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* The Nicaraguan regime amplified propaganda in social networks and its international allies, such as Russia, supported it in this strategy, according to an analysis by Probox.
** In 2012 the regime handed over territorial sovereignty to a private Chinese company, after the failure of the project it resold the issue as part of the alliance with Beijing.
ProBox and Expediente Público
The Nicaraguan regime went to great lengths to publicize the alleged new interoceanic canal project with China.
More than 1,407 mentions on platforms such as Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok, between August 28 and November 28, 2024, the ProBox organization identified.
On November 18, 2024, during the 17th China-Latin America and the Caribbean (China-LAC) Business Summit in Managua, Daniel Ortega announced a new route for an interoceanic canal project that promises, in his words, to “improve the fluidity of global maritime transport”.
This megaproject, which is proposed as an alternative to the Panama Canal, seeks to position Nicaragua as a strategic axis for international trade, strengthening its relations with China, but is a response to the scam of the company Wang Jing, who received a concession in 2012 without carrying out relevant works.
In his most recent speech on the subject, Ortega invited the countries present at the summit to join the initiative, highlighting the importance of maritime trade routes in global economic development and the well-being of the people.
The advertisement was spread all over online
Most of the conversation on the subject of the canal was concentrated between November 15 and 22, reaching its peak of activity on November 18 and 19, when approximately 865 mentions were recorded in the framework of the XVII China-Latin America and the Caribbean Business Summit in Managua.
However, significant upturns were observed on other key dates, such as September 28. This date marked the opening in Nicaragua of new businesses with Chinese investment, such as the China Workshop, strengthening economic ties between the two countries.
Also, on October 28, Nicaragua Diseña 2024, an event organized by Camila Ortega to an end, , daughter of the country’s ruling couple, camewhich also generated conversation about the Chinese influence and its impact on various sectors of Nicaraguan economic and cultural life.
Facebook was the platform that concentrated the most activity on the subject, highlighting pages such as Limón Informa and La Cutacha Noticiosa.
These pages generated a high volume of interactions with publications focused on the interoceanic canal project and the new mining concessions granted to Chinese companies.
On the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the publications of pro-government media such as Channel TN8, which amplified propaganda on the subject, highlighting the “key agreements on infrastructure, technology, renewable energies, industry, pharmaceuticals and sustainable development”, stood out.
For its part, the state-owned media RedVolución emphasized Daniel Ortega’s statements and the strategic appointments related to the construction of the canal.
Among the most repeated keywords in the publications were “XVII China-Nicaragua Business Summit”, mentioned 510 times as the central axis of the event where the project was announced; “Nicaragua Bluefields Canal”, with 169 mentions associated with advances in the inclusion of this region in the project.
Another amplified headline was “Chinese Investments in Nicaragua”, with 88 mentions, highlighting the growing Chinese influence in the country.
Hashtags such as #Nicaragua, #CanalInteroceánico and #Inversiones also stood out, which marked trends within the digital debate.
Allies repeat speech
But the propaganda came not only from official Nicaraguan media, but also from publications in Venezuela, Russia, Honduras and China.
In the analysis of terms related to the conversation, words such as “route” registered 225 mentions, used as an alternative reference to the channel project in media such as VTV of Venezuela and Diario La Prensa of Honduras; the latter, although it does not seem to be a media directly linked to the regime, has reported on the subject, evidencing the interest generated by the project at the regional level.
“Latin America and the Caribbean” accumulated 179 mentions related to the business summit held in Managua, where pages such as Chilat Latam on Instagram (with more than 128,000 followers) and capsules from a TikTok account that replicates clips from Russia Today highlighted Ortega’s proposal as an alternative to the Panama Canal.
Publications linked to the words “comandante Daniel” also spewed propaganda on the subject.
Of the 145 publications around the topic of the interoceanic canal, publications on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X of Daniel Ortega thanking President Xi Jiping for holding the summit event in Nicaragua stood out through all the accounts of Nicaragua’s Channel 4.
It also highlighted the propaganda promoted by El 19 Digital on Instagram which, referring to “comandante” Daniel Ortega, pointed out that the Central American country is ready to contribute with its interoceanic canal and improve the fluidity of global maritime transport, as well as documenting the participation of “compañera” Rosario in the Summit.
But this narrative was not only spread by official media, but users on Instagram, as well as on X, took on the task of amplifying this information.
One example is the amplification of the publication made on Facebook by the organization Prensa Popular.
The 90 mentions linked to Rosario Murillo are also due to propaganda publications such as the one made by La Gaceta Sandinista with propaganda about the China-LAC Business Summit in Nicaragua in which her participation or presence during said event was specifically mentioned.
Additionally, the use of the hashtags #China, #4519lapatrialarevolución and #ManaguaSandinista as three of the most used tags and gathering more than 201 mentions were also used to promote propaganda of the Ortega regime within the framework of the interoceanic canal conversation, highlighting others such as #másvictoriasmásbienestar with 12 mentions and #danieltiemposdevictorias with 10 mentions.
Finally, terms such as “Lake Xolotlán” and “Puerto Corinto” were associated with informative publications on the connection points of the interoceanic canal project, which would cover approximately 445 kilometers.
Even accounts such as CGTN en Español, operated by China Media Group, promoted the event on X, showing a significant reach with more than 572,800 followers.
Opponents resisted on social media
ProBox detected that publications by organizations such as the NGO Popol NA and independent media such as Onda Local addressed criticisms of the project, highlighting the ruling of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights against Nicaragua for violating the rights of indigenous and Afro-descendant communities in the Caribbean by not consulting them on the plans for the interoceanic canal.
On the same day that Ortega announced the new channel, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) issued a sentence condemning the regime for violating the rights of indigenous and Afro-descendant communities
According to the ruling, the government did not carry out prior consultations on the impacts of the project on ancestral territories, as required by international law.
The Court stressed that the construction of the canal could have devastating consequences for the environment, particularly in ecosystems such as Lake Nicaragua and the Southern Caribbean region.
He also pointed out that the rights of the indigenous communities have been violated, as their territories have not been respected and they have not been provided with information about the implications of the project.
A recycled project
The announcement of the interoceanic canal is not a new idea for Nicaragua.
In 2013, the regime’s parliament granted a 50-year concession to Chinese businessman Wang Jing to build a canal at an estimated cost of $50 billion.
This project was presented as an economic revolution for the country, but never materialized. Since then, it has been criticized for its lack of transparency, its financial unfeasibility and its environmental impact.
In this new proposal, Ortega offers a different route, but has not provided specific details on the costs or financing of the project, again raising doubts about its viability.
The lack of technical and economic information has led analysts to point out that this announcement could be more of a political strategy than a realistic plan.
In addition, the announcement of the project was made in the framework of the China-LAC Summit, an event that has strengthened relations between Nicaragua and China.
During the day, several Nicaraguan institutions signed projects and contracts with Chinese companies, including agreements in infrastructure, technology, renewable energies and the pharmaceutical industry.
Although it was not specified how these alliances will directly contribute to the canal project, they reinforce China’s growing influence in the country’s economic development.
Challenges and false promises
The debate on the interoceanic canal in Nicaragua and the growing economic relations with China has taken center stage in social networks, especially after the XVII China-Nicaragua Business Summit.
As the Ortega regime attempts to project an image of development and international cooperation, the analysis of the digital discourse evidenced a mix of official support, questioning from civil society and the interest of international actors.
The digital ecosystem, fortunately, not only reflects the official narrative; it also gives voice to affected communities and concerns about the social, economic and environmental costs of the project.
