez, requested that the Property Office 
remove 1 Embassy-registered claims from our database because this 
case is a private dispute with her neighbor. 
 
¶5. On March 6, 2008, Dr. Elizabeth Karim, the legal representative 
for U.S. citizen Octavio Bustamante, requested that the Property 
Office remove 3 Embassy-registered claims from our database because 
the properties were foreclosed by a bank on November 28, 1996, so 
there is no longer any claim pending against the GON for these 
properties. 
 
                       Type of            No. of 
Claimant               Property           Claims 
--------               --------           ------ 
Ordonez, Perla         house    1 
 
Bustamante, Octavio    houses    2 
                       land                  1 
 
 
STATUS OF AMCIT PROPERTY AS OF 03/31/08 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶6.  The following is a snapshot of current U.S. citizen property 
claims.  The Embassy maintains separate databases for claims 
registered before and after the July 31, 2005, deadline in the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act. 
 
 
EMBASSY-REGISTERED CLAIMS                         NUMBER 
-------------------------                         ------ 
Total Amcits with pending claims                     309 
 
Total Amcit claims pending resolution                657 
 
 
EMBASSY-REGISTERED CLAIMS BY CALENDAR YEAR        NUMBER 
------------------------------------------        ------ 
Claims resolved in calendar year 2008                  7 
 
Claims resolved in calendar year 2007                 10 
 
Claims resolved calendar year 2006                    81 
 
Claims resolved calendar year 2005                   126 
 
Claims resolved calendar year 2004                   218 
 
Claims resolved calendar year 2003                   243 
 
Claims resolved calendar year 2002                   125 
 
Claims resolved calendar year 2001                   175 
 
Claims resolved calendar year 2000                    70 
 
 
EMBASSY-REGISTERED CLAIMS RESOLVED BY WAIVER YEAR NUMBER 
--------------------------------------------- ---- ------ 
Registered claims resolved so far in 2007-08          12 
  (waiver year: August 1, 2007 - July 31, 2008) 
 
Registered claims resolved 2006-07 waiver year        34 
 
Registered claims resolved 2005-06 waiver year        86 
 
Registered claims resolved 2004-05 waiver year       187 
 
Registered claims resolved 2003-04 waiver year       214 
 
Registered claims resolved 2002-03 waiver year       183 
 
Registered claims resolved 2001-02 waiver year       160 
 
Registered claims resolved 2000-01 waiver year       142 
 
Registered claims resolved 1999-00 waiver year        77 
 
Registered claims resolved 1998-99 waiver year       156 
 
Registered claims resolved 1997-98 waiver year       204 
 
Registered claims resolved 1996-97 waiver year       145 
 
 
EMBASSY-REGISTERED CLAIMS UNDER GON CONTROL       NUMBER 
 
-------------------------------------------       ------ 
 
Total Amcit properties under GON control              54 
  (subject to revision) 
 
GON-held claims resolved 2007-08 waiver year           0 
 
GON-held claims resolved 2006-07 waiver year           0 
 
GON-held claims resolved 2005-06 waiver year           3 
 
GON-held claims resolved 2004-05 waiver year          16 
 
GON-held claims resolved 2003-04 waiver year          12 
 
GON-held claims resolved 2002-03 waiver year          11 
 
GON-held claims resolved 2001-02 waiver year          26 
 
GON-held claims resolved 2000-01 waiver year           2 
 
GON-held claims resolved 1999-00 waiver year           2 
 
GON-held claims resolved 1998-99 waiver year           5 
 
GON-held claims resolved 1997-98 waiver year          29 
 
GON-held claims resolved (total)                     176 
 
 
CLAIMS DISMISSED BY GON DURING THE 2007-08 
WAIVER YEAR                                       NUMBER 
------------------------------------------        ------ 
 
JANUARY 2008                                          34 
 
NOVEMBER 2007                                         18 
 
 
COURT DECISION AGAINST CLAIMANT 
(CLAIM WITHDRAWN BY AMCIT)                        NUMBER 
-------------------------------                   ------ 
                                                       9 
 
CLAIMS WITHDRAWN BY AMCIT 
(PROPERTY UNDER AMCIT CONTROL)                    NUMBER 
------------------------------                    ------ 
                                                       1 
 
 
TOTAL CLAIMS RESOLVED BY LAND SWAPS               NUMBER 
-----------------------------------               ------ 
                                                       6 
 
TOTAL CLAIMS COMPENSATED IN BONDS 
(face value of bonds $324.00 million)             NUMBER 
-------------------------------------              ----- 
                                                   1,862 
 
 
NON-REGISTERED RESOLUTIONS BY WAIVER YEAR         NUMBER 
-----------------------------------------         ------ 
Non-registered resolutions 2007-08 waiver year         0 
 
Non-registered resolutions 2006-07 waiver year        12 
 
Non-registered resolutions 2005-06 waiver year        30 
 
Non-registered resolutions 2004-05 waiver year         0 
 
Non-registered resolutions 2003-04 waiver year         6 
 
Non-registered resolutions 2002-03 waiver year        22 
 
Non-registered resolutions 2001-02 waiver year        93 
 
Non-registered resolutions 2000-01 waiver year       300 
 
Non-registered resolutions 1999-00 waiver year       455 
 
Non-registered resolutions 1998-99 waiver year       310 
 
Non-registered resolutions 1997-98 waiver year       230 
 
Non-registered resolutions 1996-97 waiver year       208 
 
 
NON-WAIVER CLAIMS REGISTERED AFTER JULY 31, 2005  NUMBER 
--------------------------------------------- ---  ------ 
Total Amcit claimants registered with Embassy         12 
 
Total Amcit claims pending resolution                 18 
 
TRIVELLI