The hearing was held on the anniversary of the Conquest: more than 500 years since 1492, the privatization of local public services is the new form of colonization by European countries selected for Central America.
When drawing up their sentences the five judges of the Court invited the government to cancel the contract with Union Fenosa and the Memorandum signed by President Ortega in Nicaragua in July 2007 and to expel the multinational from Nicaragua and other countries of the region (Unión Fenosa is "strong" in Guatemala and Mexico) for "irresponsibility and violations of human rights." The decisions of the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal (TPP) are not legally binding, but represent a moral condemnation and political than the work of the company. "In this case, however," explains Claudia Torelli, food Social Continental, one of the realities that promote the TPP-Unión Fenosa has made us a great favor, because in the days before and after the session of the Permanent Court said to the media communication does not recognize our legitimacy, and in so doing has put us even more in the spotlight. "
Over the past five years for those on low income rates and Disnorte Dissur (the two electricity distribution companies, controlled by the multinational) are doubled. In Managua
consumers report sudden cuts energy power of 4, 6 or even 12 hours
The company has not made the investments undertaken in the concession contract, as evidenced also by the In regular checks (the National Energy Regulatory body). Last year forty civil society organizations in Nicaragua, English and European Union have initiated a campaign "The social responsibility of ir-Union Pitiful, Nicaragua hidden .
demand the re-nationalization of the electricity distribution and the end of a model of energy supply based on the construction of mega-hydroelectric power plants.
During the session of the Permanent Peoples' Tribunal There was discussion about the cases in Guatemala Unión Fenosa, Aguas de San Pedro, the privatization of water services by the ACEA of Rome, in Honduras and the English tuna company in El Salvador Calvo.