Nicaragua: Information on the National Association of War Veterans of Nicaragua

Information on the above-mentioned topic could not be found among the sources consulted by the DIRB.

The Fundación Víctimas de Guerra (War Victims Foundation), described by itself and by another source (IPN 7 May 1997) as the main national non-partisan, non-government umbrella organization dealing with victims and veterans of war in Nicaragua, did not have information on a group named Asociación Nacional de Veteranos de Guerra or Asociación Nacional de Veteranos de Guerra de Nicaragua (the literal translation of National Association of War Veterans of Nicaragua) (15 May 1997). The source stated that there is no national organization of war veterans in Nicaragua (ibid.). The main national oganizations that deal with war veterans, however, include: the Pedro Arauz Palacios Association (Asociacion Pedro Arauz Palacios), which includes mostly demobilized agents of the Ministry of the Interior, and is now affiliated to the Ministry of Government; the Handicapped Revolutionary Organization (Organizacion Revolucionaria de Descapacitados, or ORD);  and the National Organization of the Blind (Organizacion Nacional de Ciegos) (ibid.).

The source stated that there is no "national" association of war veterans established in the city of Managua, be it national by name or by the scope of its work; the Fundacion Victimas de Guerra, with headquarters in Managua, has no knowledge of such an organization in Managua and could not locate one while researching a response to a DIRB request on the subject sent in advance of this Response (ibid.).

There are, however, many smaller, non-national organizations dealing with war victims and veterans, particularly in the north of Nicaragua, but no complete listing of them exists (ibid.). At least one such organization may have included the term "Nacional" (national) in its name, although this would not necessarily make it a truly national organization (ibid.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Fundacion Victimas de Guerra, Managua. 15 May 1997. Telephone interview with representative.

Iniciativa Por Nicaragua (IPN), Managua. 7 May 1997. Telephone interview with representative.

Additional Sources Consulted

Central America NewsPak [Austin, Tex.]. Fortnightly.

Central America Report [Guatemala City]. Weekly.

Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS). Daily Report.

Latin America Regional Reports: Central America & the Caribbean [London]. Monthly.

Latin American Weekly Report [London]. Weekly.

Keesing's Record of World Events [Cambridge]. Yearly.

Latinamerica Press [Lima]. Weekly.

News From Americas Watch [New York]. Monthly.

Material from the Indexed Media Review (IMR) or country files containing articles and reports from diverse sources (primarily dailies and periodicals) from the Weekly Media Review.

Internet, Global NewsBank, Nexis, IRB, USINS and UNHCR databases.

Note:

             This list is not exhaustive. Subject- and country-specific books available in the Resource Centre are not included.