Updates Archive – B

January 1, 2001

Dear Friends and Supporters of Dorothy Granada,

Happy New Year!

We are writing to you on the first day of the New Millennium. We are getting ready to resume in earnest our efforts on behalf of the women and children of Mulukuku, Nicaragua, who are suffering from the closure of their only health clinic. This message is divided into four sections: 1) Update; 2) Analysis; 3) Suggested Actions; and 4) Contact Numbers.

UPDATE:

· Dorothy Granada remained in hiding throughout the holidays. She was incommunicado, but friends reported to us that she was well and that she enjoyed her holidays. We also received reports of Nicaraguan police searching for her at the homes of friends.

· Joe Franklin, a nurse who has been working with Dorothy in Mulukuku, sent us a very inspirational letter which will be posted on the website, www.PeaceHost.net/Dorothy.

· Joe Franklin has also faxed to us several articles and letters which have been printed in the Nicaraguan papers over the holidays. These include an open letter from the women of Mulukuku to the Minister of Health and an open letter of support to the women of the Maria Luisa Ortiz Cooperative and Dorothy Granada from a Peruvian women's organization. These were published in El Nuevo Diario. Also, in the Dec. 29 La Prensa is a letter of concern from Pamplona, Spain, apparently prompted by the Amnesty International worldwide urgent action alert, as well as an opinion piece by columnist Mario Alfaro Alvarado, who is very critical of the government actions. All of these letters and articles will be posted on our website in the days to come.

· The Appellate Court which is hearing the case of the government's deportation order against Dorothy will resume its work on January 8th. Since it heard the case before the holidays, it might possibly rule as early as January 8th. There may be other appeal processes available to either side. We are attempting to get more information on the legal details.

· The Human Rights Commission of the National Assembly has announced that it is extending its investigation until January 25 and will not make an official report before that time. We are not sure what this means, except that earlier there had been talk about moving the report time up, rather than back. We can speculate that the later the report is issued the less impact it will have, especially if it happens after other legal and political processes are completed.

· Representatives Sam Farr (D-CA) and Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) are circulating a "Dear Colleague" letter in Congress encouraging members of Congress to address this crisis (the letter is posted on our website). The initial circulation was done by e-mail due to Congress not being in session. Once Congress resumes its work (Jan. 4?) this will be circulated in the halls of Congress. This will reinforce the work that many people are doing to get their representatives involved.

· The response thus far to the special fund appeal for Dorothy Granada's legal and other emergency expenses has been generous. Thanks to all who have contributed.

ANALYSIS:

The response to the appalling actions of the Nicaraguan government has been strong and impressive, in Nicaragua, in the United States and internationally.

The good work of Dorothy Granada in Mulukuku, coupled with her resistance to the illegal attempts to arrest and deport her from Nicaragua, have galvanized a movement of solidarity with the poor of Nicaragua and those who are working with the poor. One reason the Nicaraguan women's groups, human rights groups, and non-governmental organizations have rallied around Dorothy Granada and the Women's Clinic of Mulukuku is that they themselves are under attack by a reactionary regime. Dorothy's struggle is their struggle, and not just symbolically. In a very real sense, they have a profound investment in the outcome of this crisis. This reality, which has been expressed to us by many Nicaraguans and North Americans living and working there, makes our defense of Dorothy and the women in Mulukuku all the more compelling.

The response of many people in the United States has been quite effective. We have succeeded in getting the attention, and even the assistance, of our own government. We have put the Aleman government on notice that they are being watched very closely. And we have given much needed encouragement and solidarity to those in Nicaragua who struggle daily with poverty, injustice and repression.

Just look at this website to see some evidence of the broad support that has been generated by our faxes, our calls to our Congresspeople, and the involvement of our churches, our medical community, our human rights groups.

With both the U.S. and Nicaraguan governments shut down for the holidays, we have had the luxury of a bit of rest and relaxation with our friends and families. But now we need to gear up again for a full-scale emergency response. No doubt the Aleman government will be hoping that all the pressure on them will have died down, not to be resumed. They may try to move quickly to detain and deport Dorothy, whether by quasi-legal or illegal means, before we can even get the pressure cranked up again. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to send them a strong message on the very first working day of the New Year, Tuesday, January 2, 2001, and on every day of this week and next week. In that spirit, we provide suggestions for actions you can take this week.

SUGGESTED ACTIONS:

· Letters to the Editor of the Nicaraguan papers. Both La Prensa (E-mail) and El Nuevo Diario (E-mail) have published sympathetic letters to the editor in recent days, from Spain, from Peru, and from Mulukuku. They will probably be happy to print some letters from the U.S. Particularly, letters from supportive church groups, medical aid groups and human rights groups would have the most impact.

These letters should be in Spanish. If you need translation, please send them to us and we will arrange for their translation and their submission to the papers. If you send letters directly to the newspapers, please let us know so that we can track them.

· Faxes to the U.S. Ambassador in Managua and to the U.S. State Dept. They need to know we are still on the case and that we are expecting their assistance in ensuring Dorothy Granada's personal safety and due process rights in Nicaragua.

· Calls to our Congresspeople should be even more effective with the "Dear Colleague" letter circulating in Congress (see Update, above). The more Congressional inquiries received by the State Dept. and the U.S. Embassy in Managua the better (they have said this themselves).

· Faxes to the various Nicaraguan authorities. Particular targets at this time might be the Ministry of Health, which has the responsibility to reopen the Women's Clinic in Mulukuku, the Appellate Court, which will probably make a decision next week, and the Human Rights Commission, which needs letters of support for its independent work on this and other human rights issues.

· Those wishing to contribute funds to help Dorothy's legal and other emergency expenses can make checks out to St. Boniface Episcopal Church, mark them "Emergency Fund," and send them to the Women's Empowerment Network, 309 Cedar, PMB 547, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. Contributions are tax-deductible.

CONTACT NUMBERS

The Honorable Alfonso Ortega, Ambassador
Embassy of Nicaragua
1627 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20009
Telephone: (202) 939-6570
Fax: (202) 939-6542

Peter Romero
Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs
United States Department of State
Fax: (202) 647-0791

Greg Thome
Chief, Nicaragua Desk
United States Department of State
Tel: (202) 647-4975

U.S. Ambassador Oliver Garza at the U.S. Embassy in Managua
Tel: 011-505-266-6010
Fax: 011-505-266-3865
E-mail

President Arnoldo Aleman
Fax: 011-505-228-7911

Ingeniero Jose Bosco Marenco Cardenal, Ministro de Gobernacion (Interior)
Fax: 011-505-222-7778

Licenciada Mariangeles Arguello, Ministra de Salud (Health)
Fax: 011-505-289-7671

Dr. Benjamin Perez Fonseca, Procurador de Derechos Humanos (Human Rights)
Fax: 011-505-266-4141

Dr. Enrique Chavarria, Presidente de la Sala Penal # del Tribunal de Apelaciones de Managua (Appellate Court)
Fax: 011-505-267-4498

Please stay in touch with us and let us know of your progress and/or send us copies by email or fax of your letters.

Thanks for all your continuing efforts. What we are doing actually means quite a lot to many Nicaraguans. They are relieved to know they are not alone.

Human Rights and Dignity for all,

Jill Winegardner and Gerry Condon
Santa Cruz Support Committee for Dorothy Granada and the Women's Clinic in Mulukuku (Women's Empowerment Network)
Tel/fax: 831-768-7004
Jill Winegardner

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UPDATE AND ACTION ALERT
IN SUPPORT OF DOROTHY GRANADA
AND THE WOMEN'S CLINIC OF MULUKUKU
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January 10, 2001

DEAR FRIENDS of Dorothy Granada and the Women's Clinic in Mulukuku,

Dorothy's battle for healthcare and human rights in Nicaragua continues unabated. As you will see from the update below, Dorothy and the clinic remain in the center of a public relations battle that has only escalated in the New Year. The challenge for us now is to match the stamina and resolve of this remarkable woman by giving her all the support we possibly can in the critical days and weeks ahead.

This message is divided into four sections: 1) Update; 2) Analysis; 3) Suggested Actions; and 4) Contact Numbers.

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1) UPDATE:

· DOROTHY GRANADA REMAINS IN HIDING. Even though her case is being heard by an Appeals Court (see next item) and she should be able to safely move about the country, the government of Arnoldo Aleman continues to demonstrate its resolve to deport Dorothy and its willingness to break the laws of Nicaragua in order to do so.

· LEGAL SITUATION: The Appeals Court which is hearing Dorothy's case resumed its work on Monday, January 8 after a holiday break, but there have been no reports of movement on this case, though it could come at any time.

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The facts of the legal case are these: On December 14 a lower court judge ruled that the government had acted illegally in attempting to deport Dorothy without giving her a hearing. She had been denied due process when the government ordered her deported based on its own secret evidence. The government appealed this decision. The Minister of Internal Relations (Gobernacion), Jose Marenco, personally appeared before the Appeals Court to argue that the government has the right to act on secret evidence. This is an important legal issue in Nicaragua as there is a history of secret evidence being used against both citizens and non-citizens.

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Dorothy's lawyer believes the law is clearly on her side. Other observers say the law is vague and open to interpretation, and the court open to political pressure. If the Appeals Court rules in favor of Dorothy, it will mean only this: that she has the right to a hearing. There are two more levels of appeal open to whichever side loses this appeal.

· THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION of Nicaragua's National Assembly has not yet issued the report of its investigation into the closing of the clinic in Mulukuku and the government's charges against Dorothy Granada. However, Dr. Benjamin Perez, Ombudsman of the Human Rights Commission, gave interviews last week and this week in which he stated that no proof has been found to support the charges against Dorothy and the clinic.

· THE NICARAGUAN MEDIA continues to highlight the plight of "Dorotea" and the people of Mulukuku. Both daily newspapers typically carry 1 or 2 related stories every day, almost always sympathetic to Dorothy, even when they are reporting the government's statements against Dorothy. For those who speak Spanish, and have internet access, you can check out their websites:

El Nuevo Diario; La Prensa

Articles will usually be found under "Nacional." They will also be posted on this website the day after they appear, along with a brief summary in English.

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DOROTHY APPEARED ON NICARAGUAN TELEVISION earlier this week, reading a short statement in her defense. Friends who saw it said it was a very good statement and that Dorothy looked rested, calm and relaxed.

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DOROTHY WAS INTERVIEWED BY REUTERS earlier this week, according to La Prensa. But we were unable to find anything on the Reuters website. In the interview, also carried on Nicaraguan radio, she put into context the government's charge that she had treated members of an armed guerrilla organization, the leftist FUAC. She said that she treated several FUAC members in 1997 at the request of the International Red Cross, and that the FUAC members were accompanied by soldiers of the Nicaraguan Army. She said that she had performed no abortions and that "in my fifty years as a nurse, I have never broken the law."

· A MEDICAL DELEGATION from Manchester College in Indiana arrived in Nicaragua last week and received much favorable media coverage as they called for the reopening of the Clinic in Mulukuku. Originally destined for Mulukuku, the 30 medical professionals traveled a few hours beyond Mulukuku to El Hormiguero, a small village near Siuna, where they continue to treat patients, including some who were transported from Mulukuku.

· GOVERNMENT MEDIA OFFENSIVE. Apparently upset with all of Dorothy's good press, the Nicaraguan government took out a full page ad in both La Prensa and El Nuevo Diario on Dec. 26 or 27, paying $1,300 Nicaraguan tax dollars for each ad. The ad, entitled "The Truth About Dorothy Granada," was placed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which has taken the lead in attacking Dorothy. It repeated charges that she and the clinic favored Sandinista supporters, told people to vote Sandinista, had treated armed Sandinista guerrillas, and performed abortions. The ad included a sworn statement by a Mulukuku resident who named a woman he said had an abortion at the clinic last year. This turned out to be an embarrassing lie (see next point).

· GOVERNMENT CAUGHT IN LIE. On January 2, at a press conference sponsored by the independent Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights, the government's specific abortion charge was exposed as a lie. Featured at the press conference was the very woman who had been named in the ad and charged with having an abortion last year. On her lap sat her healthy one-year-old child. Vilma Nunez, president of the human rights group, charged the government with violating the human rights of the woman whom they had publicly slandered. The mother and her child were on the front pages the next day.

· MARENCO ESCALATES MEDIA WAR. On January 3, Jose Marenco, Minister of Internal Affairs anchored a press conference with 70 (!) Mulukuku residents who were bussed into Managua from Mulukuku. A picture in the paper the next day showed him holding a microphone in front of the face of a poor Mulukuku man, who dutifully repeated the government's charges against Dorothy and the clinic. Key leaders of the women's cooperative in Mulukuku were accused of being members of the armed guerrilla group, FUAC.

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Most of those who testified against Dorothy were members of a conservative evangelical church which vehemently opposes the family planning information provided by the clinic. There have also been reports that they received a number of inducements for their testimony. Later press reports said those who testified were afraid to return to Mulukuku. "Sure they're afraid," said one co-op leader, "because they lied." The government announced it was sending 15 police from Matagalpa to Mulukuku to protect their witnesses from recriminations and also to minimize reactions that might result from an Appeals Court decision in their favor.

· ECUMENICAL LETTER. A coordinated effort by U.S. and Nicaraguan churches and faith-based organizations will result in a paid ad in the two main Nicaraguan dailies, probably this coming Sunday. The letter will address the broader issue of Nicaragua's treatment of NGOs and foreign assistance. It will call upon the Nicaraguan government to create a climate which is open to international aid and to end the persecution of humanitarian workers. It specifically will call for the Women's Cooperative and Clinic in Mulukuku to be reopened and for an end to the attempts to deport Dorothy Granada.

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2) ANALYSIS:

Jill Winegardner, with assistance from Ana Quiros, director of the Coordinadora Civil in Nicaragua, has written an excellent analysis that addresses the oft-heard questions, "Why is all this going on? What is behind the attacks on Dorothy Granada? Why has the government shut down the only clinic in a poor rural area? Why is this crisis so important to women's groups, human rights groups and civil society in Nicaragua?" This very helpful analysis will be sent out to you as a separate email and posted here on our website.

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3) SUGGESTED ACTIONS:

· LET'S REV UP THE FAX BRIGADE AGAIN! In the first days of this crisis, hundreds of faxes to U.S. Ambassador in Managua and to the U.S. State Dept. really got their attention. Let's do it again. Let them know we are still watching and we expect their continued assistance in ensuring Dorothy Granada's personal safety and due process rights in Nicaragua.

· CALLS TO OUR CONGRESSPEOPLE should be even more effective with the "Dear Colleague" letter circulating in Congress. The more Congressional inquiries received by the U.S. State Dept. and the U.S. Embassy in Managua the better.

· FAX THE NICARAGUAN GOVERNMENT. Particular targets at this time might be the Ministry of Health, which has the responsibility to reopen the Women's Clinic in Mulukuku, the Appellate Court, which is expected to announce its decision soon, and the Human Rights Commission, which needs letters of support for its independent work on this and other human rights issues. Friends in Nicaragua have advised us to fax copies of all letters to Jose Marenco, Minister of Internal Affairs, who is the government's point person for this attack. Your letters can be in Spanish or English.

· LETTERS TO THE EDITORS of the Nicaraguan papers. Both La Prensa and El Nuevo Diario have published sympathetic letters. They will probably be happy to print some letters from the U.S., especially letters from supportive church groups, medical aid groups and human rights groups.

These letters should be in Spanish. You can also send copies of your letters to Nicaraguan government officials to the newspapers, especially if those letters are in Spanish. If you need translation, please send them to us and we will try to arrange for their translation.

ARE YOU A TRANSLATOR? Are you good at translating from English to Spanish? If so, we need your help. Our best translators are currently busy with other important work. If you are a translator or know someone who is, please contact us at jwinegardner@igc.org

jwinegardner@igc.org · EMERGENCY FUNDS continue to be very important to the success of this momentous struggle for human rights and health care in Nicaragua. Those wishing to contribute funds to help with Dorothy's legal and other emergency expenses can make checks out to St. Boniface Episcopal Church, mark them "Emergency Fund," and send them to the Women's Empowerment Network, 309 Cedar, PMB 547, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. Contributions are tax-deductible.

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4) CONTACT NUMBERS

The Honorable Alfonso Ortega, Ambassador
Embassy of Nicaragua
1627 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20009
Telephone: (202) 939-6570
Fax: (202) 939-6542

Peter Romero
Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs
United States Department of State
Fax: (202) 647-0791

Greg Thome
Chief, Nicaragua Desk
United States Department of State
Tel: (202) 647-4975

U.S. Ambassador Oliver Garza at the U.S. Embassy in Managua
Tel: 011-505-266-6010
Fax: 011-505-266-3865
E-mail

President Arnoldo Aleman
Fax: 011-505-228-7911

Ingeniero Jose Bosco Marenco Cardenal, Ministro de Gobernacion (Interior)
Fax: 011-505-222-7778

Licenciada Mariangeles Arguello, Ministra de Salud (Health)
Fax: 011-505-289-7671

Dr. Benjamin Perez Fonseca, Procurador de Derechos Humanos (Human Rights)
Fax: 011-505-266-4141

Dr. Enrique Chavarria, Presidente de la Sala Penal # del Tribunal de Apelaciones de Managua (Appellate Court)
Fax: 011-505-267-4498

La Prensa
info@laprensa.com.ni
Fax: 011-505-249-6928

El Nuevo Diario info@elnuevodiario.com.ni
fchamorro@elnuevodiario.com.ni

Fax: 011-505-249-0700
Tel: 011-505-249-6501

Please let us know of your progress and/or send us copies of your letters by email or fax.

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DOROTHY GRANADA AND THE PEOPLE of Mulukuku continue to express their deep appreciation for all that you are doing. Whether we win or lose this battle in the short term, profound ties of love, support and solidarity are being strengthened by this campaign. Your generous and relentless efforts are a source of great comfort (even amazement) to concerned Nicaraguans. These days will be fondly remembered by many U.S. and Nicaraguan friends in a brighter future.

HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIGNITY FOR ALL,

Jill Winegardner and Gerry Condon

Santa Cruz Support Committee for Dorothy Granada and the Women's Clinic in Mulukuku (Women's Empowerment Network)

Tel/fax: 831-768-7004
Jill Winegardner

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end of update of 1/10/01
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