Nica Notes (James Phillips): Elliott Abrams and the People of Central America: Never Forget! Abrams’ entire career in public office has been guided by his apparent belief that the killing, torture, and misery of any number of Latin Americans (and others) are justified in the name of protecting the ‘security’ of the US. This is the essence of the so-called National Security Doctrine that was employed by all of the violent military dictatorships of Latin America in the 1970s and 1980s. It was and remains very much a central part of the thinking of many in the US government, such as Abrams.
The Nicaraguan government’s measured response to the uprising of April 2018 was denounced in Washington and the mainstream media as an extreme repression of an uprising that was painted as “peaceful.” despite ample evidence that it was anything but peaceful. An alternative narrative from eyewitnesses in Nicaragua paints a very different picture of events, a narrative that the U.S. has tried very hard to suppress and keep out of the media. Elliott Abrams’ special talents would lend themselves perfectly to this ongoing effort to undermine and remove Ortega and the Sandinistas from power, again as in the 1980s, to thwart the will of a people and substitute the will of the U.S. government in its place—regime change and forms of intervention by any means at any cost. Code Pink: Elliot Abrams – Tell your Senators to vote NO on his appointment! Send an email to your Senator.
NicaNotes (Susan Lagos): “We are building the Caribbean Coast of our dreams” Recently I returned from a two-week delegation trip to the Southern Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region of Nicaragua with Friends of the ATC with 25 multi-cultural young first-time visitors from the US and England. At the Instituto Agroecológico Latinoamericano we learned with the young students from cooperatives around Nicaragua, Central America, and the Dominican Republic, who are earning two-year degrees in agroecology to improve production and entrepreneurship back home in their communities. In 1987 with the FSLN Autonomy Law, the historical rights of the pluricultural Caribbean coastal peoples were recognized. Now, besides Spanish, six other languages are official: creole English, Miskito, Mayangna, Ulwa, Garifuna, Rama, with a six-star autonomy flag. Please come see with your own eyes, and don’t believe the lies in the US media by people who try to destroy the advances of Nicaragua, “the threat of a good example.”
Workers World: Report of Solidarity delegation joins Nicaragua’s celebration of 1979 revolution A few things stood out from the trip: (1) the incredible scope and efficacy of their socialist project; (2) the impact of U.S. imperialism on Nicaragua; and (3) the intoxicating air of international solidarity in the country…In 2007, only 54% of the population had access to electricity. Now, there is 99.3% access. In 2007, Nicaragua had 1,270 miles of paved roads, with only 31% in satisfactory condition, and provided road access to only 68 of the 153 municipalities. Since then, 3,728 miles of roads have been paved and 90% are in good condition. A recent wave of U.S. sanctions in 2022 targeted and blocked Nicaragua’s gold sector, affecting about $900 million of exports, as well as the sugar sector, removing Nicaragua from the list of countries that can trade sugar with the U.S. with reduced import tariffs.
Amor de Nicaragua School Marches Beautiful photos of students’ school marches.
Educational Activities of Amor de Nicaragua Photos of Nicaraguan student celebrations at the beginning of the new school year.
Events
September 15-16: Friends of the ATC Speaking Events in Washington-Baltimore Erika Takeo and Marlen Sanchez from Nicaragua’s Association of Rural Workers (ATC) will be speaking at free events open to the public.
September 23 – November 18: virtual course, Ben Linder Solidarity School, 9 week class (two hours a week) Topics include: Nicaragua and the Sandinista Revolution; History and current context of Latin America and US imperialism; ATC and peasant organizations / social movements; Food Sovereignty and Agroecology; Solidarity and Internationalism.
September 24: The Nicaraguan Community Policing Model How do the Nicaraguan police sustain one of the lowest crime rates, and highest levels of citizen trust, in all of Latin America? A key answer is their much-heralded community-based model. Join us to hear two prominent speakers from the Nicaragua National Police: Commissioner General Jaime Vanegas Vega, Inspector General, and Commissioner General Vilma Rosa Gonzalez, Head of Public Relations. Spanish – English interpretation provided. Register here or at bit.ly/NicaSep24
October 21-22: (Madrid) Encuentro Sandinista de Solidaridad con Nicaragua Organizations from different parts of the Spanish state in the Sandinista Meeting of Solidarity with Nicaragua.
Upcoming Delegations to Nicaragua
Casa Ben Linder delegations in October 21-30, January 6-14, and February 10-19
Donate to Help Build the work of the Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition Any donation helps, but monthly contributions can expand our work to combat the constant disinformation against Nicaragua. Make sure to write “Nica Coalition” in the online donation space, or on the memo line of a check mailed to our fiscal sponsor, Casa Baltimore/Limay, PO Box 66053, Baltimore, MD 21239.
Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition: nicasolidarity.net Our monthly zoom meetings: second Monday of the month (October 9), 2:30 PM ET
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