Making her first public appearance since the fall of the Berlin wall, Margot Honecker, widow of communist East Germany’s long-term leader, was awarded a top Nicaraguan honor for her work on a 1980s literacy campaign.

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The European Union (EU) decided to provide funds for an anti-AIDS program in Nicaragua, the EU representation in the country said in a statement on Monday.
The program, which costs 1.9 million euros (some 3.02 million U.S. dollars), will be co-financed by a consortium formed by some Italian and Nicaraguan non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
“It is about establishing alliance mechanisms to perform actions that contribute to decrease the incidence of HIV/AIDS in the population,” especially in teenagers and youth, said the statement.
The EU will contribute 75 percent of the total funds the program needs, while the Italian NGOs 15 percent, and the Nicaraguan national organizations 10 percent.
The three-year program aims to reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDSin 23 municipalities of Nicaragua’s five provinces of Managua, Masaya, Granada, Carazo and Rivas.
The program will be carried out by the country’s national authorities of health and education and the municipalities, according to the statement.

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San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua (Full Story">PRWEB) July 21, 2008 — Balcones de Majagual is now offering off-grid homes at its uniquely designed eco-development project on Nicaragua’s lush Pacific Coast. This highly anticipated oceanfront project is located near San Juan Del Sur, just 30 miles from Costa Rica, and within walking distance of Maderas Beach, a world-class surf break.

Balcones was designed by the architects of the renowned Morgan’s Rock Ecolodge, one of Latin America’s most celebrated luxury, sustainable boutique hotels. Located near Morgan’s Rock and similar in concept, Balcones offers residents eco-friendly architecture within a sustainable environment surrounded by rich and diverse flora and fauna and three Pacific beaches. Balcones now offers completely off the grid home design in a cutting edge green community. Two off the grid homes are immediately available and all existing homes can now be adapted to off the grid living.

“Our first commitment has always been to the environment, particularly the tropical forest which is special to our region,” says Balcones architect Matthew Falkiner “At Balcones, our plan was to preserve and restore this special resource, to allow use without damage. We are fortunate to have both wind and solar working together with designs that have evolved over several years. Off the grid was the obvious next step.”

This 256-acre, oceanfront community features complete off grid living using solar and wind power. To eliminate the need for electricity, the project incorporates unique building materials and relies upon innovative designs that harness local winds and the natural forest canopy. Balcones is uniquely situated in an area with abundant solar and wind energy. This area of the southern Pacific coast enjoys approximately 300 days of sunshine and a prevailing easterly wind from Lake Nicaragua, Latin America’s largest lake. The prevailing easterly wind is also the reason why surfers from around the world flock to the local beaches.

Off-grid homes feature ocean views, 2000 sq. ft interiors and 1000 sq. ft exteriors, are fully furnished and come with Madera stone countertops, bamboo ceilings, hand crafted indoor/outdoor lighting, wireless Internet, full size refrigerators, ovens, stovetops, and hot water. Ocean view prices start at $260,000 with full furniture package.

Other features include:

-Beautiful vistas of the Pacific Ocean surround the Balcones off the grid homes and home sites, with shared pools and a private forested setting. Nestled in lush tropical hills, these homes are designed to stay cool with consistent breezes, large patios and sliding walls to regulate the airflow.

-Three-bedroom, four-bath green roof designs are available for hillsides overlooking the Pacific. Designs include planted green roofs, rainwater retention systems, solar and wind energy options, low consumption appliances and passive cooling among other features. Green roof designs include large outdoor living space, private splash pools, a large shared pool and clubhouse, storage room, laundry room and wireless Internet. Prices start at $450,000.

-Ocean view lots designed for custom building. Lots range from one hectare (Mariposa View) to one acre (Beach View) and offer great privacy, forested settings and easy beach access. Three magnificent Pacific beaches are within easy walking distance. You can carry your surfboard with you.

-Five-acre organic garden and garden center opened June 1, 2008 with local fruits, vegetables, and tropical plants farmed employing permaculture principles. Homeowners are entitled to use garden and garden facilities.

For a full listing of Balcones’ services, amenities and prices, visit balconesdemajagual.com or call 1-323-908-6730.

About Balcones de Majagual:

Balcones de Majagual is an eco-development located on more than 265 acres of rolling hills and tropical forest just two hours from the Managua Airport, fifteen minutes from the beach town of San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua and within walking distance of Playa Maderas. Balcones offers seclusion and privacy amidst an exotic landscape characterized by tropical forests, monkeys, sea turtles, iguanas, pristine beaches, abundant flora and fauna and unforgettable sunsets. Within walking distance, residents can enjoy year-round, world-class surfing, fishing, kayaking, hiking and exploring the area’s incredible surroundings.

During a year and a half in office, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has executed economic and social development projects exceeding USD 200 million that were not estimated in his country’s budget, and were rather funded by Venezuela.

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by Nick Cooke

Traffic was a bit tied up in the capital last July 19 as caravans of buses and assorted vehicles made their way to Managua to mark the 29^th anniversary of the insurrectional overthrow of the 40-year Somoza family dictatorship. It is a national holiday well worth celebrating. Opinions differ considerably over what has happened since then.

Nicaraguans flocked from all over the country to gather in the large plaza on the shores of Lake Managua. The square was all gussied up with a 250-meter-long stage covered with floral arrangements. Huge signs featured the smiling face of President Daniel Ortega beaming down at the throng.

The National Police estimated the crowd at 100,000. The FSLN government web-azine (El Pueblo Presidente) naturally inflated the figure a bit, claiming just under a half million. Whatever, it was a lot of people, showing that the Sandinista party can still throw a decent rally, although being able to draw on resources from the State institutions it now controls doesn’t hurt.

There were plenty of high spirits, flags, music, and speeches… lots of speeches… hours worth. The presidents of Venezuela, Panama, and Honduras all got their turn, as did the vice-presidents of Guatemala and Cuba, before the headliner took the microphone in hand.

Ortega did not spend a lot of time denouncing the opposition to his government. Those bases had been pretty much covered in his pre-anniversary warm-up appearances in several cities around the country over the week before.

Former FSLNers in the Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS) were called “traitors” and worse and Ortega belittled them for not being able to stomach losing government power back in 1990 after having enjoyed the privileges of public office. Non-governmental organizations, all of them – well almost all, Ortega clarified – are financed by the allied empire of the USA and Europe in their nefarious colonialist plot to thwart “the people” in their attempts to achieve liberation. Protesters who marched through the capital a few days before were dismissed as “oligarchs.”

The President took some of his time to talk about a “new model” for the country, as opposed to the neoliberal economic model of the governments that held office for 16 years after the 1990 electoral defeat of the Sandinista revolution.

Details of this new model were not presented, however, leaving analysts to speculate that it may be some vague variation of the “21^st Century Socialism” espoused by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

Fun with figures

Daniel heaped gratitude on Hugo of Venezuela for the financial aid his country has provided to Nicaragua. Not long ago, Ortega had mentioned that it amounted to more than $500 million over the last year.

But then in his speech to the assembled crowd of party loyalists and government employees who were encouraged in inter-office memos to attend the anniversary bash, Ortega listed off a number of social programs that had been financed with just over $200 million from Venezuela.

It’s a mystery whether this sum is additional to the $500 million, part of it, or a downsizing of what has come in. Clear accountability of public resources is not a strong point of the FSLN government and the opposition has made repeated calls for some transparency in managing the country’s finances, all of them ignored so far by the national authorities.

The flood of humanity began to trickle away as Ortega spoke into the night. Instead of continuing with his customary off-the-cuff streaming of consciousness, he opted to wind it up. A massive barrage of fireworks and music pounding from the huge speaker bank heralded the departure of the people as they went off to party the rest of a sultry tropical night away in true Nicaraguan style.

Long live July 19!!!

An offer by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega to hold talks with Colombia’s Farc guerrillas has been rejected by the government in Bogota.

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Margot Honecker, the 81-year-old widow of former East German dictator Erich Honecker, has been invited to attend celebrations by the Nicaraguan leftists the Sandinistas this weekend.

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Thousands of protesters continued their series of marches Wednesday against FSLN President Daniel Ortega.

The protests are over price increases, hunger, and the “corporate dictatorship” felt by many in the nation.
The march, convened by the Civic Union for Democracy, which brings together 17 non-governmental groups, started near the center of Managua, and ended near Lake Tiscapa.
During the mobilization, called “march for democracy, all united against dictatorship and hunger”, the demonstrators demanded the resignation of Ortega for “incapable” and “terrorist” for his links with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
“Enough”, “To go”, “Stop that pact”, “Ortega and Somoza are the same thing”, “This is the beginning of the end”, were some of the many statements reflected in banners and placards carried by demonstrators.
During the march of nearly two miles, the cries of “Democracy Yes, No Dictatorship” were expressed by thousands of women and youth, as well as representatives of opposition political parties, and delegations representing some provinces.
At the start of the march, the former Sandinista guerrilla and former minister Dora Maria Tellez, who went on a hunger strike for 13 days against the government, offered a message to the protestors who looked on in a sea of blue and white, “this activity will begin to bring an end to the “pact” between Ortega and Aleman’ she said.
Other speakers, before the onset of the march were the Liberal MP and candidate for mayor of Managua, Eduardo Montealegre and Sandinista former presidential candidate, Edmundo Jarquin.
President Ortega criticized the marchers and played down the attendance, saying there were only 4000 people at the gathering.

No previous U.S. generation has seen the world change faster and more dramatically than the 76 million Baby Boomers. If you’re one of them or in the same range, you understand that for many there exists a feeling of being in a special place and time, of seeing and experiencing a myriad of transformations that imbued many with a residing sense of adventure.

That quest for adventure now is manifesting itself in the search for lifestyle options that will provide healthy returns and something different from their parents’ idea of retirement. For Boomers, it may be a desire to seek new business opportunities paired with a lifestyle shift. Or it may be reinventing themselves in a way and place that keeps them active and involved.

Research indicates that Boomers will be the generation that globalizes retirement. With enhanced technology knocking down barriers to communications, people can stay in touch and work from virtually anywhere in the world. Zogby International already has coined “reverse migration” to describe the growing trend of movement from wealthier countries to emerging countries. Over 11 percent of the Americans polled by Zogby in a recent series of surveys indicated they had decided to relocate, were serious or somewhat serious about relocating, or had decided to purchase a vacation home overseas. According to the surveys, Europe was the most popular destination, with Central America ranked second.

And that’s where Nicaragua comes in. The largest country in Central America, Nicaragua also is the one now playing catch-up with its neighbors, due to a recent history of political uncertainty that hampered the country’s social and economic evolution. However, after nearly two decades as a stable democracy, Nicaragua is emerging rapidly as the place where natural beauty and economic growth are combining to fuel incredible investment opportunities.

There are many Boomers who wish they had invested in Costa Rica 20 years ago when that country began its emergence. Those who did have seen condos that sold just 10 years ago now commanding prices exceeding 10 times the original sales prices. Beachfront lots that sold originally for under $100,000 now often sell for millions. Increases in value of more than 1,000 percent have not been uncommon, and now Nicaragua is poised to offer investors another opportunity to reap handsome returns while enjoying a tropical way of life.

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Darrell Williams at ringside – PRODESA

In his last tune up before his highly anticipated Sept 15th title showdown with Minimum weight champ Yutaka Niida; Roman ‘Chocolate’ Gonzalez (20-0,18KO’s), destroyed a game but overmatched Abraham Irias (7-10 2KO’s) in two rounds at the UDM Gymnasium in Managua, Nicaragua Saturday night.

From the sound of the first bell a charged up Gonzalez went after Irias, determined to shut the mouth that had launched a war of words preceding the fight.

It was quick, it was brutal and it was devastating. For five minutes Gonzalez never let up on Irias, dropping him in the first and continuing with a merciless barrage in the second, before referee Enrique Portocarrero stepped in to save Irias from further punishment for his loose lips.

WBA #5 Juniour flyweight Nerys Espinoza (25-4,18 KO’s), still pouting from the late postponement of his title eliminator with Argentines Juan Carlos Reveco, took it out on Geovanny Rayo (5-8,2KO’s).

In 2 lopsided rounds, he stalked Rayo constantly, dropping him to the canvas 3 times, the last keeling Rayo over like a falling tree.

Flyweight veteran Evert Briceno (29-5,24KO’s) put in a good polished performance, with a 3 round TKO over Eric Aguillera, dropping him in the process with a great uppercut in the 2nd round.

Unbeaten junior welterweight Christian Ruiz (6-0,5KO’s), continued his winning ways with a vicious body shot that had opponent Javier Delgado (1-1) sprawled out on the canvass for the 10 count at 2.45 in the 2nd round.

In other fights, Jose Elizabeth improved to (9-2,4KO’s) with a decision over a wild Jose Rizo(4-4,1KO).

Osman Vilchez (1-2) squeaked out a split decision win over debutant Walter Castillo.

16 year old Carlos ‘Chocorron’ Buitrago (2-0), put in a promising performance to take a points decision over first timer Ernesto Castillo.