Weekly Report - 10 January 2006

If US ambassador Paul Trivelli is to be taken at his word, the US has changed its policy towards Nicaragua. On 6 January he said he was not pressing for the formation of a coalition that would prevent a Sandinista victory in the November presidential elections. Doing precisely that had been one of Washington's chief aims since Oliver Garza was sent to pave the way for Trivelli's arrival [WR-05-33], clearly manifested as recently as last August in Managua by Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick [WR-05-40].