Post Trip Notes: a final mtg with Maria Lopez Vigil

I had wanted to add a few thoughts about the last meeting we had in Nicaragua on the study tour. We were privileged to meet with Maria Lopez Vigil, director of the magazine Envio, which is linked with the UCA, the Jesuit university. If you would like to read more about Nicaraguan politics and culture, and English language version of the magazine is on the web, including back issues. I can't say enough about what a great resource this is. It is analysis that is fresh, free of the U.S. political perspective, full of sandanismo, and yet critical of the FSLN leadership.

Ms. Vigil is part of the intellectual left in Nicaragua that has lost faith in and broken away from the FSLN. Much of that group has put its support in the political party, the MRS. She had much to say about the new Ortega government, and was very honest and open with her critique. She stated "It is a time that is interesting in the sense that it is new; but with with the same old actors."

Ms. Vigil gave us her initial reaction to the inaugural events earlier in the week and to the first announcements made by the new FSLN government.

• First, she felt it was offensive to all Nicaraguans to have Arnoldo Aleman not only present at Ortega's inauguration, but sitting in the front row. She said he is a symbol of corruption in all of Latin America.
  
• She also feels that the strong presence of Rosario Murillo (Daniel Ortega's wife) in the new government is offensive. She feels Rosario has promoted a very unhealthy mix of religion and politics in Nicaragua. [Personal note: even back in the late 80's when I lived in Nicaragua Rosario was seen as an antagonist in Nicaraguan politics, and was not a well loved figure. This feeling appears to have deepened even further.]
  
• Another critique Maria Lopez Vigil made of the new Ortega government was that of its relationship with Venezuela. While she feels that Venezuela will indeed help in some instances, such as the need for oil, and things will improve slightly as a result of the Chavez-Ortega relationship, she feels that Venezuela is replacing the old Soviet block in terms of Nicaraguan dependency on the outside. She feels that Nicaragua is "begging for crumbs" from Venezuela. She went on to say that she feels under development in not just a question of capital. This, she feels, is a neo-liberal theory. She feels it is, in part, cultural. My sense was she felt great frustration with the popular belief inside Nicaragua that someone must come from the outside to "save" Nicaragua.
  
• Finally, Ms. Vigil talked about the new cabinet positions which are being announced for the new government. She says many are unknown in Nicaraguan politics, and as a result one can assume they are Ortega loyalists. It was clear there was uncertainty and a level of mistrust in the new FSLN government.
  

I think it will be very interesting to see how things unfold in Nicaragua in the coming few years. And I believe the presence of the MRS as a counter-weight to the FSLN will prove to be important. Much of Nicaragua is divided along the lines of "Sandanista" or "anti-Sandanista". The MRS is a political movement which embraces sandanismo, but is highly critical of the FSLN leadership. It adds dimension to the otherwise black and white picture of the country simply being pro- or anti- Sandanista. I greatly appreciate the ability to read Envio online, as I think it is an invaluable resource to following & understanding this internal debate.