Relief effort unites rivals

Managua - Archrivals President Arnaldo Aleman and the Sandinista leader, Mr Daniel Ortega, made political history yesterday, …

Managua - Archrivals President Arnaldo Aleman and the Sandinista leader, Mr Daniel Ortega, made political history yesterday, when they joined forces to rebuild Nicaragua from the mud left by Hurricane Mitch.

Arguably the two most powerful leader in a country characterised by political polarisation, the conservative Mr Aleman and Mr Ortega, a leftist, emerged from a closed-door meeting and pledged to end partisan bickering that had so far marred storm relief efforts.

Hurricane Mitch, central America's most natural disaster in 200 years, left some 11,000 people dead and billions of dollars in Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.