Central America: Serving Notice

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In Nicaragua the conciliatory atmosphere prompted by Secretary of State George Shultz's quickie trip to Managua two weeks ago seemed to evaporate swiftly. Accusing the U.S. of plans to step up "the war of aggression against Nicaragua," Defense Minister Humberto Ortega Saavedra announced a "massive mobilization of the people." Ortega detailed the expected enemy offensive, but the reason for the speech was an attack last week on the northern Nicaraguan city of Ocotal by U.S.-backed rebels. The heavily fortified town of 15,000 was held by the rebels for four hours.

Nicaragua's Sandinista government suffered another critical blast last week, but not from the Reagan Administration. After a two-year study, the Organization of American States (OAS) released a report charging that the Sandinistas had abused their country's Miskito Indians. Since they came to power in 1979, the Sandinistas have tried to exert control over the Miskitos, who live in isolated hamlets on the Caribbean coast. The OAS investigation, which was requested by the Sandinistas themselves, concluded that the worst violations occurred between 1981 and 1983 and included torture and the killing of about 35 Miskitos. The report added that the Sandinistas have made "significant advances" in their treatment of the Miskitos. But there are also fewer Indians than before: about 17,000 Miskitos have fled the country for refugee camps in Honduras. ∎