• Subject: UPDATE - DOROTHY GRANADA UNDER ATTACK AGAIN

Date:     Mon, 13 Aug 2001 00:22:38 -0700
From:     Jill Winegardner

August 12, 2001
 

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

Nicaraguan President Aleman and his Internal Affairs Minister José Marenco have resumed their attack against Dorothy Granada, and, by extension, against the Women's Clinic in Mulukuku. So Dorothy, along with key human rights leaders in Nicaragua, is asking us to go into action once again. So here we go ...

Below you will find our familiar format: 1) Update; 2) Analysis; 3) Suggested Actions; and 4) Contact Information.

1) UPDATE:

DOROTHY GRANADA UNDER ATTACK AGAIN
In the waning days of their six year stint in power, top officials of the Nicaraguan government are once again training their fire on Dorothy Granada. As reported in the Aug. 9 edition of El Nuevo Diario, Minister of Internal Affairs (Gobernación) José Marenco Cardenal has ordered the suspension of Dorothy's residency permit. (See below for link to article, and English translation). Minister Marenco has served as the right-hand man of President Arnoldo Alemán in the persecution of Granada and the attempts to close down the Women's Clinic in Mulukukú she has directed for 11 years.

In some ways, this renewed attempt to expel Dorothy is not surprising. Even after losing their battle against Dorothy in the Nicaraguan courts and with the Nicaraguan people, Alemán and Marenco have made it clear they would not renew her residency when it expires on September 9th of this year. But Marenco has moved precipitously to declare her residency suspended even before her application for renewal could be processed.

Human rights leaders in Nicaragua, who consider the attack against Dorothy to be an attack against Nicaraguan civil society, are concerned there may be an attempt to deport Granada before her current residency permit is due to expire. Even the Human Rights Commission of Nicaragua's National Assembly is strongly defending Dorothy Granada at this moment. According to its president, Dr. Nelson Artola, the Human Rights Commission is filing complaints with the National Assembly and also with the Interamerican Commission of Human Rights, which is attached to the Organization of American States (OAS).

According to Artola, the complaints will denounce the abuse of the human rights "of a person who has sufficient merits that the National Assembly, in accord with the Constitution, should honorably award her Nicaraguan nationality and not treat her like a common criminal." (see article below)

In El Nuevo Diario's report, Dr. Artola quotes Dorothy as saying, "What I have done is to serve 30,000 campesinos from Mulukukú with medical assistance during the 13 years that I have worked in Nicaragua. My crime has been to combat malaria, tuberculosis, diarrhea and malnutrition from which the campesinos of Mulukukú suffer, and they are not treated in any way by the government."

2) ANALYSIS:

The actions of the Nicaraguan president against Dorothy Granada appear to be vindictive, personal, even irrational. Perhaps Alemán is obsessed with his failure to deport her, despite publicly declaring many times that he would do so. Machismo certainly must be playing some role.

At the same time, the current attempts of the Bush administration to determine the outcome of Nicaragua's upcoming election by forming an anti-Sandinista front give us reason to reflect on the role of our own government. Clearly, an alternative model of people's health care challenges the neoliberal model of privatization of all essential services, including education and health care. This is the model being pushed by the U.S. government and those institutions promoting "globalization." In this context, the persecution of Dorothy Granada may be seen as more than just the personal vendetta of a corrupt Nicaraguan politician.

With polls for the November 4 election predicting a close result and the electoral process already coming under international scrutiny, the attempts of the current government to expel Granada could cause an awkward situation for leaders of the Liberal Consitutionalist Party (PLC) who hope to continue the party's reign, albeit without Arnoldo Alemán, who is constitutionally barred from running at this time. Dorothy Granada's popularity and the strong sympathy she has among most of the Nicaraguan people are not to be underestimated.

Therefore, our own actions at this time can be quite meaningful, as they have been in the past. Morally speaking, we need to speak out in any case. But there is good reason to expect our actions will have a significant, even surprising, impact. It is critical now that both the U.S. and Nicaraguan governments know that we are still here, watching the situation very closely, and that we will hold them accountable for upholding the rule of law as well as international standards of human rights.

We must also let Dorothy and key human rights leaders in Nicaragua know we are standing with them, that we understand the importance of this moment for the future of human rights and democracy in Nicaragua, as well as for the basic health care needs of the people in Mulukukú.

3) SUGGESTED ACTIONS:

SEND PHONE, FAX AND EMAIL MESSAGES TO:

     · HUMAN RIGHTS LEADERS IN NICARAGUA, both within the government and independent, are once again putting themselves on the line in support of Dorothy and the Women's Clinic. Their courage should be praised and reinforced. We need to let them know that we are standing with them. We should fax and email them at the contact numbers listed below.

IN DOROTHY'S OWN WORDS: "Thank and encourage the Human Rights folks for continuing their efforts to secure my right to remain in the country based on my record of service. All accusations against me have been disproved by the investigating groups. All cases in the courts have been decided in my favor. Campesinas are abandoned, and are suffering ill health, hunger and violence. Continuing our Women's Center will provide continued accompaniment with those who are among the poorest. This work is an important people-to-people project. If I am not allowed to be in Nicaragua, the program will suffer."

     · THE NICARAGUAN AND U.S. GOVERNMENTS. Tell them you are again concerned about the apparently illegal attempts of the Nicaraguan president to expel Dorothy Granada, a U.S. nurse who has been working for over a decade to provide health care for poor Nicaraguans. Mention that previous attempts to deport her from Nicaragua have been rejected by Nicaragua's own courts and by human rights organizations in Nicaragua and worldwide.

To the Nicaraguan government: Ask them to uphold the rule of law and international standards of human rights by allowing Dorothy Granada to continue her work with the Women's Clinic in Mulukukú.

To the U.S. government: Ask that they protect the human rights and due process rights of a U.S. citizen who is being unfairly persecuted by the Nicaraguan government. Tell both governments that you will be watching closely and expect them to do the right thing.

Send copies of these letters to Nicaraguan human rights groups and to Dorothy, c/o of the Women's Empowerment Network.

     · CALL YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES. Especially if your Senator or Representative has supported Dorothy in the past, then absolutely bring them up to date and ask them to express their concern to the appropriate authorities in Nicaragua and the U.S. Last February a letter to President Alemán from 32 members of the House of Representatives was published in the daily papers in Nicaragua, and had a big impact. Quite likely, follow-up calls will be helpful now.

4) CONTACT INFORMATION

Dr. Nelson Artola, President
Human Rights Commission of the National Assembly
Fax: 011-505-228-2100

Benjamin Perez
Ombudsman for the Defense of Human Rights,
Government of Nicaragua
Fax: 011-505-268-2789, or email: procuracion@pddh.org

Dra. Vilma Nuñez, President
Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH)
Email: cenidh@nicarao.org.ni.
Fax/phone: 011-505-266-8405

The Honorable Alfonso Ortega, Ambassador
Embassy of Nicaragua
1627 New Hampshire Avenue NW
Telephone: (202) 939-6570
Fax: (202) 647-0791

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

Ingeniero Jose Bosco Marenco Cardenal
Ministro de Gobernación (Internal Affairs)
Fax: 011-505-222-7778

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

Oliver Garza, Ambassador
U.S. Embassy in Managua
Tel: 011-505-266-6010
Fax: 011-505-266-3865
E-mail: garzaop@amemb.org.ni

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

EL NUEVO DIARIO, Thursday, August 9, 2001
 

By order of the Minister of Internal Affairs (Gobernación), the residency permit of the North American nurse Dorothy Granada was de facto suspended this Tuesday, and she was verbally notified of this in the Office for Foreigners (Extranjería) while she was transacting the renewal of her residency.

This was denounced yesterday by the president of the Human Rights commission of the National Assembly, Doctor Nelson Artola, who said that the North American met with the chief of the Office for Foreigners, and he told her: "Señora, you cannot take any actions here because your residency has already been canceled and I have higher orders not to transact anything in that respect."

The North American nurse was surprised at the treatment she was receiving and upon asking the official where was the resolution canceling her residency, he limited himself to saying that it was an order from the Minister of Internal Affairs, José Marenco Cardenal.

Artola said that the North American was told that Marenco Cardenal had ordered the supposed resolution to be published in the official journal La Gaceta, "and we, along with the personal adviser of the parliamentary commission, have been searching that Gaceta in order to have knowledge of this case, and we have not been able to find it."

The legislator said that "everything done presumes once again a political attack and a revenge announced to affect Dorothy."

Artola emphasized that the expiration of the North American's residency is September 9 and they were pressured so much that they did not wait for this date to inform her of the resolution, that is "that they accelerated the cancellation of her residency, which is a flagrant violation of a human right of this nurse and religious person."

"The most lamentable aspect of this case, Dorothy told me very sadly, is that 'I have not harmed anyone, I have not harmed señor José Marenco Cardenal, I have not harmed the President of the Republic or any official of this government and I don't know from where this hatred comes.'"

The North American also said to the president of the parliamentary commission, with whom she met yesterday, "what I have done is to serve 30,000 campesinos from Mulukukú with medical assistance during the 13 years that I have worked in Nicaragua."

"My crime has been to combat malaria, tuberculosis, diarrhea, and malnutrition from which the campesinos of Mulukukú suffer, and they are not treated in any way on the part of the government."
 

COMMISSION PREPARES COMPLAINT

Yesterday the same Human Rights commission of the National Assembly began to prepare a complaint denouncing this abuse of the human rights "of a person who has sufficient merits that the National Assembly in accord with the Constitution should be honorably awarding her Nicaraguan nationality and not treating her like a common criminal."

This past July 16, Artola presented in the First Secretariat of Parliament a bill consisting of three articles based in the Political Constitution, which would give the National Assembly the powers "where I request that the National Assembly award Nicaraguan nationality to Dorothy Granada for her work in benefit of Nicaragua."

Artola announced that the commission is proceeding to elaborate a complaint to send to the Interamerican Commission of Human Rights, attached to the Organization of American States (OAS) "where we will ask for a corresponding resolution en relation to this violation of the human right that Dorothy has to reside in Nicaragua."
 

[end of article]

Link to original article in Spanish: www.elnuevodiario.com.ni/archivo

Friends: This page normally contains just the next-to-the-latest update.  However, due to the short time (four days!) separating the two, many would not have read the August 28 update.  Therefore I put the new one on the same page.  Those of you who had read the following update would have gone directly to the September one issue by clicking on Newest, (previous) Update.

• Subject: Update on Dorothy in Nicaragua

Date:     Tue, 28 Aug 2001 07:47:05 -0700
From:     WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT NETWORK

August 28, 2001
 

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

Time is running out for the renewal of Dorothy's residency permit. In our last update, we reported that when she applied for renewal at Immigration last month, officials there refused to process her papers based on orders from on high. Since then, she has appealed to the Supreme Court to issue a ruling in her long-stalled case. Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy is refusing to meet with her

Below you will find our familiar format: 1) Update; 2) Analysis; 3) Suggested Actions; and 4) Contact Information.

1) UPDATE:

As you may recall, after the government issued its order rescinding Dorothy's residency permit late last year, three judicial decisions were made in her favor. The final step was that the case was sent to the Supreme Court on appeal from the government, but the Supreme Court failed to issue a decision.

Then, when Dorothy went to Immigration to renew her residency late last month, she was told that her papers would not be processed because there were orders from above that her residency was rescinded. This means that unless the Supreme Court rules in her favor, she will lose her right to stay in the country after her residency permit expires on September 9.

Therefore, on Monday, August 13, Dorothy and Vilma Nunez, director of the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights, visited the Supreme Court of Nicaragua to request that the Supreme Court rule in Dorothy's case. They presented a formal writ explaining the urgency of their request. The Supreme Court meets on Wednesdays to render decisions, but no decision has yet been made.

In a new development regarding Dorothy's support from the US Embassy, we send you the following excerpt from the latest Nicaragua Network Hotline:

Dorothy Granada "Abandoned by US Embassy"

Dorothy Granada, the 70 year-old US nurse who is once again in danger of deportation from Nicaragua, said she had received no assistance whatsoever from the United States embassy in Managua, and indeed that embassy officials had refused to receive her. Speaking during a meeting with Nelson Artola, President of the National Assembly Commission for Human Rights and Peace, Granada affirmed that, "I called the International Development Agency (USAID), but I was told that there are 'orders from above' that no one at the embassy is to speak with me. This is a very strange thing since, after all, I am a US citizen."

Granada came to international notice earlier this year when President Alemán ordered the clinic that she directs in Mulukukú, Northern Atlantic Autonomous Region, to be shut down. She was falsely accused of carrying out abortions there, and of proselytizing for the FSLN. Forced into hiding to avoid being deported, she was eventually sheltered by the Nicaragua courts and the clinic was re-opened. However, when she went to renew her residency last week, she was informed that no one at the Nicaraguan Immigration Office could attend her, on orders from Interior Minister Marenco and that her residency had been cancelled. The Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH) immediately called on the courts, which had ruled partially in her favor, to complete their work and hand down a definitive judgment on her status.

Referring to that earlier brush with injustice, Granada said, "At that time, US Ambassador Oliver Garza received me very kindly, yet now no one will even talk to me." She announced that she would contact her congressional representatives in the States, to ask them to put pressure on the Embassy to receive her. Meantime, Artola himself declared that his committee had sent a letter to its own contacts in the U.S. Congress asking them to urge embassy support for Granada. "Further," he went on, "we intend to submit a motion to the Nicaraguan Assembly that Dorothy Granada should be awarded the Concepción Palacios Decoration in recognition of her unstinting work in bringing health care to some of this country's most impoverished people. We certainly believe she deserves it." All press calls to the US Embassy went unanswered.

2) ANALYSIS:

Dorothy's case continues to represent serious abuse of human rights on many levels. First, of course, Dorothy's legal right to remain in Nicaragua is on the line. But even more important, the right of the people of Mulukuku to health care is in jeopardy. Dorothy and the Women's Center represent the best of popular health care and community organizing for the benefit of the poorest citizens. These activities are in direct conflict with the neo-liberal goals of the present government.

The US Embassy's refusal to meet with Dorothy is an extraordinary step and a significant change from their initial active, if at times cool, support. They are obviously using Dorothy as a political pawn just as the Nicaraguan government is doing.

We can continue to challenge our government's behavior in this case as we also voice our support for the type of important work being done by the Women's Center in Mulukukú.

3) SUGGESTED ACTIONS:

We continue to ask you to take the actions recommended in our last update. Many thanks to all of you who have already sent messages on Dorothy's behalf. They do have an impact.

SEND PHONE, FAX AND EMAIL MESSAGES TO:

· HUMAN RIGHTS LEADERS IN NICARAGUA, both within the government and independent, are once again putting themselves on the line in support of Dorothy and the Women's Clinic. Their courage should be praised and reinforced. We need to let them know that we are standing with them. We should fax and email them at the contact numbers listed below.

IN DOROTHY'S OWN WORDS: "Thank and encourage the Human Rights folks for continuing their efforts to secure my right to remain in the country based on my record of service. All accusations against me have been disproved by the investigating groups. All cases in the courts have been decided in my favor. Campesinas are abandoned, and are suffering ill health, hunger and violence. Continuing our Women's Center will provide continued accompaniment with those who are among the poorest. This work is an important people-to-people project. If I am not allowed to be in Nicaragua, the program will suffer."

· THE NICARAGUAN AND U.S. GOVERNMENTS. Tell them you are again concerned about the apparently illegal attempts of the Nicaraguan president to expel Dorothy Granada, a U.S. nurse who has been working for over a decade to provide health care for poor Nicaraguans. Mention that previous attempts to deport her from Nicaragua have been rejected by Nicaragua's own courts and by human rights organizations in Nicaragua and worldwide.

To the Nicaraguan government: Ask them to uphold the rule of law and international standards of human rights by allowing Dorothy Granada to continue her work with the Women's Clinic in Mulukukú.

To the U.S. government: Ask that they protect the human rights and due process rights of a U.S. citizen who is being unfairly persecuted by the Nicaraguan government. Tell both governments that you will be watching closely and expect them to do the right thing.

Send copies of these letters to Nicaraguan human rights groups and to Dorothy, c/o of the Women's Empowerment Network.

· CALL YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES. Especially if your Senator or Representative has supported Dorothy in the past, then absolutely bring them up to date and ask them to express their concern to the appropriate authorities in Nicaragua and the U.S. Last February a letter to President Alemán from 32 members of the House of Representatives was published in the daily papers in Nicaragua, and had a big impact. Quite likely, follow-up calls will be helpful now.

4) CONTACT INFORMATION

Dr. Nelson Artola, President
Human Rights Commission of the National Assembly
Fax: 011-505-228-2100

Benjamin Perez
Ombudsman for the Defense of Human Rights,
Government of Nicaragua
Fax: 011-505-268-2789
E-mail: procuracion@pddh.org

Dra. Vilma Nuñez, Director
Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH)
Email: cenidh@nicarao.org.ni.
Fax/phone: 011-505-266-84-05

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

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

Ingeniero Jose Bosco Marenco Cardenal
Ministro de Gobernación (Internal Affairs)
Fax: 011-505-222-7778

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

U.S. Ambassador Oliver Garza
U.S. Embassy in Managua
Tel: 011-505-266-6010
Fax: 011-505-266-3865
E-mail: garzaop@amemb.org.ni

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

HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIGNITY FOR ALL,
Jill Winegardner and Gerry Condon

Friends of Dorothy Granada and the Women's Clinic in Mulukukú (Women's Empowerment Network)

Tel/fax: 831-768-7004
wempowermentn@yahoo.com

• Subject: Correction and Farewells

Date:     Sat, 01 Sep 2001 19:18:43 -0700
From:     WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT NETWORK

September 1, 2001
 

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

This update contains a correction to our previous update regarding the Embassy's refusal to see Dorothy. In her last week in Nicaragua, she has had no news from the Supreme Court and the government maintains its determination to not renew her residency permit. Dorothy is saying her good-byes in Nicaragua and preparing for her national tour in the U.S.

Below you will find our familiar format: 1) Update; 2) Analysis; 3) Suggested Actions; and 4) Contact Information.

1) UPDATE:

WE WISH TO ISSUE A CORRECTION to our previous update. Based on a newspaper article in La Prensa on August 16, we reported that the U.S. Embassy had refused to meet with Dorothy. Dorothy is now back in Managua and has told us that she has not requested a meeting at the Embassy, nor have they refused to see her. The reporter misinterpreted her comments.

The context is that several months ago, when the Nicaraguan government began its attack on Dorothy, the Agency for International Development (AID) investigated the Mulukuku clinic at the request of the U.S. Embassy. The AID officials were so impressed with what they found that they offered their assistance. Dorothy replied that she would like their help in getting a container holding a donated operating room into the country. After coming out of hiding, she called the AID office to follow up on their offer. The person answering the phone told her that there were orders from the Embassy that no one from AID was to talk with her.

IT REMAINS TRUE THAT THE AMBASSADOR HAS NOT SPOKEN OUT ON DOROTHY'S BEHALF in her current struggle. The Supreme Court has not yet issued a decision regarding the legality of the government's deportation order and the government has not budged in its determination to not renew Dorothy's residency permit.

MEANWHILE, TOMORROW, Sunday, Dorothy's friends in Managua will gather to bid her farewell. Before she left Mulukuku, between 2,000 and 3,000 people came to the Women's Center for an ecumenical service and to say good-bye. Testimonials continued for several hours, with campesinos and campesinas testifying to all the excellent help they received at the hands of Dorothy and the other clinic workers.

DOROTHY WILL HAVE A FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE on Thursday, and will fly to the U.S. on Friday, September 7. Here, she will embark on a four month national tour to thank all of you who have supported her this past year, talk about the work of the Clinic and the events of this year, and ask for your continued financial support.

2) ANALYSIS:

It seems clear that AID's reversal of its initial offer of help to Dorothy was directed by the Embassy and reflects the U.S. government's support of the Aleman government and its policies of structural adjustment and neo-liberalism. These policies have created the unemployment and poverty that afflict so much of Nicaragua. Dorothy has spoken out boldly against these cruel policies and in favor of a government that values and helps its poorest citizens.

The U.S. Embassy is actively involved in promoting the current government's party, the Liberals, in the upcoming elections in November. The U.S. government is blatantly and actively interfering in the Nicaraguan electoral process.

We have a few more days to speak out against the Nicaraguan government's treatment of Dorothy and to ask our ambassador to raise his voice on her behalf. Then, Dorothy and we suggest that we turn our focus to challenging our government's intervention in the elections there. Nicaragua deserves the opportunity for truly fair elections.

3) SUGGESTED ACTIONS:

· JOIN YANKEEGOHOME, a list-serve to fight election intervention. Sign up for information, sample letters, and friendly anti-intervention dialogue. Simply send a message to nicalist@afgj.org and in the subject box, write: subscribe yankeegohome.

We continue to ask you to take the actions recommended in our last update. Many thanks to all of you who have already sent messages on Dorothy's behalf. They do have an impact.

SEND PHONE, FAX AND EMAIL MESSAGES TO:

· HUMAN RIGHTS LEADERS IN NICARAGUA, both within the government and independent, are once again putting themselves on the line in support of Dorothy and the Women's Clinic. Their courage should be praised and reinforced. We need to let them know that we are standing with them. We should fax and email them at the contact numbers listed below.

IN DOROTHY'S OWN WORDS: "Thank and encourage the Human Rights folks for continuing their efforts to secure my right to remain in the country based on my record of service. All accusations against me have been disproved by the investigating groups. All cases in the courts have been decided in my favor. Campesinas are abandoned, and are suffering ill health, hunger and violence. Continuing our Women's Center will provide continued accompaniment with those who are among the poorest. This work is an important people-to-people project. If I am not allowed to be in Nicaragua, the program will suffer."

· THE NICARAGUAN AND U.S. GOVERNMENTS. Tell them you are again concerned about the apparently illegal attempts of the Nicaraguan president to expel Dorothy Granada, a U.S. nurse who has been working for over a decade to provide health care for poor Nicaraguans. Mention that previous attempts to deport her from Nicaragua have been rejected by Nicaragua's own courts and by human rights organizations in Nicaragua and worldwide.

To the Nicaraguan government: Ask them to uphold the rule of law and international standards of human rights by allowing Dorothy Granada to continue her work with the Women's Clinic in Mulukukú.

To the U.S. government: Ask that they protect the human rights and due process rights of a U.S. citizen who is being unfairly persecuted by the Nicaraguan government. Tell both governments that you will be watching closely and expect them to do the right thing.

Send copies of these letters to Nicaraguan human rights groups and to Dorothy, c/o of the Women's Empowerment Network.

· CALL YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES. Especially if your Senator or Representative has supported Dorothy in the past, then absolutely bring them up to date and ask them to express their concern to the appropriate authorities in Nicaragua and the U.S. Last February a letter to President Alemán from 32 members of the House of Representatives was published in the daily papers in Nicaragua, and had a big impact. Quite likely, follow-up calls will be helpful now.

4) CONTACT INFORMATION

Dr. Nelson Artola, President
Human Rights Commission of the National Assembly
Fax: 011-505-228-2100

Benjamin Perez
Ombudsman for the Defense of Human Rights,
Government of Nicaragua
Fax: 011-505-268-2789
E-mail: procuracion@pddh.org

Dra. Vilma Nuñez, Director
Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH)
Email: cenidh@nicarao.org.ni.
Fax/phone: 011-505-266-84-05

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

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

Ingeniero José Bosco Marenco Cardenal
Ministro de Gobernación (Internal Affairs)
Fax: 011-505-222-7778

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

U.S. Ambassador Oliver Garza
U.S. Embassy in Managua
Tel: 011-505-266-6010
Fax: 011-505-266-3865
E-mail: garzaop@amemb.org.ni

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

HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIGNITY FOR ALL,
Jill Winegardner and Gerry Condon

Friends of Dorothy Granada and the Women's Clinic in Mulukukú (Women's Empowerment Network)

Tel/fax: 831-768-7004
wempowermentn@yahoo.com

• Subject: Dorothy is back in the US

Date:     Sun, 09 Sep 2001 18:32:33 -0700
From:     WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT NETWORK

September 9, 2001
 

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

Dorothy has returned to U.S. soil. After warm good-byes in Mulukuku and Managua, extensive press coverage, and a visit to the U.S. Embassy, she left Nicaragua on Friday to start her national tour. In Nicaragua, the Supreme Court was harshly criticized for failing to act on her case and the country turns its attention to the upcoming presidential elections.

Below you will find our familiar format: 1) Update; 2) Analysis; 3) Suggested Actions; and 4) Contact Information.

1) UPDATE:

DOROTHY IS IN THE U.S. She flew to Texas on Friday and launches her national tour this week. She is well and is spending her first days catching up on well deserved rest with friends. She will be traveling to most regions of the country in the next few months. Please e-mail to Gerry Condon, national tour coordinator, at dorothytour@hotmail.com for more information.

THE SUPREME COURT FAILED TO RULE in Dorothy's case. As you may remember, the government had issued a deportation order against her, bringing a series of false charges as the justification. Three court rulings in Dorothy's favor determined that the deportation order was illegal. The case then went to the Supreme Court on appeal.

However, the Court simply failed to issue a decision. Then, when Dorothy went to Immigration last month to request renewal of her residency permit, she was told that orders from "on high" had been issued and she was not allowed to even fill out the paperwork for renewal.

DRA VILMA NUNEZ OF THE NICARAGUAN CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (CENIDH) campaigned vigorously on Dorothy's behalf with the Supreme Court. She and Dorothy visited the Court several weeks ago to ask for a decision. Nunez was quoted in the newspaper El Nuevo Diario on September 7 as saying that she had information that a decision had been made with 4 votes to 3 in Dorothy's favor, but that the Liberal judges had blocked the decision on orders from above.

THE U.S. EMBASSY remained silent throughout the last weeks. We did get reports from Dorothy and from Sue Severin, who was part of a Global Exchange delegation that met with Ambassador Oliver Garza at the insistence of Congressman Sam Farr. Our thanks go to Santa Cruz activists from the Coalition for Nicaragua, Bert and Lois Muhly, who were part of the delegation and who solicited help from Rep. Farr in setting up the meeting.

Sue Severin told us that "the group mainly asked about the election situation, but ended with questions about Dorothy, and the Ambassador knew that was a major reason we were meeting with him." She went on to say, "His comment when we brought the subject up was 'Aleman has a tendency to over-react.'" Garza said he thought he could have convinced Aleman to back off if Dorothy had not gone to the Sandinista congress as an invited guest (along with many other nonpartisan invitees) and then appeared in a newspaper photograph of the Congress with Daniel Ortega.

Garza told the delegation that he would be talking to Aleman again about it, and would try to convince him to let Dorothy leave, reapply for her residency and be allowed to return.

DOROTHY'S RECEPTION AT THE EMBASSY was cordial but disappointing. Ambassador Garza was away, and she was received by the Charge d'Affaires. She tells us, "I was saddened by the cynicism I encountered at the Embassy: the denial that AID was forbidden to speak with me, the support of a government that allows the poor to starve."

NEWSPAPER COVERAGE in the last few days has been quite good. Both major Nicaraguan newspapers printed interviews with Dorothy just prior to her departure. In La Prensa on Sept. 6, the headline was "Dorotea Granada: 'My sin is to be a defender of the poor.'" She expressed sadness at leaving her beloved Mulukuku, confidence that a new government will allow her to return in January, gratitude for the help she has received from CENIDH and other human rights groups, and determination to continue supporting the women's health clinic.

In an article in El Nuevo Diario on Sept. 7, Dorothy said that she wanted to make clear that "the same contempt" that President Aleman and [Minister of Internal Affairs] Jose Marenco have against her is "the same hate that the president and his minister of Internal Affairs have against the poor in this country."

"I cannot conceal my sadness, Mulukuku in Nicaragua is my "puddle" and in these 11 years of living here, I have learned to love this country. My prayer to heaven is that a government will come that loves the poor. For my part, I have confidence that I will return," said Dorothy.

"When I am in the United States, I will speak the truth, and the truth is that this system of government hates the poor. Everyone should know all that I have lived through, and I will also speak about life in Mulukuku…."
 
 

2) ANALYSIS:

President Aleman ultimately succeeded in his attempts to force Dorothy from Nicaragua, at least for a few months. If the Sandinistas win the presidency, she will certainly be allowed back. If the PLC wins, there is still the possibility that the new president will permit her return.

And Aleman's efforts backfired: we hear from friends in Nicaragua that this case has been perhaps the biggest setback of his career as President. Dorothy is known and loved throughout the country, and her departure may well contribute to Aleman's decline.

Ultimately this case is a victory for human rights. Dorothy's struggle has catalyzed diverse groups both in Nicaragua and abroad to focus on the utter disrespect of human rights demonstrated by Aleman and his ministers.

The Women's Clinic remains open and will continue to thrive in Dorothy's absence. We, her U.S. supporters, must work harder than ever to make sure the Clinic has the financial and material support, delegations, and spiritual support to assure the longevity of the Clinic. Its survival will remain a thorn in the side of the current government.

The U.S. Embassy is actively involved in promoting the current government's party, the Liberals, in the upcoming elections in November. The U.S. government is blatantly and actively interfering in the Nicaraguan electoral process. If we care about the future of democracy and human rights in Nicaragua, we must protest the current U.S. intervention in Nicaragua's elections.
 
 

3) SUGGESTED ACTIONS:

· JOIN YANKEEGOHOME, a list-serve to fight election intervention. Sign up for information, sample letters, and friendly anti-intervention dialogue. Simply send a message to nicalist@afgj.org and in the subject box, write: subscribe yankeegohome.
 
 

4) CONTACT INFORMATION FOR INFORMATION ON DOROTHY'S TOUR SCHEDULE:

Gerry Condon
206-725-0468
TO ORDER THE VIDEO OF MULUKUKU AND DOROTHY'S STRUGGLES THIS YEAR, OR FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT IT:

Jill Winegardner
831-768-7004
 
 
 
 

HUMAN RIGHTS AND DIGNITY FOR ALL,
Jill Winegardner and Gerry Condon

Friends of Dorothy Granada and the Women's Clinic in Mulukukú (Women's Empowerment Network)

Tel/fax: 831-768-7004
wempowermentn@yahoo.com