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Introducing her book
"I am my father's daughter"
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| NICARAGUA:NEWPRESIDENT - OLD PROBLEMS |
| Written by Maria Elena Salinas |
| Monday, November 12 2001 |
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| Winning the presidential election in Nicaragua was only the first obstacle for Enrique Bolaños. The former vice president defeated Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega by a comfortable margin, but his real challenge is just beginning. At 73, you would expect Bolaños to be preparing for retirement, but instead this businessman with a grandfather image faces the monumental task of governing a country with a daunting list of problems: extreme poverty, high unemployment, a staggering foreign debt and widespread corruption. And that's just for starters.
Let's begin with poverty and unemployment. More than 80 percent of Nicaraguans live below the poverty level. In fact, it is the second-poorest country in the hemisphere. Some estimates place unemployment at 20 percent, and when it comes to finding the root of the problem, everyone seems to point the finger. There are those who blame the Sandinistas, who led a revolution that toppled dictator Anastasio Somoza, for bankrupting the country and destroying its productivity during the 1980s. The Sandinistas, on the other hand, blame the war against the U.S.-backed Contras for leaving the country in an economic abyss it has yet to recover from.
The truth is that 11 years of democracy have not solved Nicaragua's economic woes. During the tenure of current President Arnoldo Aleman, the country's infrastructure has visibly improved. There are more shopping centers, hotels, restaurants and highways. But while the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting by with less. To make matters worse, Aleman leaves office under a cloud of suspicion. In five years, his personal assets increased 900 percent, and many of his family members and top associates are also suspected of corruption.
Now is not the time to place blame, but rather to find solutions. When I interviewed Bolaños in Managua before the election, he outlined his plan to pull the country out of poverty. He said he wants to make a deal with the people of Nicaragua. The government, he said, will work to create jobs. Nicaraguans, in turn, will have to roll up their sleeves and commit themselves to hard work. But before new jobs can be created, Bolaños will have to attract investors, renegotiate Nicaragua's $4 billion foreign debt and revive a struggling agricultural industry. Unfortunately, the new president will have to deal with situations he has no control over. For example, falling coffee prices on the international market left many farmers out of work, and months of drought have destroyed crops and left thousands at the brink of starvation.
Bolaños will also have the challenge of governing a country where the two main political parties, his included, have made a pact with the devil. The deal, known in Nicaragua simply as "El Pacto," means that no law can be passed without the approval of both parties. Sounds reasonable, until you realize that it also means that both party leaders enjoy immunity. Bolaños, who was jailed under the Sandinista regime and had about $9 million worth of assets confiscated, told me that in his government, no one would be above the law. However, "El Pacto" makes it virtually impossible for charges to be filed against Aleman for allegations of corruption, or against Ortega for allegations of human-rights violations, confiscating properties or even sexually abusing his stepdaughter, Zoila-America Narvaez.
Nicaraguans have survived hurricanes, earthquakes and droughts. They have lived through wars and dictatorships, inept and corrupt governments. And while it has been said that people deserve the leaders they elect, it's difficult to believe that they should have to pay the consequences of leaders who abuse their power for personal gain. Enrique Bolaños has just received a vote of confidence. Hopefully this time around, the people of Nicaragua will get the leadership they really deserve. |
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