Chavarria speaks on Nicaragua

Last Friday Nicaraguan leader and activist Ricardo Chavarria visited Oberlin to lecture on the current social and political situation in Nicaragua. Chavarria was the vice-minister of social welfare under the Sandinista Government during the 1980s, and is currently co-chair of the Institute for Human Promotion, a large non-governmental organization in Nicaragua.

Chavarria's lecture, titled, "The Struggle Continues: The Role of Non-Governmental Organizations in a post-Sandinista/post-Hurricane Mitch Nicaragua," was delivered to a room packed with Oberlin students and faculty. After outlining the recent history of the country, Chavarria discussed the growing reliance on non-governmental organizations in Nicaragua, due largely to the negligence of the government to address the country's needs.

Chavarria detailed the Sandinista revolution, which ended with the 1979 overthrow of Anastasio "Tacho" Somoza, a U.S.-backed dictator. The Sandinista government implemented many socialist reforms, according to Chavarria, and made significant progress in health care and education. Unfortunately, a significant portion of the new government's attention and financial resources were consumed fighting the U.S.-backed Contra war. Chavarria said the war was intended to weaken the government and popular support for the Sandinistas. This war ended when the Sandinistas were voted out of power in 1990. Since then politics in Nicaragua have become increasingly conservative, especially under the current president Arnoldo Aleman, who won the election in 1996.

Chavarria gave extensive statistics about education, poverty levels, health care and housing, all indicating a drastic decline in the quality of life for the majority of Nicaraguans since the Sandinista government lost power. He attributed these changes in part to policies of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Chavarria said these bodies overlook the economic state of people in favor of targeting macro-economic statistics. The current GDP of Nicaragua is $2.1 billion, only $453 per capita. Chavarria pointed out that this is actually less than the per capita GDP in 1945, grimly remarking that not much has changed. He said that now Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in this hemisphere, second only to Haiti.

Chavarria then examined the growing role of NGOs in Nicaragua. He argued that the revolution in Nicaragua is still taking place through the establishment and progress of NGOs. Chavarria said these NGOs are an expression of an increasingly active Nicaraguan civil society, in which people are searching for political and social alternatives.

NGOs have been steadily increasing over the past two decades, and are filling the gaps in government services. They address issues such as education, health care, housing and sustainable agriculture. While NGOs serve good purposes, Chavarria said some have been used to diffuse popular unrest. The Clinton administration has encouraged this diversionary approach by supporting conservative people, parties and NGOs within Nicaragua.

Chavarria also said that Aleman has attempted to manipulate Hurricane Mitch, which devastated Nicaragua last November, by demoralizing NGOs. Aleman refuses to declare a state of emergency so that he would "not leave the door open for NGO opportunism." In spite of attempts to prevent relief money from going to NGOs, over 60 percent of charity has been channeled through them.

These organizations have been instrumental in administering relief aid throughout Nicaragua. Chavarria talked about a village in which 1,800 people died in a landslide, for which the government has done nothing except write a check to the area for $2,000. According to Chavarria, individuals and NGOs - not the government - are doing all the work to rebuild communities and provide assistance to people affected by the hurricane.

Although conditions in Nicaragua may look bleak, Nicaraguan people are acting to change their situation, said Chavarria. Over 10,000 people mobilized recently at a rally organized by NGOs to protest corruption within the government. This was one of the largest political protests ever in Nicaraguan history, and makes a clear statement when compared to the 2,000 people attracted to the Aleman government rallies, even when they are being paid to come.

Chavarria concluded a very informative lecture by making it clear that there is hope in the struggle for justice continuing within Nicaragua.