Saturday, March 22, 2014

Eco-Battalion of the Nicaraguan Army




Most of us found taxis or walked back to Bonanza.  However, Susan, Carlos and Jazelle went to the Ec o-Battalion of the Army and interviewed them.

They met Lt. Brian Atola, Col. Dlanca, Espaniola Mina Bonanza Captain (?).  There were 10 members at the Bonanza office.

They discussed the drug trade, the sale of women for slaves, forest protection.  They are concerned about burning the one woman’s house because they didn’t have authorization and she might have been a single mom.

They clarified that only in self-defense can you kill someone.

The Chief of police – these guys don’t think he’s crooked.  You must have an order to arrest people and the Eco-battalion doesn’t do that, the police do.

The Eco-Battalion is not just here in Bonanza and mining areas, but also in San Carlos, Matagapa, and other areas – all of Nicaragua is their work.

The most important part is to arrest those who are selling land.  For example, Tomas Lopez Lopez puts some people on the land, then re-sells that land for an even higher price and moves the first group deeper.  Tomas Lopez Lopez is about to go to trial for one count of murder because someone saw how this scheme worked and was going to report him, but he was murdered.  Tomas Lopez Lopez was arrested on Feb 24, 2014 for not just murder, but land trafficking, usurping the land, and intimidating people – he will probably get a long sentence. 

They have six king pins in custody.  Some are in jail and some are going to trial yet.  To arrest these land grabbers,there must be an order for their capture and then the police and BICO go together to arrest them.  The same goes for drug traffickers.  (Apparently there was no order to capture the single woman).
Question – are they escorted off of the land?  Not all.  But Mulukuku people were taken back in a pickup truck to where they came from (Mulukuku).  

Jazelle suggested a radio program to educate people about this scam.

The Eco-Battallion were just coming out of the BOSAWAS when we had crossed the river yesterday – they wer checking out the conflict between the land grabbers versus the indigenous gold miners.
Brayan_artola86@yahoo.es is a first lieutenant.

Jazelle asked about why Tuahka people don’t get support?  Each Territorial Indigenous Government has $1M Cd, but they aren’t all using it for lawyers – they are using it for other things.  In Bonanza, the Mayangna have a legal advisor for the Indigenous Territorial Government, Mr. Yada.  Also Judge Kelly has Campbell Wong (Helen – not too sure about this discussion).  Jazelle said that as a lawyer she could get a removal order for xx number of families and not have to name them.

The people responsible for removal are supposed to be the government – they are also responsible for relocation and compensation.

Hopefully the word can be spread via radio, TV, newspapers, etc.

This burning and stranding will change only when the government finds out about it and start doing their jobs.

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