Nicaragua: Aleman & Mas Canosa


Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doersn't Fit


ANTI-CASTRO CUBANS BOND WITH NEW NICARAGUAN GOVERNMENT

by Toby Mailman
for NY Trnasfer News

MANAGUA, Mar 17 -- Jorge Mas Canosa, the Cuban-American multi-millionaire
and media magnate who is head of the right-wing anti-Castro Cuban American
Foundation, is now wielding his influence in Nicaragua through his close
friendship with President Arnoldo Aleman. 

Aleman named Miami resident Luis Zuniga, of Cuban origin, to be included
in the Nicaraguan delegation to Geneva for the fifty-third United Nations
conference on Human Rights.  Zuniga belongs to the Cuban American
Foundation, and is said to have been included in the delegation in order
to denounce human rights abuses in Cuba before the U.N. conference.  His
inclusion apparently came as a surprise to the other members of the
Nicaraguan delegation, including Foreign Minister Emilio Alvarez
Montalvan.  It is unclear whether Zuniga's expenses are being paid by the
Nicaraguan government or by Mas Canosa. President Aleman was quoted in a
local Miami Spanish language newspaper, El Nuevo Herald, as saying "We are
willing to help not only the Cubans to free themselves from the ferocious
dictatorship of Castroism, but also any other people who need [such
help]." 

Many Nicaraguans expressed concern over the Cuban government's reaction to
the inclusion of Zuniga in the Nicaraguan delegation.  Since the triumph
of the Sandinista revolution in 1979, Cuba and Nicaragua have a had a
close relationship which continued even through the six years of the
administration of former president Violeta Chamorro.  In reaction to this
concern, Alvarez declared, "We are not thinking of breaking relations with
Cuba.... I want to make it clear that we will in no way be part of any plot
or invasion against Cuba." 

There are rumors that Arnoldo Aleman has now taken steps to sell
Nicaragua's phone company, Enitel, to Mas Canosa, who gave a great deal of
financial support to Aleman's campaign last year. According to an unnamed
source close to the government, a number of government officials met
recently at the Montelimar beach restort at a time when Mas Canosa was
briefly visiting the country to explore investment possibilities here. 
Upon his return to Miami, Mas Canosa said he had offered Aleman credit
with his company, Mastec, in order to "modernize Nicaragua's telephone
system." 

In return, Aleman apparently pledged to support international initiatives
against the Cuban government.  Mas Canosa was quoted in El Nueva Herald,
saying that Aleman's support would "break the Latin American blockade
which has until now been maintained against the Helms-Burton law" which
strengthens the U.S. embargo against Cuba. 


=================================================================
  NY Transfer News Collective   *   A Service of Blythe Systems  
           Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us           
              339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012              
=================================================================

nytcamer-04.06.97-18:54:49-8553