Type of Intervention: Other Announcement, Guidance
Sectors Involved: Executive Office, Foreign Affairs, Health
Level of Jurisdiction: National
Lead People/Agency: Office of National Policies
Overview: Nicaragua releases a White Paper on the COVID-19 pandemic
On May 25th, 2020, the Nicaraguan government circulated through official media its report entitled ” Nicaragua White Paper on the COVID-19 pandemic: A singular strategy “. This is the first time that the government releases an official plan describing its approach on the COVID-19 pandemic more than two months since the first case of coronavirus was announced in March 18th. It justifies that the official plan is based on a “balance between the pandemic and the economy”. It also suggests that President Ortega´s government is following the “hands-off” Swedish model.
However, scientists have responded saying that in the document, the government refuses to acknowledge that Nicaragua is already in the phase of community transmission with almost a thousand cases and hundreds of deaths, a situation that has been recognized by the Pan American Health Organization. Furthermore, they criticize the poor management of the COVID-19 crisis, specifying that the White Paper failed to address the fragile and precarious state of Nicaraguan healthcare system, that some hospitals have collapsed while others are close to collapsing due to the number of patients, insufficient supplies, or health personnel infected with the coronavirus.
Full details here: https://www.el19digital.com/app/webroot/tinymce/source/2020/00-Mayo/25%20MAYO/AL%20PUEBLO%20DE%20NICARAGUA%20Y%20AL%20MUNDO-%20INFORME%20SOBRE%20EL%20COVID-19.pdf
Other links: 1
Type of Justification: No justification given
Evidence/Justification: At a meeting with ambassadors in Managua and Nicaraguan representatives in other countries, the Government of Nicaragua reasoned that its policy is based on defending the economic recovery which had been weakened by “the attempted coup d’état of April 2018”, as the Government calls the popular uprising against President Ortega in April 2018.