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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAGUA 001343 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/24/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL NU
SUBJECT: NICARAGUA CPC UPDATE: "KING OF THE ROTUNDA" 
 
REF: A. MANAGUA 1151 
     ¶B. MANAGUA 989 
 
Classified By: Amb. Robert J. Callahan for reasons 1.4(b) & (d) 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The continued, illegal occupation of 
Managua's main rotundas by paid supporters of Nicaraguan 
First Lady Rosario Murillo is approaching its third month. 
Titled the "campaign against hatred," it is designed to close 
democratic spaces for the opposition and prevent a fair 
municipal election campaign. END SUMMARY 
 
King of the Rotunda 
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¶2. (SBU) The failure of the Nicaraguan government to 
reconstruct Managua,s historic downtown area after the 
devastating 1972 earthquake prevented the formation of a 
central location for large public demonstrations.  Instead, 
strategic rotundas that facilitate traffic flow are the main 
gathering spots for public rallies in today,s capital.  In 
fact, most strikes, political rallies, marches and protests 
in Managua usually start or end at one of these major 
rotundas, most of which are park-like and have monuments to 
important Nicaraguan political or cultural figures. 
Recognizing their importance, the mayor's office requires 
that public demonstrators file for a permit to temporarily 
occupy a rotunda well in advance of any planned rally. 
During past elections, occupying Managua rotundas has been a 
"king of the hill" game fought between political parties, and 
carefully supervised by police. 
 
¶3. (C) This year the traditional "king of the hill" game has 
changed. As reported in REFTEL B, the last legal public rally 
at a Managua rotunda took place on July 30, when a bus load 
of youth arrived at the Ruben Dario rotunda to protest the 
waste of public resources on the pink and yellow pro-Ortega 
propaganda that decorates many of the billboards in Managua. 
The youth included activists from the Movement Vamos Con 
Eduardo (VCE), and the Sandinista Renewal Movement (MRS) 
political parties.  The group had pre-registered with the 
Mayor,s office to occupy the rotunda for the day.  However, 
when they arrived, they were met by a large group of 
FSLN-youth, pro-Ortega sympathizers, who somehow knew 
beforehand about the protest.  In the altercation that 
followed, an FSLN-supported television reporter, Antenor Pena 
Solano, was wounded in the leg from what initially was 
believed to be a bullet fired by the protesters and chaos 
erupted.  The FSLN supporters pelted the pro-transparency 
protesters, bus with rocks and threatened adult organizers 
with assault.  Police were called in to end the violence, but 
the opposition protesters were never able to begin their 
legal occupation of the rotunda.  The media melee that 
followed the broadcasting of Pena,s wound at the alleged 
hands of the anti-government protestors set the stage for the 
ultimate round of "king of the rotunda8 currently underway 
in Managua.  (NOTE: a subsequent medical investigation 
revealed that Pena,s wounds were not the result of a bullet 
wound, but were from a kick to his leg.  And the police 
investigation revealed that the gunshots were fired from a 
white truck that was circling the rotunda, and not by the 
protesters, who did not have any firearms. END NOTE) 
 
Attacking the Media First 
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¶4. (C) The current Murillo/CPC demonstration, alternatively 
known as the "prayer against hatred" or "love is stronger 
than hate" campaign, started as a two-day theatrical protest 
in front of television station Canal 2, and the main 
independent newspapers La Prensa and El Nuevo Diario. 
Participants wore white tee-shirts with pink slogans "love is 
stronger than hate," (a not so veiled double entendre with 
faux pious religious references to Christ,s "love those that 
hate you," and a manifestation of Murillo,s view that only 
those who hate her/Nicaragua would be critical of the 
government).  They joined hands to pray against media 
outlets, and women waving crucifixes wanted to "exorcise" 
popular TV political commentator Jaime Arelleno for his daily 
talk-show program that criticized the Ortega government. 
Weeks later, Arelleno was forced to leave Canal 2 because of 
government pressure against the television station owners, 
who feared that the government would not renew their media 
license if Arelleno remained (see REF A). 
 
Campaign of Hate - The Ultimate "King of the Rotunda" 
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MANAGUA 00001343  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶5. (C) What initially began as a quasi-religious protest 
against the most vocal media opponents to the Ortega 
government evolved, over-night, into an expensive, 24-hour 
and seven-day-a-week campaign to occupy the main rotundas of 
Managua.  Media reports that twenty or more daily 
"volunteers" come in two 12-hour shifts - a day-shift for 
CPC/FSLN members, and a night shift for the Nemagon banana 
protestors who have been camping in front of the National 
Assembly since the 2006 elections.  Each volunteer receives 
free transportation, free meals, and approximately 200 
Cordobas ($10 USD) a day to participate.  This has been 
corroborated by other sensitive reporting.  During their 
12-hour shift, the participants join hands for prayers at 
least once an hour; otherwise, they are usually loitering on 
the rotunda under the shade tents, or waving Nicaragua,s 
blue and white national flag at Managua drivers. 
 
¶6. (C) The Ortega government,s public relations campaign 
wants the Nicaraguan people to believe that this is a 
spontaneously organized religious protest.  But the campaign 
is too well organized to be spontaneous, even though there 
are no "official organizers" for the prolonged protest.  Each 
rotunda has everything necessary for the "volunteer" 
participants to maintain their indefinite occupation of 
Managua,s rotundas: portable toilets, shade tents, 
electricity for loud-speakers that play patriotic and 
religious music, large Nicaraguan flags, and more white tee 
shirts and pink banners with the slogans "love is stronger 
than hate" and "prayer against hatred."  Sources tell us that 
the mostly middle-aged participants have been coached to deny 
to the media that they receive any daily remuneration, and 
instead claim that they are simply "peaceful volunteers who 
want to pray against hatred."  The hatred they refer to is 
any anti-Ortega or anti-government message. 
 
A Violation of Municipal & Election Laws 
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¶7. (C) Managua mayor, Jose Dionisio "Nicho" Marenco, a 
Sandinista who has fallen out of favor with President Ortega, 
said that the continuing occupation of the rotundas is 
illegal, and that there are no permits for the protest. 
(NOTE: The protest also became a violation of Nicaraguan 
electoral law on September 25 when the elections officially 
began.  However, the CSE, which oversees elections, has 
hesitated to criticize the protests, citing their "religious" 
nature. END NOTE).  The Nicaraguan police have also not been 
called upon to remove the government-funded protester from 
the Managua rotundas.  (COMMENT: The police inaction against 
the illegal rotunda protesters is just one more example in a 
series of its growing complicity and collusion with the 
Sandinista government (SEPTEL).  END COMMENT) 
 
COMMENT 
- - - - - - - - - 
 
¶8. (C) In the traditional "king of the rotunda" election 
season battle, Murillo's "campaign against hate" has 
effectively blocked democratic forces from having a place to 
hold their rallies.  Demonstrators' claims to be religious 
volunteers instead of party operatives masks their true 
purpose which is to silence opposition and pre-empt any 
possibility of large scale opposition protests.  Moreover, 
the so-called "campaign against hate" has actually set the 
stage for violent confrontations between the opposition and 
the CPC members who occupy the rotundas during the official 
election campaign. 
CALLAHAN