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