LatinNews Daily - 17 October 2023

*Nicaragua’s Vice President and First Lady Rosario Murillo has announced new transport and infrastructure projects with China. These include plans to sign an agreement for studies, the design and construction of a new railway linking Managua, Masaya and Granada, the capitals of the eponymous departments, as well as the drafting of a masterplan for a new railway linking Managua with Corinto (Chinandega department) and Bluefields, the capital of the South Atlantic autonomous region (Raas). A Nicaraguan delegation headed up by Nicaragua’s transport & infrastructure minister, General Oscar Mojica is currently in Beijing, attending a forum of China’s ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ (BRI), which enables cooperation on major infrastructure projects. Among other projects, Murillo also announced the signing of a contract for the reconstruction, expansion and improvement of the small Punta Huete (Panchito) airport in Managua with Chinese firm China CAMC Engineering while hydroelectric and other road infrastructure projects were also mentioned. The previous day, the government led by President Daniel Ortega hailed the arrival of a fleet of 250 buses (of a total of 2,000 buses due to be delivered) from China, to be used in Managua and Ciudad Sandino municipality, also in Managua department.