155 W. 72 Street, #402
New York, NY 10023
Tel: 917-776-4246
Fax: 212-531-1921
 info@tipitapa.org

Tipitapa is a huge, sprawling urban and rural community over 360 sq. miles, with a population of over 140,000 residents, located along the Pan-American Highway, 12 miles from Managua and minutes from the Managua International Airport, only recently a small airport it has developed rapidly in response to the expansion of commercial interests.

This area was considered as a possible alternative to the Panama Canal at various times.  More recently, Tipitapa has been considered for the proposed “dry” canal, the rail system to parallel a $1/2 billion proposed oil pipeline and, with the Pan-American Highway running through Tipitapa, it is in the center of proposed mega highway transportation that would have major effects on the environment and the lives of people living in Tipitapa.  Tipitapa is the home of the large free trade zone—Las Mercedes—with over 30,000 workers who struggle daily with unimaginable working conditions.  Workers earn about $3 per day, with transportation to and from work often costing more than 1/3 of those wages.  New free trade zone factories are being built to employ another 20,000 workers—mostly young women.  Tipitapa also boasts a local factory that manufactures pesticides using toxic chemicals.

During the last ten years, Tipitapa has experienced an increasing incident of youth involvement in gangs and violence.  At the same time, there has been a tremendous reduction in services:  in 1990 there were 80 public schools, today there is one—that struggles to survive.  Health facilities are minimal and the infrastructure cannot be supported.  The current city administration inherited a debt of over $350,000 which represents over 1/3 of the municipality’s budget.  Despite these limitations, the mayor of Tipitapa Cesar Vasquez is attempting to organize services.  Eduardo Gámez Cuevas who leads COMPALCIHT serves as general secretary of the social development commission.  

The mayor as of 2004 is Norman Córdoba, a young FSLN member, who has been very supportive of COMPALCIHT and its relationship with its New York partner Dos Pueblos.

COMPALCIHT was formed in 1987 and remains the only international non-governmental organization based in Tipitapa.  It works with diverse communities that have organized social projects that include nutritional programs, agricultural projects, health promotion, youth programs, school projects, and other critical activities.  COMPALCIHT has a General Assembly consisting of representatives from each project.  Criteria for membership include active volunteer participation, with increasing representation from women.  The General Assembly elects the Coordinating Council membership that administers the COMPALCIHT program.  Most recently COMPALCIHT opened a People’s Pharmacy, providing low-cost essential medicines to the community, transformed La Solidaridad Model Farm to include organic vegetable production, earthworm composting and natural fertilizers.