IMF Urged to Be Flexible in Nicaragua
The Nicaragua Civil Coordinating Office (an umbrella of 500 social organizations) and the NGO Oxfam announced an international campaign to demand the IMF to make its economic policy toward Nicaragua more flexible.

The letter and email protest will denounce the International Monetary restrictions that are an obstacle for the development of Nicaragua.

In their Monday news conference, activists told media that 80 percent of the Nicaraguan people survive on less than two dollars a day and that school attendance is 80 percent today, but may decrease to 71 percent if the restrictive policies persist.

On the one hand, the IMF invites the Nicaraguan government to open to foreign investment, but forbids increasing social expenditures.

IMF restrictions have been used by Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolanos to deny demands for salary increases for teachers, doctors and nurses.

Bolanos said the country is at risk to be removed from IMF credit programs if the salaries increase over 9 percent, regarded as ridiculous by these social sectors, which demand at least 30 percent.

The campaign that began today will cover several European countries, and will end in September, when IMF holds its meeting, a Nicaraguan Civil Coordinating Office representative told local TV.