Friends,

On April 5, 2006, US Ambassador Paul Trivelli sent a letter to all non-Sandinista Nicaraguan political parties offering to fund primaries in order to choose one presidential candidate to represent all of them. This statement is an affront to these parties, who have already selected their presidential candidates and none have requested multiparty primaries. In a statement published in the news daily La Prensa, Trivelli stated that uniting the democratic forces of this country would be better for the future of Nicaragua.

Trivelli referred to recent internal elections in the Liberal Constitutional Party (PLC), which resulted in the selection of José Rizo. Trivelli stated that one candidate to represent the opposition to FSLN leader Daniel Ortega and former Sandinista challenger Herty Lewites would be much better than allowing Rizo to compete with Eduardo Montealegre, one of the leading candidates who represents a faction that has split from the PLC. The letter laid out a process by which these parties -- Camino Cristiano Nicaragüense (CCN), Alianza por la República (APRE), Partido de la Resistencia Nicaragüense (PRN) y Alianza Liberal Nicaragüense-Partido Conservador (ALNPC) -- could implement multiparty primaries funded by the US government.

It is clear that Trivelli's aim in his offer is to unify the non-FSLN political contenders in the Nicaraguan political system in order to increase the chances of defeating fourth-time presidential hopeful and former president from the FSLN, Daniel Ortega.

Please call the Nicaraguan Desk in the U.S. State Department at 647-3559 and the Bureau of Western Hemispheric Affairs Chair Thomas Shannon at (202) 647-5780 and tell them that as an American citizen, you are against your tax dollars supporting interference in Nicaragua's politics. Tell them to ensure that Trivelli's work in Nicaragua does not threaten the sovereignty of the Nicaraguan people or its political institutions.

The United States government should not finance internal party processes in Nicaraguan politics. It should respect the sovereignty of Nicaraguan institutions to follow their own processes, and should not be attempting to unify political actors in the Nicaraguan party system for political gain. The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations clearly states that it is the duty of all persons enjoying such privileges and immunities not to interfere in the internal affairs of the Nicaraguan state. As a diplomat, Trivelli should respect this convention, and as citizens of the United States, it is our responsibility to ensure that he fulfills the duties and responsibilities as a representative of the US government.

Trivelli's proposal to fund the primaries is yet another incident in a long chain of statements and events that have pushed the limits of appropriate diplomacy. In this year alone, he has published an article leading up to regional elections in one of the country's major newspapers entitled The Nicaragua that Nicaraguans Want, urging Nicaraguans to reject caudillos, a reference to Daniel Ortega and PLC leader Arnoldo Aleman, the once US- supported candidate who lost favor when he was convicted of embezzling US$100 million from the state coffers of the Nicaraguan government. He has stated that presidential candidate Daniel Ortega has questionable democratic credentials and that in order for the United States to work with an elected president, the administration must want to work with the United States on its security goals and support a sensible economic policy. While he has not explicitly stated support for any one candidate, Trivelli has made it clear that he will continue to make statements directed at Nicaraguan voters clearly attempting to influence their vote.

Witness for Peace will continue monitoring the actions of the U.S. government that impede upon the sovereignty of Nicaraguans leading up to its 2006 presidential elections, and will be leading an elections observation delegation (see below) to enable US citizens to observe firsthand the effects of US intervention in Nicaragua's political processes.

In solidarity,
The WFP Nicaragua Team