News stories by Edwin Huizing

Jul 24 (IPS) - The conflict in Nicaragua is spiraling out of control. International political action is urgently needed to prevent further escalation, argues Hivos Director Edwin Huizing. And the Netherlands must take the lead.

Just 40 years after Daniel Ortega led the Sandinistas to overthrow the Somoza dictatorship, a severe crisis grips Nicaragua. Most Nicaraguans want nothing more than to see Ortega, who has been in office for eleven years, disappear from the political scene. Hivos, headquartered in The Hague, believes the Netherlands should use its membership in the UN Security Council to prevent a civil war and bring about a peaceful transition.