Nicaraguan Chief of Staff, Commander Joaquin Cuadra, who stated that: “In the past 10 days Nicaraguan frogmen have managed to blow up more than 27 mines in the course of difficult missions off the coast of Corinto, on the Pacific. “Those mines had been laid on a large scale with sophisticated technical apparatus by the United 13 States Government, using commando units in the service of the American CIA. “Three kinds of mines have been detected in Nicaraguan waters, namely those which explode on direct contact with a ship; those which are deto- nated by the sound of motors; and those which are activated by the pressure waves of a vessel passing near by.” The Chief of Staff of the Sandinist People’s Army goes on to say that, in laying mines in our ports, especially in the port of Cot-into, Washington could even be using submarines and small submersibles, which’amounts to naval terrorism by the CIA, using Pirafia speedboats against Nicaraguan and foreign shipping. 118. The use of such speedboats-which has become a frequent phenomenon-armed with heavy machine guns, 20-mm guns and grenade launchers, could be in keeping with the classic American tactic of a mother ship, because it cannot be ruled out that those boats may have come from an American frigate stationed 40 miles off the coast of Sandino and Corinto. 119. Commander Joaquin Cuadra went on to say: “Those speedboats have motors of more than 200 horsepower and can travel at speeds of over 120 kilometres per hour; their use is intended to distract Nicaraguan defences in order to facilitate the laying of mines through the use of equipment provided by the United States Government.” 120. These activities, which in both the planning and the operational phases are carried out under the 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing the military activities and tensions between Nicaragua and the United States, specifically the laying of mines and the use of speedboats in Nicaraguan waters. It seems that the topic is more related to national security and international relations rather than economic or social development.

**Category**
Transport and communication, International trade