Chocolate makers defy Nicaraguan crisis

In response to the grave financial and political crisis of Nicaragua, the nation's chocolate industry is going to hold it first Chocolate Festival at the end of this month, with the backing of the association of producers and exporters.

Gerardo Paéz, one of the event's organizers. says that the sales of small companies that transform cocoa into chocolate have fallen by 60 to 80 percent over the last six months.

For next year, he added, "we're looking to take part in big international fairs, like Chocoa in Holland, which is in February, and events in the US and elsewhere in Central America".