Nicaragua is a land with a sad history of violence. It is also a source of questionable stories of war, terror, and destruction. The Somoza dynasty was the source of great suffering by the people of Nicaragua.
But the story has other facets. The Somozas, particularly Anastasio Somoza Debayle, the last of the Somozas, and West Point graduate, had the chance to bring about considerable modernization to the country's infrastructure. He also was a successful motor in improving education in the country.
The Somoza clan can still claim the period where education and public health were considerably improved and extended to the countryside.
Somoza sent mercenary forces to Guatemala to help U.S. forces oust socialist president, Jacobo Arbenz. (NOT TRUE).
1968: Nicaraguan functionaries, sent by Somoza Debayle, help overthrow Panamanian president, Arnulfo Arias. (NOT TRUE).
1979: Somoza resigns on July 19th, and flees to Miami, exiling to Paraguay. On July 20th, Sandinista forces enter Managua, and hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans celebrate their triumph, with no clue as to their near future.
The rest of the story begins with an unfortunate revelation that makes it clear that the "revolutionaries" were trained in Cuba, and that they were intent on establishing a "Cuban-style" system of government. What followed was what was called "The lost decade".
The economy had collapsed, capital had fled the country and investment was scarce. The Sandinista regime nationalized the banking system and soon private and foreign invesment dried out.
The first post-revolution government was headed by Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, widow of Pedro Joaquín Chamorro, owner of the major newspaper La Prensa, who was assasinated in the middle of the street by obvious Sandinista thugs. It was actually very little what Doña Violeta could achieve amid a sandinista, de facto-controlled government, which was permanently being sabotaged by the Sandinistas in preparation for their assault on power.
Considerable resources were made available to the Sandinista government to restore its institutionality.
Very early in its life, post-Somoza Nicaragua begins to turn left by entering an alliance with Cuba, which was immediately detected in Washington. This change of direction was enough to dissuade many diáspora Nicaraguans from returning, thereby the country losing the great potential of the influx of working-class Nicaraguans with U.S education and fluency in the English language.
Nicaragua's business elite has survived and flourished by a de-facto understanding with Daniel Ortega, who has remained in power during three consecutive periods, in violation of the Constitution. Not one of the usual opposition groups has seriously called for recount of votes, nor inconstitutionality violations, rather abstaining from voting, in silent protest.
= new reply since forum marked as read