Days after the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy announced their withdrawal from the National Coalition, a number of founding members of the Civic Alliance who disagreed with that decision, announced their withdrawal from the Civic Alliance. This is the joint letter from Carlos Tunnermann, the Coordinator of the Civic Alliance, Azahalea Solís, representing the women´s movement, Juan Carlos Gutiérrez, representative of the private sector, and Fr. José Idiáquez, the President of the Central American University, in representation of the university sector. announcing their decision to leave the Civic Alliance.
In October 2020 ENVIO printed an extensive interview of Ernesto Medina, also founder of the Civic Alliance and former President of the American University in Managua, which provides a more in depth critique of this decision of the Civic Alliance to withdraw from the National Coalition.
Managua, October 31, 2020
Doctor
Juan Sebastian Chamorro
Executive Director
Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy
Dear Juan Sebastian,
On April 24, 2018 we were called by the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua (CEN) to participate in the civil society and academic group in the National Dialogue, and to look for a way out of the social, political and human rights crisis of the country. On that occasion we consulted with our organizations and superiors, with different organizations, people and sectors about our participation in it. The responses received were in support of the mission of finding a peaceful and democratic way out of the crisis of the country.
On this occasion and by reason of the decision made in the Plenary session of the Civic Alliance on October 26, we have once again carried out consultations of our organizations and superiors and members of civil society.
It is based on these consultations that the undersigned, with all the respect and consideration that we owe you, as friends who have worked together for more than two years in search of justice and democracy, we want to communicate to you that we have made the decision to withdraw from the Civic Alliance.
In public spaces and as civil society we have stated that the solution to the lack of democracy in Nicaragua has to be resolved through a dialogue, through judicial and legal mechanisms that would allow the country to avoid a new conflict with more bloodshed and finally live in a democracy. That is why the effort to call a broad gamut of sectors, positions, beliefs, ideologies, party affiliations, among other differences, into the Civic Alliance was crucial and historic. All in all a group was being formed in which its diversity was one of its principal strengths, because it expressed the hope that in our consciences and the minds of Nicaraguan society, diversity might be seen as a richness, as a great social asset.
It was clear that the explosion of April broke with the political plan in effect, the lack of legitimacy of the political actors and the questioning of the sectors that had been part of the corporate model called “dialogue and consensus” and imposed by this regime. From there building a group that might be the counterpart of the government in the National Dialogue was not just complex, but also risky, and it was expected that questioning might emerge over “who chose them”, “who do they represent”, among others.
At the moment of our founding we agreed that our representation before the National Dialogue would require being in permanent contact with the demands of the citizenry, expressed in the streets, in the demonstrations that happened in the country every day. We took on the commitment to maintain the connection and accountability with the citizenry.
While starting as the Alliance we also decided that, even though we came from different sectors and movements, our objective would be focused on: doing justice to the victims and achieving a democratic change for Nicaragua. We concluded that our legitimacy was based on demanding justice, putting an end to impunity, and preparing the conditions to achieve democracy and respect for the fundamental rights of the entire citizenry.
All these agreement defined the political body that we called the Civic Alliance for Justice and Democracy, we created a we, and we took on the role of spokespeople in the National Dialogue, whose best result was the presence, investigation and presentation of the reports of the international human rights organizations.
By virtue of the proposal for the change in strategy of the Civic Alliance in terms of the National Coalition, and our assessment about the risks of that decision, on October 24, 2020 we sent to the Plenary a letter titled Dialogue and Unity of Will for Nicaragua, where we warned about the risks of generating hopelessness, and the error of not paying attention to the pain of the population. In it we warned about the vacuum of leadership that we would cause internationally. We disclosed our considerations about the risk of carrying out a tactical movement without a strategy. We called attention to a separation with open wounds.
We urged assuming our responsibility for Nicaragua, remembering the call and commitment that we took on in 2018. The letter did not get the attention of the Plenary and on October 26 the decision was made to leave the National Coalition.
The questions about the reasons for the departure from the National Coalition still lack responses, which is why we issued a new letter (Oct 25) so that they might clarify for us the strategy and actions that the Civic Alliance has for replacing its participation in the National Coalition, nevertheless that letter was not answered either. In fact, there was no quorum in the meeting of the Executive Council called on that October 30 to address the issue. In the last letter we asked, how is work going to be done on a process of comprehensive unity? What is the strategy, plan, what steps have been taken for it? With what organizations is the new alliance going to be negotiated? How is the relationship with the National Unity going to be restored?
All these questions are also being proposed by the citizenry, and we hope that these responses can be offered to the population to whom we are obligated. We are certain that the citizenry will have the wisdom to push the political forces along the path that would allow getting out of the dictatorship and undertaking a democratic transition.
Each one of us, from our spaces, will continue fighting for the freedom of the political prisoners, compliance with the agreements of March 2019, the ideals of the recovery of freedom, human rights, democratic institutionality, recovery and exercise of justice in the country, and so that the citizenry of Nicaragua might be able to recover democracy through electoral reforms to hold free, fair and transparent elections.
Grateful for the attention to our letter and hoping that the Civic Alliance very soon might have the path for unity in their new platform, and be able to contribute to a peaceful, democratic and inclusive outcome that our country so requires.
Greetings,
Carlos Tunnermann Berheim Azahalea Solís
José Alberto Idiáquez S.J. Juan Carlos Gutiérrez