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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMU #1090/01 3032207
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY ADCF91E4 TOQ4070 641)
O 302125Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0057
INFO RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 0002

UNCLAS MANAGUA 001090 
SENSITIVE SIPDIS 
C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION 
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN 
DEPT FOR INR/IAA 
DEPT FOR CA/OCS 
STATE FOR USOAS 
STATE PASS TO USAID/LAC 
STATE PASS TO MCC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ASEC CASC NU
SUBJECT: SANDINISTAS ATTACK U.S. EMBASSY 
 
REF: A) 2009 MANAGUA 1035 
 
ENTIRE DOCUMENT IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  On October 29, several hundred Sandinista 
National Liberation Front (FSLN) supporters attacked and vandalized 
Embassy Managua for approximately four hours.  Hundreds of FSLN 
youth and state employees surrounded the Embassy, blocking traffic, 
and carrying signs calling for the immediate expulsion of the 
Ambassador for his October 28 speech in which he commented on the 
recent Supreme Court ruling to overturn a constitutional ban on 
consecutive reelection that allows President Daniel Ortega to run 
again in 2011 (Reftel).  Several prominent FSLN surrogates for 
Ortega joined the protest and/or called for the Ambassador's 
expulsion.  They threw bottles, eggs and rocks onto the Embassy 
compound, in some cases using improvised hand-held launchers, while 
physically remaining outside of it.  An official government 
statement condemned the Ambassador's comments but fell short of 
expelling him.  END SUMMARY. 
 
PROTEST AND VANDALISM AGAINST US EMBASSY 
 
¶2. (SBU) On Thursday, October 29 a group of between four and five hundred government-led Sandinista Youth party members, university students, state workers, and labor union members protested aggressively outside the U.S. Embassy for what they claim is unwelcomed "U.S. interventionism" in Nicaraguan domestic affairs. The protests were in response to the Ambassador's October 28 speech at the American Chamber of Commerce, in which he commented on the controversial ruling by Sandinista magistrates in the Supreme Court to overturn a constitutional ban on consecutive reelection and clear the way for Daniel Ortega to run for President again in 2011.
 
¶3. (SBU) Protestors vandalized Embassy property (see attached photo files) by spray-painting anti-US and pro-Sandinista graffiti on the Embassy's security fence, breaking lights and security cameras, defacing consulate signs, throwing bottles, eggs, rocks and other objects at the Embassy. Several protestors wearing hoods or bandanas over their faces launched explosive projectiles with hand-made, hand-held launchers (called "morteros") directly at the Embassy, which cracked at least one window and caused other damage, including to the Consular entrance. Demonstrators waved FSLN party flags and held signs calling for "Death to the Yanquis, Death to Empire," "Callahan Non Grato," and shouted "Callahan, remember Sandino," and "Yankee Go Home." Local police made little effort to control the demonstrations and in some cases facilitated the arrival of protestors. As a result of the violent disturbance the Embassy was forced to discontinue normal consular operations for over four hours, and issued a warden message advising Americans to exercise caution when visiting the Embassy over the next few days.  
 
FSLN LEADERS JOIN PROTEST AND CALLS FOR AMBASSADOR EXPULSION 
 
¶4. (SBU) The initial group of protestors at the Embassy arrived at 
11:00 a.m., following earlier demonstrations at the National 
Assembly where university students were protesting against budget 
cuts to education and social spending.  Around 2:00 p.m., the 
protest at the U.S. Embassy strengthened with the arrival of a 
large number of public employees.  Rounds fired from the "morteros" 
continued throughout the afternoon.  At about 3:30 pm, National 
Assembly Deputy Gustavo Porras arrived outside the Embassy. 
 
Porras, who is also the Secretary General of the FSLN National 
Workers Front (FNT) and the Secretary General of the National 
Council of Economic and Social Planning (CONPES), made a brief 
speech demanding that Ortega declare Callahan "non grata" and "be 
expelled for intervention in domestic political affairs."  In 
referring to the Ambassador, Porras also repeatedly used the 
pejorative term "Chele", which is similar to "whitey" in English. 
The demonstration dispersed about 30 minutes after Porras' speech 
without any reports of major injuries or arrests. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Edwin Castro, Coordinator of the FSLN Caucus in the 
National Assembly, who was not present at the Embassy protest, 
stated to local news media that Ambassador Callahan "is intervening 
in the internal affairs of Nicaragua and has no right to speak." 
Virgilio Silva, president of the EPN (National Ports Authority) and 
other high ranking government officials also made similar statement 
to government news media throughout the day. 
 
OFFICIAL STATEMENT BY GON - AMBASSADOR CALLAHAN CHASTISED, NOT EXPELLED
  
¶6. (SBU) Following the protest, the GON issued an official 
statement (see text in para 7 below) calling the comments of 
Ambassador Callahan an "inadmissible interference" in Nicaragua's 
domestic affairs and referring to the U.S position as 
"destabilizing."   It stopped short of calling for the Ambassador's 
removal. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) BEGIN TEXT OF FOREIGN MINISTRY STATEMENT 
 
Communication 
 
The Government of Reconciliation and National Unity declares 
unacceptable  the interventions and destabilizing policy of the 
Government of the United States of North America, expressed the day 
before by the Ambassador Robert Callahan, in front of accommodating 
right-wing politicians. 
 
The Government of Nicaragua considers inadmissible the intervention 
of the United States in the internal affairs, and the sovereignty 
decisions of the institutions of the Nicaraguan State. 
 
The Government of Nicaragua reiterates its commitment of Dignity 
and National Pride, and its firm decision to construct relations of 
understanding, cooperation and respect, with all governments of the 
world, including the United States 
 
Managua,  October 29, 2009 
 
END TEXT OF FOREIGN MINISTRY STATEMENT 
NOTE: 

Attached photo files are SBU/FOR INTERNAL USG USE ONLY. 
They can NOT/NOT be disseminated outside the USG without the 
permission of the photographer. 
CALLAHAN