Caribbean & Central America - April 2006 (ISSN 1741-4458)

US takes active role in Nicaraguan elections
The active participation of the US ambassador Paul Trivelli in Nicaragua's electoral process is eliciting comment in domestic political circles. Many within the Partido Liberal Constitucionalista (PLC), a traditional ally of the US, object to Trivelli stigmatising the party for retaining its allegiance to convicted former president Arnoldo Alemán; the opposition Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN) accuses Trivelli of interfering in Nicaragua's domestic affairs and conspiring to keep it out of power. The government, meanwhile, is opting to defend Trivelli's right to express his opinion.