| Nicaragua:
Old friends and former enemies
 Author:
Piedro Cane - 2002
Posted: October 2002
A BIT OF HISTORY
Nicaragua was conquered
by Spain in 1552 and its Indian population enslaved. The country
achieved independence in 1821 and gained the attention of the United
States and Britain shortly thereafter when they began to plan to
build a canal linking the oceans.
Nicaragua was actually
ruled by an American named William Walker who was supported by the
Vanderbilt's for a short time, but was later executed by a Honduran
firing squad after he announced plans to take over Central America.
I WORK WITH OLD FRIENDS
AND FORMER ENEMIES
15 or so years ago, I
supported the Contras in their camps in Honduras as a member of
the US Army against the Communist regime which had amassed 300,000
troops not far from America's border.
Needless to say, I was
a bit surprised when I received an e-mail instructing me to fly
to Managua and set up a protection detail for some expatriate executives
who had business interests there.
I arrived in the late
morning and after watching a Colombian woman in front of me get
arrested, breezed through with my American passport. After seeing
the American emblem on the front, there was not even a second glance
before stamping it. One more country where a desire to have a better
chance economically has cast aside Communism which brought nothing
but more poverty and despair to an already desperate people.
With only two days to
prepare the detail, I get right to work and begin scouting our areas
of operation. Pretty simple job, in and out for a couple of days,
so the threat of a well-planned threat specifically targeting the
clients is low. What is not low is common street crime, because
within about 30 seconds of leaving the airport it is clear that
Managua is not much above a giant shantytown with lots of very poor
people.
Life in the hotel is
a far cry from the reality outside of it. The women working inside
it are beautiful and well dressed and the service is great. And
while I think the threat is low, I arrange for a few bodyguards
with police/military backgrounds, trying to disregard the friendly
beauty at the reception desk.
Thus begins my second
big surprise. I wind up with two of Daniel Ortega's old bodyguards,
and one guy who was a Contra for six years. Even funnier, we all
get along just fine. Everyone backs each other up and takes the
job seriously, although I develop a steadfast friendship with the
former Contra and he takes special interest in looking out for me
with no expectation of thanks or favors.
WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR THE COUNTRY
The place is awful. People
live in abject poverty that I have never seen in 14 years of living
overseas. Places which well meaning North Americans call sweatshops
are a gold mine for these people and an enormous blessing for communities.
The people want to do
business and get on with their lives. Normally not very sympathetic,
I have to feel bad for these people. They are simply without opportunities.
So what lies ahead for
this country? The hotels are full of American and Canadian businessmen
who all have been happy with the work ethic and performance of the
locals. NAFTA and other trade agreements are developing which should
help people crawl up out of the undeserved squalor in which they
live. Or, perhaps they will go for the easy drug money, fueled by
American desire for cocaine.
I don't know what will
happen, but I feel very sad as I leave the airport with my friend
from the Contras who has come to see me off and introduce me to
his children. He is not on the payroll and it is clear that he is
not working any angles on me. The man might be poor, but he carries
more honor about him than 90% of the civilians I have met in the
United States. We are missing the boat on American foreign policy.
This region deserves a lot more attention than it gets.
I get on the plane and
thank god that I am an American. My friend's contact information
is in my computer and has been sent to every person I know that
does this kind of work in Latin America. I hope someone gets up
there soon for another job and I wish for a better life for my friend.
Author: Piedro Cane
Email: editor@polosbastards.com
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