The pronouncement of the Parlacen deputies, Guillermo Daniel Ortega and Aida Blanco, both representatives of the Nicaraguan regime, in which they asked the Central American Integration System, SICA, to recognize China as an observer member, was rejected by the Parlacen deputies, who assured that the request only represents Nicaragua, as stated by the deputy for Panama, José Ramos Reyes, to the newspaper La Prensa.
The Panamanian deputy also assured that the permanence of Taiwan as an observer state in SICA is indifferent to whether or not the countries recognize Taiwan as a State or its relations with mainland China.
Related news: Parlacen asks to integrate China into SICA and withdraw Taiwan as an observer
Within the parliamentary agenda of the Parlacen was the visit of Ambassador Lino Cheng, however, during the agenda and when the agenda was presented for discussion, the arrival of the representative of Taiwan had been removed, so it is considered by Deputy Ramos as an “arbitrary decision”.
The new agenda that did not include the presence of the Taiwanese diplomat was put to a vote and was rejected by the majority of Parlacen deputies. “President Guillermo Ortega had no choice but to suspend the meeting until May,” the Panamanian deputy told the local newspaper.
When former deputy Eliseo Nuñez was consulted, he assured that if Nicaragua won the SICA Secretariat, it would not alter the presence of Taiwan as an extra-regional observer state, since it can only be withdrawn if there is a consensus among all the leaders that make up the regional system.
Similarly, Parlacen could only recognize China as an observer state if the majority of deputies approve it. According to Núñez, the document presented by both deputies related to Ortega del Parlacen is “a shame” and lacks coherence in their request, since it relates the issues of recognition of China and the right to Health as a Human Right.
Taiwan and its presence in SICA
Taiwan entered SICA as an Observer State in February 2000, however, it is subscribed until 2002 within the regional organization, which could remain in the hands of the Ortega dictatorship in the first days of May.
Related news: Orlando Solórzano, the Ortega minister who did not know the cost of the basic basket
Taiwan executes 5 projects within Central America with an investment amount of 6.5 million dollars, which could remain in limbo. In addition, Taiwan is the majority non-regional partner of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration with a capital of 776 million dollars and 11% of shares within the institution.
Taiwan projects in Central America
The Fisheries and Aquaculture Integration Alliance Project had an investment of 2 million dollars and was carried out in all the countries of Central America (except Costa Rica), which aims to create ties between artisanal fishing and private companies to create a chain productive.
Another project developed by Taiwan is the rational and sustainable use of firewood, which had an investment of more than 750 thousand dollars in the region. In addition, it intends to promote Central American tourism by developing the Central American Tourism Promotion project (Phase II) with an investment of 1.5 million dollars.
Taiwan, together with the United States, is currently developing the SICA Emprende Forum within the Central American organization, which aims to promote projects in their respective countries.
In more than 100 cooperation projects, Taiwan has supported SICA initiatives to advance gender equality issues, promoting greater participation of women in social, economic, and cultural spheres in the region.
Ortega seeks the power of SICA
This week it became known through a publication on the Expediente Público portal that Daniel Ortega has proposed the former Minister of Economy of his dictatorship, the technocrat Orlando Solórzano, as a candidate for Secretary General of SICA. The lack of interest on the part of the other member countries could give victory to the Ortega regime, who within power could expel Taiwan and integrate China into the organization.
In March 2022, Ortega, during a meeting of the Central American leaders, assured that the body cannot be headless, and less so at a time when the covid-19 pandemic is hitting the region. “The economic contraction of COVID-19, which is considered one of the largest generated by Humanity, urges us to adopt measures as a region for sustainable economic recovery,” said Ortega, however, the struggle for power by SICA is clear to this day. point that during his speech he assured that the subject must be addressed quickly.
Nicaragua joined the trend of other Central American countries such as Costa Rica, El Salvador and Panama that surrendered to the Chinese commercial giant and broke off diplomatic relations with the Asian island. To finish off the blow The Ortega government announced on Sunday, December 26, that all the goods that belonged to Taiwan passed into the hands of China. Hours earlier, the Asian island had announced that it would deliver the real estate to the Archdiocese of Managua.
