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6 • The Red and Black / finals • Monday, March 19, 1990
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VIEWPOINTS
Student relates experiences
of recent Nicaraguan vote
Editors note: Chris Brown is a University graduate
student who was in Nicaragua earlier this month and
observed that country’s elections
Having spent just two weeks in Nicaragua, I cannot
claim to have become an expert on Nicaraguan cul
tures and peoples. Nevertheless, because I was living
with a barrio family during my stay, and because I
was able to move around Managua and some of the
countryside, my experience was rich.
Here, I hope to share some of my feelings on Nica
ragua and her people.
In Nicaragua one is constantly struck by the abun
dance of children Everywhere there are kids playing
selling anything from cigarettes to newspapers and
begging. They do ask for money, but I was asked more
for pens and pencils than anything else.
The economic situation in Nicaragua has left the
schools and families unable to provide the children
with books, notebooks, pens, and pencils.
Managua itself had some nice neighborhoods which
were comparable to American middle class standards,
but the majonty of the people lived in extremely poor
conditions. Of course, there are people living at rock
bottom in our society, but in Nicaragua this is your av
erage campesino. Outside Managua, the conditions
were even more difficult.
I found Nicaraguans to be some of the most sincere
and artistic people I had ever met. In interacting with
the Nicaraguans, one is struck by their friendliness
and humaneness. Conversations in Nicaragua imme
diately cut through the bull and reach a very comfort
able level.
One evening, I was sipping rum with a couple of
men in my neighborhood and they asked me why
Americans seem to so misunderstand and condescend
to their people and culture. Of course, they under
stood that one must make the distinction between
American people and American political policies, but
to them it seemed that even most American people did
not care. I could only say that I felt that most Ameri
cans do care, but that, like all societies, we have our
own particular set of blinders through which we view
the world.
Much is political in today’s Nicaragua. Obviously,
the elections of Feb. 25 were central to present and fu
ture Nicaraguan politics; however, they were also a
positive outgrowth of the Nicaraguan politics of the
past.
The United States has been heavily involved in Ni
caraguan politics throughout this century. Our troops
have landed there on five different occasions and we
have supported a contra war against the Sandinistas.
Regardless of how one feels about U.S. interventio
nism, it is clear that we cannot discuss the recent Ni
caraguan elections without understanding the
historic U.S. role. In addition, the basic lack of gen
uine democratic traditions in Nicaragua is central to
understanding today’s political situation.
The most discussed political topics in Nicaragua be
fore the elections were the contra war, the devastated
economy and Sandinista policies over the last 10
years. On one side, the war and economic devastation
are due to the anti-Sandinista U.S. policy. Aggression
Chris
Brown
from her northern neighbor is undeniably central to
Nicaragua’s dilemmas. However, on the other side,
the Sandinistas came into power in 1979 with strong
anti-imperialist, Marxist rhetoric. They instituted
land reforms, nationalized much the economy, and
geared themselves toward building a strong one-
party state.
These steps were not surprising considering Nica
ragua’s history of U.S. intervention and indigenous
dictatorial rule Unfortunately, it is the Nicaraguan
people who suffered tremendously because these two
traditions continued.
The desire of the Sandinistas far peace and democ
racy became even more evident in the year-long
process which led to the recent elections. More steps
were taken to guard the legitimacy of these elections
than had ever been witnessed. Of course, there was a
catch. The Sandinistas thought they were going to
win.
All of the fervor in Nicaragua before the election,
seen through an American’s blinder, led you to believe
the Sandinistas were going to win. This is why most of
the pollsters were fooled. They were not able to incor
porate the history of Nicaraguan reality into their
polls. Nicaraguans had never experienced democracy
and they were certainly not going to trust American
pollsters asking questions.
In the end, the Nicaraguan elections turned on
three issues. First, the people are sick and tired of war
and they were not sure that if the Sandinistas won the
war would end. Second, the people are sick and tired
of their economic conditions and again, they were not
sure the Sandinistas could deliver on their mixed
economy promises. On these first two issues, an un
certainty that there would be any changes in the U.S.
policy if the Sandinistas won was central. Finally,
there was discontent with Sandinista policies of the
f »ast which limited freedoms in the name of the revo-
ution.
In Nicaragua, I was struck by the sincerity of the
people who believed in their country and their revolu
tion. While the UNO victory can be seen mostly as a
reaction against the realities of Sandinista rule, I be
lieve that most of the people in the country still be
lieve in the ideals of their revolution. They want
independence, dignity and democracy. Indeed, even
though the platforms of UNO and the Sandinistas
called for many of the same things, much negotiation
will be required if the Sandinista control of the state
apparatus is to be loosened and democracy is to pre
vail.
Intense politics is going on as you read this. The
Sandinistas have shown they want democracy to
work. What the Nicaraguans need now from the
United States is not a big brother telling them what to
do, but a friend willing to do what he thinks is best for
the country.
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