FROM THE EDITOR:
FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING IN NICARAGUA
It was thought that in Nicaragua Anastacio Somoza Debayle would be the last dictatorship, after the end of a 45-year-old family dynasty. An ardent civil war left approximately 50,000 dead and culminated in the overthrow of the dictator by the people, led by the Sandinista National Liberation Front (Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional) with the revolution in 1979.
But, just a moment, although I said that Somoza was a dictator, he always denied that his government was a dictatorship, since he always offered ‘free’ elections. It is known that where there are elections is because there is democracy, right? In the elections, power is gambled. But the reality is different, in the casinos you play your money, but the card leader designs the system for only them to win. And the house always wins.
That was the election with Somoza.
He was defeated during a war that was fought in almost every neighborhoods around the country, where each citizen was a combatant, while the forces of the dictator Somoza attacked the civilian population, especially young people who had lost their fear and took up arms against the regime.
Now the story is repeated 40 years later, young people are in the streets of Nicaragua shouting: “Ortega out, we do not want dictatorship” just like when the people protested against Somoza. In the same way, Ortega has never accepted being a dictator, since he has won the presidency several times through elections.
During all this time the Frente, which became a political party, achieved great popularity nationally and internationally. Their defense of the poor and their social programs made them demigods. But as they say out there, that power corrupts, the power was concentrated in Daniel and his brother Humberto in charge of the newly created Sandinista Army (he is no longer part of the government since the Frente loss the power in 1990).
The directorate of the Frente, which at that time was composed of nine commanders of the general staff, gradually disintegrated until only Daniel, and his partner Rosario Murillo, remained. They were accumulating more power and more power.
Their comrades Commanders of the Revolution separated when they saw that this comrade was becoming a dictator and accumulating wealth, and they distanced themselves when the Frente loses the presidency to Violeta Barrios de Chamorro.
Daniel and the Frente made life difficult for the new government. The slogan was, “we will govern from below.” And that was applied to the two successive liberal presidents who were not able to govern at ease. With the so-called Sandinista mobs, the presidential couple learned that following that path they would perpetuate themselves in power when they again won the presidency – it was always the hope.
So it happened.
With the army and the national police at their side – which they managed to subdue under their control, they prepared for the long road of an unlimited presidency. Venezuela, with its oil, became their private bank, in an alliance to create a presidency without limits in the American hemisphere, which was used to buy whatever adversary they faced.
The crime that inflamed the population at that time was fading through the hiring of street criminals, who became members of the newly created Sandinista Youth, which would later become the paramilitary force to crush anyone who oppose them.
And his power strengthened in the greatest expression, turning the JS into a small army of reserve paramilitaries, whom they sent to strike at any demonstration against his government. And until today they have done the dirty work and with pay, thanks to the help of the oil of Venezuela.
Everything was going well. Nobody thought that luck would change to the presidential couple, because they got into their pocket the judiciary, the Supreme Electoral Council, the National Assembly, the Army and the National Police, and become owners of about five television channels, radios, and many million-dollar companies.
Until they dared to touch Social Security.
By approving a recent reform that would have taken a piece of the benefits from the population, the protests were immediate. That ignited the flame.
Their paramilitary mobs were sent to repress the elderly, acts of repression that had been committed for years against the political opposition when organizing marches.
The protests of young university students did not wait, and these young people, unarmed, were beaten and many killed by these JS and with the approval and protection of the Police.
Since then the protests have been taking place daily and have been increasing, to the point that now it is not only the young university students -who are the ones who started the sit-ins – but now also the peasants, more universities, the people, the same Sandinistas people, saying that they are Sandinistas but not Danielistas, the red, while the black and red flag of Sandinismo symble has become a taboo for many, and they destroy it.
Danielismo has turned into something negative for many Sandinistas who want to separate themselves from the massacre that the regime has just executed in the name of Sandinismo, and its red and black symbol.
A dialogue was requested at the beginning after more than 45 deaths, hundreds of injured and about 100 missing, with the assistance of the church, but as I write these lines, the dams on the roads around the country have already begun to put into effect the new agenda: a national strike to get Daniel and the Rosary out of power.
The last march that took place this Wednesday, was the largest that has been seen in Nicaragua in several decades, if I’m not mistaken.
And the most interesting thing is that, despite the fact that Ortega created a super army capable of crushing any rebellion, this time, with this new massacre, the people began to turn against his government. And the most important thing is that people have gone out to protest without arms and peacefully, which makes it impossible for Ortega to have to use the police and the army to crush the rebellion with artillery fire. And that’s why they use the JS.
Now the people has taken the streets and there is general agreement that they will not let go, leaving the power of Ortega with its hands tied.
It is estimated that his days are numbered, and that before, there could be more massacres, just as the dictator Somoza did when the people rose up against him.
But the people have lost their fear, thanks to the brave students.
