Autonomy will open window to the Caribbean

[URRACA]

With the Autonomy, the inhabitants of the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua will have to administer the wealth of the zone

The poverty of the settlers of the Caribbean region of the country contrasts with its natural wealth: it fishes, mining, forest and perhaps until petroleum. Inserted Norman Bent, Shepherd moravo and special solicitor for the Caribbean coast.


The rational operation of the natural resources, like the mining?un nonrenewable resource, the fishing and the wood, are key to guarantee the future economic of the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, that will acquire a real autonomy in the next weeks, noticed Ray Hooker Taylor, president of the Foundation for the Autonomy and Desarrollo of the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua (Fadcanic).

The fishing resources so have been operated in the zone, that already is observed a substantial diminution of the capture of the shrimp, assured Hooker.

To their criterion, the competitive advantages of the Caribbean region, that would have to work like home port for the export towards the United States, can contribute to the integral development of the nation.

The special solicitor for the indigenous towns and ethnic communities of the Caribbean coast, Norman Bent, sees in the geographic position of the region, an opportunity for the commerce with Caribbean countries like Puerto Rico, Barbados, Jamaica and Dominican Republic.

It becomes necessary, he added Bent, to improve the infrastructure of the region. For example, to turn the airport of Bilwi (Port Heads), in an international bridge for the promotion of the tourism; and to improve?trocha? between that city and Managua, because it is as it left to the government of Anastasio Somoza it in the Seventies.

Without singing victory

Hooker, in as much, suggests?no is necessary to sing victory? with the approval of the regulation of the Law of Autonomy, because it lacks the discussion in the individual.

Nevertheless, the approval of the regulation of Autonomy, in the general, and of the Law of Demarcation of Indigenous Territories, in December of the 2002, costeño is historical steps in favor of the town, admitted Bent.

He is optimistic: of being victims and we will happen to play in the same field.

16 years of forgetfulness

During the Eighties, Ray Hooker recalled, the Caribbean coast was a zone battle, waged war between the sandinista Army and the rebellious indigenous groups, miskitos, sumus and branches.

In order to calm the spirits in the region and to obtain the pacification, the National Assembly, controlled by the sandinistas, it approved the Law of Autonomy in 1987, but it was not regulated by then the governing Daniel Ortega Saavedra, who had the exclusive attribution to do it.

?Había ambiguities within the sandinismo with respect to the autonomy, although its official policy era of support to the autonomy, it indicated Hooker.

The government of Violet Districts of Chamorro (1990-1996), continued Hooker, was opposing of the Autonomy, as much that at beginnings of his mandate he tried to not know it. Later, Districts were committed to regulate the law in sixty days, but never it did it.

The government of German Arnoldo Lacayo (1997-2001) is considered by Hooker, like an enemy of the autonomy costeña, because he even noticed that he would destroy the autonomic process. But German one was whereupon many costeños of Partido Liberal Constitucionalista (PLC) were in favor of the Autonomy.

During the administration of Enrique Bolaños, the National Assembly retook the attribution to regulate the law before the inoperancia of the Executive.

Rich earth poor men

59,673 km2 is the area of the Nicaraguan Caribbean region, that is the 45,8% of the national territory.

500.000 people live in the region.

75% of the population live in the poverty.

43% of the greater population of ten years are illiterate.

6 ethnic communities inhabit the region: branches, mayangnas, miskitos, creoles, mestizos and garífunas.

32.9% of the houses count on potable water.

46.8% of the houses count on electrical energy.

SOURCE: Magazine Wani and Fundacio'n for the Autonomy and the Development of Costa Atla'ntica (FADCANIC). .