Analysis U.S. beefs up response to Mitch as France, Spain, Sweden pitch
in
By GARY
MacEOIN Special to the National Catholic Reporter
Disaster relief is often a political event in Latin
America, The New York Times commented in an editorial some days
ago. The Clinton administrations response to the unprecedented disaster
in Central America caused by Hurricane Mitch at the end of October -- an
estimated 25,000 dead or missing, 3 million homeless -- is a perfect example.
It is equally true of the response of the administration of one of the nations
most affected by the disaster, Nicaragua.
The first U.S. action was to evacuate from Honduras families of
embassy personnel and 200 Peace Corps volunteers. The volunteers are healthy
young people with skills that could have been used to save lives. Some were so
outraged that they resigned rather than leave.
Washington next promised $3 million in aid, a sum so paltry in
relation to the calamity that popular protest caused it to be raised quickly to
$70 million. When the first U.S. official delegation after the hurricane went
to Honduras Nov. 10, another $10 million was thrown in. This was after Honduran
President Carlos Flores publicly criticized the United States for failure to
respond promptly and adequately.
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton visited Honduras and announced
further U.S. aid, $51 million in food, $17 million to help small businesses
reopen and $55 million in military support and supplies. Washington
simultaneously announced $54 million debt relief for Honduras and Nicaragua.
But Washington continues to reject all appeals for cancellation of bilateral
debts and would restrict the restructuring of Club of Paris debts to countries
that have economic plans approved by the International Monetary Fund.
Responses from other countries, which had far fewer economic ties
and political involvements in Central America, were vastly more generous and
spontaneous. France canceled its bilateral debt with Nicaragua ($30 million)
and with Honduras ($70 million). President Jacques Chirac has visited all the
affected countries. France is urging the Club of Paris group to grant a
three-year moratorium on debts owed to it. France has joined with Britain in a
joint fund ($33 million) to cover debts of Central American countries to the
World Bank and the IMF.
Spain has allocated $105 million to help rebuild the regions
infrastructure. Sweden has committed between $100 million and $200 million for
roads, bridges and agriculture, over three years. Holland has canceled its
bilateral debts.
According to the British Jubilee 2000 Coalition
(www.jubilee2000uk.org/), Nicaragua and Honduras pay $2 million daily in
debt service. Last year the Nicaraguan government spent two and a half times as
much ($349 million) on debt service as on health and education.
Cubas response is particularly challenging to the United
States. Although it is desperately short of medicines as a result of the
35-year U.S. embargo, Cuba immediately offered medicines and 100 doctors to
Nicaragua. The medicines were accepted, the doctors rejected. Cuba then sent
the doctors to Honduras and told all the affected countries it will send them
all the medical personnel they need. Cuba has canceled the $50 million debt
that Nicaragua owed it. Mexico was also quick with aid, sending 16 helicopters,
four rescue planes, food, medicine and 445 rescue personnel.
Nicaraguas Ecumenical Commission -- consisting of 20
Catholic communities and Protestant denominations from the United States,
Canada and Europe -- has been bitterly critical of the politicization of the
disaster by President Arnoldo Alemán Lacayo. He has obstinately rejected
widespread appeals to declare a state of emergency, saying that it would damage
his relations with the international banks. The issue is critical. Various aid
agencies have emergency funds that are immediately released when a state of
emergency is declared. The red alert that Alemán has
declared releases only 50 percent of such funds.
The Ecumenical Council believes that Alemáns decision
has been forced on him by international lending agencies who prioritize
payment of debts above caring for people. It warns that, with drinking
water contaminated by corpses and epidemics of malaria, cholera, dengue and
leptospirosis inevitable, these policies will result in outbreaks of violence
and an increase of instability.
Meeting in El Salvador Nov. 11, the governments of Central America
called for cancellation of all bilateral loans to Honduras and Guatemala. They
called for an expansion of the list of Central American products that can be
imported duty-free to the United States. And they appealed to the international
community to grant amnesty to undocumented Central Americans.
Archbishop Oscar Rodriguez of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, has joined
with the Christian Commission for Development of Honduras in calling for
cancellation of the entire debt of Honduras and of Nicaragua. Cardinal Miguel
Obando Bravo of Managua, Nicaragua, supports them. His plea: Have
compassion on us.
National Catholic Reporter, December 4,
1998
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