Sunday, November 23, 2008

Regarding the Nov. 16 editorial "Nicaragua's Spoiled Ballot":

I am a doctor who has lived in Nicaragua for the past four years, and the picture this editorial painted is simply false. I watched as people in my community rallied for both Sandinista and Liberal Party candidates, lined up at polls and chose, in a democratic way, whom they wanted to govern. Ridiculous accusations about "Sandinista thugs, who wield machetes and guns" only alarm Americans who have no real understanding of Nicaragua.

The editorial also failed to acknowledge blatant U.S. meddling in the 2006 presidential election; in fact, almost all my patients said that they feared the United States would start a war with Nicaragua if they voted for President Daniel Ortega. I was appalled by the U.S. government's efforts to manipulate that election by preying on people's fears. When I saw, of all people, Oliver L. North on the local news encouraging people not to vote for Mr. Ortega, I thought no one would believe this.

TABATHA PARKER

Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua

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I visited Nicaragua three times in the 1980s and 1990s, and while I deplore some of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's heavy-handed tactics, I don't believe that we want to return to Cold War methods of penalizing governments of which we disapprove. If ordinary Nicaraguans do not support Mr. Ortega, he will not last long.

In the meantime, the United States should keep its promises. We punished this nation badly for a long time and routinely interfered in its elections until recently. We owe it far more in reparations than the $175 million committed through a Millennium Challenge Corp. aid program. In Nicaragua, that money could do some real good.

F.R. STRUCKMEYER

West Chester, Pa.