A new history of the Sandinista Revolution
In the 1970s in Nicaragua, left-wing rebels, calling themselves the Sandinista National Liberation Front, fought to overthrow their country’s dictator.
It worked. The Sandinistas led a coalition that took over the government in July 1979, in what became known as the Sandinista Revolution.
However, within a few years, the Sandinistas faced a violent backlash, which pushed the country into a state of unrest that lasted for almost a decade.
This period of violence, from roughly 1982-1988, was known as the Contra War. To many Americans, it’s often associated with the Cold War and Ronald Reagan. It’s been described as a proxy battle between the Soviet-supported Sandinistas on one side, and the U.S.-supported counter-revolutionaries, or Contras, on the other.
But in this episode, we’ll go beyond that Cold War framing of the conflict, to uncover a fuller explanation of why the Sandinista Revolution was successful in Nicaragua in 1979, why it was replaced by a liberal democratic government in 1990, and why that democracy has since fallen apart.
Mateo Jarquín is a historian and author of The Sandinista Revolution: A Global Latin American History.” Through interviews with former Sandinistas and archival research conducted across Latin America, Mateo tells the story of this momentous decade in Latin American politics from the perspective of those who lived it. In doing so, he challenges our understanding of the Cold War’s impact on Latin America, from the 1980s straight through to the present.
In the second half of the episode, we’ll talk with Watson Senior Fellow Steven Kinzer about Nicaragua’s repressive political regime today, and a surprising act of resistance whose full effects are yet to be seen.
Learn about and purchase “The Sandinista Revolution: A Global Latin American History (uncpress.org/book/97814696784...) ”
Listen to episode 1 of “Revolution Revisited” (trending-globally.captivate.f...) a limited series on the history of the Sandinista Revolution, from Trending Globally
Learn more about the Watson Institute’s other podcasts (home.watson.brown.edu/news/po...)
Пікірлер: 5
23:44 'a victory for democracy'? - New York Times, Feb 27th 1990: 'the weight of American sanctions and support for the rebels (contras) left the government so impoverished and the people so exhausted that a political turnaround seemed inevitable'.
I hope to hear an update addressing the issue of Noriega's support of the most repressive war against women waged by the Catholic establishment!
@MundaSquire
14 күн бұрын
Have any info to share on this?
@vernonchow2032
9 күн бұрын
@MundaSquire After the Cuban revolution, the godless communists removed legal penalties against abortion, after the Sandinista revolution the same thing happened in Nicaragua. But, following Vatican City's doctrine of a seamless culture of life, in 2006 Nicaraguan law, like many Latin American countries, once again treats abortion as an act which makes you an outlaw. Manuel Noriega ruled in Panama and was forced out of office by Washington's military. Daniel Ortega ruled Nicaragua in the 80s, was voted out of office due to ongoing pressure from the lethal violence of Washington-backed Contras in 1990 but was able to return to power in 2007. OP has confused the names of the rulers of Panama and Nicaragua. I think they are confused about other aspects of life in Central America as well.
@MundaSquire
9 күн бұрын
@@vernonchow2032 I'm a former Catholic who am aware of the Church's work with CIA to overthrow communist and socialist governments. When I was a Catholic, what appealed to me was the liberation theology, and no the right-wing Opus Dei camp of Catholicism. After Pope Paul II purged the liberation theology from Latin America, he being a staunch anti-communist from Poland, I was done with the Church. I'm not a theist now. I believe women should have control of their bodies, so "godless" is not something that bothers me. I also believe that nations should be able to determine their own policies without US or any other nation's attempting to overthrow or sanction the government out of existence. Attempting to influence he government though diplomatic means are acceptable. The US goes after every left government on the planet if they do not allow it to control them. So, Nicaragua or any left government (Cuba, Vietnam, China) will be a target. I say let them experiment with their brand of socialism without US interference and onerous sanctions.