MISKITO CASE NEEDS SUPPPORT TO MOVE FORWARD

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAGUA 001184 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CEN, DRL/JONATHAN FARRAR, D/CHRIS PADILLA E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/31/2016 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR KDEM ECON SENV EFIN NU SUBJECT: MISKITO CASE NEEDS SUPPPORT TO MOVE FORWARD REF: A. MANAGUA 0212 ¶B. MANAGUA 0758 Classified By: Ambassador Paul A. Trivelli. Reasons 1.4 (b, d) ¶1. (C) During a May 30 meeting with Polcouns and Poloff, Raymond Genie and Marcos Carmona from the Nicaraguan Permanent Human Rights Commission (CPDH) outlined their current activities and plans for their investigation into atrocities committed against the Miskito population during the 1980s Sandinista era. The CPDH has completed its visits to the Atlantic Coast to investigate the allegations; its most recent visit focusing on the area around the municipality of Prinzapolka to the south of Puerto Cabezas. Thus far, they have gathered written, notarized, and video-taped testimony for 89 cases of Sandinista abuses against the Miskito, including execution, torture, forced relocation, and destruction of property. CPDH members will travel to Puerto Cabezas on June 7 to formally denounce these abuses and announce their commitment to bring the cases to justice both in Nicaragua (before the Fiscalia and Procuraduria) and before the OAS Inter-American Human Rights Commission. They plan on holding a press conference for national and international media on June 8; a few survivors will recount their experiences. (Comment: CPDH held their first press event right before the March 5 Atlantic Coast elections and it may have deterred some voters from voting FSLN. Post believes the June 8 press event will have a similar impact.) ¶3. (C) CPDH voiced concerns about the financing of its project, noting that they require funds in the immediate term to continue their efforts on the cases and to continue work on their database of abuses. Carmona and Genie also mentioned that Brooklyn Rivera, one of the original Miskito witnesses, has publicly endorsed Daniel Ortega and will be running as an FSLN deputy (ranks fourth on the national list). CPDH fears that other witnesses may be "bought off" by the FSLN, so they believe they must move quickly to make the case public. ¶4. (C) Comment: If CPDH loses momentum for lack of funds at this critical juncture, much of the effort could be diluted. Miskito leader Blas Coleman has previously told Poloffs that other prominent leaders of the Yatama political party, of which Coleman is a part, have been co-opted by the FSLN, including Steadman Fagoth and party leader Brooklyn Rivera, and are doing their utmost to undermine the CPDH investigation and persuade Miskitos to change their stories in return for FSLN largesse. According to Coleman, Fagoth is openly challenging the investigation and blaming the USG for all 1980s rights abuses on the coast, while Rivera is more subtly arguing against the CPDH investigation behind the scenes. ¶5. (C) Post understands that funding is forthcoming; we look forward to continued progress on this project. TRIVELLI