Ortega Says Arias Did Not Merit The Nobel Prize for Peace
Nicaraguan president, Daniel Ortega, said yesterday that the Nobel prize for peace awarded to Costa Rican president, Oscar Arias, should have really gone to the former president of El Salvador, José Napoleón Duarte. Arias was awarded the Nobel prize for bringing peace to Central America.

According to Ortega, Arias did not deserve the prize. "Napoleón Duarte was the determination for peace in Central Amerca. If any deserves recognition for the peace, is its Napoleón Duarte", emphasized Ortega in speech to the Central American parliament known as Palacen, which is meeting Managua.

For president Duarte (1984-1989) proposed to Ortega in 1987, who was president of Nicaragua the first time around, to sign the peace plan in Esquipulas (Guatemala) that would end war in Central America.

Duarte fought off several coup d'etat during his term, which according to Ortega, was with the help of the United States. Duarte's daughter was also kidnapped in 1985 by the Salvadoran guerilla Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN), which is now a political party in that country. Duarte was diagnosed with cancer in 1989 and conceded his presidency to his succesor, Alfredo Cristiani, before dying.

Ortega has been very critical of Arias since taking office during his second term as Nicarauga's president. Ortega maintains that Arias and other Costa Rican dignitaries have done noting for regional integrity and has voiced his opinion publicly in several occasions.

"We do not have Costa Rica here, terrible, painful, of the democratic neighbours that assumed a commitment, won laurels and then forgot us", said Ortega. "If anyone is to have that Nobel prize, to whom do we really give our heart of all Central Americans, is is to president Duarte", Ortega expressed during his speech.

Ortega made a call for all Central American governments to retake the basis of the Esquipulas agreement to strengthen regional intergration, not only for economic and commercial benefits, but also for political and instituional.

For his part, Oscar Arias, said while in El Coyol de Alajuela, while participating in the inauguration ceremonies of Coopeagropal, that he would have gladly shared the Nobel prize with Duarte.

Arias added that he is not going to get into controversy with his Nicaraguan counterpart, adding to his comments that when two people do not want it, they do not argue.

The Costa Rican foreign ministry, in a press statement, said that the Costa Rican plan "Plan Arias" of peace prompted the governments of Central America to dialogue and to quell the cannons and today's generations are obligated to go to war.