*Somehow this apocalyptic crisis hasn't moved the US to stop playing its warlike music* *on the Mighty Wurlitzer.*
*MCM * *From John Perry:* > Dear Friend > > I'm writing to let you know that the *Guardian* is using the current > epidemic to mount further attacks on Nicaragua. It has lately printed two > articles that are totally unbalanced and distorted: "President nowhere to > be seen as Nicaragua shuns coronavirus curbs" > <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/08/nicaragua-daniel-ortega-missing-anger-fear-month>, > (4/8/20), and "'Our players are afraid': Nicaraguan football ploughs on > amid the crisis" > <https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/apr/01/players-afraid-nicaraguan-football-continues-coronavirus-crisis>, > (4/1/20). > I have sent the *Guardian*'s editors a letter in response to the second of > these articles, which casts doubt on the Nicaraguan government's official > numbers of those affected by the coronavirus, asserting—falsely—that > COVID-19 cases number in the hundreds here. > > The message below from the Nicaraguan Embassy in London summarizes the > real situation here in Nicaragua. > > If you would like to complain to the Guardian, you can do so to the > Readers' editor at [email protected] > > In solidarity > > John Perry > > Masaya, Nicaragua > > _ _ _ > > Dear Friends, > > We are deeply concerned at a number of reprehensible and mendacious > articles smearing the Government, People and Sandinista Revolution of > Nicaragua. These include: "President nowhere to be seen as Nicaragua shuns > coronavirus curbs", (The Guardian, 8th April), "'Our players are afraid': > Nicaraguan football ploughs on amid the crisis", (The Guardian, 1st April) > and Love in the time of COVID-19: negligence in the Nicaraguan response > (The Lancet). > > The central claim of all three articles is that Nicaragua is out of step > with the WHO, that there is insufficient public education about social > distancing and hygiene, and that our health system is inadequate (The > Lancet). Added to this are lurid accusations in The Guardian that our > Government secretly controls the independent Nicaraguan Football League, > that President Daniel Ortega “might even have died” and is “so detached > (that) his absence hardly mattered at all”, that there is a “macabre plan” > underlying these supposed misdeeds, that an “uprising” in 2018 suffered a > “brutal police crackdown”, and, in the most despicable, shameful and > disgusting smear of all, that our democratic Sandinista Government > (described as a “regime”) “actually wanted to rid itself of part of the > population”. This in regards to a country which has suffered centuries of > actual genocide, oppression and occupation, first at the hands of racist > and colonialist foreign occupiers, and then externally armed right-wing > dictatorships and terrorists. > > These accusations are mostly completely unsubstantiated - and based > entirely on the journalists’ own assertion, or hearsay from unnamed sources > or opposition activists -, or in a small minority of cases, some authority > is quoted, but is done so out of context and with omission of several > relevant and important facts. Such unfounded speculation is especially > irresponsible and dangerous during the Covid-19 pandemic, by painting a > false picture of an out of control crisis, at a time when misinforming the > public can have fatal consequences - as the Guardian itself reported last > month > <https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/14/fake-news-about-covid-19-can-be-as-dangerous-as-the-virus>. > > > The truth is that Nicaragua's responsible measures to contain COVID-19 are > internationally recognised and supported by, and in full coordination with, > the World Health Organization and in regional and bilateral cooperation > with multiple countries, and that Nicaragua is an open, democratic and > socially progressive society which guarantees freedom of speech, conscience > and human rights to all its citizens - all of which we will prove below, > point by point. > > At the time of writing, Nicaragua has four active cases of COVID-19, two > full recoveries, one tragic death of a person with severe underlying health > problems, and three people quarantined who either came into close contact > with the confirmed cases or who have come from affected countries. Contrary > to the conspiracy theories propagated by both the Guardian and The Lancet, > for which no evidence whatsoever is provided, these are the figures > reported > <https://www.sica.int/noticias/informe-18-centroamerica-y-republica-dominicana-unida-contra-el-coronavirus_1_121638.html> > by the Central American Integration System, which publishes daily reports, > and are the only figures accepted and recognised as reliable by the World > Health Organisation. > > Nicaragua has worked in full cooperation with the World Health > Organisation since the beginning of the pandemic. Nicaragua has chosen a > measured and phased approach, with similarities to Sweden's strategy to > tackle the pandemic > <https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/the-public-health-agency-of-sweden/communicable-disease-control/covid-19/>, > balancing multiple factors. Nicaragua is currently in phase 2 of its > efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic, after the successful implementation > of Phase 1, which is detailed below. Should local transmission emerge and > the country’s resilient healthcare system require it, stronger measures can > be imposed. > > On January 21st, the day after Chinese authorities reported a third death > from COVID-19, the Nicaraguan Health Ministry, together with the Pan > American Health Association (the regional branch of the WHO in Central > America), announced an epidemiological alert > <http://www.minsa.gob.ni/index.php/110-noticias-2020/4952-nicaragua-en-alerta-epidemiologica-ante-coronavirus>. > Ten days later, the Ministry of Health published a detailed protocol > <http://www.tortillaconsal.com/protocolo_coronoavirus_febrero_2020.pdf> > (referenced here <http://www.tortillaconsal.com/tortilla/node/9040> in > English) based on WHO best practice, communicating the clearly defined > national strategy across all areas of Government and Civil Society to > spread out the number of any possible infections to avoid any potential > overcrowding of the health system at once, and to coordinate the resources > of the public health system with all health care institutions in Nicaragua, > including private sector hospitals, the country's Social Security health > care system and the Nicaraguan army's health facilities. > > Additionally, 37,206 health workers and 250,000 volunteers have been > trained <http://www.tortillaconsal.com/tortilla/node/8954> and are > working according to WHO guidelines for the pandemic, and over 2 million > households have been visited by Nicaragua's health brigades at least once > (in a country with a total population of 6.5m), many more than once, for > testing, education, provision of necessary sanitary equipment, moral > support in these difficult times, and more. On March 3rd a WHO approved > molecular biology laboratory > <https://www.telesurenglish.net/opinion/Nicaragua-and-the-COVID-19-Pandemic-20200330-0014.html> > was > extended to allow testing for COVID-19. > > Furthermore, from the very outset of the health alert in February the > government has launched a mass public awareness campaign > <http://www.tortillaconsal.com/tortilla/node/9033> (supported by the > aforementioned health brigades and abundant printed and audio-visual > educational material) which has stressed proper hand-washing, taking care > to protect others when sneezing or coughing and keeping a physical distance > of at least 1.5 metres as well as carefully cleaning constantly-used > surfaces. People wanting to self-isolate have been free to do so, including > school and university students. > > Moreover, Nicaragua's work to contain COVID-19 has been recognised by > numerous multilateral institutions and bilateral partners. Ana Emilia > Solís, the WHO/PAHO representative in Nicaragua, has stated > <https://coffeetalk.com/coffeebuzz/03-2020/67120/> that "*Nicaragua is > working according to World Health Organisation Guidelines",* and > highlighted that Nicaragua's community based health system ensures the > involvement of communities, quick and appropriate actions, and that > official advice and orders are respected. > > Regional and international co-operation are central to Nicaragua's > response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Together with the Heads of State and > Government of Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, > Guatemala, Honduras and Panama, the President of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, > signed and is actively participating in the collective implementation of > the Central American Integration System (CAIS) Contingency Plan > <https://www.sica.int/content/images/conoce/plancovid19.jpg>, to date the > world's most comprehensive regional co-operation plan against the virus, > which is now backed > <https://www.bcie.org/en/topics/cabei-against-covid-19/> by US$1.96bn > from the Central American Bank of Economic Integration (CABEI), which goes > towards hospitals and equipment, staff, testing, education campaigns, > economic stimulus, and other vital areas. CABEI recognises Nicaragua's > alignment with the CAIS Contingency Plan and has therefore at the time of > writing delivered > <https://www.bcie.org/novedades/noticias/articulo/bcie-otorga-us17165-millones-para-vivienda-de-interes-social-a-la-republica-de-nicaragua/?tx_ttnews%255BbackPid%255D=1&cHash=c21ec28d66d2c1581b49e64a3ae8367c> > all allocated funds and tests in a timely manner to the country. > > In another sign of this spirit of regional unity, the CAIS has also > released an official video > <https://twitter.com/sg_sica/status/1246875604168966144?s=20> of the > Heads of State and Government of all member countries, including President > Ortega, sending messages of hope and determination to their people. > > Additionally, Taiwan has given continuous technical and financial support > <https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3904007>, including the donation > of 29,000 sanitary masks up to the time of writing, knowledge sharing, and > an additional US$1m aid grant on top of regular support for Nicaragua's > social and economic development. Cuba has also sent brigades of doctors, > nurses and experts > <http://www.radiohc.cu/en/noticias/nacionales/218085-14th-contingent-of-henry-reeve-brigade-heading-to-andorra> > to > support Nicaragua's efforts, and is working with Nicaragua on the > production of the drug interferon alfa-2b, which it is believed could help > to treat the disease, and which would be produced at the only public sector > pharmaceutical plant in the region which produces vaccines, located in > Nicaragua, which is a joint venture with the Russian Federation. Nicaragua > is also working alongside the Community of Latin American and Caribbean > States (CELAC), thereby benefiting from the expertise of Chinese > authorities and experts <http://www.chinacelacforum.org/eng/>. > > Because of the progressive policies of the Sandinista Governments since > 2007, Nicaragua is in a relatively strong position. 353 new clinics and > surgeries have been built across the country and 15 primary public hospitals > built > or renovated <http://www.tortillaconsal.com/tortilla/node/9033>, giving a > total of 19 currently prepared to operate, with six more under > construction. This is supported by the aforementioned healthcare brigades, > already a cornerstone of an inclusive healthcare strategy to reach people > in remote areas or housebound. In comparison, from 1990-2006, only four > hospitals were built while the population almost doubled > <http://www.tortillaconsal.com/tortilla/node/6725>. > > Further to this, in addition to the recently inaugurated (aforementioned) > WHO approved molecular biology laboratory capable of analysis and testing > for various diseases, since 2018 the country hosts a pharmaceutical plant > with the capacity to produce 12 million influenza vaccines per year - this > is where the production of interferon alfa-2b is planned to occur. > <https://www.telesurtv.net/news/nicaragua-producir-medicamento-cubano-interferon--20200319-0031.html> > A generally healthier population of course takes the strain off the health > system in the time of a pandemic. > > The aforementioned Ana Emilia Solís of the PAHO said > <http://www.tortillaconsal.com/tortilla/node/8192> in October 2019 that *“PAHO > has a special commitment to Nicaragua because it has achieved great > progress in health indicators like national vaccine coverage, maternal > mortality, child nutrition, and others. And Nicaraguan authorities maintain > a clear perspective of what aspects need to be improved and the ways in > which PAHO can support this work through technical cooperation.”* > > For his part, Dante Mossei, President of the aforementioned Central > American Bank of Economic Integration, said > <http://www.tortillaconsal.com/tortilla/node/8192> in the same month: > *“Nicaragua > has a perfect execution rate of its project portfolio and serves as an > example for other Central American countries on how to plan investment > projects and implement them efficiently”*. > > The domestic far-right, as always supported by external powers, who > previously took no interest in healthcare in Nicaragua, now demand the > overnight imposition of draconian measures. The dangers of this have been > detailed by - among others -, Kenan Malik in the article Whether in the > UK or the developing world, we're not all in coronavirus together > <https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/05/whether-in-the-uk-or-the-developing-world-were-not-all-in-coronavirus-together>, > published in The Guardian; David Pilling in the article "In Developing > Countries, the Lockdown Cure could be Worse than the Disease" > <https://www.ft.com/content/6c3a34c2-73f8-11ea-95fe-fcd274e920ca?accessToken=zwAAAXFUjeawkc9sOjTCc_gR6tOV_vzSdOkgyg.MEYCIQCdikMxMv7zOVHnOO7hC2XfG-qyepls1VFV2tqN_ipXRAIhAJ76omDPwC0jBzmMRLrP_XFPEDqUkKPiMdS0Kgn8OKhl&sharetype=gift?token=a50e51ec-76af-4474-9658-d3470099ddcf>, > published in the Financial Times; and Mari Pangestu, the World Bank > Managing Director for Development Policy and Partnerships, in the article “For > the poorest countries, the full danger from coronavirus is only just coming > into view” > <https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/poorest-countries-full-danger-coronavirus-just-coming-view/>; > published in The Telegraph - hardly Sandinista mouthpieces. > > Further to the points made in those articles, it is also worth noting that > in a developing country, acquiring unpayable levels of debt invariably > leads very quickly to stringent austerity and wholesale privatisation > imposed by rich countries on behalf of the lending banks, which quite > literally kill > <https://equityhealthj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12939-017-0699-3>, > as Latin America knows too well. > > Whether knowingly or not, by repeatedly replicating unchallenged smears > against Nicaragua, The Guardian plays its part in a systematic > disinformation campaign > <https://www.thecanary.co/feature/2020/03/16/amid-increasing-hostility-a-new-film-exposes-us-regime-change-efforts-in-nicaragua/> > against Nicaragua in the context of an ongoing co-ordinated external and > internal regime change operation > <https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/ken-livingstone-weekend> by > extreme right wing elements and powerful external backers, which failed > first via the ballot box in the last three democratic elections, then via > violent terrorism, then via economic warfare (including illegal sanctions > by foreign governments), and who now resort to attempting to use the > COVID-19 pandemic for political gain. The true nature and interests of the > perpetrators of this ongoing campaign has been exposed in the excellent film > “Nicaragua: > The April Crisis and Beyond”, by the American peace activist, journalist > and human rights lawyer, Professor Dan Kovalik > <https://www.globalresearch.ca/video-the-u-s-attempted-2018-coup-against-nicaragua/5703166> > . > > Far from being a repressive dictatorship, the Sandinista government of > President Daniel Ortega enjoys widespread popular support > <http://www.nscag.org/news/article/294/opinion-poll-indicates-strong-support-for-government> > and was re-elected in 2016 with 72% of the vote in elections recognised as > free and fair by the Organization of American States. Since returning to > power in 2007, the Sandinistas have achieved a remarkable social > transformation > <https://afgj.org/nicanotes-the-revolution-has-transformed-the-lives-of-nicaraguas-caribbean-peoples> > , reducing poverty by half in a decade > <https://data.worldbank.org/country/nicaragua> and absolute poverty by 75% > <http://www.radiohc.cu/en/noticias/internacionales/196566-nicaragua-celebrates-40-years-of-sandinista-revolution-with-important-social-achievements>, > achieving food sovereignty, and expanding human rights > <http://www.nscag.org/news/article/296/Nicaraguans-celebrate-13-years-of-social-progress-under-FSLN-government> > to nutrition, healthcare, housing, land, education, sanitation > <https://www.enacal.com.ni/>, electricity <http://www.enatrel.gob.ni/>, > transportation <http://www.tortillaconsal.com/tortilla/node/6571>, > connectivity and participation in the economy and society to millions of > previously excluded people. Nicaragua is now the world's fifth most Gender > Equal country according to the World Economic Forum > <https://www.weforum.org/reports/gender-gap-2020-report-100-years-pay-equality>, > has the third most gender equal cabinet according to UN Women > <https://www.iknowpolitics.org/en/learn/knowledge-resources/here-are-most-gender-balanced-cabinets-world-today> > (58.8% of Ministers are women) and is ranked by NGO REN21 as within the > world's top 10 for renewable energy > <https://www.ren21.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/gsr_2019_full_report_en.pdf> > (which provides 80% of the country’s electricity). > > In conclusion, the Government of Nicaragua has been responsible in its > actions and transparent with the population about its strategy since the > beginning of the outbreak, implementing a viable, balanced and sustainable > response to COVID-19, motivated by the same good sense, responsibility and > commitment to social justice, equality, human rights and international > solidarity and cooperation, which the Sandinista Government has displayed > since 2007. > > *ENDS* > > > [image: > https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/mbrj-kBz60l1oe0I_rlhmau4dsF3mKJJJrigGQ8-8svMgBAs1-ZQfWZ8s0hohPbYzJg5LXFm-23HvjbCwpl6dKTBemdwqTZdJiEJUDz07h4MyE1jOpgC0b75AfHPPWVTG4NpdsAv] > > *Embassy of Nicaragua* > > > > *Communications Office* > > *58-60 Kensington Church Street, Suite 2&3 Vicarage House, London, W8 4DB* > > *T. +44 (0) 207 938 2373* > > *Twitter: @embaniclondon* > > *[email protected] > <[email protected]>* > > > -- If you appreciate News From Underground, please consider making a donation — either a one-time gift or a monthly subscription: http://markcrispinmiller.com/support/ Thank you for your support. 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