Nicaragua Seeks Freedom From IMF Influence Within Five Years
Nicaragua's new leftist president Daniel Ortega said on Saturday that his country is seeking freedom from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) within five years.

He made the statement ahead of the April 30 meeting to negotiate with the IMF on a macro-economic program to maintain the nation's fiscal stability.

To be free of the fund is "a blessing" for his government in safeguarding the interests of the poor, according to the president.

After the 140 million U.S. dollars' worth of the IMF program expired on Dec. 12, Ortega said that he wanted a new loan with the fund in which the fight against poverty would take priority.

Ortega, 61, was sworn-in as president of Nicaragua on Jan. 10 after winning the election in November. He had previously won the presidency in 1984.

Domestically, Ortega vows to fight poverty and corruption and enforce free education. In foreign relations, the president says he will work with Washington within a framework of mutual respect, while keeping close relations with other leftist leaders in Latin America, including Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Cuban leader Fidel Castro.