Sunday, November 05, 2006
Nicaragua election results 10:30
The fireworks are going off but no one knows a thing. Granadinos are driving by honking and screaming. The night guard came into the hostel and said that Daniel Ortega has won. But how could anyone know anything except that, perhaps, he has a lead thus far? If Ortega doesn't win, watch out. If he does, well, I think it's one of those damned if you do or don't situations.
Today, I interviewed a 17-year-old who believes Ortega is a liar. Her grandmother said she refuses to vote because she doesn't believe the world will change. And yet, the biggest photo on their wall is of Che. Che is good but Ortega is a liar.
The woman at the ice cream shop asked me tonight who I would have voted for. I asked why she wanted to know, and she said that she didn't understand why all these Americans come in, praising Ortega. Do they know what he did to us, she asked? I said that liberal-minded Americans and Europeans like the idea of the revolutionary, that they wish they had one for themselves. I don't know how true that is but it's all I could spit out in Spanish.
But even those who don't like Daniel admit that he's empowered the people in the barrios. He's made poor people who normally feel resigned about the electoral process feel as though they have a chance. And that ain't nothing.
The suspense isn't killing me, to be honest. It's the lack of booze. It's a trillion degrees here and everyone is pining for an ice cold beer (and me, a $0.50 mojito). But the government has imposed a three day prohibition during the elections. I should consider myself lucky. The Germans here have no idea what to do with themselves.
Today, I interviewed a 17-year-old who believes Ortega is a liar. Her grandmother said she refuses to vote because she doesn't believe the world will change. And yet, the biggest photo on their wall is of Che. Che is good but Ortega is a liar.
The woman at the ice cream shop asked me tonight who I would have voted for. I asked why she wanted to know, and she said that she didn't understand why all these Americans come in, praising Ortega. Do they know what he did to us, she asked? I said that liberal-minded Americans and Europeans like the idea of the revolutionary, that they wish they had one for themselves. I don't know how true that is but it's all I could spit out in Spanish.
But even those who don't like Daniel admit that he's empowered the people in the barrios. He's made poor people who normally feel resigned about the electoral process feel as though they have a chance. And that ain't nothing.
The suspense isn't killing me, to be honest. It's the lack of booze. It's a trillion degrees here and everyone is pining for an ice cold beer (and me, a $0.50 mojito). But the government has imposed a three day prohibition during the elections. I should consider myself lucky. The Germans here have no idea what to do with themselves.
