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DE RUEHMU #1415/01 3291745
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FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3425

UNCLAS MANAGUA 001415 
 
INFO AMEMBASSY OTTOWA 
WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE 
CIA WASHDC 
NSC WASHINGTON DC 
DIA WASHINGTON DC 
MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP WASHDC 
CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL 
JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC 
SECDEF WASHDC 
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA/CEN; DRL; WHA/PDA (MALEE), INR/IAA 
DEPT FOR USOAS-STEVENSON; 
STATE PASS TO USAID 
USAID FOR LAC-CARDENAS, BATTLE AND KITE 
NSC FOR GARCIA AND FISK 
MCC FOR CEO DANILOVICH, BOHN AND SHERINIAN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ASEC KPAO KDEM KIRF NU
SUBJECT:  Media Reaction: Nicaraguan Municipal Elections 
 
REF: MANAGUA 1392 
MANAGUA 1393 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  The current political unrest in Nicaragua, arising 
from disputed municipal election results (REFTELS), is dominating 
all forms of domestic media.  Amidst the clamor, foreign press 
articles and editorials regarding the situation have been well 
covered by local press as have State Department and Embassy 
statements.  Declarations by prominent Nicaraguan civil society 
groups and international donors--dovetailing with the USG call for a 
transparent vote recount--have also been well reported.  Only the 
Sandinista-controlled media outlets have distorted or minimized the 
statements and/or added to the violence by inciting viewers. 
Several journalists, including from pro-government outlets, have 
been injured in the violence.  END SUMMARY. 
 
What's Being Reported 
- - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶2.  Center-left national daily "El Nuevo Dario" (circ. 30,000) ran 
an article November 11 quoting Deputy Spokesperson Wood entitled, 
"No more violence and count vote by vote."  The article reads in 
part: 
The United States Government urged Nicaragua to guarantee electoral 
results that exactly correspond with the will expressed in the 
voting booths by the people of Nicaragua in the elections this past 
Sunday, asserting that the lack of national and international 
observers complicates the credible evaluation of the municipal 
election results. 
 
In the customary daily press briefing, Deputy State Department 
Spokesman Robert Wood yesterday pointed out...the case in Nicaragua, 
highlighting that they have received information of widespread 
irregularities in the Nicaraguan elections...Wood underlined that 
"though the official results are not yet available, we note that 
domestic observation groups and opposition parties have reported 
widespread irregularities throughout vote centers in Nicaragua. 
Unfortunately, the decision of the Supreme Electoral Council not to 
accredit national and international electoral observers has made 
difficult an appropriate evaluation of the elections," Wood pointed 
out. 
 
¶3. "El Nuevo Dario" ran an article November 11 covering the European 
Union statement.  Text in the article reads: 
 
...The EU presidency calls for an "effort towards transparency" in 
order to "dissipate the criticism, especially in terms of the 
recounting of votes," said the communique.  The Union...regrets the 
lack of accreditation of independent national and international 
observers, whose absence makes the evaluation of the regularity of 
the election difficult.  "The European Union will follow the 
situation with utmost attention," the text added. 
 
¶4.  Center-right national daily "La Prensa" (circ. 40,000) ran an 
article November 11 which reads: 
 
The Liberal candidate for the Managua mayorship, Eduardo 
Montealegre, demanded today that the full Supreme Electoral Council 
review every electoral tally sheet of every voting station in 
Managua, from the municipal elections held last Sunday, which he 
qualified as fraudulent...The opposition candidate insisted that the 
electoral tally sheets held by the alliance, led by the 
Constitutional Liberal Party, "clearly" show that the liberals won 
the elections last Sunday in Managua. 
 
According to Montealegre, the distortions in the Council's facts are 
"a pattern that is seen throughout the country" [...] "We have to 
review each electoral document because it cannot be that the 
documents that the Council has are different from what ours say, if 
the information was gathered from the same process," Montealegre 
said. 
 
¶5.  Center-right daily "La Prensa" (circ. 40,000) published a 
half-page spot on November 12 paid for by the Nicaraguan Episcopal 
Conference, which represents the Catholic Church leadership.  An 
article on the placement reports that: 
 
...The Conference's call for "review and comparison of all the 
electoral tally sheets in the hands of the political parties that 
participated and that were signed at the moment of the closing of 
the voting places, as a solution to the 'general distrust of the 
population.'" 
 
In a pastoral letter, read by the Secretary of the Conference of 
Bishops, Monsignor Rene Sandigo, stated that the priests feel that 
this 'review and comparison' should be done 'with the presence of 
the political party observers and foreign and national observing 
organizations'.  The priests also made an 'urgent calling' for the 
Supreme Electoral Council to 'act honestly, with transparency and 
impartiality, for their own dignity and for the respect of the 
sacred vote that the Nicaraguan people conscientiously deposited.' 
The Catholic Church has actively participated in the electoral 
process and justified yesterday's message as 'a clear posture in 
favor of the people, who feel frustrated by the electoral results in 
many municipalities.'" 
 
¶6.  "La Prensa" also ran paid declarations for the American Chamber 
of Commerce and Superior Council of Private Businesses (COSEP) on 
November 12.  Text of the accompanying news article reads: 
 
The American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) and the Private Business 
Superior Council (COSEP) stated last night that they do not trust 
the results of the past municipal elections held on November 9. 
Both business organizations declared their discontent and agreed 
that a review of the electoral tally sheets was necessary for all 
the polling stations in Managua and those municipalities in which 
there was non-conformity with the results... 
 
The statement released November 11 by AmCham referred to "the 
alarming actions that occurred in the last few hours in our country 
in the municipal electoral process, blurred and shadowed by the 
phantom of fraud and the lack of respect for the popular will and 
the lack of national and international observation."  "Despite the 
irregularities which occurred before and during the electoral 
process, we demand that the truth prevail in an environment of 
respect for the popular will" said the communiqu.  The business 
chamber asked that there be "representatives of friendly countries 
and organizations" so that, together with national personalities 
they can work together in an ad-hoc commission in a process of 
review." 
¶7.  On November 14, "La Prensa" highlighted international media 
pressure regarding the elections, picking up on articles in "The 
Economist" and "Le Monde."  The "La Prensa" article reads: 
"How to steal an election.  Daniel Ortega sets an ugly precedent." 
This is the title of one of the articles in the print edition of the 
respected British magazine "The Economist," while the influential 
French newspaper "Le Monde" last week published an article entitled, 
"Relations between Nicaragua and the European Union Embittered." 
Both media outlets emphasized the possibility that direct budget 
support (of some $120 million annually) that the European Union and 
various European nations bilaterally give to Nicaragua could 
diminish next year. 
¶8.  Center-left national daily "El Nuevo Diario" ran an article 
November 15 which quoted Ambassador Callahan's response to a press 
question regarding U.S. foreign assistance in light of the election 
fraud.  The text reads: 
 
At any given time the U.S. can "review," "evaluate" and "examine" 
the level of cooperation that it keeps with Nicaragua...announced 
U.S. Ambassador Robert Callahan.  Callahan stated that the U.S. has 
"serious doubts that the process was transparent and open and that 
the results reflect the political will of Nicaraguans."  Later he 
added, "I cannot speak for all international cooperation, but as for 
us, obviously, my country reserves the option to review, evaluate 
and examine the level of cooperation." 
 
¶9.  "El Nuevo Diario" also ran an article November 15 which reads: 
 
The outgoing mayor of Managua, Dionisio Marenco, publicly stated his 
doubts about whether Alexis Arguello, the FSLN candidate, was the 
clear winner of the November 9 municipal elections.  "I think the 
Supreme Electoral Council needs to be more flexible and clearly 
explain each electoral tally sheet and find out who is lying, who 
erased the tally sheets and who destroyed them," he said.  If this 
does not happen, "there will always be a serious doubt, and it is 
not even worth declaring a winner because it will create distrust 
which will in turn have an impact on the political state of things 
and the governance of the country and sociologically we will go back 
about forty years," Marenco said.  "I am not really clear how many 
votes Alexis got, where he got them from, how many he actually won, 
with what number of votes.  I won with 145,000, Herty with 135,000. 
Alexis should have won with 155,000 if you follow the natural vote 
growth.  If you tell me that he won with 300,000 votes I doubt it 
because it is not possible to get that many," said Marenco.  He 
insisted that "it will be difficult for people to believe and trust 
in the Supreme Electoral Council.  If that happens, we will have 
created a [situation of] distrust where no one believes us and we 
would not be able to govern." 
 
¶10.  On November 18, "La Prensa" ran an article which consisted of a 
verbatim reprint of the text of the November 16 "Washington Post" 
editorial stating that "President Ortega is moving to construct 
another dictatorship and calls on the United States to suspend the 
Millennium Challenge Account." 
 
¶11.  On November 20, the electronic version of "El Nuevo Diario" 
posted an article citing the Washington Office for Latin America 
(WOLA) statement issued November 19.  Nearly verbatim versions of 
the statement ran in the print versions of both dailies on November 
¶21.  The "El Nuevo Diario" article entitled, "United States NGO 
calls for cessation of violence in Nicaragua," reads in part: 
 
The Washington Office for Latin America (WOLA) expressed concern 
over the tension between the government and opposition parties and 
urged the political leadership of the country to "avoid any type of 
violence." [...] The NGO urged the Supreme Electoral Council to 
carry out a recount of the votes of the past election in the 
presence of national and international observers in the 
municipalities where the final results are in dispute. 
 
Distortion of Reality 
- - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶12. In addition to print reporting, these statements by domestic 
civic society, religious and business groups, as well international 
governments, NGOs, foreign press articles and editorials have been 
widely reported in other formats including extensive coverage by 
independent national radio and TV stations.  On November 17, a 
prominent evening talk show hosted by well-respected journalist 
Carlos Fernando Chamorro was dedicated to reviewing the 
international reporting on the situation in Nicaragua.  However, 
according to the "official" Sandinista media outlets, this 
international pressure has had no effect, other than to "prove the 
Gringo-backed conspiracy to topple the Government of Reconciliation 
and Peace."  NOTE:  The Sandinista outlets Radio Ya, Radio La 
Sandino, and Channel 4 are primarily owned and controlled by the 
FSLN party.  News and advertisements for these outlets are directed 
by Government Communications Coordinator, First Lady Rosario 
Murillo.  The Ortega government has, at times, represented to Post 
that employees of these outlets are official members of the 
Presidential staff, therefore Post is unable to work with them on a 
journalistic basis. END NOTE. 
 
¶13.  On November 18, the day of the planned opposition Liberal 
Constitutional Party (PLC) march in Managua, the official Sandinista 
Channel 4 dedicated the majority of the day to showing images of 
violence in the street with sub-headlines such as "people infuriated 
by Eduardo Montealegre's crimes." Nearly all images were of vandals 
clad in red and black (FSLN party colors), many carrying Sandinista 
flags.  At times, the commentator and announcers stated that 
"liberals dressed as Sandinistas were committing acts of violence." 
Some of the most egregious anti-U.S. commentary aired around 3 p.m. 
in the afternoon.  Once the PLC announced it would not be able to 
proceed with the march, Channel 4 began reporting that the Liberal 
march failed because the "people" were opposed to it and did not 
allow it to happen.  "The Right failed and pulled back due to the 
power of the people."  The propagandist commentators and street 
reporters for the station spoke for nearly three hours at the top of 
their lungs, yelling slogans and encouraging the crowd to chant. 
The studio commentator stated that "the North American Embassy's 
plan to interfere has failed...The U.S. Embassy has threatened to 
withhold aid in the past, this isn't anything new but, they won't do 
it... This is a Gringo Embassy plan that has failed, showing that 
the people no longer accept the neo-liberal capitalist system. 
Don't believe the lies you see on other channels, channel 2 
transmits on a stolen frequency, that channel and "La Prensa" and 
"El Nuevo Diario" are inciting violence by continually publicizing 
Montealegre's election crimes."  Similar sentiments were aired on 
the Sandinista radio stations throughout the day. 
 
Media Under Fire 
- - - - - - - - 
 
¶14. Throughout the protests the opposition media provided extensive 
and generally balanced coverage.  Many reporters and wire 
photographers were injured and/or violently prevented from entering 
protest areas by Sandinista supporters.  Reporters from Channels 2 
and 8 and from both main papers had a particularly rough time. 
Specific injuries and threats to opposition and independent media, 
including serious radio station interference and signal jamming, are 
too numerous to mention here and will be reported SEPTEL.  However, 
it should be noted that the government-affiliated Channel 4 was 
given preferential access by Sandinista supporters to cover the 
unrest.  The station aired footage shot from trucks speeding along 
protest routes as Sandinista reinforcements were dropped off, many 
of whom were seen blocking opposition media shouting "only channel 4 
allowed here."  We must also note that a reporter from 
government-affiliated Radio Ya was attacked.  This reporter, known 
to be part of President Ortega's press entourage, was injured and 
his truck burned at 3 a.m. on November 17.  Inexplicably, an 
unidentified TV crew was there well before police or other 
assistance, to film him lying on the ground as the truck burned.  It 
turned out that the destroyed truck had been rented by ALBA-Caruna, 
a quasi-government entity for channeling off-budget Venezuelan 
assistance to Nicaragua.  It was unclear how the Radio Ya reporter 
came in possession of the vehicle. 
 
Conclusion 
- - - - - 
 
¶15.  COMMENT:  Prior to the elections, the GON was engaged in 
efforts to close democratic space available to criticize its 
actions, including by media.  Given the strong coverage that 
independent local media outlets provided of the political unrest and 
the chorus of domestic and international calls for a peaceful, 
transparent solution involving an international electoral audit and 
review, the Nicaraguan government will almost certainly resume and 
increase its pressure on the media.  On November 20, the Nicaraguan 
Professional Journalists Association (Colegio de Periodistas) issued 
a statement condemning the recent election-related violence against 
journalists, stating that "without freedom of expression there is no 
democracy."  Additional physical attacks on journalists are likely, 
as are questionable legal maneuvers to suspend the legal standing 
and frequency registrations of legitimate stations.  Other tactics 
that we expect to be resumed and increased include, harassment of 
individual journalists and media companies through tax "audits" and 
spurious slander and libel charges leveled at media by the 
government or its paid proxies.  Prior to the elections 
government-affiliated outlets featured almost daily appearances by 
senior government officials that attacked opponents using ad hominem 
arguments, half-truths and innuendo.  We anticipate an 
intensification of this government-facilitated defamation campaign 
against opposition candidates, media and regime opponents. 
 
CALLAHAN