The information that follows was provided by the staff of the central information desk of the municipality of Boaco during a 10 April 1997 telephone interview.

Dr. Armando Incer Barquero was mayor of Boaco from 1990 to 1997. As a result of conflicts within city council, he submitted his resignation in March 1993. Popular demonstrations of support persuaded him to stay, and he later withdrew his resignation. Some councillors pushed for a legal removal of the mayor based on the original submission of his resignation; a judicial process followed, which eventually confirmed Dr. Incer in the mayoral post.

There were demonstrations in front of the municipal government during this time, in support of the mayor. There were no violent incidents, however. In the peak of the conflict, the most serious occurrence was the occupation of city hall offices by some councillors and deputy-councillors (consejales propietarios and consejales suplentes); the source was unsure of the exact number of each, but stated that approximately two to three councillors and three to four deputies participated. Demonstrators supporting the mayor gathered in front of the municipality, and shouts and insults were hurled from each side. Eventually the councillors who seized the municipality's premises left, and the city's government reconvened. The source emphasized that there were no violent incidents and no one was arrested. However, a legal action against those councillors and deputy-councillors followed, since the law governing municipalities does not allow elected officials to engage in forceful actions such as the seizure of public facilities. The councillors and deputy-councillors who seized the facilities were eventually legally removed from their posts.

The source stated that this was not a conflict involving political parties: nine of the ten councillors of the time belonged to the National Opposition Union (UNO) coalition, and one belonged to the Sandinista Front (FSLN); the FSLN councillor and some UNO councillors supported Dr. Armando Incer Barquero.

Dr. Incer had to leave office for approximately two months in September and October 1996 because of a heart attack. During this time he was replaced by deputy-mayor Carlos Zapata. Dr. Incer later returned to the post, and handed the city's government to Ing. (Engineer) Gilberto Buitrago Solano on 22 January 1997. Dr. Incer served for seven years, like other mayors and the national government. During his mandate, constitutional amendments changed the duration of the national and municipal governments, so the current and future mayors will serve for a period of four years.

Please find attached a news article on the March 1993 resignation of the mayor of Boaco, the only reference on the above-mentioned conflict found among the published sources consulted by the DIRB.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB 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. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Reference

Municipality of Boaco, Boaco. 10 April 1997. Telephone interview with central information desk staff.

Attachment

El Nuevo Diario [Managua, in Spanish]. 23 March 1993. Mario Sanchez P.. "Boaco Mayor Explains Reasons for Resignation." (FBIS-LAT-93-055, 24 Mar. 1993, pp. 23-24)

Additional Sources Consulted

Central America NewsPak [Austin, Tex.]. Fortnightly.

Central America Report [Guatemala City]. Weekly.

Latin America Regional Reports: Central America & the Caribbean [London]. Monthly.

Latin American Weekly Report [London]. Weekly.

Keesing's Record of World Events [Cambridge]. Yearly.

Latinamerica Press [Lima]. Weekly.

Material from the Indexed Media Review (IMR) or country files containing articles and reports from diverse sources (primarily dailies and periodicals) from the Weekly Media Review.

Nexis, Internet, IRB, USINS and UNHCR databases.

Note:

This list is not exhaustive. Country-specific books available in the Resource Centre are not included.