Against U.S. Aggressions: Nicaragua Stands Up

Presidential elections in Nicaragua are set for the upcoming November 7th and current President, Daniel Ortega member of the Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (Sandinista National Liberation Front, FSLN) aims to be reelected. If he succeeds, although fairly achieved, this election will not be accepted by the U.S., the European Union, nor by the discredited OAS and other entities claiming to defend human rights, such as the Human Right Watch.

While the FSLN tries to win with Ortega, the Partido Liberal Constituyente will be represented by deputy and former street seller Walter Espinoza, the Partido Liberal Independiente will do the same with deputy Mauricio Orúe, Alianza Liberal Nicaraguense with lawyer Marcelo Montiel, Camino Cristiano Nicaraguense with reverend and former Sandinista ally Guillermo Osorno, Alianza por la República with young man Gerson Gutiérrez Gasparín and Yatama with indigenous deputy Brooklyn Rivera.

Few news media report the event with objectivity. Most of them, controlled by the Empire, are already discrediting the presidential election, Ortega’s image, and the elections’ legality as some members of the opposition have been arrested, with seven of them voicing out their desire to run for presidency. Two others left the country, one of them being the leader of renowned mercenary force called “contras.”

The U.S., on the other side, its European allies, the OAS and the false entities claiming to defend human rights are calling for the release of opposition members accused of money-laundering by labeling them as political prisoners. President Ortega did not break before the U.S. pressure and all the sanctions imposed on the Nicaraguan people. 

Ortega himself explained that those members of the opposition, directed from the U.S. to promote a coup d’état, were detained and sent to jail for money-laundering crimes.

“We are being required to release individuals upon whom there are evidence of money-laundering crimes as a result of operations carried out by the U.S. government and associated intelligence agencies to illegally deliver resources through different organizations, but the money is used for a different purpose: to promote a coup d’état.”

In this regard, the head of the Sandinista government criticized the campaign, full of lies, unleashed by the U.S. on the eve of the presidential elections in Nicaragua. Meanwhile, according to electoral standards, none of the allegedly candidates registered to participate in the elections.

Against the sanctions imposed by the U.S. on Nicaragua, Ortega confirmed that Nicaraguan people boast “a strength, a capital, a richness, which is dignity and their love for their homeland,” which get stronger with the passing of days.  

WHAT THEY DO NOT WANT YOU TO KNOW IS…

Accusations against Nicaragua persist on the eve of the upcoming elections to be held on November 7^th. However, the economic and social achievements of the Central American nation are silenced. That is why the fact that Sandinismo is one of the greatest achievements must be repeated endlessly no matter all those destabilizing actions orchestrated from the U.S.

The most recent inhumane, predatory siege against Nicaragua occurred in December 2018, when Donald Trump signed the Nica Act (Nicaraguan Investment Conditionality Act), which blocked all loans from financial institutions to Nicaragua, resulting in a series of financial extortions such as the inability to request loans for its own development.

Of course, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and International Monetary Fund immediately reduced the disbursement and loans to the country, which severely affected the social programs financed by foreign aid.

As a result of the attacks on the country economy, against social and production-related facilities, CEPAL (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean) revealed that Nicaragua’s GDP, which was expected to grow 5% this year, dropped to 0,5%.

American writer Max Blumenthal revealed in an extensive report the financial plan of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) to execute the coup d’état in Nicaragua, led by Movimiento Estudiantil 19 de abril (M19), the Institute for Strategic Development and Public Policies (IEEPP) and the so-called Alianza Cívica por la Democracia (ACD).

Now, let’s not forget that the main issue of the U.S. with Nicaragua is that the return of Daniel Ortega to the country’s presidency back in 2007 led to a switch from right-wing regimes and the liberal economic model implemented in that nation for 16 years.

In that span, pro-American regimes of Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, Arnoldo Alemán, and Enrique Bolaños dismantled the public treasury, privatize national companies and core services, indebt the country, contributed to increase job insecurity while decapitalizing producers.

In the 14-years span under the Sandinista ruling, the people in Nicaragua have witnessed big economic and social improvements.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Since 2007, several social programs aiming at pulling most of the population out of extreme poverty were fostered.

Public institutions embraced free education and health care. All population became literate thanks to the Cuban program Yo Sí Puedo. Nicaragua was declared by UNESCO in 2009 the third country in the region free of that scourge.

Health care covers all the country and programs like Operación Milagro (in collaboration with Cuba and Venezuela, which aims to restore sight to thousands of citizens) were established.

Todos con Voz mission has registered disabled people so they could receive care for free at home or hospitals across the Central American nation.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff