U.S. gov’t warms itself to Nicaraguan arms-for-meds “barter”

Last year while Daniel Ortega was running for Nicaraguan president several conservative columnists in the U.S. denounced his campaign. Oliver North called Ortega “an ardent Marxist” who would “create problems aplenty for the U.S. and its democratic Latin American allies,” while Bob Novak deemed an Ortega presidency as “a Nicaraguan tragedy.” Such worries seem to have been legitimized in the roughly eight months Ortega has been in power as he has been close to Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez and has endeared himself to the governments of “rogue” nations like Iran and North Korea.

Yet one cannot help but wonder what people like North and Novak would say after U.S. government officials said that they would be open to an offer from Ortega to destroy about 650 Soviet-era anti-aircraft missiles in exchange for medical aid and military helicopters from the U.S. Said State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey:

“Certainly if the Nicaraguan government wants to do so, I'm sure our officials there, as well as here, would be interested in hearing about it.”

The U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua as also warmed itself to Ortega’s proposal which he emphasized as “a barter with” the U.S. that would still allow Nicaragua to keep about 400 of the missiles should the deal come to fruition.

Sources- The Latin Americanist, Salon.com, Prensa Latina, International herald Tribune, Washington Post, Al Jazeera

Image- PRESS TV