Figure 1.--The Sandanistas upon seizing power moved to control the media. Even so many European newspapers were sympathetic toward the Sandinista. It is interesting how the European press which enjoys press freedom appears to hav no objectiin to censorsgip aslong as socialists or communists are doing the censoring. The French caption here read, "A mesure qu la tension croit entre la Nicaragua et les Etats-Unis le gouvernnement Sandiniste prépare la population à la résistance contre un envahisseur éventuel en lui apprennant le maniement des armes et en l'entrainant psychologiquement." This translates as, "As tension develops between Nicaragua and the United States, Sandinist rule prepares the population for resistance against a possible invasion by teaching them how to handle weapons and training them psychologically." The photograph was dated November 15, 1984.

The Sandinistas launched their final offensive (1979). After only 7 weeks of fighting, Somoza fled the country (July 17, 1979). The Sandinistas took control of the country 2 days later. The Nicaragua that the Sandinistas seized control was both indebted and devestated. Ther was a national debt of $1.6 billion, a huge amount for the small Nicaragun economy. There were some 30,000-50,000 war dead and 600,000 people homeless. The economy and infrastructure was devastated. [Walker, 1981] To begin the task of establishing a new government, they created a Junta (Council) of National Reconstruction. This was standard Communist tactics of pretending to create a government of national reconciliation with a broad popular base. Outside of Eastern Europe where the Red Army wasnot in cintrol, th process hd tobbe done more slowly. Despite the window dressing, the hard core FSLN Marxists had total power. The Saninistas appointed five members. Three were Sandinista militants (Daniel Ortega, Moises Hassan, and novelist Sergio Ramírez) -- all FSLN members. Two non-FSLN members wre also appointed to the Junta, businessman Alfonso Robelo and Violeta Barrios de Chamorro (the widow newspaper published Pedro Joaquín Chamorro killed by Somoza). As only three votes were needed to pass decrees, the Sandinistas were in total control. They proceeded to lunch a Cuban-style Communist program. They ignored the economic failure of Castro and Communism and replicated Cuban policies, both represive politics and socialist economics. They adopted the sam neigborhood enforcement mechaniss, used in Cuba--Committees for the Defense of the Revolution. The Saninista version was Comités de Defensa Sandinista, (Sandinista Defense Committees -- CDS). Conflict soon emerge between the Sandinista and non-Sandinista members of the governing Junta. Violeta Chamorro and Alfonso Robelo resigned (1980). It became increasingly obvious that the Ortega junta was moving to turn Nicaragua into another Communist state modeled on Castro's Cuba. The result was all too predictable--economic failure and political repression. And Nicaraguans began fleeing the country. The Sandinistas aligned Nicaragua with Soviet Empire. This brought Nicaragua into the Cold War. President Reagan who had just suceeded Presidebt Carter suspended U.S. aid (January 23, 1981). The Administration accuratly charged that Nicaragua was funneling Cuban and Soviet arms to rebels in El Salvador. The Sandinistas denied the charges.

Sources

Staten, Clifford L. The History of Nicaragua (ABC-CLIO: 2010), 175p.

Created: 5:53 AM 11/21/2017
Last updated: 5:53 AM 11/21/2017