2nd Ann Arbor - Juigalpa Delegation Returns

PHOTO: GREGORY FOX

JULY 19, 1987: Marking the 8th Anniversary of the Nicaraguan Revolution, Dr. Kathie Williams, a member of the 2nd Ann Arbor/Juigalpa delegation, speaks on public health gains in Nicaragua. behind her is the Ben Linder Memorial tree (a snowdrift crabapple) planted that day at City hall.

2nd Ann Arbor - Juigalpa delegation Returns

ed. note. From June 20 to 30, 1987, a 12 person delegation from Ann Arbor stayed in our Central America Sister City of Juigalpa, Nicaragua. Upon return, 11 of them issued the following statement. The Ann Arbor News, we are told, refused to print it:

INTRODUCTION

We, the members of the Second Ann Arbor Sister City Delegation, have just returned from our 11-day trip to Nicaragua. During our time in Nicaragua we have visited cities, towns and countryside. We have spoken with officials of national and local governments. We have spoken to workers and peasants. We have spoken to health care providers, teachers and shopkeepers. We have spoken to engineers and technicians. We have also spoken with, and had free access to, official representative of institutions which obviously would like to see a contra victory.

We have spoken with the people of Nicaragua. Our overwhelming sense is of a people who are building a just and economically democratic country for themselves to live in. And of a people who overwhelmingly support the revolution and its triumph.

They have also described the incredible difficulties of living in a country under siege, both economic and military. We have heard complaints of shortages, of government mistakes and of conflicts between some individuals and the govemment. Along with this we heard of government actions to correct these mistakes, of actions to redress errors and of heroic attempts to distribute scarce supplies and resources to all the people of Nicaragua.

The Government of Nicaragua is not merely responding to the people; it is the people. For the first time ever in Nicaragua, even though under the most adverse conditions, the resources of the country are being distributed equitably and fairly to all.

The overwhelming message that we heard from the people of Nicaragua is that if the U.S. would stop interfering in Nicaragua, the government could continue to correct the errors it makes along the way and to redress the grievances of its people.

To decide to do otherwise is to side with the murderous policy of death, torture and starvation imposed by the U.S. government through its military and institutional mercenaries. It is to support forces in Nicaragua who attempt to sway us by falsely claiming that "life here now is worse than it is for Blacks in South Africa" as claimed by one anti-government spokesperson. It is to support a U.S. Government which claims that the contras "have a policy of total observation of human rights" as was claimed by a State Department representative.

People opposed to U.S. intervention are often asked about restrictions on freedom and liberty in Nicaragua. People in Nicaragua and the Government have told us that the only such restrictions are those required by the war. We saw no evidence otherwise. We were told that when the necessities of war are gone so would be these restrictions.

Just as we support the end of the war we also support the people of Nicaragua and the Government in their stated desire for the end of all need for such restrictions.

We call on the U.S. to be what is should be -- the champions of a democratic and just world order. We, who have so many resources to give, should be assisting the impoverished and struggling people of Nicaragua to achieve a humane and decent standard of living with access to health, education and nutrition, instead of actively working to deny this to them.

CONCLUSIONS

In April 1986, the voters of Ann Arbor opposed U.S. government interference in the affairs of Nicaragua. The same referendum called for the establishment of a sister city relationship with Juigalpa, Nicaragua. We agree with the findings of the first delegation. The following summarizes the conclusions the second delegation has reached based upon our collective

(see Sister City, page 23)

SISTER CITY

(from page 4)

observations and experiences:

1) It is in the best interests of both the United States and Nicaragua for the U.S. to halt all aid to the contras immediately.

2) The contras are terrorists. They strike at health workers, teachers, hospitals, schools. They burn farms. They kidnap civilians. They do not confront the Nicaraguan military.

3) The war and the trade embargo have caused serious economic damage to a country which already is desperately poor. The Nicaraguan people have been reduced to practicing the economics of survival.

4) The Nicaraguan Government is doing its best to redistribute resources equitably to meet basic human needs. Tremendous advances have been made in health care and education, as has been recognized by world health organizations.

5) Religious activity is thriving in Nicaragua. There is intense ferment within the Catholic Church.

6) Political pluralism exists in Nicaragua. Seven different political parties have elected representatives in the National Assembly.

7) The Nicaraguan people we met did not hesitate to freely and openly express their opinions about their government and its policies.

8) We found little evidence that the Nicaraguan Government is denying freedom in a manner inconsistent with the behavior of a democratic country at war.

9) Although the Nicaraguan Government, like other govemments, has made errors in its management of the economy, it also has shown flexibility and a willingness to change mistaken policies.

10) Despite the suffering our government's policies have inflicted upon them, the Nicaraguan people showed no animosity towards us as individuals.

11) The Nicaraguan people have shown great hope, courage and stamina through more than eight years of war and struggle. They retain their idealistic vision of a just and fair society.

12) The Nicaraguan people want, need and deserve peace.

SIGNED:

Tom Gomez

Steve Hayworth

Gary Rothberger

Walter Karas

Susan Shotland-Rodriguez

Elisa McCabe

Kate Warner

Joshua Meisier

Kathy Williams

Leonard Quenon

Darlo Rodríguez