Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09MANAGUA358
2009-04-03 16:42:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Managua
Cable title:
CPC DEATH THREATS TO HUMAN & LABOR RIGHTS DEFENDER
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAGUA 000358
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN KRAAIMOORE
DEPT FOR DRL MAGGIO
DEPT PASS USOAS
DEPT PASS USAID
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM NU
SUBJECT: CPC DEATH THREATS TO HUMAN & LABOR RIGHTS DEFENDER
Classified By: Ambassador Robert J. Callahan for reasons 1.4 (b & d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAGUA 000358
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN KRAAIMOORE
DEPT FOR DRL MAGGIO
DEPT PASS USOAS
DEPT PASS USAID
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM NU
SUBJECT: CPC DEATH THREATS TO HUMAN & LABOR RIGHTS DEFENDER
Classified By: Ambassador Robert J. Callahan for reasons 1.4 (b & d)
1. (C) SUMMARY: On March 26, Human Rights Defender and Labor
Activist Alvaro Leiva Sanchez received a hand-written death
threat signed by the Citizen Power Council (CPC) allegedly
from Masaya. The note was addressed to Mr. Leiva's
mother-in-law, but the death threat was directed against Mr.
Leiva, his wife and two children for "continuing to attack
the FSLN" in his lawsuit against the illegal firings of over
10,000 Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI)
employees by the FSLN government. Mr. Leiva reported the
incident to the police in Masaya where he lives, and publicly
denounced the death threat during a special press conference
on Tuesday, March 31 at the Permanent Commission on Human
Rights (CPDH) in Managua. The death threat shows once again
that Nicaraguan human rights defenders continue to be targets
for harassment. END SUMMARY
--------------
ALVARO LEIVA SANCHEZ BIO
--------------
2. (C) Alvaro Leiva Sanchez, age 45, is a rising figure in
Nicaragua's human and labor rights community. While studying
medicine in college, he was forced to flee Nicaragua in 1987
and became a political refugee in Guatemala until 1995. His
experience as a political refugee led him to change careers
to law in order to defend human rights. When he returned to
Nicaragua, Mr. Leiva found work in the Ministry of
Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI) and became involved
in the employee union. He rose through the union leadership
ranks and eventually became the General Secretary of the
Public Employees Union of the Ministry of Transportation and
Infrastructure (SEMTIAC). After the Sandinista National
Liberation Front (FSLN) returned to power in 2007, Mr. Leiva
defended thousands of MTI union employees who were illegally
fired from their positions. Mr. Leiva himself was fired from
his MTI job last year. Mr. Leiva has filed lawsuits against
the FSLN government and MTI for the illegal firings and has
also taken steps to file these cases with the Inter-American
Court on Human Rights (IACHR). He currently serves as the
CPDH Human Rights coordinator for Masaya, Granada, and Rivas
departments. Mr. Leiva was mentioned in post,s 2008 Human
Rights Report and has been nominated for an International
Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).
--------------
THE CPC DEATH THREAT
--------------
3. (C) A handwritten note was left at the home of Elbia
Morales Ortega, the mother-in-law of Mr. Leiva on March 26.
It said: "Mrs. Elbia, tell your son-in-law that he better
shut his mouth and not continue attacking the FSLN for
believing that he would be in the Ministry of Transportation
forever not knowing that his days are numbered, and that his
two daughters and wife could appear in the street or his
house in flames or full of the worms that go in the
canals...that we already know where he lives on lemon street
in the Chester house... (signed) CPC." Included with the
note was a clipping of Mr. Leiva's recent editorial in La
Prensa about labor laws. After filing a police report about
the incident on March 26, Mr. Leiva contacted EmbOff on March
30 to share a copy of the police report and death threat. He
held a press conference at CPDH headquarters in Managua to
denounce the death threat on March 31.
--------------
COMMENT
--------------
4. (C) While this is not the first time that Nicaraguan human rights figures have been subject to death threats for attacking the FSLN government, this may be the first time that CPCs have openly signed a death threat. Previous death threats to human rights defenders were anonymous, without specific reference to CPCs. This incident shows once again that CPCs are clearly looking out for the FSLN government, and not the wider Nicaraguan society, as First Lady Rosario Murillo's propaganda would have one believe. That the incident happened at all underscores the sad fact that Nicaragua's human rights defenders continue to be targeted for speaking out against the government, the CPCs and the FSLN party.
CALLAHAN
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR WHA/CEN KRAAIMOORE
DEPT FOR DRL MAGGIO
DEPT PASS USOAS
DEPT PASS USAID
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/01/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM NU
SUBJECT: CPC DEATH THREATS TO HUMAN & LABOR RIGHTS DEFENDER
Classified By: Ambassador Robert J. Callahan for reasons 1.4 (b & d)
1. (C) SUMMARY: On March 26, Human Rights Defender and Labor
Activist Alvaro Leiva Sanchez received a hand-written death
threat signed by the Citizen Power Council (CPC) allegedly
from Masaya. The note was addressed to Mr. Leiva's
mother-in-law, but the death threat was directed against Mr.
Leiva, his wife and two children for "continuing to attack
the FSLN" in his lawsuit against the illegal firings of over
10,000 Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI)
employees by the FSLN government. Mr. Leiva reported the
incident to the police in Masaya where he lives, and publicly
denounced the death threat during a special press conference
on Tuesday, March 31 at the Permanent Commission on Human
Rights (CPDH) in Managua. The death threat shows once again
that Nicaraguan human rights defenders continue to be targets
for harassment. END SUMMARY
--------------
ALVARO LEIVA SANCHEZ BIO
--------------
2. (C) Alvaro Leiva Sanchez, age 45, is a rising figure in
Nicaragua's human and labor rights community. While studying
medicine in college, he was forced to flee Nicaragua in 1987
and became a political refugee in Guatemala until 1995. His
experience as a political refugee led him to change careers
to law in order to defend human rights. When he returned to
Nicaragua, Mr. Leiva found work in the Ministry of
Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI) and became involved
in the employee union. He rose through the union leadership
ranks and eventually became the General Secretary of the
Public Employees Union of the Ministry of Transportation and
Infrastructure (SEMTIAC). After the Sandinista National
Liberation Front (FSLN) returned to power in 2007, Mr. Leiva
defended thousands of MTI union employees who were illegally
fired from their positions. Mr. Leiva himself was fired from
his MTI job last year. Mr. Leiva has filed lawsuits against
the FSLN government and MTI for the illegal firings and has
also taken steps to file these cases with the Inter-American
Court on Human Rights (IACHR). He currently serves as the
CPDH Human Rights coordinator for Masaya, Granada, and Rivas
departments. Mr. Leiva was mentioned in post,s 2008 Human
Rights Report and has been nominated for an International
Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP).
--------------
THE CPC DEATH THREAT
--------------
3. (C) A handwritten note was left at the home of Elbia
Morales Ortega, the mother-in-law of Mr. Leiva on March 26.
It said: "Mrs. Elbia, tell your son-in-law that he better
shut his mouth and not continue attacking the FSLN for
believing that he would be in the Ministry of Transportation
forever not knowing that his days are numbered, and that his
two daughters and wife could appear in the street or his
house in flames or full of the worms that go in the
canals...that we already know where he lives on lemon street
in the Chester house... (signed) CPC." Included with the
note was a clipping of Mr. Leiva's recent editorial in La
Prensa about labor laws. After filing a police report about
the incident on March 26, Mr. Leiva contacted EmbOff on March
30 to share a copy of the police report and death threat. He
held a press conference at CPDH headquarters in Managua to
denounce the death threat on March 31.
--------------
COMMENT
--------------
4. (C) While this is not the first time that Nicaraguan human rights figures have been subject to death threats for attacking the FSLN government, this may be the first time that CPCs have openly signed a death threat. Previous death threats to human rights defenders were anonymous, without specific reference to CPCs. This incident shows once again that CPCs are clearly looking out for the FSLN government, and not the wider Nicaraguan society, as First Lady Rosario Murillo's propaganda would have one believe. That the incident happened at all underscores the sad fact that Nicaragua's human rights defenders continue to be targeted for speaking out against the government, the CPCs and the FSLN party.
CALLAHAN