The Haitian Tragedy and the World of Ortega

Once again, the president of Nicaragua has stepped into the international public arena and shown his lack of humanity and his political cold-heartedness by saying, during a meeting with the Syrian Minister of Information Mohsen Bilal in the presidential residence, that the United States is moving its troops into Haiti to take advantage of the tragedy that is gripping the Caribbean nation.

President Ortega is thus showing the world his unhealthy obsession with what he and his followers have taken to calling U.S. imperialism in Latin America. He sees conspiracies everywhere, internal and external enemies on all sides. Truly, this is now a serious psychiatric illness that the Nicaraguan leader is suffering from.

The unfortunate speech he just gave, without being asked his opinion on the tragedy faced by the impoverished nation, seeks to basely exploit with indignant political manipulations the Dante-esque human tragedy that Haiti is living through, at a time when the international community is showing solidarity with the Haitian people and redoubling its efforts to mitigate the disastrous effects of this earthquake. Ortega’s speech, clearly in the Stalinist style, only serves to greatly lower Nicaragua’s international reputation.

What is Ortega trying to do? Impress Hugo Chávez? His stance as the Venezuelan president’s buffoon only causes consternation for the majority of Nicaraguans who feel great empathy with their Haitian brothers and sisters, and who understand perfectly well the implications of a drama of this magnitude, having lived through it themselves.

Mr. President, this is not the time to be politicizing the situation. This is the time to come together to help. If you will not help, you should maintain a discrete silence instead of this embarrassing spectacle.

The nations of the world, rich and poor, have mobilized the best resources at their disposal; among them the military services specializing in rescue and aid for the wounded and displaced. The size of the disaster has completely overwhelmed the extremely limited resources of the Haitian authorities, which is why countries like the United States have mobilized military hospital ships to alleviate the situation. The Mexican Army, for example, has also been mobilized, as well as contingents from many other military groups from the entire region. President Obama has declared that the tragedy in Haiti is the priority for the White House at this moment. At the same time, he has presented to Congress a request to grant a temporary protective status to Haitian citizens living in the U.S. so that they will not be deported. President Obama has also solicited the help of former presidents Clinton and Bush to raise as many funds as possible for the victims of this tragedy.

One would have to have one’s innards corroded by the gangrene of a pathological hatred verging on misanthropy to keep from being moved by such a tragedy and to be capable of making such a speech. According to the (faulty) logic of President Ortega, the U.S., which is the main country providing help to the Haitians in these terrible circumstances, should withdraw its military hospitals and highly trained search and rescue troops because they represent an invasion of Haitian sovereignty.

Maybe President Ortega is waiting for the thousands of victims who have lost everything, including family members, to rally in the streets of Port-au-Prince carrying signs that say “Yankees go home”?

As a humble everyday citizen, I am begging President Ortega to respect the pain of the Haitian people and leave the politicking and populist fanfare for another time. The entire continent has been moved by the Haitian drama, so the president should put away his ghosts and delusions of persecution for the moment and help the situation by providing a respectful, tactful silence.

*The author is a specialist in governmental economics and public financial administration.