She Just Can't Get Any Respect

By PAUL GRAY/

After 100 days of ruling Nicaragua, what power does the Violeta Chamorro government actually wield? Not much, according to State Department officials, who believe that the ousted Sandinistas still run the country. "The civilians hold the offices, but the Sandinistas have all of the muscle, and they monitor phone calls at will," says a U.S. diplomat just back from Nicaragua. Humberto Ortega, brother of the ex-President and Chamorro's army chief, earns grudging American respect as the most politically adroit figure in the country. Chamorro gets a harsh assessment. "Even her friends call her 'Rag Doll,' " says the U.S. official. "She's basically apolitical and wants Nicaragua to be a big happy family. Not surprisingly, nobody respects her. Ministers ignore the orders she signs."

With reporting by DAVID ELLIS