Key developments
since March 1999: The Mine Ban Treaty entered into force for Nicaragua on 1
May 1999. National implementing legislation was signed into law on 7 December
1999. Nicaragua began destruction of its AP mine stockpile in April 1999, and
had destroyed 40,000 mines as of May 2000. As of January 2000, some $20.8
million had been committed of the estimated $27 million needed to complete mine
clearance by 2004. By the end of 1999, 1.291 square kilometers of land had been
cleared and 54,107 AP mines destroyed from 524 sites. The number of mine
victims reportedly has declined.
Mine Ban Policy
Nicaragua signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 4 December
1997 and deposited its instrument of ratification at the UN on 30 November 1998.
The treaty entered into force for Nicaragua on 1 May 1999. President
Alemán Lacayo signed implementing legislation on 7 December 1999, with
penal sanctions for violations of the
law.[1]
Nicaragua participated at the First Meeting of State Parties (FMSP) held in
Maputo in May 1999 and was represented by Ambassador Lester Mejía
Solís. Since the FMSP, Nicaragua has served as co-chair of the Standing
Committee of Experts on Victim Assistance. The government has participated
actively in all the intersessional meetings of the five SCEs. Nicaragua made a
presentation to the May 2000 meeting of the SCE on Stockpile Destruction.
Nicaragua’s Article 7 transparency measures report dated 30 September 1999
was submitted to the UN on 18 May
2000.[2]
In December 1999, Nicaragua sponsored and voted in favor of UN General
Assembly resolution 54/54B, as it had done with other pro-ban UNGA resolutions
in 1996, 1997 and 1998.
Nicaragua is not a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons, and is
not a member of the Conference on Disarmament.
Production, Transfer, Use
Nicaragua no longer produces landmines. It reports
having AP mines manufactured by the former Soviet Union, former Czechoslovakia,
and Cuba in its
inventory.[3]
According to its Article 7 Report, 286 landmines were transferred to the
OAS/IADB MARMINCA program for canine training on 29 September 1998. This
included 62 PMN, 65 POMZ, 66 PP-Mi-SrII, 20 PMD-6M, 48 PMN-2, 20 MON-50, and 5
PTMI-K.[4]
There have been no allegations of recent use of antipersonnel mines in
Nicaragua. According to Nicaraguan Army sources, the Operational Division of
the Army registered the emplacement of approximately 120,000 antipersonnel mines
during conflicts in the
1980s.[5]
Stockpiling and Destruction
Nicaragua’s Article 7 report and subsequent
information provided to Landmine Monitor by the Nicaraguan Army and Foreign
Ministry indicate the following:
136,813 antipersonnel mines were in stockpiles at the beginning of 1999.
A total of 40,000 AP mines have been destroyed: 5,000 on 12 April 1999;
another 5,000 on 28 August 1999; another 10,000 on 3 December 1999; another
10,000 on 25 February 2000 in an event attended by the President; and, another
10,000 mines in April 2000.
As of the end of May 2000, there were 91,813 antipersonnel mines in
Nicaragua’s stockpile.
The target date for completion of destruction is April
2002.[6]
All
destruction events were conducted in the presence of observers, usually
including representatives from the Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs,
Congress, NGOs and the media. OAS Secretary General César Gaviria
attended the August 1999 event, and the President attended the February 2000
event.
Another 30,000 mines have been destroyed since the 30 September 1999 date of
the Article 7 report, but at that time the Nicaraguan stockpile included the
following mines: 38,818 PMN; 37,046 PMN-2; 5,250 PP-MiSr-11; 331 OZM-4; 3,023
POMZ-2; 38,862 POMZ-2M; 3,318 MON-50; 11 MON-100; 154 MON-200; PMFH (unspecified
number); and TAP-4 (unspecified
number).[7] The stockpile
totals for the Cuban PMFH-1 and indigenously produced TAP-4 antipersonnel mines
were not included in the Article 7 report and not reflected in the total
stockpile aggregation. Nicaragua possessed 1,820 PMD-6M antipersonnel mines,
but 1,800 were destroyed in April 1999 and 20 transferred to the OAS/IADB for
training purposes in September 1998.
The Article 7 report gives details on the 10,000 mines destroyed in public
ceremonies during 1999, which included 4,463 PMN; 1,200 PMN-2; 1,015 PMFH-1;
1,800 PMD-6M; and 1,522 POMZ-2. Stockpile destruction was carried out at the
Polígono de Tiro de Unidad Militar, at the National Sergeant School
Andrés Castro in Managua. The method of destruction was
open-burning/open-detonation
(OB/OD).[8]
At a meeting of the SCE on Stockpile Destruction, Nicaragua said that it
costs approximately US$5 to destroy each mine, and about $30,000 per
explosion.[9]
According to the Article 7 Report, Nicaragua is planning to retain 1,971
landmines for training purposes. This includes: 500 PMN; 500 PMN-2; 100
PP-Mi-Sr11; 50 OZM-4; 50 PMFH; 100 POMZ-2; 500 POMZ-2M; 100 MON-50; 11 MON-100;
and 10 MON-200.[10]
Landmine Problem
Nicaragua’s Article 7 report states that
135,643 mines were laid in the country during the conflict, including both
antipersonnel and antitank mines. UNICEF notes that in addition to the mines,
“a large quantity of explosive devices such as bombs, fragmentation
grenades, mortars, and ammunition were also left in areas where combat took
place.”[11]
Nicaragua reports that landmines laid between 1982-1989 are still in the
ground in 465 fields or “groups” of mines along approximately 380
kilometers of the border, and in thirty-nine sites inside Nicaragua. The
locating of suspected minefields was ongoing, taking into account the effects of
Hurricane Mitch.[12] Nicaraguan
civilians have informed authorities of the presence of landmines in the
Departments of Matagalpa, Madriz, Jinotega, Nueva Segovia, Estelí,
Chontales, Boaco, Río San Juan, Chinandega, Zelaya Norte, and Zelaya
Sur.[13] Thirty-five of
Nicaragua’s 143 municipalities are mine-affected, which represents
approximately 37% of the national
population.[14]
In January 2000, the Army noted that currently there is one mine on the
ground for every 55 Nicaraguans, down from one for every 32 in 1993; 26.9% of
Nicaragua’s northern border with Honduras is mined, down from 34% in 1993;
0.9% of Nicaragua’s southern border with Costa Rica is mined, down from
29% in 1993; and there is one mine in the ground for every 34 Nicaraguan
children, down from one for every 20 children in
1993.[15]
The Centro de Estudios Estratégicos de Nicaragua (CEEN), and the
Centro de Estudios Internacionales (CEI), two of the principal NGOs dealing with
the landmine problem and mine awareness in Nicaragua, note that there can only
be estimates of the number of mines planted in Nicaraguan territory. The
Army’s records of mines it laid do not account for the mines planted by
the “Contras” or, in all likelihood, those by all Army tactical
units during the conflict. Joel Zamora, Director of CEEN, said, “To be
realistic, neither the Army nor the Contras know where they planted many of
their mines.”[16] Maps
will have limited value, after nearly 15 years have passed and Hurricane Mitch
affected the location of minefields.
With the passage of time and population growth, previously sparsely inhabited
areas are being settled. Indeed according to reports from mine awareness
volunteers, communities continue to expand into areas known to be
mined-affected. The old warning signs and fences have been destroyed over time,
especially on account of the 1998 Hurricane Mitch, but also through vandalism
and the “recycling” of barbed wire and signs for economic
purposes.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has recently announced that
during the period May-July 2000 it will carry out a landmine assessment mission
to Nicaragua, in cooperation with the
OAS.[17]
Mine Action Funding
The OAS Assistance Program for Demining in Central
America (PADCA) involves mine and UXO clearance programs in Nicaragua, Honduras,
Guatemala, and Costa Rica. In 1999 the annual budget for the whole OAS regional
demining program was $6 million and in 2000 it was $7.6 million, financed by
Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, the U.S. and the
U.K.[18] Nicaragua currently
contributes personnel to PADCA. Since July 1999, in addition to Nicaragua,
other countries including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, El Salvador,
and Venezuela have contributed
personnel.[19]
According to the Article 7 Report, Nicaragua needs $27 million in
international assistance to complete demining and stockpile destruction. Lt.
Col. Cesar Delgadillo, head of the Demining Units, calculates that the Army will
require some $30 million to carry out its work over the period 1999-2004.
Virtually of all of this must come from foreign
donations.[20]
According to the Nicaraguan Army’s update of January 2000, so far, a
total of $20.8 million has been committed by various countries to the demining
effort, including: Denmark - $6.8 million for the period 2000-2004; Sweden - $5
million also for 2000-2004; Canada - $2 million for 2000-2001; Norway - $2
million for 2000-2001; the U.S. - $2.5 million for 2000-2002; and the UK - $2.5
million for 2003-2004.[21]
The OAS notes that U.S. and UK funds will be used to establish a new
operations front composed of 100 deminers in the North Atlantic Autonomous
Region. Deminers for the new platoons were in the process of being trained.
The OAS emphasized that these deminers would supplement the other two fronts
that are supported by the international community, through the OAS, in the areas
of Ocotal and Juigalpa.[22]
Mine Clearance
Mine clearance is the responsibility of the
Pequeñas Unidades de Desminado, PUD (Small Demining Units) of the
Engineer Corps of the Nicaraguan Army. The Nicaraguan Army, with support from
the OAS/IADB is currently undertaking mine clearance and training operations in
Nicaragua.
According to the Article 7 Report, the approximately 650 Army personnel of
the Programa De Desminado Nacional (PDN) destroyed 54,107 AP mines between
1993-1999 from 524 sites with 1.291 square kilometers
cleared.[23] Still to be
cleared were an estimated 81,536 mines in 476 sites. Priorities are the
northern and southern border regions, where there are large peasant populations
whose agricultural and herding activities are important for the economic
development of Nicaragua. Clearance of the remaining mines will be completed by
2004 with a total cost of approximately $27 million, about $340 per
mine.[24]
After a request for assistance by President Alemán Lacayo after the
devastation of Hurricane Mitch, UNMAS assessed the situation in Nicaragua in
November 1998 and proposed the implementation of a short-term mine action
assistance project. The aim of the project was to increase the national
detection and clearance capacity in order to guarantee that reconstruction sites
around destroyed bridges were cleared of mines.
From May until the end of July 1999, this UNMAS project resulted in more than
527 square meters around four destroyed bridges, on the northern part of the
main road leading North from Managua to Honduras, to be declared free of
landmines.[25] Under the
Hurricane Mitch emergency plan, between January and August 1999, thirty bridges
were demined or certified free of landmines displaced by Mitch in different
regions of the country. This includes 281 landmines destroyed and 748 square
meters cleared.[26]
According to an Army updateinApril 2000, between January and
April 2000 there were 1,076 mines destroyed, with a total of 124,187 square
meters cleared. There were sixty-three high-tension towers cleared in the
Guasaule-Villanueva corridor in Chinandega Department; and six bridges cleared,
five on the El Rama highway (Ocongua, Quinama, La Concha, Presillitas, Estero
Real) and one in
Chinandega.[27]
Dogs are being used successfully in demining operations. However, questions
have been raised in regard to costs: $35,000 for each dog and $1.5 million
required for their upkeep
annually.[28]
Disturbingly, a number of civilians have taken to hiring themselves out as
mine clearers to landowners interested in incorporating previously mined areas
for agriculture and ranching. According to CEEN and veteran’s
associations, these freelancers are usually impoverished local peasants who are
former Army or Contra combatants. They work lacking even the most minimal
protection, utilizing rudimentary tools. Wooden sticks are used to detect
mines, which are then removed using
machetes.[29]
A media report stated that at the end of 1999, as the result of border
tensions with Honduras, the Nicaraguan Army had withdrawn some demining units
from sensitive points, stopping the demining effort along certain border areas.
The OAS representative denied this was the case claiming the suspension was due
to year-end holidays and
programming.[30]
Nicaraguan NGO Concerns about Mine Action in Nicaragua
Nicaraguan NGOs continue to express concerns about implementation of victim
assistance and humanitarian mine action more broadly defined. Civil society and
survivor participation in the monitoring and design of humanitarian mine action
remains limited, although the debate on mine action as more than mine clearing
has now been taken to the communities by key
NGOs.[31] An increasing concern
is the Army becoming more involved in mine awareness education and victim
assistance.[32] Some donors
have also expressed concerns. An official at the Danish Embassy said, “The
Army cannot be involved in all three components: demining, prevention and
rehabilitation. The priorities of the local communities are not necessarily
reflected in the priorities of the
Army.”[33] The EU is
exploring the possibility of sponsoring an exposure visit for Army officers to
third countries where programs are defined and executed in collaboration with
the local communities.[34]
The establishment of the National Demining Commission (CND) in November 1998
provided an opportunity to broaden participation in mine action by civil society
in the country. However, more than a year later, the CND is barely in
operation, and void of any decision-making capacity. The CND is presided over
by the Minister of Defense, and in the past year there have been three different
Ministers. Criticisms by the non-government members of the CND are similar to
those made last year: continued emphasis of a mine clearance perspective;
limited role for non-military government agencies and for civil society; absence
of consultation with communities; an emphasis on the number of mines removed as
criterion of progress as opposed to the enhancement of living conditions for
mine-affected communities; and relative neglect of mine awareness and
prevention. The membership of the CND includes the Army, Ministry of Education,
Ministry of Health, Red Cross, Center for Strategic Studies, War Disabled
Commission, and Foreign Ministry. The Minister of Defense chairs the CND.
According to Joel Zamora of CEEN, “If in Nicaragua there was a public
policy that stipulated, at least in the most-affected departments, that the
Education Ministry included mine awareness as a subject over a two year period,
we would have more impact. Of course we cannot compare what is spent on mine
clearance with what it cost to carry out education, prevention and victim
attention. We are not saying that it should be proportional. What we are
suggesting is that there be more of a will in regard to these two forgotten
components, which are prevention and victim
assistance.”[35] Most
donors have not manifested concern in regard to the heavy emphasis on Army
demining in Nicaraguan mine action, thereby reinforcing the pattern.
Mine Awareness
While the bulk of emphasis on the part of the
government and OAS is on the clearance side of mine action, NGOs and other
international agencies focus on mine awareness.
UNICEF is carrying out the second year of a “Child to Child Prevention
In Nicaragua” project in 2000. The project is being implemented in
cooperation with the Nicaraguan Red Cross and has a budget of $99,651 for the
year 2000.[36] Its goal is to
enhance mine awareness education by using children to transmit prevention
messages to other children. CEI has raised questions regarding the effectiveness
of having urban children and youth teach their rural counterparts about the
rural landmine problem, and the technical competency of the local leader or
religious pastor that often accompanies the
effort.[37]
Mine awareness materials produced by DC Comics and featuring Superman and
Wonder Woman continue to be supplied by the U.S. Defense Attaché and
distributed by the Ministry of Education. According to the Deputy Minister,
some 169,325 comic books have been distributed and 3,735 teachers have been
trained.[38] It seems that
UNICEF and Education Ministry officials believe that the effectiveness of the
material will depend on how it is used, and have made no substantive objections
on cultural appropriateness or the technical flaws that the ICBL, among others,
has raised concerns about.
UNICEF officials in Managua have insisted that this was not their choice, but
that UNICEF headquarters in New York wanted them used. Two arguments that
continue to be used are that there are no other materials available, and that
existing stocks of comics should be used. Ana Lucía Silva, UNICEF
HumanRights Officer in Managua admitted that in mine-affected rural
areas “Superman and Wonder Woman are unknown and there is not much
identification with them.” She insisted however that the comics should be
used because of the abundant
stock.[39] After using the DC
comics for a time, the Nicaraguan Red Cross reportedly stopped using it.
According to the Public Relations Officer of the Nicaraguan Red Cross, “We
were handing it out, but it has been discarded. The messages got distorted
which is why we decided to withdraw it. It is now
history.”[40]
Landmine Casualties
There is no centralized source of information on
landmine casualties in Nicaragua. The Nicaraguan Red Cross estimates that some
fifty people are injured every year. Approximately 90% are civilians, and over
half of these are children and adolescents.
The Army reports that there were thrity-one mine casualties in 1999,
including eleven dead and twenty injured, and that from January-April 2000 there
were four accidents involving five victims, including two deaths and the
amputation of a leg and arm in
another.[41] Three of the four
accidents took place in the San Fernando area of Nueva Segovia, in north central
Nicaragua; all involved rural laborers. The Army report concluded that the
areas had not been marked, and that mine awareness was weak in the
population.[42] With the support
of the ICRC, the Nicaraguan Red Cross has ambulances in each of the demining
“fronts” in order to provide emergency assistance for
deminers.[43]
According to a newspaper article, the OAS is caring for 232 landmine accident
survivors, of which 30% are
children.[44] Over the course
of the past year, the OAS undertook a survey that indicated a reduction in the
number of mine-related accidents. The OAS data is corroborated by the Health
Ministry’s Rehabilitation Unit. According to the Chief of the
Rehabilitation Unit, admissions of landmine accident victims have decreased even
though everyone expected them to go up, particularly after the mine
displacements caused by Hurricane Mitch in October
1998.[45]
However, Uriel Carazo, a member of the CDN noted that there is no information
on how many victims could afford to travel to Managua and remain there for
extended treatment. Carazo believes that many seek treatment at local health
centers or regional hospitals and then simply return to their communities and go
unrecorded.[46]
Victim Assistance
The Nicaraguan Ministry of Health has two units
providing rehabilitation programs in Managua, located in the Aldo
Chavarría and Lenin Fonseca Hospitals. Their Prostheses Center has
registered 617 landmine victims currently receiving
care.[47] At present there is
minimal capacity for providing coverage in rural areas, although in the course
of the year 2000, the north central region of the country, where most victims
live, is planned to have permanent rehabilitation
units.[48] There are only seven
physiotherapists from the Ministry of Health working in the entire country
outside of Managua, and there is no budget provision for landmine
victims.[49]
Victim assistance is the stated objective of a $4 million grant agreement
with Canada, with support from Mexico, and to be administered by
PAHO.[50] Although a policy
framework and funding have been established there is no specific governmental
agency in place that deals with landmine victims. According to CEI this is as
much the product of inertia and centralization of services in the capital
Managua, as of the overall shortage of
resources.[51]Someargue against segregating landmine victims from other disabled individuals,
although according to Handicap International’s representative in Managua,
“War victims in general still require specific
targeting.”[52]
State social security pensions for disabled soldiers (mostly mine victims)
range from a $9 to $22
monthly.[53] There is also the
problem of minimal coordination among the various entities that provide
rehabilitation services. There are only two functioning orthopedic centers in
the country, but even if there were more the fact that the services and devices
must be purchased combine to make these inaccessible to most victims who are
overwhelmingly poor.
According to the OAS, the “Program for Care to Victims of Mines and
UXO,” which has existed in Nicaragua since 1997, was to be continued and
strengthened in 2000, with the assistance of the Swedish government, in order to
ensure monitoring of the rehabilitation services provided under the
program.[54] A Framework
Agreement was signed between the International Rehabilitation Center and the
OAS, for the implementation of a Plan of Action to develop and prepare new
technologies, educational material, and physical and labor-related employment
programs for the Rehabilitation Program for Victims of AP
Mines.[55]
[1] Law for the Prohibition of Production,
Purchase, Sale, Import, Export, Transit, Use and Possession of Antipersonnel
Landmines, Law No. 321, published in the Official Gazette on 12 January 2000.
Article I of this law adds “installation” to the prohibition on AP
mines. Article III states that the Armed Forces must destroy its stockpiles in
the “period determined by the relevant authorities.” Article VI
states that persons who violate the Law will be charged with “exposing the
public to danger,” and will be charged accordingly. See
“Prisión para vendedores de minas,” Confidencial, No. 158,
5-11 September 1999, p. 5. [2] The
report contains information as of 30 September 1999, but does not indicate the
starting date of the reporting period. The delay in submission was due to the
fact that Nicaragua initially sent the report to the government of Austria,
which had developed the Article 7 reporting
format. [3] Article 7 Report, Form B, 30
September 1999. [4] Ibid., Form D. The
PP-Mi-Sr-II is an AP mine of Czechoslovak origin and the PT-Mi-K is an antitank
mine of Czechoslovakian origin. [5]
Interview with Major Sergio Ugarte, head of demining for the Nicaraguan Army,
Managua, 15 January 1999. [6] Remarks by
Cecilia Sanchez Reyes, Minister Counsellor, Nicaragua’s Permanent Mission
to the UN, Geneva, to the Standing Committee of Experts on Stockpile
Destruction, Geneva, 10 December 1999 and 22 May 2000. An Army official has
said the goal is to destroy some 34,000 mines per year, with completion by
December 2002. Written reply to Landmine Monitor questionnaire by Colonel Spiro
Bassi Aguilar, Chief, Army Corps of Engineers, 16 February
2000. [7] Article 7 Report, Form B.
Updated by the Nicaraguan Army in January 2000. The TAP-4 is a Claymore-type
directional fragmentation mine produced by
Nicaragua. [8] Ibid., Form
F. [9] Remarks by Cecilia Sanchez Reyes,
Minister Counsellor, Nicaragua’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Geneva, to
the Standing Committee of Experts on Stockpile Destruction, Geneva, 22 May
2000. [10] Article 7 Report, Form D.
The figures of mines retained add up to 1,921 mines, but the total recorded on
Form D is 1,971. Nicaraguan officials have cited the 1,971 figure in SCE
meetings. [11] UNICEF, “Portfolio
of Mine-Related Projects,” June 2000, p.
126. [12] Article 7 Report, Form
C. [13] Article 7 Report, “El
programa de desminado en Nicaragua,” 30 September 1999, p.
1. [14] Nicaragua Army compilation based
on regional command reports, provided to Landmine Monitor in April,
2000. [15]
Ibid. [16] Interview with Joel Zamora,
Director of CEEN and member of the CND, Managua, 18 January
2000. [17] UNDP, Mine Action Bulletin,
May 2000. [18] Email from Jhosselin
Bakhat, Organization of American States, 20 June 2000; “Demining”
section of the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy, Organization of American
States, at:
http://www.oas.org/upd/demining/demining.html. [19]
Email from Jhosselin Bakhat, Organization of American States, 20 June
2000. [20] “Síndrome de
Estocolmo,” El Nuevo Diario, 5 November 1999, p.
11. [21] Ministry of Defense figures
provided to Landmine Monitor. See also Article 7 Report and Response to
Landmine Monitor Questionnaire by Colonel Spiro Bassi Aguilar, Chief of the Army
Engineer Corps, 16 February 2000. [22]
See OAS contribution to Landmine Monitor Report
2000. [23] Article 7 Report, “El
programa de desminado en Nicaragua,” 30 September 1999, p.
1. [24] Ibid., p.
3. [25] “Assistance in Mine
Action: Report of the Secretary General to the General Assembly,”
A/54/445, 6 October 1999. [26] Article 7
Report, “El programa de desminado en Nicaragua,” 30 September 1999,
p. 3. The OAS reports that joint work was conducted with the government of
Nicaragua in the clearance and certification of major roadways, primarily the
bridges of Paso Real, Jícaro, Montecristo, Naranjita, Tapacales,
Inalí, Río Pire, Pueblo Nuevo, and El Tular, along the Juigalpa-El
Rama highway. A total of twenty-six bridges were cleared and certified. See OAS
contribution to Landmine Monitor Report
2000. [27] Nicaraguan Army data based on
a compilation regional command reports, provided to Landmine Monitor, April
2000. [28] “Nicaragua se
librará de 34,000 minas,” La Prensa, Managua, 12 January 12 2000,
p. 14. [29] Observation based on visits
and interviews in affected areas by CEI and CEEN
personnel. [30] “Conflicto
limítrofe con Honduras afecta el ritmo del desminado fronterizo,”
Enfoque, La Prensa, Managua, 26 January 2000, pp.
4-5. [31] For example, CEEN sponsored a
forum in Ocotal on 3 November 1999, “Foro Departamental de Acción
sobre Minas: En Busca de un Sistema Integral con Actividades Paralelas al
Desminado.” See Landmine Monitor Report 1999 p. 272-3 on concerns about
the militarized nature of the content and perception of mine
action. [32] Budget provisions for such
action was presented by the Ministry of Defense delegation to the States Party
Review Session: “Republic of Nicaragua National Humanitarian Demining
Program,” Geneva, 15 September 1999
(mimeo). [33] Interview with Jacob Brixe
Tange, Danish Embassy, Managua, 28 March
2000. [34] Interview with Tom Dodd,
Counselor for Economic Affairs, EU delegation, Managua, 17 February
2000. [35] Interview with Joel Zamora,
18 January 2000. [36] UNICEF,
“Portfolio of Mine-Related Projects,” June 2000, p.
126. [37] Discussions with various
officials and in forums and reports from CEI network of peace promoters who also
carry out mine awareness education. [38]
Interview with Tulio Tablada, Vice Minister, Ministry of Education, 24 February
2000. [39] Interview with Ana
Lucía Silva, Human Rights Officer, UNICEF, Managua, 2 March
2000. [40] Interview with René
Baltodano, Public Relations Director, Nicaraguan Red Cross, Managua, 31 January
2000. [41] Nicaragua Army internal
report provided to Landmine Monitor, “Resultados Acumulados Del Programa
De Desminado Humanitario,” 28 April
2000. [42]
Ibid. [43] Interview with René
Baltodano, Public Relations Director, Nicaraguan Red Cross, Managua, 31 January
2000. [44] “Síndrome de
Estocolmo,” El Nuevo Diario, 5 November 1999, p.
11. [45] Interview with Dr. Norman
Lanzas, Head of the Rehabilitation Unit, Ministry of Health, Managua, 10
February 2000. [46] Interview with Uriel
Carazo, 26 January 2000. [47] Interview
with Dr. Norman Lanzas, Head of the Rehabilitation Services Unit, Ministry of
Health, 10 February 2000. [48]
Ibid. [49]
Ibid. [50] “Supporting Landmine
Survivors in Central America,” A Tripartite Initiative, Government of the
United Mexican States, Pan-American Health Organization and World Health
Organization, Government of Canada, January
1999. [51] CEI, “El desminado en
Nicaragua,” 1999. [52] Interview
with Philippe Dicquemare, HI representative, Managua, 4 February
2000. [53] Interview with Uriel Carazo,
26 January 2000. [54] See OAS
contribution to Landmine Monitor Report
2000. [55] Ibid.