....How was the individual Nicaraguan affected in this long period? They definitely gained some basic rights that had been deprived of them during the Somoza years. Moreover, they gained some say in government matters as well as in the workplace, where they now supposedly ruled. But most Nicaraguans were overwhelmingly poor, and too uneducated to enjoy these new rights. In Nicaragua during the Somoza years, the bourgeoisie had risen and turned into a new, unassailable, indomitable aristocracy. This new aristocracy had all but blatantly exploited the people, and Sandinista rule was a great improvement from this. Otherwise, conditions for Nicaraguans barely changed—the previous enemies became leaders, the previous leaders became enemies, and they could care less whether they were ruled by one or ruled by several.
The Sandinista regime was, day by day, losing the revolutionary ideals they had fought for. In 1986, they closed a popular Nicaraguan newspaper, La Prensa, because of “subversive activities” and anti-Sandinista literature. This caused a massive uproar that only exacerbated the already present conflict. What was different between this and Somoza’s censorship and other conservative activities? Was the classic summation of communism, as detailed in Orwell’s Animal Farm, coming true? Were the Sandinistas, in their glory and triumph, picking up traits characteristic of the previous dictatorial regime, and indeed of any ruling, vanguard party?
Political oppression, freedom violations, oligarchy--these are all things that the Somoza regime represented, and sadly enough, the Sandinistas inherited. The left-wing turned out to be not much of an improvement from the right-wing, as has been the case in history. Despite this, though, there is a rather happy ending to the story of the Nicaraguan people. In 1990, Daniel Ortega, president of Nicaragua, decided to hold free elections within Nicaragua. This controversial decision occurred for several reasons. First, the collapse of the Soviet Union had left Nicaragua seemingly without allies. International pressure was mounting, and many countries were imposing heavy economic sanctions on Nicaragua. Second, the contra war, going on for more than a decade, was getting unbearable to Nicaraguans, who wanted nothing but peace, and a chance to succeed in global markets. For these reasons Ortega gave the presidency up to elections—a noble act that put him in front of the race for president. He lost though, barely, to Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, previously of the junta, who had split off and formed the political party National Union of Opposition (UNO). Chamorro became president, and was immediately faced with an endless amount of conflicts to resolve.
Chamorro now had to deal with all of the Sandinista’s errata. The contras, appeased by free elections, had ceased fighting and even put forth a candidate for the presidency. With the return of peace, Chamorro was faced with a new problem. The landlords whom the Sandinistas had confiscated he land from were now returning to reclaim their land. The peasants who had lived on the land in collectives ever since the early 1980’s, naturally refused to leave. This conflict, and other similar Sandinista-induced conflicts were filling Chamorro’s domestic platter. But now there was peace—and there was democracy.
Though the Sandinista Revolution is behind us, the role of the Sandinistas in history is still an enigma, and many questions still remain. Why had the Sandinista’s democratic ideals taken so long to be implemented? The Sandinistas seemed to have democratized themselves a rather long time after they democratized their nation. They had great intentions, but were their plans ever instated? Is the failing of idealistic revolutionaries inevitable? What is the significance of the failed Sandinista economic model? The Sandinistas’ exact long-term contribution to history is as yet unknown. One thing that historians agree upon is that the Sandinistas’ unique case should be subject to intense scrutiny, so that we may better understand history, politics, and humanity.
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