What's Going on Down There???

[cookshow]

My time in the States I got asked this almost daily.

Nicaragua has barely been mentioned up there and even when it has no one really catches it unless they are looking. Trump did mention Nica few times while I was up there but only in passing. I would watch the Local and National news most every evening and 1 thing about Trump, he is good for TV News ratings, I shit you not, every night was same, Local news was some meth heads did this, that, or the other, National news, Trump did this, that, or the other.

When I got asked I would try to give a brief summary of politics here and the current situation, but in the end I almost always said "Hell, I don't know".

Been here 3 months looking at things, and my answer to what's going on down there now, "Hell, I don't know"

Here is what (I think) I do know and have seen

*Job Losses are staggering, way more than most think, Government Workers are scared
*Somehow things are being propped up
*Like everywhere and always prices are on the rise but they seem to rising more than normal
*DOS and CO stay in power, even in a fair 2021 election he will win
*Opposition is fractured as usual and will screw up even a fair election because they will not consolidate
*People on the most part do seem to except the new normal, they try not to think about it much it seems
*Tourism is still very weak, more backpackers are returning, lot of Domestic Tourists out and about
*Still lots of Nicas that want to leave but cannot pull the trigger or do not have the money
*Foreign Investment and Aid is minimal
*Most Government projects seem to be on "Hold"

Watching things and talking to people, I think if he can keep (or at least make it appear) the economy on a slow gradual decline people will not get too excited, as mentioned above many except the new normal. We will never see any true job or economic numbers so may well be in a freefall now, but banks seem ok, and Government paychecks keep cashing. There is some construction going on in MGA and the Stores and Malls are much busier than a year ago or January when I was here, food court at Metro Center is often packed.

Something I have heard many times in the past 3 months is "this will pass", I usually shrug and think to myself if it will happen in this lifetime. Hell, I don't know.

[el duende grande]

Ditto on above, the slow death but nobody has their panties in a bunch over it. It has finally sunk in that Nic. is not about success. Period.

Road to tisey is being worked on, will help with weekend traffic to tourist stuff that has seen furriners become extinct. Supposedly the adoquin to Salt Estanzuela was earmarked before the festivities and they are continuing it. Bonus, they have graded and maintained the whole road. With only a couple of weeks left of the rainy season, we might luck out and have a decent road till next rainy.
Lunch at Ecoposado great as always, one of the few rural joints that learned how to do things right.

Lotta remittance stands popping up, like at Maxipali Air pack. Squalor downtown worse than ever, merchants took over sidewalks, now are taking over streets, a Libertarian Paradise come true. Unless you have to drive there. Idiots parking on the corners and bus stops downtown should be poster boys for Esteli.

One of the relatives got her first real job after graduation from college 6 or 8 years ago. Way to go!

[KeyWestPirate]

*DOS and CO stay in power, even in a fair 2021 election he will win
*Opposition is fractured as usual and will screw up even a fair election because they will not consolidate


I agree,,, what are the alternatives?

Kind of like up north here,,
You've got Sleepy Joe, Pocohontas, ButtGuy,, Spartacus.
Bernie with one heart attack already, Hillary might step in,, Fredo and the rest of the circus at CNN,,

We're living in interesting times, here and in Nicaragua.

We're doubly blessed!

And The Big Dwarf wants to leave? Where else are you going to find this much free amusement?

[el duende grande]

Buchanan says the War Party wants Hillary back in, too many non-interventionists in the Dem lineup. Man up, Hillary, get over your pain, your masters need you.
Bernie old and sick, Biden old, slow, and covering his butt for corruption. Only Hillary or the secret weapon Michelle can save the day.

I'll stay as long as they keep 100% news off the air.

[cookshow]

Like here , when was in States talked to lot of people about politics, many Okies voted for Trump not because they liked him, they hated Hillary, and most regretted it but before I was leaving the Democrats has started there bickering and suddenly Trump looked good again to many. If Trump gets elected again (and I think he will) it will be because of the Democrats not getting their shit together.

People are SICK of Politicians

[bill_bly_ca]

*Somehow things are being propped up

The underground economy has always been so strong and the cash is squirled away so much it suprizes me a lot.

When starting out all those years ago was so difficult convincing Maria to put cash to work (Paying debt, saving in an institution etc etc) rather than sitting in a box under the bed or a box in a closet. On the flip side, Chilo's family always seems to have a "Magic stash of cash" somewhere in their home.

We keep no cash in the house and, all of the cash we do have, is wound up in things that would take a week or so to unwind. For them a word of a good deal on a car comes up , some other item, and boom out comes $3,000 or more.

While some of it can be contributed to remittance and other forces funneling some cash in- I think a lot of the "Regular Joe" sustaining themselves is typical Nica Frugalness lovingly milking the stash that was hoarded durring the good years with Nica wisdom knowing this reckoning was to come...