CHONTALES, NICARAGUA: WHERE CATTLE AND LIBERALS

UNCLAS MANAGUA 000721 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/CEN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EINV ELAB PGOV SOCI NU SUBJECT: CHONTALES, NICARAGUA: WHERE CATTLE AND LIBERALS ROAM (FIRST OF TWO) ¶1. (U) Summary: The Department of Chontales is renowned for its cattle and Liberal Constitutional Party (PLC) members. Forty percent of all cows in this cattle nation are raised in this small region, wedged between Lake Nicaragua to the West and the Autonomous Southern Atlantic Region (RAAS) to the East. With high beef prices, easy travel to Managua and beyond on a good highway, and lots of attention from the last two presidential administrations, Chontales is relatively more prosperous than the rest of the country. ECONOFF held meetings recently in Chontales with civic and political leaders, as well as cattle ranchers and business owners. Virtually every political leader was also a cattle rancher and every rancher/business person was a Liberal or Conservative. There are very few Sandinistas in this region. This cable will primarily focus on the economy of Chontales, while a separate message will specifically address the political situation. The general economic themes of the meetings were contentment with the current economy of Chontales, cautious optimism for the opportunities presented by DR-CAFTA, concern about high energy prices, and fear that a Sandinista Party (FSLN) victory in November could wreak havoc upon the national economy. See Paragraph Seven for a list of meeting participants. End Summary. ¶2. (U) All interlocutors agreed that the economy of Chontales is booming, primarily thanks to historically high beef prices, which have more than doubled since 2000. According to the Ministry of Agriculture (MAGFOR),a kilogram of beef paid an average of US $.83 in 1994, $.90 in 2000 and $1.86 in ¶2005. These figures are all the more impressive considering that the exchange rate between the Nicaraguan Cordoba (C$) and the dollar nearly tripled from 6.72 C$/US$ in 1994 to 12.68 in 2000 to 16.73 in 2005. Dairy prices, however, have not kept pace. The price of a liter of milk has fluctuated on a narrow band from US $.277 in 2000 to $.303 in 2002 and back to $.277 in 2005. Fortunately for the region, a great deal of the dairy output is used for value added products such as the famous Chontaleno cheese and ice cream for the successful Nicaraguan ice cream company, Eskimo. Evidence of the booming economy in Chontales - both in comparison to the rest of Nicaragua and in real terms - was evident during ECONOFF's visit. The cities were clean and had well maintained infrastructure and were full of bustling, modern shops. People in the cities were well fed and neatly dressed. Construction of homes and businesses was a common sight. Comment: Areas of extreme poverty remain in rural Chontales. On another recent trip to the region, ECONOFF observed families living in near feudal conditions on the ranches of large property holders. End Comment. ¶3. (SBU) The fact that Chontales is a PLC stronghold has translated into many public works projects over the last decade, especially during the Aleman period. The most expensive project, and one which has paid important financial dividends, is the highway from El Rama to Managua. This once long and painful journey now takes just a few hours, and the highway provides direct access to the Atlantic Ocean via the river port at El Rama. The road had been mostly unpaved and its many bridges had been the frequent target of Contra attacks during the 1980's. Reconstruction of the highway, undertaken during Aleman's presidency, is a prime example of how the ex-president mastered the art of practicing retail politics while lining his own pockets, allegedly via the granting of bloated contracts to several of the president's cronies. Participants in one meeting also noted the different approaches between Aleman and Bolanos in how public works projects have been handled. They said that under Aleman, supplicants lined up at the presidency to get approval so that Aleman could get personal credit for every project. Under Bolanos, however, money has been devolved to the municipalities, allowing them to identify their own priorities and keep the political credit at the local level. Comment: This is not due solely to Bolanos' reform mindedness, but also to the National Assembly stripping power from the presidency to benefit the Aleman-PLC/Ortega-FSLN pact. Since most municipalities nationally are currently led by Sandinista mayors, this economic development policy has resulted in political benefits for the FSLN. End Comment. ¶4. (U) The consensus in the meetings was that DR-CAFTA offers a great opportunity for Nicaragua as a whole, and Chontales in particular. Business, civic, and political leaders are eager to increase exports to the United States, as well as to Central America, and are convinced that they will be able to do so. Nevertheless, participants stated that agricultural practices in Chontales are not sufficiently modern to ensure the quality necessary for competition at the international level. They requested as much U.S. assistance as possible in order to build capacity. When ECONOFF mentioned several current programs administered by USAID, USDA, and MCA, Chonteleno interlocutors were pleased, but poorly informed about these opportunities. In a presentation last year to the international donor community, the Chontales Development Council (CDC) identified several projects such as a milk production plant, assistance with commercialization, and a soil rejuvenation program to assist rural subsistence farmers. ¶5. (U) Although Chontales is strikingly beautiful, with a backdrop of mountains and clear rivers to the east and the shores of Lake Nicaragua to the west, its tourism potential has yet to be tapped. There are few quality hotels and limited tourist destinations seeking to attract international visitors. The CDC recognizes this deficiency and is seeking to develop Chontales as a center for adventure tourism. Other CDC priorities include improving the quality of primary education; providing secondary education for the 70% of rural children for whom it is currently unavailable; continuing infrastructure improvements, especially in the delivery of potable water; upgrading of deteriorating healthcare facilities; and, supporting programs that assist neglected and abused children. ¶6. (SBU) Despite the general spirit of optimism, there is palpable concern about rising energy prices. Participants stated that in addition to limiting their own economic potential, the situation threatens political stability in the country. Along the same lines, these strong Liberals and Conservatives (whether they were reform-minded supporters of PLC breakaway-candidate Eduardo Montealegre or staunch traditionalists) are truly frightened by the prospects of an FSLN victory in November. They worry that such an event would devastate the national economy and that Chontales would suffer economic reprisals from the new government. ¶7. (SBU) Meeting Participants - 'Vamos Con Eduardo' Meeting: Elman Urbina, Municipal President of Juigalpa and PLC activist; Luis Garcia, businessman and PLC activist; Agusto Ayala, businessman and PLC activist; Lombardo Madriz, journalist, city councilman, and chief of the PLC in Juigalpa; and Juan Carlos Bravo, cattle rancher and PLC activist. Supreme Electoral Court Meeting: Marcio Gutierrez, President of the CSE for Chontales and strong supporter of Aleman and the PLC/FSLN pact. Chontales Association of Cattlemen Meeting: Nardo Sierra, President and PLC member; Manuel Fernandez, Treasurer and Conservative Party (PC) member; Martin Hernandez, PLC member; and Maria Fidelina Castro, PLC member. Santo Tomas Cattlemens' Cooperative Meeting: Orlando Bravo, general manager and PC member; Hilario Vargas, former mayor of Santo Tomas and Vamos Con Eduardo member; Vincente Sirias, PLC member; Jose Saborio, PLC member. TRIVELLI