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Viewing cable 08STATE132044, DEMARCHE ON ASSISTANCE TO NICARAGUA FOLLOWING

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08STATE132044 2008-12-17 14:59 2011-06-01 08:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Secretary of State
Appears in these articles:
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-30/Mundo/NotasSecundarias/Mundo2758456.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-30/Mundo/NotasSecundarias/Mundo2758467.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-30/Mundo/NotasSecundarias/Mundo2758468.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-30/Mundo/NotasSecundarias/Mundo2758464.aspx
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/4103/la-embusa-y-el-gabinete-de-ortega
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/4104/d-rsquo-escoto-en-onu-ldquo-un-desafio-de-ortega-a-ee-uu-rdquo
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/4102/estrada-y-la-ldquo-doble-cara-rdquo-ante-ee-uu
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/3966/la-ldquo-injerencia-rdquo-de-ee-uu-en-el-2006
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-23/Mundo/Relacionados/Mundo2758764.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-23/Mundo/NotaPrincipal/Mundo2758753.aspx
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/4041/millones-de-dolares-sin-control-y-a-discrecion
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/4040/la-ldquo-injerencia-rdquo-de-venezuela-en-2006
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/4047/rodrigo-barreto-enviado-de-ldquo-vacaciones-rdquo
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-16/Mundo/NotasSecundarias/Mundo2757239.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-16/Mundo/NotaPrincipal/Mundo2746658.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-16/Mundo/Relacionados/Mundo2757244.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-16/Mundo/Relacionados/Mundo2746673.aspx
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/3991/dra-yadira-centeno-desmiente-cable-diplomatico-eeuu
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/3968/pellas-pronostico-a-eeuu-victoria-de-ortega-en-2006
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/3967/barreto-era-ldquo-fuente-confiable-rdquo-para-eeuu
VZCZCXRO8584
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHRN RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHC #2044/01 3521507
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 171459Z DEC 08
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 8711
RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN PRIORITY 9623
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1258
RUEHLE/AMEMBASSY LUXEMBOURG PRIORITY 5274
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID PRIORITY 0400
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 7049
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 3337
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 2223
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 4031
RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM PRIORITY 6447
RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI PRIORITY 1158
RUEHRK/AMEMBASSY REYKJAVIK PRIORITY 9150
RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN PRIORITY 5187
RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA PRIORITY 6926
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 8938
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 7205
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 9539
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
INFO EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHMU/AMEMBASSY MANAGUA PRIORITY 8290
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME PRIORITY 0508
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 4267
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 5148
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 4219
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 132044 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PGOV PREL NU
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON ASSISTANCE TO NICARAGUA FOLLOWING 
FRAUDULENT ELECTIONS 
 
REF: A. STATE 122262 
     B. MANAGUA 1422 
     C. MANAGUA 1411 
     D. MANAGUA 1393 
     E. MANAGUA 1392 
     F. MANAGUA 1384 
 
1. (U) This is an action request.  See para 6. 
 
2. (U) The Nicaraguan Government's decision to certify the 
badly flawed November 9 municipal election results 
short-circuited a domestic and international effort to review 
the disputed vote count.  Credible sources have reported that 
the GON closed many voting stations early while people were 
waiting to vote, annulled and discarded legitimate marked 
ballots, rigged vote tallies, excluded opposition poll 
watchers from some voting stations and from the central 
tabulation center, and denied accreditation to credible 
domestic and international observers.  Efforts by opposition 
parties and others to obtain a review of the results in the 
presence of observers were forcefully, and often violently, 
suppressed.  Canada, the European Union, OAS Secretary 
General Insulza, the Carter Center, and other NGOs within and 
outside of Nicaragua have condemned the GON's behavior. 
 
3. (SBU) The USG believes the international community should 
send a clear message to the GON that violations of democratic 
norms have a cost.  Actions by multiple countries will be 
more effective in making this point than unilateral actions 
by a single country.  We believe suspension of assistance 
programs, except for humanitarian help channeled through 
non-GON sources, is an appropriate response to the GON's 
actions.  Since external assistance accounts for 
approximately 25 percent of GON budgetary inflows, the GON 
will feel the impact quickly.  Such a concerted message 
increases the possibility of persuading the GON leadership to 
reconsider its current disregard for democratic practice, and 
to explore possible solutions to this electoral dispute. 
 
4. (SBU) A November 18 statement issued by the Donors Group 
of Nicaragua expressed concern over the conduct of the 
elections and noted that development cooperation requires a 
commitment by political leaders and public officials to 
democratic principles such as free and transparent elections. 
 (Note: The Donors Group consists of Austria, Canada, 
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Japan, 
Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, 
Switzerland, the United States, the British Ministry for 
International Development, the European Commission, the 
Inter-American Development Bank, and the World Bank.  End 
note).  We welcome actions already taken by some countries to 
eliminate or reduce budgetary support to the GON.  (Note: To 
our knowledge, the following countries have reduced budgetary 
support to the GON since the run-up to the elections: 
Finland, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Sweden. 
 End note).  We urge other countries to follow their lead. 
 
5. (SBU) For its part, the U.S. has suspended its Millennium 
Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact with Nicaragua.  In a 
December 5 letter to President Ortega, MCC Chief Executive 
Officer Ambassador John Danilovich expressed grave concerns 
over the conduct of the elections and noted the 
previously-announced (on November 25) suspension of 
disbursements for all activities and projects not already 
 
STATE 00132044  002 OF 002 
 
 
contracted by MCA-Nicaragua.  This means that approximately 
USD 64 million of the total USD 175 million five-year compact 
will be frozen.  At the December 11 meeting, the MCC Board of 
Directors called on Nicaragua to develop and implement a 
comprehensive set of measures to address concerns regarding 
the government,s commitment to democratic principles.  The 
Board will review the response of the Nicaraguan government 
and determine subsequent actions at its next meeting in March 
2009.  The U.S. is also reviewing other forms of assistance 
to Nicaragua. 
 
6. (SBU) Action addressees are requested to approach host 
governments at the appropriate level and deliver a demarche 
to achieve the following objectives: 
 
--   gain host country agreement to suspend its current 
assistance to Nicaragua and freeze any planned new 
assistance, except for any explicitly intended for 
humanitarian purposes and channeled through non-GON 
institutions. 
 
--   make explicit to the GON that the decision to suspend 
assistance is directly linked to its handling of the November 
9 municipal elections. 
 
--   underscore the importance of Nicaragua undertaking 
concrete steps to address the causes of the electoral impasse 
) such as comprehensive reform of electoral laws and 
institutions ) before assistance is restored. 
 
7. (U) Posts should report results of efforts by cable to 
WHA/CEN Nicaragua desk officer Albert Kraaimoore 
(202-647-1510) by December 24. 
RICE