Even NYT Denouncing Communist Thugs In Nicaragua

[NATO AIR]

wow, i'm shocked... they sound like george bush or john mccain on this one....

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/08/opinion/08sat3.html

Waltz of the Nicaraguan Thugs

Published: October 8, 2005
Nicaragua has gone from real dictatorship to false democracy. There are regular elections, but the country is at risk of becoming like many of its neighbors, where the will of the people is thwarted because elected presidents are toppled in midterm.

In Nicaragua, two strongmen have stripped President Enrique Bolaños of most of his powers and have been threatening to have him impeached. Mr. Bolaños, a conservative and former businessman, is overmatched by these two figures, who are united mostly by self-interest. One is Arnoldo Alemán, a conservative former president who stole huge sums of money and was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2003. But he was recently freed by a judiciary controlled by the second strongman, Daniel Ortega, the Sandinista leader, whose career seemed over just a few years ago.

At the time, Mr. Ortega's stepdaughter accused him of sexually abusing and raping her starting when she was 11. But the courts dismissed the charges under the statute of limitations, and Mr. Ortega regained enough strength to purge the Sandinista party of reformers and challengers. These two men control the Legislature, which has drastically reduced Mr. Bolaños's powers, while the Sandinistas control the courts and the electoral council.

Nicaraguans overwhelmingly oppose this disgusting alliance. Outsiders have also supported President Bolaños, including other Central American presidents and the Organization of American States. This week, Robert Zoellick, the United States deputy secretary of state, went to Nicaragua, where he warned that $175 million in aid would be withdrawn if Mr. Bolaños were forced from office.

After centuries of meddling in Nicaragua, Washington's threats do not always help. But Mr. Zoellick is in good company, and the plotters seem to be pulling back their impeachment plan. Still, more is needed. Mr. Bolaños needs his powers back. Mr. Ortega should not be able to crown himself as his party's next nominee. Mr. Alemán should go back to jail.