NICARAGUA: PRESIDENT ALEMAN'S FIRST YEAR ANNIVERSARY SPEECH DISRUPTED BY SANDINISTA OPPONENTS

Record ID: 442996

  • Title: NICARAGUA: PRESIDENT ALEMAN'S FIRST YEAR ANNIVERSARY SPEECH DISRUPTED BY SANDINISTA OPPONENTS
  • Date: 10th January 1997
  • Summary: MANAGUA, NICARAGUA (JANUARY 10, 1997) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. SCU: PRESIDENT ARNOLDO ALEMAN SINGING NATIONAL ANTHEM AT NATIONAL ASSEMBLY 0.09 2. MV: SANDINISTA HOLDING ANTI-GOVERNMENT SIGN 0.16 3. GV/MV: VARIOUS OF SANDINISTA SUPPORTERS PROTESTING AT NATIONAL ASSEMBLY (2 SHOTS) 0.34 4. MCU: SANDINISTA RIPPING PICTURE OF PRESIDENT/ UNVEILING ANTI-ALEMAN BANNER (2 SHOTS) 1.00 5. SCU: ALEMAN INSIDE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY READING YEAR-END ADDRESS 1.15 6. SV: ALEMAN TRYING TO READ SPEECH/ SANDINISTAS PROTESTING (2 SHOTS) 1.30 7. SV: ALEMAN FINISHES READING YEAR-END ADDRESS AMID PROTEST/ ALEMAN HUGGING SUPPORTERS 1.39 8. CU: ALEMAN SAYS "THE PEOPLE OF NICARAGUA DON'T WANT ANYMORE DIVISION, STUBBORNESS OR VULGARITY. THEY WANT TO BE SEEN BY THE REST OF THE WORLD AS THE GOOD PEOPLE THEY ARE." (SPANISH) 1.50 9. CU: DANIEL ORTEGA, FORMER SANDINISTA LEADER, SAYING "WHAT I HAVE OBSERVED IS THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS GENERATING INSTABILITY AND IT IS ALSO GENERATING ITS OWN DEMISE, WHICH LEAVES LITTLE ROOM FOR ITS OWN RECONSTRUCTION, MUCH LESS, THAT OF ITS PEOPLE." (SPANISH) 2.17 Initials s.2.3 - p.3 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 25th January 1997 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MANAGUA, NICARAGUA
  • City:
  • Country: Nicaragua LATIN AMERICA
  • Reuters ID: LVA45SE64MFMK0Z24N3AJFQPNC0Y
  • Story Text: INTRO: Nicaraguan President Arnoldo Aleman's first year anniversary speech before the National Assembly Saturday (January 10) was marred by by fiery dissension as his Sandanista opponents attempted to shout him down and beat books on their desks in protest.

    What had been billed as Nicaraguan President Arnoldo Aleman's triumphant one-year anniversary speech erupted into a vitriolic protest by Sandinista opponents on Saturday (January 10) as they shouted him down for a full hour in the National Assembly chambers.

    Crying "dictator" and "liar" and banging desktops with books and drawers, the 36-member Sandinista legislative bloc successfully drowned out Aleman's speech in an unprecedented nationally televised spectacle.

    The burly, former lawyer, who took office on Jan. 10, 1997, nevertheless delivered the speech -- calling for unity -- with leftist Sandinista lawmakers yelling into his face and waving banners to block television cameras.

    Members of Aleman's cabinet, his daughters and right-wing Liberal Party faithful sat silently in the din until the speech ended and they burst into applause.

    Legislative leaders condemned the protest as rude and unpatriotic and commended the president's "valiant" self-control.

    Sandinista lawmakers were protesting Friday's Assembly leadership elections in which Aleman's majority Liberal Party refused to concede two leadership positions to the Sandinistas.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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