[gpva-ic] Fwd: Stop Privatization of Water in Nicaragua

[Susan Dridi]

Hello All,

I apologize for the short notice, but can we get a quick vote on signing 
on to this statement? The deadline is Wednesday - that would be today 
or tomorrow, depending on when you read this.

One yes vote from the Female Co-Chair.

-Susan

----------  Forwarded Message  ----------

Subject: Stop Privatization of Water in Nicaragua
Date: Monday 04 October 2004 07:35 pm
From: jimpolk at cavtel.net
To: usgp-int at vagreenparty.org

Dear IC,
This is urgent, the deadline is in two days, sorry I just got this
 today. I urge our group to sign onto this letter. Please read.

Jim Polk, Virginia

-----Forwarded Message from kathy <kathy at afgj.org>-----


***Please post widely***



Urgent Sign-on Letter!  Deadline October 6!

Stop Illegal Privatization of Water Service in Nicaragua!



The Inter-American Development Bank has extended a loan of US$13.9
 million to the government of Nicaragua to privatize the management of
 water delivery and sewage services in Nicaragua.  This was done in the
 face of strong opposition by civil society organizations to the
 privatization of water or its delivery.  In 2003, the Nicaraguan
 National Assembly passed a moratorium on any privatization of water
 resources until a national water law was approved.  Two separate bills
 on this subject are pending at the present time in the National
 Assembly.



Please sign your organization on to this urgent letter to the president
 of the Inter-American Development Bank [with copies to Nicaraguan
 President Enrique Bolaños and to the president of the National
 Assembly] asking him to cancel this illegal loan.  Since the day
 announced for the decision on the concession is Sunday October 10, it
 is urgent that you add your organization's name as soon as possible.



For more information and to sign on, please respond to Katherine Hoyt
 at the Nicaragua Network (e-mail kathy at afgj.org or telephone (202)
 544-9355) by Wednesday October 6.







Dr. Enrique Iglesias

President

Inter-American Development Bank

Washington, DC

U.S.A.



Dear Dr. Iglesias:



We, the undersigned, representatives of organizations familiar with the
tragic impact of the failed privatizations of public services in many
countries, wish to express our concern upon learning of the intention
 to privatize the modernization of the management of the water delivery
 and sewage services in Nicaragua.  Nicaraguans have already suffered
 the failed privatization of the supply of electricity in their country
 and they have mobilized to protest against the privatization of water,
 access to which they, and we, view as a human right.  Furthermore,
 there should be full participation of all sectors of civil society in
 any
decision-making about public services, which did not occur in this
 case.



It is apparent to citizen organizations in Nicaragua that the objective
 of this concession is to turn over the responsibilities of the
 national agency ENACAL to a transnational corporation that will
 administer and decide everything related to the present and future of
 water and sewage services.  A US$13.9 million loan extended by the
 Inter-American Development Bank will be used to pay for this
 concession.  This creates a new debt that all Nicaraguans will have to
 pay, and to it will be added the commissions and incentive payments
 that will be offered to the company that wins the concession.  The
 jobs of ENACAL workers will be left at the mercy of that company,
 which will hire them as contractors only if it is convenient for the
 company, in open violation of collective bargaining agreements.



We want to remind the IDB that, in 2003, Nicaragua passed Law 440 which
prohibits any type of concession over water or water resources until
 the legislature passes a general water law, which is being debated at
 the present moment in the National Assembly.



Given the above, we urge you to cancel Loan 1049/SF-NI that finances
 the concession for the modernization of the management of Nicaragua's
 water and sewage services, because of its illegality under laws
 presently in force in that country and because it only represents
 further indebtedness for the Nicaraguan people.



Sincerely,



cc. Enrique Bolaños Geyer, President of the Republic

Carlos Antonio Noguera Pastora, President of the National Assembly

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