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### Viewing cable 08MANAGUA1415, Media Reaction: Nicaraguan Municipal Elections

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
08MANAGUA1415 | 2008-11-24 17:45 | 2011-06-01 08:00 | UNCLASSIFIED | Embassy Managua

Appears in these articles:
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-30/Mundo/NotasSecundarias/Mundo2758456.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-30/Mundo/NotasSecundarias/Mundo2758467.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-30/Mundo/NotasSecundarias/Mundo2758468.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-30/Mundo/NotasSecundarias/Mundo2758464.aspx
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/4103/la-embusa-y-el-gabinete-de-ortega
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/4104/d-rsquo-escoto-en-onu-ldquo-un-desafio-de-ortega-a-ee-uu-rdquo
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/4102/estrada-y-la-ldquo-doble-cara-rdquo-ante-ee-uu
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/3966/la-ldquo-injerencia-rdquo-de-ee-uu-en-el-2006
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-23/Mundo/Relacionados/Mundo2758764.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-23/Mundo/NotaPrincipal/Mundo2758753.aspx
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/4041/millones-de-dolares-sin-control-y-a-discrecion
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/4040/la-ldquo-injerencia-rdquo-de-venezuela-en-2006
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/4047/rodrigo-barreto-enviado-de-ldquo-vacaciones-rdquo
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-16/Mundo/NotasSecundarias/Mundo2757239.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-16/Mundo/NotaPrincipal/Mundo2746658.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-16/Mundo/Relacionados/Mundo2757244.aspx
http://www.nacion.com/2011-05-16/Mundo/Relacionados/Mundo2746673.aspx
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/3991/dra-yadira-centeno-desmiente-cable-diplomatico-eeuu
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/3968/pellas-pronostico-a-eeuu-victoria-de-ortega-en-2006
http://www.confidencial.com.ni/articulo/3967/barreto-era-ldquo-fuente-confiable-rdquo-para-eeuu

`

    VZCZCXYZ0000
    OO RUEHWEB

    DE RUEHMU #1415/01 3291745
    ZNR UUUUU ZZH
    O 241745Z NOV 08
    FM AMEMBASSY MANAGUA
    TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3425

` `

    UNCLAS MANAGUA 001415

    INFO AMEMBASSY OTTOWA
    WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
    CIA WASHDC
    NSC WASHINGTON DC
    DIA WASHINGTON DC
    MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP WASHDC
    CDR USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
    JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
    SECDEF WASHDC
    DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

    SIPDIS

    STATE FOR WHA/CEN; DRL; WHA/PDA (MALEE), INR/IAA
    DEPT FOR USOAS-STEVENSON;
    STATE PASS TO USAID
    USAID FOR LAC-CARDENAS, BATTLE AND KITE
    NSC FOR GARCIA AND FISK
    MCC FOR CEO DANILOVICH, BOHN AND SHERINIAN

    E.O. 12958: N/A
    TAGS: PGOV PHUM ASEC KPAO KDEM KIRF NU
    SUBJECT:  Media Reaction: Nicaraguan Municipal Elections

    REF: MANAGUA 1392
    MANAGUA 1393

    ¶1.  SUMMARY:  The current political unrest in Nicaragua, arising
    from disputed municipal election results (REFTELS), is dominating
    all forms of domestic media.  Amidst the clamor, foreign press
    articles and editorials regarding the situation have been well
    covered by local press as have State Department and Embassy
    statements.  Declarations by prominent Nicaraguan civil society
    groups and international donors--dovetailing with the USG call for a
    transparent vote recount--have also been well reported.  Only the
    Sandinista-controlled media outlets have distorted or minimized the
    statements and/or added to the violence by inciting viewers.
    Several journalists, including from pro-government outlets, have
    been injured in the violence.  END SUMMARY.

    What's Being Reported
    - - - - - - - - - - -

    ¶2.  Center-left national daily "El Nuevo Dario" (circ. 30,000) ran
    an article November 11 quoting Deputy Spokesperson Wood entitled,
    "No more violence and count vote by vote."  The article reads in
    part:
    The United States Government urged Nicaragua to guarantee electoral
    results that exactly correspond with the will expressed in the
    voting booths by the people of Nicaragua in the elections this past
    Sunday, asserting that the lack of national and international
    observers complicates the credible evaluation of the municipal
    election results.

    In the customary daily press briefing, Deputy State Department
    Spokesman Robert Wood yesterday pointed out...the case in Nicaragua,
    highlighting that they have received information of widespread
    irregularities in the Nicaraguan elections...Wood underlined that
    "though the official results are not yet available, we note that
    domestic observation groups and opposition parties have reported
    widespread irregularities throughout vote centers in Nicaragua.
    Unfortunately, the decision of the Supreme Electoral Council not to
    accredit national and international electoral observers has made
    difficult an appropriate evaluation of the elections," Wood pointed
    out.

    ¶3. "El Nuevo Dario" ran an article November 11 covering the European
    Union statement.  Text in the article reads:

    ...The EU presidency calls for an "effort towards transparency" in
    order to "dissipate the criticism, especially in terms of the
    recounting of votes," said the communique.  The Union...regrets the
    lack of accreditation of independent national and international
    observers, whose absence makes the evaluation of the regularity of
    the election difficult.  "The European Union will follow the
    situation with utmost attention," the text added.

    ¶4.  Center-right national daily "La Prensa" (circ. 40,000) ran an
    article November 11 which reads:

    The Liberal candidate for the Managua mayorship, Eduardo
    Montealegre, demanded today that the full Supreme Electoral Council
    review every electoral tally sheet of every voting station in
    Managua, from the municipal elections held last Sunday, which he
    qualified as fraudulent...The opposition candidate insisted that the
    electoral tally sheets held by the alliance, led by the
    Constitutional Liberal Party, "clearly" show that the liberals won
    the elections last Sunday in Managua.

    According to Montealegre, the distortions in the Council's facts are
    "a pattern that is seen throughout the country" [...] "We have to
    review each electoral document because it cannot be that the
    documents that the Council has are different from what ours say, if
    the information was gathered from the same process," Montealegre
    said.

    ¶5.  Center-right daily "La Prensa" (circ. 40,000) published a
    half-page spot on November 12 paid for by the Nicaraguan Episcopal
    Conference, which represents the Catholic Church leadership.  An
    article on the placement reports that:

    ...The Conference's call for "review and comparison of all the
    electoral tally sheets in the hands of the political parties that
    participated and that were signed at the moment of the closing of
    the voting places, as a solution to the 'general distrust of the
    population.'"

    In a pastoral letter, read by the Secretary of the Conference of
    Bishops, Monsignor Rene Sandigo, stated that the priests feel that
    this 'review and comparison' should be done 'with the presence of
    the political party observers and foreign and national observing
    organizations'.  The priests also made an 'urgent calling' for the
    Supreme Electoral Council to 'act honestly, with transparency and
    impartiality, for their own dignity and for the respect of the
    sacred vote that the Nicaraguan people conscientiously deposited.'
    The Catholic Church has actively participated in the electoral
    process and justified yesterday's message as 'a clear posture in
    favor of the people, who feel frustrated by the electoral results in
    many municipalities.'"

    ¶6.  "La Prensa" also ran paid declarations for the American Chamber
    of Commerce and Superior Council of Private Businesses (COSEP) on
    November 12.  Text of the accompanying news article reads:

    The American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) and the Private Business
    Superior Council (COSEP) stated last night that they do not trust
    the results of the past municipal elections held on November 9.
    Both business organizations declared their discontent and agreed
    that a review of the electoral tally sheets was necessary for all
    the polling stations in Managua and those municipalities in which
    there was non-conformity with the results...

    The statement released November 11 by AmCham referred to "the
    alarming actions that occurred in the last few hours in our country
    in the municipal electoral process, blurred and shadowed by the
    phantom of fraud and the lack of respect for the popular will and
    the lack of national and international observation."  "Despite the
    irregularities which occurred before and during the electoral
    process, we demand that the truth prevail in an environment of
    respect for the popular will" said the communiqu.  The business
    chamber asked that there be "representatives of friendly countries
    and organizations" so that, together with national personalities
    they can work together in an ad-hoc commission in a process of
    review."
    ¶7.  On November 14, "La Prensa" highlighted international media
    pressure regarding the elections, picking up on articles in "The
    Economist" and "Le Monde."  The "La Prensa" article reads:
    "How to steal an election.  Daniel Ortega sets an ugly precedent."
    This is the title of one of the articles in the print edition of the
    respected British magazine "The Economist," while the influential
    French newspaper "Le Monde" last week published an article entitled,
    "Relations between Nicaragua and the European Union Embittered."
    Both media outlets emphasized the possibility that direct budget
    support (of some $120 million annually) that the European Union and
    various European nations bilaterally give to Nicaragua could
    diminish next year.
    ¶8.  Center-left national daily "El Nuevo Diario" ran an article
    November 15 which quoted Ambassador Callahan's response to a press
    question regarding U.S. foreign assistance in light of the election
    fraud.  The text reads:

    At any given time the U.S. can "review," "evaluate" and "examine"
    the level of cooperation that it keeps with Nicaragua...announced
    U.S. Ambassador Robert Callahan.  Callahan stated that the U.S. has
    "serious doubts that the process was transparent and open and that
    the results reflect the political will of Nicaraguans."  Later he
    added, "I cannot speak for all international cooperation, but as for
    us, obviously, my country reserves the option to review, evaluate
    and examine the level of cooperation."

    ¶9.  "El Nuevo Diario" also ran an article November 15 which reads:

    The outgoing mayor of Managua, Dionisio Marenco, publicly stated his
    doubts about whether Alexis Arguello, the FSLN candidate, was the
    clear winner of the November 9 municipal elections.  "I think the
    Supreme Electoral Council needs to be more flexible and clearly
    explain each electoral tally sheet and find out who is lying, who
    erased the tally sheets and who destroyed them," he said.  If this
    does not happen, "there will always be a serious doubt, and it is
    not even worth declaring a winner because it will create distrust
    which will in turn have an impact on the political state of things
    and the governance of the country and sociologically we will go back
    about forty years," Marenco said.  "I am not really clear how many
    votes Alexis got, where he got them from, how many he actually won,
    with what number of votes.  I won with 145,000, Herty with 135,000.
    Alexis should have won with 155,000 if you follow the natural vote
    growth.  If you tell me that he won with 300,000 votes I doubt it
    because it is not possible to get that many," said Marenco.  He
    insisted that "it will be difficult for people to believe and trust
    in the Supreme Electoral Council.  If that happens, we will have
    created a [situation of] distrust where no one believes us and we
    would not be able to govern."

    ¶10.  On November 18, "La Prensa" ran an article which consisted of a
    verbatim reprint of the text of the November 16 "Washington Post"
    editorial stating that "President Ortega is moving to construct
    another dictatorship and calls on the United States to suspend the
    Millennium Challenge Account."

    ¶11.  On November 20, the electronic version of "El Nuevo Diario"
    posted an article citing the Washington Office for Latin America
    (WOLA) statement issued November 19.  Nearly verbatim versions of
    the statement ran in the print versions of both dailies on November
    ¶21.  The "El Nuevo Diario" article entitled, "United States NGO
    calls for cessation of violence in Nicaragua," reads in part:

    The Washington Office for Latin America (WOLA) expressed concern
    over the tension between the government and opposition parties and
    urged the political leadership of the country to "avoid any type of
    violence." [...] The NGO urged the Supreme Electoral Council to
    carry out a recount of the votes of the past election in the
    presence of national and international observers in the
    municipalities where the final results are in dispute.

    Distortion of Reality
    - - - - - - - - - - -

    ¶12. In addition to print reporting, these statements by domestic
    civic society, religious and business groups, as well international
    governments, NGOs, foreign press articles and editorials have been
    widely reported in other formats including extensive coverage by
    independent national radio and TV stations.  On November 17, a
    prominent evening talk show hosted by well-respected journalist
    Carlos Fernando Chamorro was dedicated to reviewing the
    international reporting on the situation in Nicaragua.  However,
    according to the "official" Sandinista media outlets, this
    international pressure has had no effect, other than to "prove the
    Gringo-backed conspiracy to topple the Government of Reconciliation
    and Peace."  NOTE:  The Sandinista outlets Radio Ya, Radio La
    Sandino, and Channel 4 are primarily owned and controlled by the
    FSLN party.  News and advertisements for these outlets are directed
    by Government Communications Coordinator, First Lady Rosario
    Murillo.  The Ortega government has, at times, represented to Post
    that employees of these outlets are official members of the
    Presidential staff, therefore Post is unable to work with them on a
    journalistic basis. END NOTE.

    ¶13.  On November 18, the day of the planned opposition Liberal
    Constitutional Party (PLC) march in Managua, the official Sandinista
    Channel 4 dedicated the majority of the day to showing images of
    violence in the street with sub-headlines such as "people infuriated
    by Eduardo Montealegre's crimes." Nearly all images were of vandals
    clad in red and black (FSLN party colors), many carrying Sandinista
    flags.  At times, the commentator and announcers stated that
    "liberals dressed as Sandinistas were committing acts of violence."
    Some of the most egregious anti-U.S. commentary aired around 3 p.m.
    in the afternoon.  Once the PLC announced it would not be able to
    proceed with the march, Channel 4 began reporting that the Liberal
    march failed because the "people" were opposed to it and did not
    allow it to happen.  "The Right failed and pulled back due to the
    power of the people."  The propagandist commentators and street
    reporters for the station spoke for nearly three hours at the top of
    their lungs, yelling slogans and encouraging the crowd to chant.
    The studio commentator stated that "the North American Embassy's
    plan to interfere has failed...The U.S. Embassy has threatened to
    withhold aid in the past, this isn't anything new but, they won't do
    it... This is a Gringo Embassy plan that has failed, showing that
    the people no longer accept the neo-liberal capitalist system.
    Don't believe the lies you see on other channels, channel 2
    transmits on a stolen frequency, that channel and "La Prensa" and
    "El Nuevo Diario" are inciting violence by continually publicizing
    Montealegre's election crimes."  Similar sentiments were aired on
    the Sandinista radio stations throughout the day.

    Media Under Fire
    - - - - - - - -

    ¶14. Throughout the protests the opposition media provided extensive
    and generally balanced coverage.  Many reporters and wire
    photographers were injured and/or violently prevented from entering
    protest areas by Sandinista supporters.  Reporters from Channels 2
    and 8 and from both main papers had a particularly rough time.
    Specific injuries and threats to opposition and independent media,
    including serious radio station interference and signal jamming, are
    too numerous to mention here and will be reported SEPTEL.  However,
    it should be noted that the government-affiliated Channel 4 was
    given preferential access by Sandinista supporters to cover the
    unrest.  The station aired footage shot from trucks speeding along
    protest routes as Sandinista reinforcements were dropped off, many
    of whom were seen blocking opposition media shouting "only channel 4
    allowed here."  We must also note that a reporter from
    government-affiliated Radio Ya was attacked.  This reporter, known
    to be part of President Ortega's press entourage, was injured and
    his truck burned at 3 a.m. on November 17.  Inexplicably, an
    unidentified TV crew was there well before police or other
    assistance, to film him lying on the ground as the truck burned.  It
    turned out that the destroyed truck had been rented by ALBA-Caruna,
    a quasi-government entity for channeling off-budget Venezuelan
    assistance to Nicaragua.  It was unclear how the Radio Ya reporter
    came in possession of the vehicle.

    Conclusion
    - - - - -

    ¶15.  COMMENT:  Prior to the elections, the GON was engaged in
    efforts to close democratic space available to criticize its
    actions, including by media.  Given the strong coverage that
    independent local media outlets provided of the political unrest and
    the chorus of domestic and international calls for a peaceful,
    transparent solution involving an international electoral audit and
    review, the Nicaraguan government will almost certainly resume and
    increase its pressure on the media.  On November 20, the Nicaraguan
    Professional Journalists Association (Colegio de Periodistas) issued
    a statement condemning the recent election-related violence against
    journalists, stating that "without freedom of expression there is no
    democracy."  Additional physical attacks on journalists are likely,
    as are questionable legal maneuvers to suspend the legal standing
    and frequency registrations of legitimate stations.  Other tactics
    that we expect to be resumed and increased include, harassment of
    individual journalists and media companies through tax "audits" and
    spurious slander and libel charges leveled at media by the
    government or its paid proxies.  Prior to the elections
    government-affiliated outlets featured almost daily appearances by
    senior government officials that attacked opponents using ad hominem
    arguments, half-truths and innuendo.  We anticipate an
    intensification of this government-facilitated defamation campaign
    against opposition candidates, media and regime opponents.

    CALLAHAN

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