Photo: Nicaraguan Pres. Ortega May Introduce Referendum to Decide Whether to Push Receive $17M From U.S.
Though the United States government had considered the matter closed, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has opened to door to the possibility of the U.S. paying his country $17 billion for their involvement in Nicaragua’s civil war.
Back in 1986, the money was awarded to Nicaragua by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Hague. The case was brought against the U.S. because during Nicaragua’s civil war, the U.S. armed, financed, and supplied the Contra fighters, in violation of international law.
The Contras were counter-revolutionaries who fought against the ruling Sandinista government.
Though U.S. support of the Contras was banned by Congress, the Reagan Administration tried to continue its support covertly, despite the many human rights violations they carried out.
And though the ICJ ordered the U.S. to compensate the Nicaraguan government, no fixed amount was ordered.
The U.S. government managed to block implementation of the ruling however and in 1991 the then administration of Violeta Chamorro relinquished claims.
Now, President Ortega is pushing a referendum that may force the U.S. to pay the $17 billion he believes the country is owed.
