Nicaragua Readies For Volcano But Peasants Who Fear Looting Aren’t Leaving Homes

Thousands of peasant families ignored official urging Saturday to flee the rumbling Cerro Negro volcano, choosing to stay and risk an eruption rather than leave their homes to looters.

Civil defense officials said they were prepared to force the evacuation of up to 12,000 people within hours if the volcano gave signs of eruption.

“We are prepared for the worst,” said Lt. Col. Ramon Arnesto Soza, chief of the national civil defense.

Cerro Negro began acting up on Nov. 19 after a three-year lull. The volcano tossed ash and lava 1,000 yards into the air Saturday in eruptions visible in the capital of Managua, 75 miles to the southeast.

Authorities urged residents to flee and offered help to refugees, but soldiers for the most part have let people decide themselves whether to leave their homes.

Soldiers forced evacuation when the volcano erupted in 1992, killing one. Many of the people forced out then returned to find their homes looted and their livestock stolen.

This time, more than 1,000 people have been evacuated by officials and another 1,000 have left their homes voluntarily. But more than 4,000 peasant families have stayed, reluctant to leave their property unprotected.

About 6,000 people live in the immediate vicinity of the volcano, which is dumping what looks like dirty snow over a 30-mile radius, including the cities of Leon and Corinto. The two cities have 200,000 residents between them.

Experts on Saturday were trying to determine whether the 2,200-foot mountain could erupt, and if so, when.

The government has declared a state of emergency, saying the volcano has already caused widespread ecological damage.