Nicaragua Weekly
Prensa, was assassinated
New Rebel Group In
Bounds
By Walter Samuels
Just when everyone
thought it was over, they
came back. Although a
new democratic
government has been
established, it seems that
the ghost of Anastasio
Somoza, the previous
leader of Nicaragua, is really isnt a reason why.
trying to take back the
government for himself
once again, and have his
people suffer and be
forgotten all for his own
benefit. The people of
Nicaragua remember
vividly the large
earthquake ten years ago
that happened in
Managua. When the
United States tried to give
economic aid, Somoza
used that aid to spend on
luxuries for his friends and
close allies. Not only that,
but six years later, Pedro
Joachim Chamorro of La
breaking the ideals that
by Somozas death squads
which eventually led to the
overwhelming support of
the Sandinistas. Eventually
democracy prevailed and
the Sandinista National
Liberation Front overthrew
Somozas government with
Somoza trying to flee but
ended up being
assassinated. Now, a new
rebel group, The Contras,
have just been created
and are already notorious
for their crimes of murder,
torture, and rape of the
citizens of Nicaragua.
They are trying to revive
the old government that
Somoza was in control of.
And sadly... the United
States are supporting
these terrorists. And there
people, and the U.S dares
Its confusing more or less.
Arent the United States a
force for democracy? Why
are they supporting these
cruel dictators? Why would
the United States ever in a
million years condone a
group of terrorists who
rape, torture, and murder
their own citizens? No one
know why and thats
what makes the situation
worse. The United States
has even been funding the
Contras with weapons
produced by them. It
bewilders all of us, frankly.
They are quite literally
they so heavily value
themselves. By funding
these terrorists, they are
actively trying to stop
democracy. Ironic, huh?
The United States fighting
against democracy. But it
seems rather silly. The
United States is a force of
democracy, it doesnt
make sense. Many people
have been trying to figure
out why the United States
would even give weapons
to the Contras in the first
place. The Contras are
taking away the freedoms
of the people of Nicaragua,
by trying to place a
dictatorship in the
government. The Contras
are murdering, torturing,
and raping their own
to support a group who is
taking away the freedoms
of others. Its just
hypocritical. So in the end,
everyone in Nicaragua is
in fear. With a powerhouse
like the U.S now backing
the Contras, this great few
years we had of living in
the government we wanted
may fade away. Its scary,
but its something the
SNLF will have to put up
with. It will be hard, but we
could pull through. Its just
sad that the U.S is trying to
take away our freedom
and our democracy. Its
just disappointing is all.
Although, it could be a
misunderstanding. It may
just be they have the
situation wrong, or maybe
they felt we did something
wrong that we should clear
up? Thats the optimistic
side of it though. Many
people doubt that it will get
cleared up. But well fight
for our freedom
regardless.
Atrocity Exhibition
By James Sunderland
Its not only terrifying but
its inhumane. says Jamie
Felix, a refugee and
previous citizen of a city
overwhelmed with
Contras. I saw them
straight up shoot a woman
and her baby in the head.
It was horrific. I dont know
how I made it out, but I
did and its unsettling to
me. Ever since the
Contras have been
formed, they have begun
terrorizing the people of
Nicaragua. These
atrocities by the Contras Jamie lived in an
include murder, torture, apartment when the
and rape, and its only Contras attacked. He said
getting worse. I saw two that he had to run and
soldiers restrain a woman sneak out of the city,
and they were trying to hiding behind dumpsters
well god I dont want and desks gradually
to think about what making his way out. When
happened. Jamie fled the we asked Jamie how much
city to avoid being the event has changed
captured by the Contras, him, he stated, Ugh
as he says he didnt want well I sure have seen
to suffer under their hand. the worst of it all. Well...
Ever since the theres probably people
Sandinistas have installed who have experienced
the new government, worse. It just gives you
many people felt we perspective really. You
werent going to realize that this happens to
experience a cruel dictator people, and thats what
again. But the Contras are makes it terrible. Although
trying to revive that old Im pretty optimistic about
government, and after everything. I dont know
seeing what Ive seen I why whenever Im the
didnt want to go back to bearer or the witness of
how things were before, something terrible, I feel
and now, we have to make optimistic about the
sure we dont get back to situation Im in. I seen
that terrible leadership. terrible things, that even I
Because I sure as hell am cant really utter, but like I
not going back to that dont want to dwell on it. Ill
government. Jamie is an always question myself of
artist, however his what I could have done.
paintings are left in his But if I dwell in that too
apartment. Haha, I hope I much, itll become a
can return to my home, but nightmare. Im not going to
knowing the Contras do that to myself.
behavior, my art might be
gone. Which well The Story Thus Far
sucks but working on art
makes me feel better. Its By Martin Mason
something I can look
towards to, despite seeing
what I just seen recently.

In 1982, a guerilla unit
called the Contras, is
formed from the
Conservative groups
fleeing Nicaragua after the
Sandinistas are created.
Immediately, they are
infamous for their atrocities
towards their own people,
which go as far as murder,
torture, and rape. In
addition, because the U.S
believes that the
Sandinistas are a
Communist group, they
support the Contras and
even supply them with
weapons and supplies.
How it got to that point is
unclear, in the sense that
its origin is unknown,
although the events
leading up to the creation
of the Contras is clear. In
1956, the leader of
Nicaragua, Anastasio
Somoza Garcia, was
assassinated and his son
Luis became the new
dictator of Nicaragua. Luis
even tells the U.S that they
will be a strong and
dependent ally to stop
communism. Luis rules
Nicaragua until 1967, then
his brother Anastasio
Somoza Debayle,
becomes the new dictator
of Nicaragua. In 1972, a
massive earthquake in the
Nicaraguan capital,
Managua, devastates the
city, and the US provides
economic aid to the
country. However, Somoza
takes the U.S aid and
spends it for himself and
his friends, which ends up
making situations even
worse and rebel groups
start to form; specifically, a
group called the
Sandinistas rise to power.
Years pass until 1978,
when Pedro Joachim
Chamorro, a journalist
working for the countrys
biggest newspaper, La
Prensa, is assassinated by
Somozas death squads
which causes many people
in Nicaragua to support the
Sandinistas. During the
spring of 1979, President
Jimmy Carter of the United
States stops giving aid to
Somozas regime after
many protests in the U.S
about Somozas cruel and
harsh dictatorship. On July
19, 1979, the Sandinista
National Liberation Front,
also known as the FSLN,
seize power with the help
of Cuba. Somoza flees
Nicaragua but ends up
being assassinated in
1980 after a Sandinista
military squad ambushed
his home. The Sandinistas
then establish a National
Assembly thats controlled
by their military junta,
which is essentially when
the military is in control of
the government. Then the
events of 1982 occur.
When the Contras ended
up getting formed, it
created what was known
as the Iran Contra Affair,
when the United States
gave aid to the Contras. It
wasnt until November and
December of 1986 when
President Ronald Reagan
was exposed for secretly
funding the Contras.
Eventually, in August
1987, the U.S stops giving
support for guerrilla
groups. Nicaragua, which
became under control
under the Contras, agree
to elections and a
ceasefire was put into
place. The conflict came to
end.
Work Cited:

James N. Briggs and Letter to Williams Casey, Ronald Reagan. Speech

Pedro Joachim Chamorro. CIA Director, from Senator from the Oval office about
Document 493: Barry Goldwaterm(R) the Iran-Contra Affair. 4
Memorandum of Arizona. April 9, 1984. March 1987. American
Conversation, Managua, Understandin the Iran Experience: Reagan.
May 6, 1970. Foreign Contra Affair. Brown WGBH Educational
Relations of the United University. Accessed 7 Accessed 8 December
States, 1969 - 1976. Vol. December 2012. 2012.
E-10: Documents on
American Republics, 1969
- 1972. Accessed 8
December 2012.

CWW4.6 Nicaragua
(1979-1990). Cold War
World Lesson #4: Hot
Spots Research Project,
The Regents of the
University of California,
chssp.ucdavis.edu/cww4-h
ot-spots-research-project.p
df. Accessed 6 Apr. 2017.