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Update
- Subject: Dorothy Returns to Nicaragua
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2002 19:31:55 -0800
From: Jill Winegardner<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
UPDATE AND ACTION ALERT
IN SUPPORT OF DOROTHY GRANADA
AND THE WOMEN'S CLINIC OF MULUKUKUwww.PeaceHost.net/Dorothy
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>February 25, 2002
DEAR FRIENDS of Dorothy Granada and the Women's Clinic in Mulukukú,
DOROTHY GRANADA HAS RETURNED TO NICARAGUA! After hearing that the new government would welcome her return, she flew from Houston to Managua last Friday, February 22. An emotional welcome at the International Airport in Managua was reported in the lead article in Saturday’s edition (2/23/02) of the Managua daily paper, El Nuevo Diario. A photograph of Dorothy waving to supporters at the airport accompanies the article. The web link to this article is below:
www.elnuevodiario.com.ni/archivo/2002
The Nicaraguan daily paper La Prensa carried an interview with Dorothy in their Sunday edition (2/24/02). Another photograph of Dorothy, looking very happy indeed, accompanies the La Prensa article. The web link to this article is below:
www-ni.laprensa.com.ni/archivo/2002
Below you will find our familiar format: 1) Update; 2) Analysis; 3) Suggested Actions; and 4) Contact Information.
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THE HEADLINE OF SATURDAY'S EL NUEVO DIARIO (2/23/02) proclaims:
DOROTHY ARRIVES AND CRIES“Thank you my Nicaraguita,” she exclaims upon receiving her documents
* People and authorities in large reception
* Scenes of indescribable emotion at airport
* She gives thanks “to God, to the President and all the good people”
* “The love of these people is stronger than Aleman; I am not afraid…”The END article goes on to say that Dorothy was first met by Dr. Vilma Nuñez, president of the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH) and Grethel Sequiera, vice president of the Maria Luisa Ortiz Women’s Cooperative in Mulukuku. "Step by step with her suitcases in hand, Dorothy went through the Immigration rooms of the air terminal, where the applause shook the building."
Upon landing, she said, "I thank God, President Bolaños, and all the good people of this country that made possible my return to my work and this beautiful land." She thanked Migration officials, the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH), and co-workers and friends from the Maria Luisa Ortiz Clinic in Mulukuku who waited patiently while Granada went through Migration and Customs. The women from Mulukuku held a sign against the glass which said "We did it!"
Granada said she believes that the reasons for her expulsion were mainly a misunderstanding with the members of the Liberal Party in Mulukukú. "I always spoke of women's rights and these speeches were viewed as political. They thought that I was speaking of politics, that I was making olitical proselytism, but the women of Mulukukú can do their own political proselytism, they don't need a foreigner for that," she said. For her, "it is totally correct that foreigners should not get involved in political issues; Nicaragua is a country that has its own sovereignty. The U.S government intervened too much in the recent elections here," she added.
Although Granada is eager to go back to Mulukukú, she first will have several important meetings, with Minister of Government Arturo Harding, and Orlando Tardencilla, representative of the Human Rights Commission of the National Assembly. Grethel Sequeira stated that they will also try to schedule meetings with President Enrique Bolaños and with Minister of Health Lucía Salvo in order to complete the legal registration of the Clinic and Granada's residency visa.
IN AN INTERVIEW WITH LA PRENSA (Sunday 2/24/02), Dorothy speaks about er joy at returning to Nicaragua and her plans to focus on preventive medicine in Mulukukú.
”We are going to strengthen our fight against tuberculosis, which has been in this region since 1990,” she said. “There are many people who die because they don’t have a way to come to the city to be cured,” she proclaimed.
“In the months I was gone I looked for help in the United States and I made contact with people specializing in tuberculosis and public health, and also people who want to help with food and projects to bring water. We’re not going to solve all the problems, but it is better to create little by little to solve them,” she stated.
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We are not sure why President Bolanos made the decision to welcome Dorothy back. He may want to distance himself from Aleman in this way. We hope this act signals warmer relationships with non-governmental groups and with other foreign cooperants working in Nicaragua.
What else can we say that we haven’t already said many times? When former president Arnoldo Alemán targeted Dorothy Granada for deportation and the Women’s Clinic in Mulukukú for closure, he picked on the wrong person and the wrong project. Dorothy and the Women’s Coop put up fearless and creative resistance. They mounted a concerted and nonviolent campaign that reached the hearts of the Nicaraguan people. Nicaraguans in and out of government gave them tremendous support in the face of government threats against civil society as a whole.
Dorothy’s incredible support network in the United States made a big impact on the U.S. and Nicaraguan governments by repeatedly phoning, faxing and emailing key government officials during the several months that Dorothy remained hidden. U.S. Congressional representatives played a key role by putting pressure on President Alemán to follow Nicaraguan laws. And Amnesty International made this an international human rights issue, bringing the involvement of people around the globe.
For further analysis, see the previous update sent to you earlier this month. And give yourselves a big pat on the back. The people united do sometimes win. The work of the Clinic in Mulukukú and the campaign to defend it are examples of the kind of international solidarity that is so badly needed in these times. So let us all be proud and be inspired to do more of the same.
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The last update suggested the following responses, and many messages of thanks and congratulations have been received in Nicaragua. If you have not yet had a chance to chime in, or are inspired to do so again, please do the following:
· SEND THANK YOU MESSAGES to President Enrique Bolanos. Thank him for supporting Dorothy’s human rights, the health rights of the people of Mulukukú, and the democratic institutions of Nicaragua.
· SEND MESSAGES OF THANKS AND SUPPORT to the key people in Nicaragua who worked tirelessly on her behalf last year. These include Dr. Vilma Nuñez of the Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights, Ana Quiros of the Coordinadora Civil, and Dr. Benjamin Perez Fonseca of the Human Rights Commission. They need to know that people in the U.S. and elsewhere support their fine work on behalf of human rights in Nicaragua. We are aware that some of these messages by e-mail are getting bounced back from Nicaragua. We will try to collect these (if you copy us) and send them down later.
· Please send copies of these letters to us, the Women’s Empowerment Network, at this e-mail or wempowermentn@yahoo.com or by fax to 831-425-8727.
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President Enrique Bolanos
Fax: 011-505-228-9298
E-mail: fsanchez@mipres.gob.ni, gregorio@ibw.com.niDr. Benjamin Perez Fonseca
Ombudsman for the Defense of Human Rights,
Government of Nicaragua
Fax: 011-505-268-2789
E-mail: procuracion@pddh.orgDra. Vilma Nuñez, President
Nicaraguan Center for Human Rights (CENIDH)
Fax/phone: 011-505-266-8405
Email: cenidh@ibw.org.ni.Ana Quiros Viquez
Enlace Nacional de la Coordinadora Civil
Ccer@ccer.org.ni
Fax: (505) 266 22 37
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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 CondonSanta Cruz Support Committee for Dorothy Granada and the Women's Clinic in Mulukukú (Women's Empowerment Network)
Tel/fax: 831-768-7004
wempowermentn@yahoo.com<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
End of update of February 26, 2002
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