PLC MAYORS DEMAND ALEMAN LEAVE PARTY

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAGUA 001556

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR WHA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/13/2016
TAGS: PGOV KDEM SOCI NU
SUBJECT: PLC MAYORS DEMAND ALEMAN LEAVE PARTY

Classified By: Ambassador Paul Trivelli for reasons 1.4 (b and d)


1. (C) Summary: A group of 15 mayors and municipal leaders
from northern areas of Nicaragua held a press conference in
Managua on July 12 to insist that convicted PLC leader
Arnoldo Aleman and his family leave the PLC for the good of
the party and the good of the country. This event followed a
series of meetings with Ambassador and emboffs where we
clearly explained our policy rejecting Aleman and his
followers. Emboffs are working to pull more PLC mayors and
other officials away from Aleman. We believe that the
mayors' efforts will likely fail, but if Aleman refuses to
release his grip on the PLC, they may decide to abandon the
PLC and join forces with the ALN. End Summary.

PLC MAYORS WANT ALEMAN OUT OF PARTY
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2. (C) A group of PLC mayors )- several of whom Ambassador
and poloffs met on previous regional reporting trips --
requested a meeting on June 30 to discuss the upcoming
elections and their discontent with the national management
of the PLC. The group of 16 mayors, vice mayors and
municipal officials from seven northern municipalities
expressed their deep concern over the possible victory of
FSLN presidential candidate Daniel Ortega on November 5.
They asserted the need to unite the Liberal forces under one
candidate to prevent an Ortega victory and expressed
acceptance for both ALN candidate Eduardo Montealegre and PLC
candidate Jose Rizo.


3. (C) The mayors complained that PLC leader Arnoldo Aleman
and the PLC Central Committee (CEN) have mismanaged the party
and given too much power to the FSLN through the political
pact formed by Aleman and Ortega. They agreed that the PLC's
list of deputy candidates is filled with Aleman loyalists who
have no popular support ) a "dedocracy" (personal selection
by the party caudillo). Although most rural people are still
firmly pro-Aleman, the mayors claimed, many Liberals are
tired of the caudillos and may not bother to vote on election
day. Also, the division of the Liberal forces has caused
confusion in the Liberal ranks. They repeated, however, that
Liberal dissident Eduardo Montealegre has little support in
rural areas and only the PLC has the "party machinery" to
confront the FSLN.


4. (C) The mayors agreed with the Ambassador that Aleman must
leave the PLC for the party to recover. They claimed that 22
(out of 50 PLC mayors) agree that Aleman must go and are
ready to make some sort of public statement to that regard.
The mayors spoke of organizing a meeting with Jose Rizo, Jose
Antonio Alvarado, and Eduardo Montealegre to try to find a
way to reunite the Liberals without the stain of Aleman,s
involvement. They promised to develop a strategy and inform
the Embassy.

PLC MAYORS PUBLICLY DENOUNCE ALEMAN
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5. (C) A group of 15 mayors and councilors held a press
conference in Managua on July 12 to insist that Arnoldo
Aleman and his family leave the PLC for the good of the party
and the good of the country. A large banner displayed behind
the group read, "We are not blind, deaf, or dumb!" The
mayors expressed support for PLC presidential candidate Jose
Rizo and vice presidential candidate Jose Antonio Alvarado.


6. (C) The driving force behind the mayoral revolt is the
president of the national municipal development organization
(INIFOM),Eduardo Cuadra. Cuadra, a member of Eduardo
Montealegre's Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance (ALN),plans to
organize another set of press conferences with additional
mayors unhappy with Aleman. His strategy is to emphasize the
fact that Aleman,s presence is preventing Liberal unity (and
risking an FSLN victory). Cuadra feels this strategy will
gain him more mileage with more mayors for the time being,
with the eventual goal of pushing them to the ALN when Aleman
refuses to back down.


7. (C) In response to the press conference, Cuadra reported
that Aleman and PLC vice president Wilfredo Navarro are
lobbying all of the PLC mayors to remain compliant and
threatening some with trumped up legal charges from
Arnoldista judges. (Comment: The completely politicized
court system is commonly used by the PLC and FSLN to
intimidate political opponents and extort money from the
private sector. End Comment.)

COMMENT: ALEMAN POLICY SINKING IN?
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8. (C) Cuadra reported that our regional visits, and
especially the meeting with the mayors in Managua at the end
of June, have had a tremendous impact. Our repeated
statements that Aleman is the true obstacle to Liberal unity
and must leave the PLC seem to finally resonate with some
local officials. We will continue to support Cuadra's
efforts with the PLC mayors. We believe that the mayors'
efforts will likely fail, but if Aleman refuses to release
his grip on the PLC, they may decide to support Montealegre's
campaign.
TRIVELLI