Nicaragua: Current information on the Independent Liberal Party (Partido Liberal Independiente, PLI)
For background on the Independent Liberal Party (Partido Liberal Independiente, PLI), including its ideology and organization, please refer to NIC26771.E of 2 May 1997, NIC26862.E of 30 May 1997 and NIC23918.E of 19 June 1996.
The PLI reportedly joined the Nicaraguan Resistance Party (Partido Resistencia Nicaragüense), the Democratic Movement, the New Alternative Movement (Movimiento Nueva Alternativa), the Conservative Popular Alliance (Alianza Popular Conservadora) (Political Database of the Americas 3 Apr. 2002; CAR 4 June 1999), the Social Democrats and the Conservative Party (Partido Conservador) in 1998 to form the Fatherland Movement (Movimiento Patria) (ibid.; Political Database of the Americas 3 Apr. 2002. The Social Democrats later left the Fatherland Movement, which continued to pursue the goal of running in the 2001 presidential elections against the Liberal and Sandinista parties (ibid.).
In 2000 the PLI was working towards forming an electoral alliance with the Conservative Party, the Social Christian Unity (Unidad Social Cristiana, USC), the Nicaraguan Democratic Movement (Movimento Democrático Nicaragüense, MDN), New Alternative, Conservative Convergence (Convergencia Conservadora), National Project (Proyecto Nacional, PRONAL) and the Sandinista Renovation Movement (Movimiento de Renovación Sandinista, MRS) (Inforpress Centroamericana 28 Jan. 2000). However, new electoral legislation banned the use of the words "Nicaragua" and "Fatherland" (Patria) in the names of political groups (ibid.).
Julia Mena, former Vice-President of Nicaragua, was in 2001 president of the PLI and a Nicaraguan member of the Central American Parliament (Bolsa de Noticias 25 July 2001; ibid. 26 July 2001; ibid. 26 Feb. 2001). Despite her leadership, Nicaraguan media referred to the PLI continuously as the party of Virgilio Godoy (ibid.). She was considered as a possible presidential candidate for the Conservative Party in the 2001 general elections (ibid. 26 July 2001).
In the elections for Central American Parliament representatives, a former PLI member was elected on a Constitutional or Constitutionalist Liberal Party (Partido Liberal Constitucionalista, PLC) ticket (ibid. 7 Nov. 2001), while in the Nicaraguan congressional elections another former PLI figure was elected through the Conservative Party (ibid. 8 Nov. 2001).
In May 2002, various political figures, including Virgilio Godoy of the PLI, announced the creation of the Liberal Unity Movement (Movimiento Unidad Liberal) (ibid. 16 May 2002).
In January 2003 the PLI was one of 29 political parties "resurrected" (resucitados) by the Supreme Electoral Council (Consejo Supremo Electoral, CSE), as a result of a legal action brought forward by an individual (La Prensa 22 Jan. 2003). Their legal status had been suspended as a result of a law enacted in January 2000 (ibid.). More recently, the PLI reportedly joined the Nationalist Liberal Party (Partido Liberal Nacionalista, PLN), the Liberal Democratic Party (Partido Liberal Democratico) and two other groups—PALI and PL 1913—in preparation for a possible alliance for the 2004 municipal elections and the next presidential elections (ibid. 12 May 2003).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Bolsa de Noticias [Managua]. 16 May 2002. "Nuevo Movimiento de Unidad Liberal." <http://www.grupoese.com.ni/2002/05/16/poliMMII0516.htm> [Accessed 12 Nov. 2003]
_____. 8 November 2001. Xanthis Suarez Garcia. "Diputados y diputadas al Parlacen 2002-2007." <http://www.grupoese.com.ni/2001/bn/11/08/op2MN1108.htm> [Accessed 12 Nov. 2003]
_____. 7 November 2001. Xanthis Suarez Garcia. "Diputados y diputadas por Managua para el 2002-2007." <http://www.grupoese.com.ni/2001/bn/11/07/op1MN1107.htm> [Accessed 12 Nov. 2003]
_____. 26 July 2001. "Saborío y Mena cuestionados." <http://www.grupoese.com.ni/2001/bn/07/26/pt4MN0726.htm> [Accessed 12 Nov. 2003]
_____. 25 July 2001. Julio Perez. "Dispuesta a asumir reto." <http://www.grupoese.com.ni/2001/bn/07/25/poliMN0725.htm> [Accessed 12 Nov. 2003]
_____. 26 February 2001. Xanthis Suarez Garcia. "Los retos y desafíos para el nuevo milenio." <http://www.grupoese.com.ni/2001/bn/bm/ed55/retos55.htm> [Accessed 12 Nov. 2003]
Central America Report (CAR) [Guatemala City]. 4 June 1999. Vol. XXVI, No. 21. "New Coalition Prepares For 2001 Elections." <http://www.inforpressca.com/CAR/magazi/2621-5.htm> [Accessed 13 Nov. 2003]
Inforpress Centroamericana [Guatemala City]. 28 January 2000. No. 1353. "Intenso preámbulo electoral." <http://www.inforpressca.com/inforpress/revista/1353-13.htm> [Accessed 13 Nov. 2003]
La Prensa [Managua]. 12 May 2003. Jose Adan Silva. "PLN dispuesto a apoyar a Montealegre." <http://www-ni.laprensa.com.ni/archivo/2003/mayo/12/politica/politica-20030512-04.html> [Accessed 13 Nov. 2003]
_____. 22 January 2003. "CSE 'resucita' a 29 partidos." <http://www-ni.laprensa.com.ni/archivo/2003/enero/22/politica/> [Accessed 13 Nov. 2003]
Political Database of the Americas. 3 April 2002. "Nicaragua: Political Parties." Washington, DC: Georgetown University and Organization of American States. <http://www.georgetown.edu/pdba/Parties/Resumen/Nica/desc.html> [Accessed 12 Nov. 2003]