Work continues while trying to regain access

The team is again complete with the return of Roslyn from Australia. For the past few weeks we have been splitting our focus between continued work on the land and trying to regain vehicle access along the Las Palmeras public road. Moreover, as you will read, the island is living up to its mysterious reputation with the discovery of a strange amphibian.

Work on the land

Work on the land remains focused on preparing the road to the top platform. For the most part, all of the large boulders positioned along the path have now been moved meaning that upon regaining vehicle access, we will be able to more easily and rapidly continue with the road construction.

Other work activities on the land include the creation of an experimental pond. Water capture is extremely important at this time as we prepare for the upcoming dry season. Through the creation of a network of ponds and water storage compartments we are helping to minimize the loss of the 1000 plants and trees we have planted on the land.

Work is also continuing on refining the paths to and on the top platform. Each day the paths are becoming more defined and spectacular with the planting of numerous ornamental plant species. These provide wonderful colour and add to the overall beauty of the property.

Regaining Access

Working in a third-world country always brings with it unforeseen complications. We see our current access dilemma as nothing more than one of these frustrating complications.

We are facing a situation where people with nothing to lose are trying to gain something. Logic plays almost no role in their thinking as does their acknowledgement of the written law.

On a remote island like Ometepe where the number of working police totals 7 for the whole island, there is a reserved appreciation for the law. A fine example is when the local policeman arrived and asked the squatters to remove their road blockade they were met with a defiant ‘no’ to which the police looked somewhat perplexed, shrugged his shoulders and departed.

You may then wonder how the island manages to conduct civil procedures and avoid chaos. The answer is simple; everyone lives as part of a community in one way or another. We have come to know this as the law of community relationships and in a location like Isla de Ometepe, this informal law has more weight than any written law.

When people live in isolated location, community governing thrives. Control is created by community pressure. Everyone knows one another and therefore if you do something bad unto another person, your actions will resonate throughout the entire community and your reputation will be marred.

In Totoco’s dilemma this law of relationships is very important and should not be ignored. As such, we are approaching the access problem from two different angles in order to spear-head some form of resolution.

From one side, we are working with our Rivas-based lawyer and the Human Rights Organisation to commence legal proceedings including a court hearing. This approach places pressure on public institutions and public functionaries. Of course, like all things in Nicaragua, one thing can’t be done without having achieved another thing first. For us, this means we must finalize the registration of the land in Casa Tortuga’s name before pursuing a full legal battle with the road blockers. To this end, we expect the land to be fully registered by the end of this week. Meanwhile, formal denouncements have been lodged and documents prepared to jump-start the legal-circus that may ensue.

From the other side, we have come across a Granada-based lawyer with connections to the top of the Sandanista government. This lawyer not only has a very good reputation on her own standing but also has had impressive success in bringing some long-winded legal battles to a close through her connections at the top.

We have heard on numerous occasions from the squatters blocking our road access that they have the support of some high-standing members in the local community and that it is these people that are giving them confidence to take action. Each of these ranking community members have ties to the Sandanista Party and, as such, have something to lose if their reputation is marred. As such, what we are hoping for is resolution to the problem via the use of relationships and hierarchy. If the architects behind the blockade realize there are ramifications for their actions, they in turn will speak to the squatters and bring the saga to a close.

To make this happen, we have been asked to write a detailed paper that outlines;

· Who we are

· Why we are here (i.e. our social and environmental objectives)

· What has happened since we arrived in Nicaragua (including the purchase of the land, the documents we obtained as part of the land purchase process, the social projects and help we have already given to the community, our current access dilemma, and what we have done so far in relation to resolving the matter)

· Detailed Chronology of events

Island Gossip

On another note, the island has been rocked by the discovery of what is seemingly a type of mermaid. As the story goes, a local man in the lake-side town of San Ramon came across the dead creature that is unlike anything the world has ever seen before. The half fish/half alien-like creature is seriously ugly. The specimen was rushed off to Managua where it is undergoing investigation. Who knows, maybe Ometepe will become the world’s next Roswell…