Nicaragua's Ortega: Socialism to opportunism?

[naaman fletcher]

With about 57 per cent of the population living in poverty and wealthier citizens split between two competing conservative parties, Ortega has capitalised on his legacy as a champion of the dispossessed, even though he has allegedly amassed considerable wealth exploiting Nicaragua’s position as a low-wage manufacturing hub.

The number of companies operating in controversial special economic zones has grown from five in 1993 to 99 in 2006, according to a 2008 report from the London School of Economics. These factories and related industries, normally loathed by leftists as centres of foreign exploitation, now employ 240,000 people - or 15 per cent of Nicaragua’s labour force - the report said.

...

As part of his campaign to appease sections of the elite, Ortega has courted the Catholic Church by outlawing all abortions, even when a woman's life is in danger. The women's movement, once an important backer of the FSLN, has been completely alienated from Ortega, Kampwirth said.

Persistent rape allegations against Ortega from his step-daughter Zoilamerica certainly have not helped the president in the eyes of many women.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2011/11/2011117173951437487.html

[Peace Patriot]

1. Gee, that Ortega really ought to be voted out, huh?

And if Nicaraguan voters decide otherwise, it will surely be because the Ortegans run dirty elections, huh?

Har-har-har!

AlJazeera ought to be ashamed of itself, running CIA "talking points." Too bad. As with the BBCons, we are losing the few sources of reliable information that we had--most especially on the remarkable and historic leftist movement that has swept South America and about half of Central America. Where can we go to get any understanding of what is REALLY happening in Latin America? Almost nowhere. We have to hunt for alternative news and analysis. Cuz "something is happening there" and most of our people "don't know what it is." Why are all these horrible, dictatorial, criminal, corrupt LEFTIST governments getting elected in Latin America?

What a puzzle!

The main reason for this crap about Ortega is ALBA--the Central American leftists' challenge to U.S. Corporate/War Profiteer rule. Central America is the Corporate Powers "circle the wagons" region, against the leftist tide in South America that is marching up to the U.S. border. As one of the coup generals in Honduras stated, their coup was intended "to prevent communism from Venezuela reaching the United States" (--quoted in a report on the coup by the Zelaya government-in-exile). Now where did this U.S. funded/trained Honduran general get such an idea--that Honduras could stem the "pink tide"--could, for instance, help stave off universal free health care and universal free education here, and real democracy, here, wherein our political representatives act on behalf of our people, as LEFTIST governments are doing all over Latin America? Must have been some fucking Corporate Think Tank in Washington filling his head with inflated notions of his importance.

One the Honduran coup's first acts was to remove Honduras from ALBA--the Venezuela/Cuba organized trade group that is trying to challenge U.S. "free trade for the rich."

And how CIA-ish of Aljazeera--to use the very albatross that the U.S. inflicted on Nicaraguans, to beat up on Ortega! He didn't sign on to U.S. "free trade for the rich." That was done before he was elected.

This article is crap. One more news organization gone to ignominy. Very sad.

[naaman fletcher]

2. Yes I generally agree,

and was surprised that Al Jazeera printed this.