Nica News Roundup (evening edition) – March 1

Negotiations between the OrMu administration and the Alianza have reached an impasse on the third day of close-door meeting at the INCAE. The main sticking points are OrMu’s refusal to accept international guarantors and the administration’s rejection of the Catholic Church as a mediator.

Today, OrMu surrogate Gustavo Porras, who presides de legislature, reiterated the administration’s line. Accepting international guarantors and/or mediators is tantamount to allowing foreign interference in Nicaragua’s domestic affairs.

“Nicaraguans are capable of solving our own problems and conflicts among Nicaraguans. We do not accept outside intervention, from other countries. These are issues that we must resolve ourselves”

#NicaraguaReconciliacionyPaz
El diputado sandinista enfatizó que todos los acontecimientos que ocurran dentro del país deben ser resueltos por los nicaragüenses, rechazando contundentemente la intromisión de organismos o entes externos.https://t.co/E7aJUyS1He pic.twitter.com/0uCorM5Gqs

— El 19 Digital (@el19digital) March 2, 2019

The Alianza’s position is that international guarantors are absolutely necessary. However, the negotiators appear willing to give OrMu the benefit of time, though not the benefit of absolute silence. Though no one in the Alianza is willing to go on the record, information about OrMu’s objections and requests leaks out every day. Today’s leak was reported in Despacho505, La Prensa, and other media outlets.

According to sources with knowledge of the negotiations, OrMu has asked for the weekend to mull over the issue of international guarantors.

LO ÚLTIMO | Fuentes cercanas a la mesa de negociación revelaron a Despacho 505 que el gobierno decidirá hasta lunes si acepta a la Iglesia como mediadora y agarantes internacionales. pic.twitter.com/W8UqBaOBY2

— Despacho 505 (@despacho505) March 1, 2019

As for the administration’s negotiators, some in Nicaragua believe that they have no decision-making power. For example, Carlos Fernando Chamorro bemoaned the level of “political degeneration that Ortega has imposed on Historic Sandinismo, which is now represented by Wilfredo Navarro.”

Navarro is a former ally of Arnoldo Aleman and erstwhile Ortega foe. He officially joined the Sandinista faction in the legislature in 2016.

💻 #EstaNoche con @cefeche | “Ortega está demostrando el nivel de degeneración política que ha impuesto al sandinismo histórico que ahora está representado por Wilfredo Navarro”, comenta Chamorro. Hoy a las 8:00 p.m. en nuestro canal en YouTube. pic.twitter.com/6EC4k3tViM

— Confidencial.com.ni (@confidencial_ni) February 27, 2019

As we go into the weekend, the country awaits for some kind of sign of good will. So far, we have gotten very little.