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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL STRATEGY REPORT, MARCH 1996: NICARAGUA
United States Department of State
Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
I. Summary
Nicaragua is a drug transit country with a growing consumption problem.
In 1995 the Government of Nicaragua (GON) signed the Summit of the
America's action plan to combat money laundering. It is unlikely that
Nicaragua's weak judiciary and poorly equipped and trained police force
will be able to prevent the narcotics situation from growing worse. At
the request of the Nicaraguan government, DEA opened a temporary, three-
month office in Managua which drew national attention to narcotics
issues. Cooperation was excellent between DEA and GON law enforcement
officials. At the end of the year, the government formally requested
the opening of a permanent DEA office.
II. Status of Country
Evidence from USG agencies and the National Police indicates that the
drug trafficking situation in Nicaragua continues to worsen. The
proximity of Colombia's San Andres island coupled with the extreme
poverty and unemployment of northeast Nicaragua make that region a
particularly vulnerable target for traffickers. Drug use is minimal but
continues to increase, especially along the Atlantic Coast where
trafficking is most prevalent.
III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 1995
Policy Initiatives. In 1995 the GON failed to make significant progress
on, the development of a national drug strategy. Narcotics legislation
that was passed in 1994 went largely unimplemented. Committees
established by the drug law met so infrequently as to render themselves
ineffective. In April, the GON formally requested the opening of a
temporary, three-month office of the DEA in Managua to assess the
feasibility of establishing a more permanent DEA presence. The office
opened in mid-August, and the agent was well received by the police,
legislators and the general public. At the end of the year, the GON
formally requested the establishment of a permanent DEA office in
Managua. Nicaragua was the only country that did not send a high-level
policy official to the October meeting of the Inter-American Drug Abuse
Control Commission (CICAD) held in Washington.
Accomplishments. In November, Nicaraguan military and police forces
cooperated with USG attempts to capture suspected traffickers operating
in Nicaraguan national waters. The GON quickly granted permission for a
U.S. Navy vessel and a surveillance aircraft to enter Nicaraguan waters
to track a suspected trafficker and relay the information to Nicaraguan
army boats. The police cooperated fully with DEA during the 90-day
temporary assignment in-country and with DEA Costa Rica throughout the
year.
Law Enforcement Efforts. Police interdiction efforts are greatly
hampered by a lack of counternarcotics training as well as minimal
material and financial support. Based on information provided by DEA,
in April the police seized 1.4 mt of cocaine from a fishing vessel off
the Atlantic Coast and arrested six crewmen. The police continued to
arrest small-scale traffickers, resulting in nominal seizures of both
cocaine and marijuana, but few convictions resulted.
Corruption. The Nicaraguan legal system is particularly weak in its
ability to prosecute suspected narcotics traffickers. In April, the
Nicaraguan Supreme Court dismissed a lower level magistrate after he
released "for lack of evidence" five of the six crewmen arrested in the
April seizure of 1.4 mt of cocaine. In another case, a judge ordered
the release of a former army officer for lack of evidence linking him to
the July 30 hijacking of a small chartered commercial aircraft.
Authorities suspected he had organized the hijacking on behalf of
Colombian drug traffickers. The GON had strong circumstantial evidence
linking him to the pilot, an ex-Nicaraguan air force officer. The
stolen plane was flown to Colombia, where it and the murdered body of
the original pilot were later found by Colombian police.
Agreements and Treaties. Nicaragua became a party to the 1988 UN
Convention on drug trafficking in 1990. The government signed no new
multilateral narcotics agreements in 1995.
Drug Flow/Transit. The Atlantic Coast region with its porous coastline,
offshore cays and islands is one of the major cocaine transit routes
from Colombia to North America. Traffickers stage drug shipments on
Nicaragua's Corn Islands, the Miskito Cays, and roughly 100 miles
offshore on Colombia's San Andres island. Smaller quantities are moved
up the Pacific coast and over the Pan American highway.
Domestic Programs. Drug consumption in Nicaragua is growing. The GON's
Inter-agency Drug Council, established by the 1994 drug law, met three
times in 1995 and proved an ineffective mechanism for debate and policy-
making. Small, under-funded narcotics education programs exist,
primarily among local NGOs.
IV. U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs
Policy Initiatives. The USG continued to encourage the GON to cooperate
more closely on narcotics matters with other governments in the region
and with international agencies. The USG responded positively to the
GON's request for a temporary DEA agent and indicated it would look
favorably on the GON request for long-term DEA presence. The USG has
repeatedly reminded the GON that law enforcement assistance is limited
by Nicaragua's lack of progress on outstanding human rights issues
involving the police.
Bilateral Cooperation. Bilateral agreements signed in 1991 and 1992
focus on demand reduction projects. In 1995 the USG disbursed some
$75,000 for demand reduction projects, including the visit of major
league baseball players to conduct clinics for local coaches and
children with a 'say no to drugs' component.
Road Ahead. The situation in Nicaragua will continue to decline if
police resources are not enhanced to counter narcotics trafficking
effectively. These problems will be evident particularly on the
Atlantic Coast. The USG will continue to push for greater judicial
accountability in drug cases, for the development and implementation of
a national narcotics policy, for stronger anti-drug legislation, and for
more intensive international counternarcotics cooperation.
[Editor's Note: EXCEL file; see Charts and Graphs Directory]
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