As a latina with parents from Nicaragua, I can honestly say that their current government is absolutely still authoritarian.

It saddens me that the Nicaraguan people were successfully able to remove one US backed dictator only to be replaced by another.

Daniel Ortega is trash.

President Ortega has full control of the country and gives no fucks. He named his wife Vice President and his children run and control the biggest media outlets. He controls all three branches and the army. He all but eliminated all opposition and imposed single-party rule.

My parents managed to survive the sandinista uprising (I dont call it revolution cus it's still ended up a dictatorship), but when Ortega took control he started going around each house rounding up young teenage boys and enlisting them in the army.

It's why my father had to escape with his brother and make his way to the US. I remember my mother telling me seeing Ortegas soldiers grabbing young boys from their beds at night and raping their sisters.

Ortega hoards all the wealth in the country and blatantly doesnt care.

If you go to Nicaragua, you will see huge billboards of Ortega everywhere you go, praising his fake revolution.

Just in the last couple of years, thousands of people, mostly university students rose up against him after he chose to take away their social security.

There wasnt much media coverage of it cuz like I said, Ortega's family controlled big media. They hunted down independent journalists who were reporting the protests. Police and soldiers shooting into crowds.

Waving the Nicaraguan flag in protest meant you were a terrorist.

I have a cousin who had to flee to Costa Rica because he was wanted for inciting protests in the university he went to. I remember he sent over audio of when he was trapped inside the University as police and soldiers surrounded it tried to burn it down with them inside.

Once again, this isn't to say Somoza rule was any better. The Contras, backed by the US and the CIA were brutal too.

My mom told me how when she was a young girl, her favorite older cousin was murdered by the Contras.

He worked for the Nicaraguan Red Cross at the time.

She told one day him and his coworker were driving their work van, when they were pulled over by soldiers. The soldiers asked them for ID and keys to the back of the van. Both were so nervous they couldn't find they key.

The soldiers confiscated their vehicle and took them away

My mom never saw him again. She loved him very much. He was like her older brother who took care of her and always was kind to everyone.

His torso was found weeks later. They had tortured him thinking he was a thief and then dismembered him.

It saddens me what the Nicaraguan people go through still. I've been there few times now. There is high poverty to be seen there, but somehow the people are some of the friendliest in the world. There's great culture to be had there. Great food, beautiful landscape, great Rum lol

Under both dictatorships, there were very bad aspects and some good. Just like all governments in general. Under Somoza, education was really for only who could afford it. Under Ortega education is free, including elementary, which is compulsory, and higher education.

But under Ortega, you only got education if you were loyal to him. When Sandinistas took power, they would send high school students to the mountains for six months, where they indoctrinated them with political propaganda in the form of literature about the revolution.

Under Somoza, Nicaragua had one of the worst life expectancies at birth and one of the highest infant mortality rates in the region. In Nicaragua, healthcare is free, but from what my dad says, is still really terrible. They have private hospitals also now but are super expensive

Under Somoza, there was virtually no democracy. The Somozas ruled the country like a personal fiefdom for over 40 years. Nicaragua's democracy now is still flawed today, with Ortega introducing unlimited presidential reelection with many suspicions of rigging in recent elections.

However, Ortega has accepted defeat at the ballot box in the past, handing over power for to a female president after the Sandanista uprising following internationally observed elections.

Ortega was reelected years later in 2006 after he toned his persona to be more Christian.

These days, Ortega has very much come to resemble Somoza, especially with recently with his brutal repression of protests, killing over 400 people, mostly university students and young independent journalists.

His handling of the Corona virus pandemic has been seen as reckless.

Nicaragua's government has declined to close the country's schools, shops or borders and even sponsored large-scale political rallies including a recent march through the capitol. Ortega sending people door to door, to say there was no panic and encouraged people to socialize.

The government continues to suggest there is no widespread transmission, only a handful of infections and one death. But global health professionals say the real numbers are unknown. Ortega has not been seen for a month, leading the public believe he is self quarantining and ill.

I wrote this thread in response to seeing people saying Nicaragua is not authoritarian, thinking its US propaganda. Sadly that notion is false.

But make no mistake, the rise of the Sandanistas (much like Cuban revolution)

CONT.