Who founded the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN)?
The FSLN was founded in 1961 by Carlos Fonseca, Tomás Borge, Casimiro Sotelo, and others. Of the original founders, only Borge lived long enough to see the Sandinista victory in 1979.
Questions about Sandinista National Liberation Front
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who was Augusto César Sandino and why is the FSLN named after him?
Augusto César Sandino (1895-1934) was a Nicaraguan nationalist who led armed resistance against the US occupation of Nicaragua in the early 20th century. He was assassinated on the 21st of February 1934 by the Nicaraguan National Guard under Anastasio Somoza Garcia. The FSLN adopted his name two years after its founding to establish ideological continuity with his struggle.
How did the Sandinistas come to power in Nicaragua?
The FSLN overthrew Anastasio Somoza Debayle in the 1979 Nicaraguan Revolution. Somoza resigned on the 17th of July 1979 and fled to Miami. The FSLN army entered Managua on the 19th of July 1979, ending the Somoza family's control of Nicaragua after more than four decades. The war left between 30,000 and 50,000 dead and 150,000 Nicaraguans in exile.
What was the Contra war and who funded the Contras?
The Contras were anti-Sandinista rebel forces, mostly former members of Somoza's National Guard, armed and financed by the CIA under President Reagan beginning in 1981. After the US Congress prohibited federal funding through the Boland Amendment in 1983, the Reagan administration covertly sold arms to Iran and channeled the proceeds to the Contras, an arrangement that became known as the Iran-Contra affair.
Why did the FSLN lose the 1990 Nicaraguan election?
Violeta Barrios de Chamorro defeated Daniel Ortega on the 25th of February 1990, receiving 55 percent of the vote to Ortega's 41 percent. The Bush administration had channeled $49.75 million to the Contras and $9 million to the opposition UNO coalition during the election period. A post-election survey found that 75.6 percent of voters agreed the Contra war would not have ended if the Sandinistas had won.
What role did the Catholic Church play in Sandinista ideology?
The FSLN incorporated Catholic theology, particularly liberation theology, as a core element of Sandinismo. Lacking conventional party structures, the FSLN relied on friendly clergymen to build its organization; researcher Peter Marchetti described the relationship by saying "the parish replaced Lenin's idea of a cell." Minister of Culture Ernesto Cardenal stated that for Nicaraguans, Christianity and Revolution "are the same thing."