NotiCen: Central American & Caribbean Affairs articles from April 2001

NotiCen: Central American & Caribbean Affairs archives from April 2001

REGION: NICARAGUA ACCUSES HONDURAS OF AN ARMS RACE IN ONGOING DISPUTE REGARDING CARIBBEAN BOUNDARY.
April 5, 2001... In the latest effort to resolve the Caribbean boundary conflict between Honduras and Nicaragua, presidents of the two nations met with El Salvadoran President Francisco Flores to thrash out Nicaraguan accusations that Honduras was engaged in...

PANAMA: ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT MIREYA MOSCOSO BESET WITH CORRUPTION SCANDALS.
April 5, 2001... One high-level Panamanian official has been forced to resign under charges of corruption. Another, who first brought the charges, is under fire for alleged corruption. Each is threatening to sue the other. The newspaper that broke the story...

NICARAGUA: GOVERNMENT AUTHORIZES SMALL INCREASE IN MINIMUM SALARY AMID CRITICISM OF HUGE SALARIES FOR TOP OFFICIALS.
April 5, 2001... A general debate has broken out in Nicaragua about the high salaries and other emoluments paid to public officials. The debate started after the government turned down a proposal from organized labor to increase the minimum wage from US$91 per...

CUBA: NEW U.S. ADMINISTRATION SAYS NO CHANGE IN CUBA POLICY.
April 12, 2001... During the first weeks of George W. Bush's presidency, the administration signaled its commitment to maintain the longstanding sanctions against Cuba. Cuban exile groups in Florida moved quickly to take advantage of Bush's election victory by...

NICARAGUA: APPEALS COURT ORDERS MAQUILADORA FACTORY TO REINSTATE UNION LEADERS.
April 12, 2001... In an impressive victory for workers, a Managua Appeals Court ordered Chentex Garments to reinstate nine union officials whom the company had fired last year for their union activities. The company has threatened to close the factory rather...

GUATEMALA: GOVERNING PARTY, PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS REFUSE TO OBEY COURT ORDER IN ONGOING GUATEGATE SCANDAL.
April 19, 2001... The congressional crisis brought on by the Guategate scandal has worsened in the past few weeks as the governing Frente Republicano Guatemalteco (FRG) defied court orders and fought to keep control of Congress. The threat of defections from...

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ACCEPTS FREE-TRADE PACT WITH CENTRAL AMERICA AFTER THREE-YEAR DELAY.
April 19, 2001... On April 3, the Dominican Republic officially joined the free-trade block comprising Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. Ratification was held up by pressure from domestic producers. The trade treaty (Tratado de...

CUBA NEWS IN BRIEF.
April 19, 2001... A new centrist organization favoring trade and improved relations with Cuba has formed in Washington and challenged a prominent Cuban-exile group to a series of debates. President Fidel Castro has ordered the production of rum in Cuba under...

GUATEMALA: COURT ABSOLVES EFRAIN RIOS MONTT OF ALL CHARGES IN CONGRESSIONAL GUATEGATE SCANDAL.
April 26, 2001... A Guatemalan court issued a controversial ruling exonerating the president and vice president of Congress from any wrongdoing in the legislative scandal known as Guategate. Some critics of the decision are saying it was politically motivated...

REGION: THIRD SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS FOCUSES ON DEMOCRACY CLAUSE.
April 26, 2001... The Summit of the Americas, held April 20-22 in Quebec City, linked democracy to economic integration of the hemisphere. President George W. Bush stressed the importance of free trade to improve economic conditions and set democratic...

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: PRESIDENT HIPOLITO MEJIA PROPOSES SOCIAL REFORM PROGRAM TO COUNTER HIS TAX INCREASES.
April 26, 2001... President Hipolito Mejia has proposed a package of social reforms designed to reduce poverty and protect the poor against the tax increases in his earlier reform package. Despite the tax increases, there may not be enough money to fund the...