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The
Plea of the Caribbean Coast People for Equality In
1894, the government of General José Santos Zelaya with the help of his troops
commanded by General Rigoberto Cabezas and aided by the army of the United
States overthrew the Miskitos government. Robert Henry Clarence and his
collaborators were forced into exile, and many who were left behind were either
thrown into prison on the Pacific coast or were expelled from the country. Cabezas
and Zelaya through military force incorporated the Miskito territory and its
resources to Nicaragua. They branded their names on the territories but did
nothing for the people who, since that epoch, until the present have been
treated by the colonizers of the Pacific coast of Nicaragua as conquered enemies
and in the best case as second-class citizens. The
marginalized Caribbean people had to wait almost 100 years for redemption. In
1996, the national government recognized and established in its constitution
that Nicaragua is a multiethnic country. In actuality, the majority of the
countries of the world are proud of their multiethnicity. It is reflected on the
television, in diplomatic representations, in sports, etc. The
United States and Costa Rica, which are displayed as examples of democracies by
the Nicaraguan politicians, can be utilized to learn a few lessons. The National
System of Radio and Television of Costa Rica always asserts that Costa Rica is
comprised of multiethnic and multicultural people. In the United States there is
more representation of the different cultures in all spheres of its national
life. On
the other hand, the ethnocentric government of Nicaragua guided by the liberal
party, most often has tried to diminish the participation of the Caribbean coast
people. It would seem that they wish to hide the indigenous and black people of
our country. The politics of discrimination and disparagement of the coast
people have been steadfastly institutionalized. Some frustrated coast people who
feel that their voices are not being heard anywhere do not even complaint
anymore. The organizations and institutions, which we supposed would be the
voice of the Caribbean people, have no echo. Faced
with a situation that put in danger the desired stability our country to move
forward toward development and progress, it is urgent to have a profound
reflection concerning the discrimination being inflicted on the Caribbean people
in their everyday life. And because of this, we ask ourselves the following
questions everyday: Why
is it that in multiethnic Nicaragua there aren’t any cabinet ministers who are
Miskito, Mayagna, Rama, Garifuna, Creole, or Mestizo from the Caribbean coast?
Is it because there aren’t any capable coast people? Or it is because of some
other reasons? Why
is it that in multiethnic Nicaragua there aren’t any ambassadors from the
Caribbean coast in any part of the world? Is it because there aren’t any
capable coast people? Or it is because of some other reasons? Why
couldn’t any Miskito, Mayagna, Rama, Garifuna, or Creole of the ruling party
be a candidate or deputy for the South Atlantic region? Why
aren’t there any coast athletes on the national baseball selection? It is that
the coast people aren’t capable or is there another reason? Why are the first
division baseball championships dubbed national? Why aren’t there any teams
from the Caribbean coast in those championships? Why can’t Davis Hodgson,
manager of three different national championship teams, including the last two,
be the manager of the national baseball selection team of Nicaragua? Why
wasn’t an additional deputy assigned to the Southern Autonomous Atlantic
Region by a decree in September 2001 for subscribing an excess of 86 thousand
votes? Why are only two deputies from the Southern Autonomous Atlantic Region, a
region with more than 130 thousand eligible voters, assigned to the national
assembly while there are three deputies assigned to the departments of Carazo,
Chontales, Esteli, Granada, and Jinotega, which have an equal or lesser amount
of eligible voters? The coast people have vehemently protested this situation to
no avail. The international observers did not mention a word about this anxiety.
Equality
for the coast people is still a dream as well as the regulation of the
Autonomous law for which we have been fighting since 1993. It seem no one is
listening to our pleas. Johnny
Hodgson Deering |
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