EscucharNICARAGUA
Country key to region
MANAGUA - The vice president of the Inter American Development Bank (IDB), Nancy Birdsale, asserted yesterday that the level of economic development here will be in a direct relation to the true growth that Central America can attain.
``Nicaragua is a very important country for the IDB and if it is not successful we won't be able to tell the world that we have been successful in the region,'' Birdsale said during a two-day visit here.
The official remarked that ``Nicaragua is a very poor country and there are many great challenges to meet here.'' She mentioned the fact that this is the second poorest country in Latin America -- after Haiti --, with 70 percent poverty and 53 percent unemployment.
Birdsale is analyzing the cooperation the IDB provides the government of Nicaragua, including a future $50-million loan, the Nicaraguan Minister of External Cooperation, David Robleto, said.
Drug trafficker released
MANAGUA - The Supreme Court of Justice ordered the release of Norwin Meneses-Cantarero due to allegedly good behavior, although he has served only close to half of the 12.5 years sentence he was given for drug trafficking, judicial sources disclosed.
Meneses was arrested in 1991 with 700 kilos (1521.7 lbs.) of cocaine. At the time he was the leader of an international drug-trafficking organization.
The chief of the anti-drug division of the National Police, Carlos Palacios, asserted that Meneses is ``a known criminal and a dangerous (drug) trafficker.''
HONDURAS
U.S. Senate takes part in Jesuit case
TEGUCIGALPA - The U.S. Senate joined the efforts to have the CIA declassify the records concerning the disappearance of Jesuit James Carney in Honduras 14 years ago, a member of the Jesuit Order said here yesterday.
Jesuit Joseph Mulligan told the press that Sen. Carl Levin, of the Senate's Investigation Committee, ``has asked that the Senate that the CIA fully declassify (the records concerning the Carney case).''
Mulligan, other Jesuits, John Patrick Carney and Jean Brenner (brother and cousin to the late Carney) have taken part in a hunger strike the last three weeks in order to demand that the CIA disclose all the information regarding the fate of the missing Jesuit.
Polemics over I.D. card
TEGUCIGALPA - Most of the political parties in Honduras rejected yesterday the alleged proposal of the government to authorize voting by the bearers of old identification cards in the coming November 30 presidential election. The contention hinges on the fact that hundreds of thousands of voters were not issued the new documents that are now valid.
The presidential candidate of the leading opposition party, the National Party, threatened with staging demonstrations at the National Congress and at other government buildings to show their rejection of a decision that, she claims, ``would promote an electoral fraud'' by the ruling Liberal Party.
Liberal congressman Carlos Flores claimed that there has been a lot of speculation on the issue. However, he remarked, the constitution grants the right to vote and every citizen should enjoy it. He added that a mechanism to enable citizens to vote should be found, because otherwise ``their rights would be violated as a result of the lack of efficiency of the institutions in charge of the electoral process.''
EL SALVADOR
Free trade with Panama
SAN SALVADOR - The Central American countries expect to draft a proposal soon for a Free Trade Agreement with Panama, which would enable the enhancing and improving of the region's commercial exchange, the Salvadoran director of Trade Policies, Claudia Umaña, said yesterday.
Representatives from El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Costa Rica met this week in San Salvador to define the guidelines of the agreement.
The agreement will be based on the conclusions of 12 meetings held by the region's top economic and trade officials, who expect the pact to bring an improvement in the trade between the Central American countries and Panama.
Exchange Rate
Costa Rica (colón): 242.10
El Salvador (colón): 8.79
Guatemala (quetzal): 6.24
Honduras (lempira): 13.25
Nicaragua (córdoba): 9.90
