My previous post on a recent trip to Nicaragua included the beginning of a walk around Matagalpa. If you didn’t see it and you’ve got a few minutes, I’d suggest clicking on it here first, and then rejoining me here. Or just come on along. The following paragraphs describe (very briefly) the recent history of Nicaragua. I apologize for the length and if you’re in a hurry just scroll down to the pics. I do hope you’ll return when you have time. And thanks for checking out this post.
Nicaragua: Long and Sordid History of American Aggression
Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America and has been plagued by military invasions, dictators and revolutions, gross political corruption, and cataclysmic natural disasters. And yet the Nica people continue their struggle for life in a beautiful land. It is practically in the middle of North and South America and is very biologically diverse. Comprised of lakes, volcanic mountains (40 of them and six are still active), hot flatlands, and dismal coastal swamps (home to some of the roughest drug smuggling gangs in the world), it offers something for everyone.
In Managua there are some mud-baked footprints that are 6,000 years old (Sarah Palin – are you listening? There were people walking around and no dinosaurs.) There is also evidence of Atlantic coast settlements some 2,000 years earlier. Cristobol Colon (Columbus for us gringos) first saw Nicaragua in July 1502 as he hunted for a passage to the Pacific.
In 1821 Nicaragua gained its independence from Spain and for a brief time remained in the Central American Federation. The prevailing American thinking was that Europe was going to re-colonize this part of the world and the upshot was the issuance of the Monroe Doctrine of 1823. America has been involved in this part of the world ever since. I guess that by telling Europe to keep its hands off we somehow figured that we could be hands on. The newly independent country teetered on anarchy at this point, and the two important cities of Leon and Granada operated as city-states until a national government was formed in 1845.The Leon-Granada political rivalries birthed two distinct political philosophies that continue today. Agricultural exports supported the development of a landed merchant class in Granada. Of course it was dependent on the farmers for labor – basically they were indentured servants. In Leon, home of a university, there developed a political party steeped in the history of the American and French revolutions. This rivalry resulted in a century of civil war, and informs the political process in Nicaragua today. During the California gold rush years (1849-1856) Nicaragua was a route for prospectors headed north, and the unlucky ones headed back empty handed.
Cornelius Vanderbilt got involved with a cross country transport company. Things got so crazy at one time that Leon enlisted William Walker from the USA (Nashville, TN) to help and he invaded and burned Granada, and then installed himself as President. Yeah, he was the sixth president of Nicaragua. Go figure. The US was building the Panama Canal in 1904 and got wind that some Nica nationalists might build a competitor canal. Nicaragua is narrow and has a river and lakes that would make this very doable, even today. The American solution was to send in the Marines, get rid of the Liberal dictator Zelaya, and install a Granada backed Conservative. This provoked another rebellion, and several years later the US Marines returned again and took control of Nicaragua. Following the 1912 attack, US companies began to take control of the coffee-export business, and transportation companies. Surprised? This went on for more than a decade
By 1933 the US withdrew the military and instead started up a Nicaraguan National Guard. They installed a young Anastasio Somoza Garcia as head. In 1934 Augusto Sandino who had been the opposition leader against the US, was invited by the Nica President, Juan Batista Sacasa, to a negotiation meeting in Managua. When he left the meeting that night, the National Guard assassinated him in the streets of Managua. By 1937 the US-backed National Guard had seized control of Nicaragua. The Somoza family ruled for the next 42 years, and literally raped the people of its riches and heritage. The third Somoza was a 1964 graduate of West Point. Surprised? During his reign (1967-1972 and 1974-1979) the Sandinista (FSLN) movement was gaining traction. He eventually fled to Miami where he was denied admittance by President Jimmy Carter. He eventually settled in Paraguay where he was assassinated by a Sandinista hit squad.
Augusto Sandino (below)
Sandino is memorialized everywhere (below)
Interestingly, Israel was a staunch backer of the Somozas because they had contributed substantial amounts of money (200 million US dollars) in 1948 to the Israeli independence fight. At one point, US President Jimmy Carter ordered a halt to a freighter shipment of arms from Israel, and that ended the active support of the Israelis.
From 1979-1990 the Sandinista Revolution was on. Carlos Fonseca, one of the founders of the FSLN, lived in Matagalpa, and this became the main base of operations. In January of 1978 Somoza had Pedro Chamorro, editor of the left-leaning La Prensa gunned down.
Carlos Fonseca (below)
Managua Airport Mural (guess who else is memorialized everywhere?)
Not to be outdone by the Sandinistas, US President Reagan got all involved in supporting a counter-revolution (Contras). He didn’t like the communist tendencies of the Sandinistas, and the “Contra arms for Iran” fiasco is now well documented history. Incredibly, he even once referred to himself as a Contra.
The Sandinistas weren’t exactly angels. The Contras were downright inhumane and barbaric in much of their behavior. Reagan’s “Freedom Fighters” routinely disemboweled victims, removed limbs, and tore bones out of bodies to shake at surviving family members. Young women and girls were taken away by village-invading Contra troops and raped and usually killed, sometimes by decapitation. Young boys and men were routinely castrated and mutilated before being killed. And you thought this horrific genocide was confined to Africa? They targeted Sandinista sympathizers and suspected sympathizers. They killed doctors, nurses, school teachers, judges, mayors, clergy, policemen, and even utility workers thought to be supportive of the Sandinistas.
When Chamorro (wife of the assassinated La Prensa editor) was elected President, the Contras just fizzled out and went back to raising their crops. This is just an amazing end (sort of) to two centuries of fighting. It just ended. Just like that. We’ll see. Enough political history for now. Back to my trip.
Around Matagalpa and the Northern Highlands
We left off last time here (below)
Athletic Stadium (below)
La Catedral de San Pedro de Matagalpa (below)
Matagalpa Scenes (below)
We ended the walk at Emmy's house. These pics include the giant mango tree that grows trough her open air "courtyard." At night I would always awaken with a startle as one of the "mango bombs" would fall onto the tin roof. They rolled to the gutter and we would retrieve them and eat them. Delicious!
This series also includes a picture of Zula, the wonder dog. I swear the Nica dogs all have genetic similarities.
Emmy and Zula at front door
The "mango bomb" tree (bedrooms to the right)
Kitchen scene (It flooded every time it rained, which is everyday this time of year. A minor inconvenience for an essentially open air kitchen. (Below)
Zula (Ignores commands in Spanish and English!)
One day we took a trip with the Global Glimpse students to a community in the hills above Matagalpa. This is an extremely impoverished and crime-ridden neighborhood. An enterprising NGO person went door to door and asked the residents what they wanted most in the community. the overwhelming identified need was for a library. They wanted a place where the kids could go and learn to read, be safe, and learn to use a computer. This is not a library by American standards but is a superb place in La Chispa. The pics are of the Global Glimpse students interacting with the Nica children who were present that morning.
Emmy and I took a day and went to the market in Masaya, and then to the Laguna de Apoyo just outside of town.
I went up into the mountains and spent a night and a day at the Finca Esperanza Verde. These pics are all from the farm and the hiking trails. See previous Nica post for more information on this incredible eco-lodge.
B'wana
Butterflies
Bananas
Coffee (below)
Coffee Picker Tools of the Trade: Basket, burlap sacks, boots
I realize this was a long post. Thanks for taking the time to visit. There is so much more to see and hear about. One last story: I went to El Chile, a weaving co-op high in the mountains and heard stories of how the Somoza National Guard destroyed their weaving looms and equipment because he didn't want competition for his textile factories. They are now back in business and surviving. When asked what her hopes and dreams were for her children, one weaver replied "to get an education." Nica campesinos (farmers) rarely mentioned things like food, water, roads, money, or health care - rather - they all wanted their children to get an education. And we take that for granted here in the States.
Monkey Tree (below)
-end-
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Comments
Your daughter is a lucky young woman, and you are a lucky Dad. (But you know that already.)
This song kept ringing in my head as I read, so I thought I'd leave it for you:
NICARAGUA, NICARAGUITA
Ay, Nicaragua, Nicaraguita
la flor mas linda de mi querer
abonada con la bendita
Nicaraguita, sangre de Diriangen.
Ay, Nicaragua, sos mas dulcita
que la mielita de Tamagas
Pero ahora que ya sos libre,
Nicaraguita, you u te quiero mucho mas
pero ahora que yas sos libre,
Nicaraguita, yo te quiero mucho mas.
Translation:
Oh, Nicaragua, precious Nicaragua
The fairest flower of my affection
Fertilized by the sacred blood,
Nicaraguita, of Diriangen.
Oh, Nicaragua, you are more sweet
Than the honey of Tamagas
But now that you are free,
Nicaragua, I love you so much more.
Words and Music by Carlos Mejia Godoy
(c) 1984 by Carlos Mejia Godoy
Amazing.
Awesome post!
- rated
Vendors sold a coke by pouring it from their glass bottle in a plastic bag (they guarded those bottles carefully), knotting the top, and putting a straw through the side - like a drink box.
Do they still do this?
(rated five mango bombs)
Waking – always good to see you. I actually am grateful everyday for many things – and Emmy is at the top of the list.
Owl – that was so thoughtful of you to leave that song. I’d love to hear it. The cathedral is beautiful and size-wise it is so out of place in Matagalpa – it just dominates – but then so too does the Catholic church, come to think of it.
Tai – thanks for reading. Our American priorities are pretty confused and confusing these days.
George – you flatter me with your comments. Thanks so much. I had quite a visit!
Owl – great question about the drinks. In the city stores there is lots of plastic and aluminum; however, in the small villages that’s not the case at all. Unless you bring a bottle, it is still very common to see people carrying their drink around in a plastic bag as you described.
Stacey – thanks for visiting and for the “mango bomb” rating.
Emma – thanks! It took me a long time to write this. Way too much to say and you know how hard it can be to edit out commentary. I appreciate you stopping by.
Lea - thanks for stopping by and commenting. Next time I'm taking a real camera (these were from a cell phone). I consider this high praise coming from the world traveler of OS and beyond. Thanks.
I am Argentine, South American, Latin American, and it´s a love that sometimes hurts, but it is a love which is stronger than anything else.
Thank you very much.
Kisses,
Marcela
Marcela – I’m glad you enjoyed the posts. I am humbled by your kind words.
Rated~~~
scanner – I am honored to win a coveted Scanner. I’m going to put it with my other awards – as soon as I get some.
Seriously – thanks for the kind words.
Procopius – you’ve said it well. Thanks for visiting.
Thanks so much for sharing.
GG- thanks for visiting. I was simply touched by the number of Nicas who identified education as their top priority. It does seem as if our priorities need some serious reexamination.