Less than a month after we returned from Nicaragua, the country exploded into political violence. The short version of a long story is this: There have been factions in the country that have been displeased with the president, Daniel Ortega, for various reasons. Ortega was a Sandinista military leader during the revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, who was elected president, and his administration did many popular things for the country, such as put in hydroelectric plants to bring power to the unserved rural parts of the country, start a very successful literacy campaign, provide for health care and social security for all, and create low income housing for thousands of impoverished people. While some industries were nationalized, about 70% of the nation’s GDP was produced by private businesses, and the country has had the fastest growing economy in Central America for several years. It was also the safest country for several years.
In recent years, though, some of Ortega’s actions angered many people, including making a controversial deal to build a canal across the country (and through its massive freshwater lake), refusing assistance from Costa Rica to put out a fire burning in a large nature reserve, and maneuvering to have laws rewritten such that term limits no longer applied to him and then running an election that many called rigged, and by naming his wife Rosario Murillo vice president. Finally, in April, his administration (at the behest of the International Monetary Fund) proposed to reduce social security and to ask for greater contributions for health care. Protests erupted and in the ensuing violence, dozens of people were killed. Since then, many more have died. There has been an ongoing effort on the part of many nationwide to get Ortega to step down or at least allow emergency elections. The effort has included tearing up streets and making roadblocks, massive protests, and a huge social media outcry. The country is currently not functioning normally at all.
Most international organizations have left the country, including the Peace Corps, waiting for the situation to stabilize. We are taking our cues from the Peace Corps-when they return to the country, we will consider the situation safe enough to return to the country. We will fundraise as usual, assuming that we will be able to return next March. If we can not, our organizers in Nicaragua, Maverick and Crespin, will be able to carry out the school supplies part of the project themselves, and have pledged to carry out the mission.
I stress that ideas of what kind of government Nicaragua has had in recent years are frequently wrong. I hear people suggesting on one side that Ortega has been smeared as an effort to discredit socialism. Others freely condemn the Sandinista regime, decrying socialism as doomed to fail. Others believe that it was Ortega’s capitalist moves that led to discontent. Nicaragua’s government and society do not fall easily into political and economic categories. The issues that have led to this outbreak of chaos do not map onto simple, cold war era notions of socialism vs. capitalism. Nor is Nicaragua Venezuela. Please respect the dignity and intelligence of the people of Nicaragua and research carefully before expressing opinions.
We have people in our operation who fall on both sides of the conflict. We believe in the people of Nicaragua, and their ability to resolve this conflict and reconcile with each other. We stand ready to assist in the healing process, and we plan to continue to support elementary school education in the Leon region as long as we are able and the help is needed.
In other news, friends of Vecinos pointed out to me a couple months ago that they were unable to fund us in the federal database of non-profit organizations. I investigated and realized I had failed to file some important paperwork. I corrected that, and last week we finally showed up in the database!