Yearbook 2010
Nicaragua. The old conflict with Costa Rica over the San
Juan border river was dramatically raised in the latter part
of the year, despite the fact that the International Court
of Justice in Hague had issued a compromise opinion in 2009
explaining the area of Nicaraguan territory but with the
right for Costa Rica to operate on the river. In October,
Costa Rica deployed armed police at a border section against
Nicaragua, and the following month Nicaraguan troops
occupied the island of Isla Calero, which belongs to Costa
Rica. A trigger in the recent conflict was the Nicaraguan
government's plans to build a hydroelectric power plant on
the river.
According to
COUNTRYAAH, the constitutional problems with the Supreme Court also
continued during the year. In April, two members refused to
resign even though their term of office was over. They
referred to a decision by President Daniel Ortega that
outgoing judges can remain if Congress fails to find a
replacement. The refusal of the President of the Court,
Manuel Martínez, to recognize the two judges and with
political deadlock in Congress meant that even the Supreme
Court virtually ceased to function and its legitimacy was
strongly questioned. The situation was a reminder of how
deeply politicized Nicaragua's supreme court has become;
President Martínez is allied with the opposition party PLC
(Partido Liberal Constitucionalista) while the two judges
have ties to the ruling party FSLN (Frente Sandinista de
Liberación Nacional).
2018 Rebellion against Ortega Board
In April 2018, a popular uprising against Ortega erupted.
The reason was that the government had decided to increase
workers' contributions to the social services and to tax
pension payments. The State Social Service Instituto
Nicaraguense de Seguridad Social (INSS) had been in deficit
for several years, and to correct it the government decided
to increase workers' contributions to INSS from 6.25% to 7%,
and at the same time a 5% was added. tax on pension
payments. IMFhad instructed the country to cut social
budgets and supported the INSS intervention. But in light of
the economic crisis in the country, the intervention
triggered fierce popular protests and within 5 days 30 had
been killed during demonstrations against the government.
This led Ortega to withdraw the INSS intervention, but too
late. The demonstrations continued and now concentrated on
the demand for the departure of Ortegas and the government.
Ortega talked about US interference, and it was also true
that the US had funded right-wing groups that went to armed
attacks on security forces. In previous years, the United
States has succeeded in overthrowing the popular governments
of Argentina and Brazil and vigorously destabilizing the
government of Venezuela. Nicaragua was now the next country
to set up a US friendly government. But the uprising was not
simply US based.
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