On Thursday, 16 April 2020, The Guardian published an article titled “Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega reappears to call coronavirus 'a sign from God'”. I read the article and it was quite as inflammatory as the headline implies, stating:
● Ortega has refused to adopt the social distancing and lock down measures used in other countries, and has in fact encouraged Nicaraguans to participate in mass gatherings. In our blog, Nicaragua’s Response to COVID-19, on how Nicaragua is handling the Coronavirus, I explain - and Pres. Ortega also explained in his speech - why Nicaragua could not self-isolate: because so many people live hand-to-mouth that if they don’t go out to earn a living each day, their families literally don’t eat dinner that night…but Nicaraguan government offices, businesses etc. are social-distancing and there are no mass gatherings except in a couple of mega churches.
● Erika Guevara-Rosas, the Americas director at Amnesty International also was quoted: “It’s surprising that, after preventing and suppressing any form of social protest for the past two years, it [the government] is now promoting mass marches and gatherings, exposing the population to the pandemic.” Again, not true. Schools are open, churches are open, life is going on as normal... but there are no marches.
● She also said “the government of President Daniel Ortega is flagrantly ignoring the recommendations of international human rights organizations regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, putting at risk the health and lives of thousands of people in Nicaragua.”
As our blog explained, there is a different world in developing countries. Nicaragua is following the World Health Organization’s recommendations within the confines of being a developing country. There are more than ten people living in many homes here.
The Guardian is a paper towards which we have often looked for impartial news and as individuals, we used to financially support Amnesty International’s work, but many of us who actually live in Nicaragua have found that both The Guardian and the America’s branch of Amnesty International have had a bias against this government since the political unrest that was supported by the U.S. State Department in 2018.
Both seem to receive all their news from people who opted to leave Nicaragua or are still here trying to overthrow the popularly elected government. Once again, these two sources of information have distorted for the international media and the world what Pres. Ortega’s speech* said (see Nicaragua’s "State of the Union”), as well as the conscientious manner in which the government is addressing the pandemic without starving its citizens.
What I do not understand is how The Guardian, Amnesty International, any peace-loving group, or any person claiming to be Christian can object to what Pres. Ortega said in his speech…
So, it is time to swap nuclear weapons for hospitals, for health posts, for all the basic conditions that can be provided to the peoples of the developed countries, and for them to cooperate so that we in the developing countries can also enjoy that protection.
That pretty much sums up his speech, and yet in their assessments very little of his hope for a peaceful, just world was reported. Neither did they cover his call for all nations to find better priorities Why?
-Kathleen
*English translation of speech available here: http://www.tortillaconsal.com/tortilla/node/9104
NOTE: If you are reading this blog using the mobile version, click on "web version" to see the full blog with all the features including "subscribe to blog by email".
Please join us and also share on your social media.
Donate here to the ongoing work of the CDCA in Nicaragua:
