The population battle in Nicaragua.

The outcome of the presidential election in NICARAGUA, November, 2001, is good news for pro-lifers there. Enrique Bolanos, vice-president of the ruling Liberal party under President Arnoldo Aleman, won by almost 10 percentage points over contender Daniel Ortega of the infamous Sandinista party.

The Sandinista party led the country for a turbulent decade following the 1979 revolution. It was ousted by the Liberals, but, recently, Ortega tried to make a comeback by alleging he had converted to democracy and free-market economics.

President Bolanos' task of running the country will be a daunting one. Not only does he wish to write off two-thirds of Nicaragua's $6 billion international debt (10 times the annual export earnings), but hopes to raise funds by curbing corruption. Unfortunately, the price of coffee, Nicaragua's main export, is in a free fall at present.

UN Population Fund

As if the endemic poverty and widespread corruption were not enough, Nicaragua has been the target of a renewed push from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) to promote massive birth control and to legalize abortion.

The UNFPA campaign was launched in all of Central America, but Nicaragua became the main target since President Aleman was one of the region's most ardent pro-lifers. His Minister for Family Matters was Max Padilla, a respected pro-lifer who rejected the UN's "reproductive health" programs.

In 2000, a UNFPA representative had announced that aid to Nicaragua would stop since the nation's family-planning programs contained "discrepancies." Sadly, the President's wife, Maria, as head of the Social Service of the Presidency, bowed to the international pro-abortion pressure, and ousted Max Padilla. Since then the pressure has increased.

Enter the ugly face of CEDAW (Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women). It accused Nicaragua and Guatemala of "violating" the rights of women for not allowing abortions. CEDAW made "recommendations" to the UN demanding the legalization of abortion before their next committee evaluation process, five years ahead.

This arbitrary "evaluation" process is tyrannically imposed upon unwilling countries by the hardest, most radical of feminists, who run most of the UN social agencies. They wield the full power of the United Nations' anti-life agenda. No small blame belongs at the feet of Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General, and his Swedish wife Nane Annan, who has become his personal advisor on "women's issues." (1)

The U.S. Catholic paper Our Sunday Visitor, Dec. 9, 2001, quotes Msgr. Bismark Carballo, vicar of the Managua Archdiocese, regarding the present situation: "Anti-life pressure against Nicaragua is open, brutal, and shameless. Probably because we are a small nation, in dire need of economic help, pro-abortionists at international organizations are convinced they can easily put us down on our knees. "And the Monsignor agrees with the Nicaraguan pro-life leaders that the election of Ortega would have been "disastrous" because during their rule, the Sandinista "supported a radical feminist agenda."

Pro-life leaders, who chose to remain anonymous in the interview, said they are hoping President Bolanos will make a positive difference in their country. The 73-year-old Bolanos is a faithful family man, a practising Catholic, and the proud father of five children. A successful entrepreneur, he is well-known in Nicaragua as "manos limpias" (clean hands), because of his honesty in business and his generosity with charitable activities. As well, they said his wife, Mrs. Lila Bolanos, "is a strong prolife lady....She will not bend to any international pressure....She is a principled woman, a lady on her own."

Bolanos received his early education from the Salesians and Jesuits, before going on to St. Louis University, where he obtained a degree in industrial engineering. He suffered much abuse under the Sandinistas. After the revolution in October, 1979, he was jailed for seven days for "criticizing" the regime; and in 1985, was arrested again for his criticism of the revolution. Ortega himself ordered confiscation of all the land owned by the Bolanos brothers. Bolanos also lost his passport to keep him from leaving the country.

In the 1990's, Bolanos reestablished himself under the Liberal government and today claims he forgives Ortega: "Everything is now in the past; let us work together for the good of Nicaragua," he said.

In Guatemala, reports O.S.V., President Alonso Portillo recently ignored the advice of the bishops and signed a controversial agreement with UNFPA to promote artificial birth control in his country. Pro-life sources said that a similar agreement is being forced on Honduras. They said they are hoping and praying that Bolanos will make Nicaragua the pro-life stronghold in Central America.

Canada gives $6.5 million annually to the population fund. Last year, it also gave the U.N. $600,000 to buy 12 million condoms for people in poor countries to help prevent the spread of HIV, which causes AIDS. (2) +

Footnotes:

(1.) For Kofi Annan, see The Interim, monthly newspaper, Toronto, Nov. 1998, "The Man at the top."

(2.) "UN resolution...," National Post, January 24, 2002