History and achievements of the Sandinistas of Nicaragua

The Sandinistas are members of the Sandinista National Liberation Front, or FSLN. This political party had a great impact on the history of Nicaragua, and its influence is still felt today. The party was named after the 1930s resistance leader Augusto César Sandino because it represented his idealism and resistance to oppression.

The Somoza dynasty ruled Nicaragua for many years and during this time living conditions rapidly deteriorated for many people. While there was industrial growth, there was a widespread lack of jobs and rampant poverty. However, this began to change due to the Sandinistas, who overthrew the Somozas and ruled Nicaragua between 1979 and 1990. He was part of the National Reconstruction Board.

During this time, the FSLN engaged in some humanitarian policies, including promoting equality for women, redirecting funds toward health care, and promising literacy. However, the opposition movement known as the Contras formed in 1981 and worked to resist the Junta, often through violent attacks. The CIA supported the Contra militias to oppose the Sandinista National Liberation Front.

The Sandinistas had four fundamental principles: political pluralism, mixed economy, popular participation and mobilization, and non-international alignment. Scholars agree that the group sought to create a revolutionary socialism that was also truly democratic.

Sandinista rule continued until the 1990s, during which time great strides were made. At the beginning, the country had a debt of 1,600 million dollars in addition to other social problems. For example, 600,000 people were left homeless and the economy was devastated. When the new government was created, a national reconstruction council with five members and a State Council with representative bodies were founded.

The party’s political platform included important issues such as the nationalization of the Somozas’ properties, agrarian reform, and the improvement of housing conditions. Working conditions were also addressed, as the FSLN sought to improve them in rural communities and cities. Torture, the death penalty, and political assassination were outlawed.

The Sandinistas had 100,000 residents work as literacy workers and managed to reduce the illiteracy rate from over 50% to just 12%. Part of his plan was that if more people knew how to read and write, they would be able to participate in elections. This literacy campaign was so successful that UNESCO recognized it with an award.

Another important aspect of the transformation included the incorporation of special neighborhood groups called Sandinista Defense Committees. These committees worked to ensure local governance, including the distribution of food, the organization of Sandinista rallies, clean-up groups, and the establishment of recreational activities. They also worked to control any looting that might occur in the neighborhoods.

Even today, the Sandinista National Liberation Front is one of the main political parties in the country. In 2011, former FSLN president Daniel Ortega was re-elected. Until 2006, the opposition party had won elections for 16 years. Every year in July, hundreds gather at Plaza La Fe to celebrate the fall of the Somoza family dictatorship and the rise of the Sandinistas. There is no doubt that the Sandinistas are one of the strongest and most popular political parties in Nicaragua.