A moment of hope.

THE SANDINISTA REVOLUTION IN NICARAGUA

WHY A REVOLUTION?

• Long history of repression and corruption under Somoza regimes

• Extreme poverty

• Increasing alienation of the middle classes from the ruling regime

• Successful organizing efforts by the Sandinistas

A LONG BURNING FUSE

US Interventions in Nicaragua:

• 1850• 1853• 1854• 1857• 1910• 1912• 1926

WILLIAM WALKER IN NICARAGUA 1854-1857

1927-1934 SANDINO V. U.S. MARINES

U.S. Marines in Nicaragua 1927 Sandino and staff

ASSASSINATION AND ASCENSION

February 1934 – Sandino negotiates settlement with Nicaragua President Sacasa

February 21, 1934 – Sandino assassinated by National Guard under direct supervision of General Anastasio Somoza Garcia

1937 – Somoza assumes presidency of Nicaragua

1936-1979 THE SOMOZA REGIME

Anastasio Somoza García (1896–1956; ruled 1937–1947, 1950–1956), the father.

Luis Somoza Debayle (1922–1967, ruled 1956–1963), his legitimate eldest son.

Anastasio Somoza Debayle (1925–1980, ruled 1967–1972, 1974–1979), his second legitimate son.

SANDINISTAS AND SANDINISMO

Founded in 1961 as the National Liberation Front by Carlos Fonseca, Silvio Mayorga and Tomas Borge

Fought a prolonged guerilla war against Somoza's National Guard

Marxist/Leninist and Nationalist philosophies

2 TRIGGERS – 1972, 1978

DECEMBER 323, 1972 - EARTHQUAKE

• Managua

– Massive devastation in Managua (90%destroyed)

– Over 5,000 killed (some estimate 10,000)

– Additional 20,000 injured

– 250,00 lost their homes

– Major infrastructure devastation

1972 EARTHQUAKE

• Massive influx of foreign aid in response

• Somoza and cronies diverted large sums of aid to personal accounts.

• What little remained was poorly managed

• Rebuilding in Managua never really began until the 1990’s

PEDRO JOAQUIN CHAMORRO

• Journalist and editor of La Prensa newspaper which consistently opposed the Somoza regime.

• 1975 to Somoza “I am waiting, with a clear conscience, and a soul at peace, for the blow you are to deliver.”

• Jailed multiple times due to opposition to dictatorship

• Assassinated in 1978

• 1977 La Prensa series “ The Vampire Chronicles” exposed the Plasmaferesis lab in Managua

PLASMAFERESIS LAB

• Established in the 1970’s by right-wing Cuban doctor Pedro Ramos

• Somoza family part owners of Lab

• Sold blood worldwide

• Paid 35 cordobas a half liter (=1.15 current U.S.)

• Donors were drawn from the poor and destitute desperate for any income

JANUARY 10, 1978

• Chamorro assassinated by unknown gunmen

• Thousands attended and participated in his funeral

• His murder sparked riots in Managua involving 30,000 people

• Unrest in multiple locations across Nicaragua

• Government reintroduced martial law censorship, increased military violence

• La Presna experienced 7 machine gun attacks and bombing attempts during 1978

1978

• January 23-24 General strike shuts down 80% of business in Managua and other urban centers

• August 22, 1978 Sandinista forces capture National Palace forcing release of prisoners, broadcast of communique calling for general insurrection

• September insurrection. Armed youth take over Matagalpa, FSLN cadres attach national Guard posts in Managua, Masaya, Leon, Chinandega and Esteli. Somoza attacks cities with air force. Insurrection failed, several thousand- mostly civilian- casualties

JULY 19, 1979 – SANDINISTAS VICTORIOUS

NICARAGUA JULY 20, 1979

• $1.6 billion dollar debt

• Ruined economic infrastructure

• 30,000 – 50,000 war deaths

• Low to no access to healthcare in rural regions

• High illiteracy rate (50.3% overall)

SANDINISTA RESPONSE

• Land reform

• Literacy and health campaigns

• Price fixing of commodities

• Equality for women (in theory)

• Right to unionize

• Assumption of outstanding debt burden

1980 LITERACY CRUSADE

March to August 1980

Reduced overall illiteracy rate from 50.3% to 12.9%

FSLN viewed literacy as fundamental to development

Literacy education is ongoing in Nicaragua – 2012 Campaign “Yo Si Puedo”

HEALTH CRUSADES POPULAR HEALTH CAMPAIGNS

HEALTH EDUCATION MATERIALS

LAND REFORM

• Confiscation and re-distribution of land previously held by Somoza and cronies

• Land titles were given to individuals and cooperatives for agricultural development

• Some private property transitioned to state property

‘YANKEE SANDINISTAS’

• Volunteer brigades in support of the revolution

• Not just yankee – brigadistascame from across the globe

• Continued through the contra war

Second Brigade Coffee Harvesters "Zumbi Dos Palmares"

http://brigadasennicaragua.blogspot.com/

BEN LINDER

• U.S. Volunteer in the north of Nicaragua.

• Engineer working on small scale hydro for rural community

• Killed in a contra attack.

CONFLICTS AND CONTRAS

1980 - Conflicts within government between Sandinista and non-Sandinista members escalated

Formation of the Contras (counter-revolutionary guerilla groups)

1982-1988 State of emergency and the contra war

CONTRAS A PROXY FOR U.S. POLICY

“FREEDOM FIGHTERS”Americas Watch Report on Contra Abuses - 1989

• targeting health care clinics and health care workers for assassination[

• kidnapping civilians

• torturing civilians

• executing civilians, including children, who were captured in combat

• raping women

IMPACT OF CONTRA WAR ON REVOLUTIONARY PROGRESS

• Shifted resources from progress to defense– Between 1980-1986 Contras responsible for destruction of property and

losses in production = $596,000,000

– 17,500 killed during same period

– Approximately half of government spending absorbed by defense effort.

DEVELOPED FOR ANTH 260 – OCTOBER 2017

• Paul Treadwell

• pt006@tc3.edu

• @ptreadwell