This page was written by me – Dr Paulette Goudge, founder and director of La Mariposa and reflects my views which I base on years of reading and study as well as talking to people from as many perspectives as possible. I have been coming to Nicaragua since 1988 and have lived here permanently since 2005. I have a Masters in History from Oxford University, a Masters in Social Work from Sussex University, a Diploma in ‘Third World’ Studies from the Open University and finally a Doctorate (PhD) on the theme of power and development from Sheffield University. Out of this came my book The Whiteness of Power.

The history of Nicaragua in many ways reflects the history of the world. For this reason, I advise reading books from all perspectives, watching films and discussing what you learn. Then analysing the evidence and coming to your conclusions. Don’t do the latter just from following what the current media has to say!

Like so many countries Nicaragua has been the victim of empires for hundreds of years (this was probably even the case in indigenous times). It started big time with the arrival of the Spanish in the 1500s who combined a desire to convert the ‘natives’ to the Catholic religion with an even stronger desire for gold and other riches of conquest.

The defeat of the Spanish did not leave Nicaragua (nor other so called Third World countries in peace) – other Europeans arrived, including the British, to take over the most productive lands for export crops, especially (in our case) coffee. The British brought African slaves to the Caribbean coast where they unsuccessfully tried sugar plantations on their Jamaican model. Abandoning the coast, the British left the slaves to establish their own society, mostly today around Bluefields. Further north, indigenous peoples such as the Miskito, Suma and Rama were also ruled by the British. Then of course in the 20th century the biggest empire of all arrived, the Marines and businessmen from the USA.

Of course this is a hugely abbreviated version of hundreds of years of history and geopolitics and of course it summarizes my view. You may, after reading and discussing come to a different conclusion….many have!

Most influential in my own development in understanding the power relations (geopolitics) of the world have been Eduardo Galeano and Edward Said. Galeano asks the question why Latin American, naturally the richest continent in the world, should now be its second poorest. You either think it is because Latinos don’t know how to work or how to ‘exploit’ their own natural resources (a racist view in which I became interested and explored in my own book) or you go for the view that those who happened to be stronger (especially in the military field) took advantage of relative strength to rob, enslave and exploit.

At the beginning of Open Veins of Latin America – Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent Galeano says “The division of labor among nations is that some specialize in winning and others in losing. Our part of the world, …. Latin America was precocious; it has specialized in losing ever since those remote times when Renaissance Europeans ventured across the ocean and buried their teeth in the throats of the Indian civilisations. We are no longer in the era of marvels when fact surpassed fable and imagination was shamed by the trophies of conquest – the loads of gold, the mountains of silver. But our region still works as a menial. It continues to exists at the service of others’ needs, as a source and reserve of oil and iron, of copper and meat, of fruit and coffee, the raw materials and foods destined for rich countries which profit more from consuming them than Latin America does from producing them………” He wrote this in 1973 but it is still evidently true today….just look at how much Nicaraguan fertile land is used to grow crops which are effectively drugs or ‘exotic’ fruits for the affluent West – in our case sugar, coffee, tobacco, (you see nothing else around Esteli) pineapple, and mangoes. In our own locality current deforestation is rampant in order to grow increasing amounts of dragon fruit for export.

There are a few other books I consider indispensible to trying to understand how and why the world is as it is. The role played by culture in establsihing Western global domination cannot, in my view, be underestimated.

Howard Zinn is another great author. He links together ‘domestic’ North American history with its swelling imperial ambitions from the point of view of the people ‘below’ not the great usually presented in traditional history. Just look at the table of contents below and you will see what I mean.

A people’s history of the United States – Table of Contents

• Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress
• Drawing the Color Line
• Persons of Mean and Vile Condition
• Tyranny Is Tyranny
• A Kind of Revolution
• The Intimately Oppressed
• As Long as Grass Grows or Water Runs
• We Take Nothing by Conquest, Thank God
• Slavery Without Submission, Emancipation Without Freedom
• The Other Civil War
• Robber Barons and Rebels
• The Empire and the People
• The Socialist Challenge
• War Is the Health of the State
• Self-help in Hard Times
• A People’s War?
• “Or Does It Explode?”
• The Impossible Victory: Vietnam
• Surprises
• The Seventies: Under Control?
• Carter-Reagan-Bush: The Bipartisan Consensus
• The Unreported Resistance
• The Clinton Presidency and the Crisis of Democracy
• The Coming Revolt of the Guards
• Afterword for the Twentieth Anniversary Edition.

Focusing now on current issues within Nicaragua, I think it fair to say (though many would disagree) that since the Sandinistas overthrew the US backed Somoza dictatorship in 1979, a great deal of social and economic progress has been made. Many of the suggested books below cover this.

A second theme looks at how the Sandinista Revolution affected the role and position of women in Nicaraguan society.

Thirdly, the war the Sandinistas had to fight against the USA funded and trained Contra army. A war which lasted 10 years and cost 50,000 lives.

And fourthly, the current situation.

More Recommended Reading

Section (1) – History of Nicaragua –

for recent events since the uprising of April 18th and the background ‘neoliberalising’ of Nicaragua the following links will be useful – so far I have not come across a useful book.
https://truthout.org/articles/capitalist-development-in-nicaragua-and-the-mirage-of-the-left/
https://nacla.org/news/2018/07/03/deciphering-nicaraguan-student-uprising-descifrando-el-levantamiento-estudiantil

A very useful monthly publication is Revista Envio

There are publications that remain adamantly on the side of the government, apparently managing to ignore the numbers of student deaths and political prisoners. But go to the Alliance for Global Justice for this perspective.

**Nicaragua – Living in the Shadow of the Eagle by Thomas Walker and Christine Wade- covers the whole history from indigenous times to post 2006 election (when Daniel Ortega returned to power). I consider this to be a very good place to start, a basic textbook! Also has a good bibliography.

**Unfinished Revolution; Daniel Ortega and Nicaragua’s Struggle for Liberation by Kenneth Morris – fascinating biography of Daniel Ortega wihc sadly does not go beyond 2016. But still well worth reading.

Blood of Brothers – Life and War in Nicaragua – by Stephen Kinzer – considered by many to be the definitive, objective account of Nicaraguan history. I am less sure – for example he states on the first page that ‘Ancient peoples once gathered around the crater (of the live Masaya volcano) for human sacrifices…….I have become personally very interested in this idea (very popular with tourists!) since living here and can find no evidence to support it at all. So make what you will of this one!!!!

**Rascally Signs in Sacred Places – The Politics of Culture in Nicaragua by David Whisnant – fascinating book, covering a range of topics including a chapter on New Women and (Not So) New Men. Enjoyable read.

The Country Under My Skin – A Memoir of Love and War – by Gioconda Belli – very popular account of her role in the revolution. The first chapter, I think, is an illuminating account of the different factions of the FSLN, who came together under Ortega’s leadership for the final offensive against Somoza’s dictatorship. Subsequent chapters are more like a soap opera account of her (very varied) love life! One of her novels The Inhabited Woman describes a middle class woman’s awakening political consciousness during the revolution.

The Patient Impatience; From Boyhood to Guerilla, A Personal Narrative of Nicaragua’s Struggle for Liberation by Tomas Borge – Not the easiest of reads (even in English) but important as Borge was a founding member of the FSLN and was Minister of the Interior under the Sandinista government from 1979 to 1990.

**To Bury Our Fathers – A Novel of Nicaragua by Sergio Ramirez – a novel set in the Somoza era. Ramirez went on the become Vice President of Nicaragua though he later led a movement critical of Ortega. It is not at all uncommon in Nicaragua for poets and novelists to also directly involve themselves in politics!

Sandino’s Daughters; Testimonies of Nicaraguan Women in Struggle by Margaret Randall series of interviews with some of the women involved in the revoutionary struggle at all levels.

**Politics and the Catholic Church in Nicaragua by John M Kirk Fascinating and explains a lot! As Kirk points out, ‘Most, if not all, religions are also encumbered with socio political concerns that go beyond the …. religious. Absolutely and always have been! Also happens to be very readable.

***Fire From the Mountain – The Making of a Sandinista by Omar Cabezas (Jonathan Cape, 1985) In my view, a wonderful, must read book. He tells a story and is funny, inspiring, and as honest an account of the transformation of someone’s life into a guerilla fighter as you could find.

History of Nicaragua – Historia de Nicaragua by Rolando Ernesto Tellez (Gueguense Books, 2014) Not sure he achieves his stated goal of showing a ‘brief scientific narrative of chronological events’ (I am not actually convinced this is even possible!) but certainly has some interesting insights. And is in English and Spanish so useful for anyone wanting to practice.

The Undermining of the Sandinista Revolution – edited by Greg Provost and Harry Vanden – good series of (academic) pieces exploring different aspects of why and how the revolution was not allowed to succeed.

**On Power and Ideology, The Managua Lectures – by Noam Chomsky 1987) – A short and, by Chomsky standards, readable account of lectures he delivered in Managua at the height of the Contra War in 1987. Recommended for understanding that period of time.

The Sandino Affair – by Neill Macaulay (Duke, 1985) Very detailed account of the guerrilla tactics employed by General Augusto Sandino when he fought against the US Marine invasion of Nicaragua from 1927 to 1933.

*The Jaguar Smile – by Salman Rushie (Picador, 1987) –A relatively easy read and often the first book read by travellers here as an introduction. Rushdie was in Nicaragua for 3 weeks, seen by him as well as many others at that point as a hopeful moment in history. He says he wrote ‘a portrait of a moment, no more, in the life of that beautiful, volcanic country’.

Culture and Politics in Nicaragua – Testimonies of Poets and Writers –(ed Steven White, 1986) –Does what is says on the jacket! Discusses interesting questions along the way like why during and after the Revolution, there were so many more women writers and poets in Nicaragua.

Rosa of the Wild Grass – The Story of a Nicaraguan Family – by Fiona Macintosh – Much of this family epic is based in La Concha (where La Mariposa is located!) but more importantly it tells a story of the experience of revolution and its aftermath through women’s eyes.

Out of Control – The Story of the Reagan Administration’s Secret War in Nicaragua, the Illegal Arms Pipeline, and the Contra Drug Connection by Leslie Cockburn – tells a story few people these days have even heard of! She follows the trail of Lieut. Oliver North’s secret army to destroy the Sandinista government, how it was illegally supplied with arms and , most shockingly of all, how it was linked to the drug trade.

The Conspirators – Secrets of an Iran-Contra Insider by Al Martin – best to read some of the background books first as this is a dense, incredibly detailed insider account naming names. But once you have read it it will be hard to believe in government!

***Dark Alliance; The CIA, the Contras and the Crack Cocaine Explosion by Gary Webb – Webb was a reporter on the San Jose Mercury News when he uncovered the connections described in the Cockburn book (above) and the cocaine explosion in Los Angeles. He was hounded by the mainstream press and (see below) is generally thought to have committed suicide as a result of the pressure. Some think it more probable he was murdered.

*Kill the Messenger; How the CIA’s Crack-Cocaine Controversy Destroyed Jouralist Gary Webb by Nick Schou – an incredibly important story (see above) and now a film of the same title.

Every Day We Live Is The Future – Surviving in a City of Disasters by Douglas Haynes – this is one of those books that tells a very personal account of, in this case, a poor family and their struggle to survive as rural migrants to Managua. I am critical though of the author’s lack of appreciation of the impact his presence would have had on the family.

***A Theology of Liberation – by Gustavo Gutierrez (Orbis Books, 1985) It is essential to understand the role religion, and specifically liberation theology, played in the Sandinista Revolution (gives the lie to the widespread notion that it was driven by pure Soviet style communism).

Section (2) – History of Latin America

Born in Blood and Fire – A Concise History of Latin America (Norton, 2001) – A useful summary though the title does make it rather sound as if the rest of the world was NOT born in blood and fire!!!!

Jungle Capitalists – A Story of Globalisation, Greed and Revolution – by Peter Chapman (Canongate, 2007). A brilliant book examining the history of United Fruit and its devastating impact on Central America. Looks at the marketing of the banana (the worlds first fast food!), the companys involvement in a coup in Guatemala and a massacre in Colombia (see also Garcia Marquezs book Hundred Years of Solitude). Also describes Somozas close association with the company.

*The Pinochet File – A Declassified Dossier on Atrocity and Accountability by Peter Kornbluh (The New Press, 2004) Read this if you have difficulty believing what the USA (and indeed the West generally) is capable of doing to maintain economic and political power in this case, in Chile. Incredibly important because it endlessly quotes cables between those in the USA setting up the coup against Allende in 1973 debating the options. So the evidence is pretty solid!

*Nostromo by Joseph Conrad (first published in 1904) is a novel about a US businessman who invests in CentralAmerican mines. He says ‘We can sit and watch. Of course, some day we shall step in. We are bound to…..We shall run the worlds business whether the world likes it or not’. Often novels can summarize situations so very effectively!

 The Chomsky Reader – by Noam Chomsky (Pantheon Books 1987,) – Chomsky has written a great deal and I cannot mention all of his books here – many if not most of them refer to Nicaragua and Central America in general and he is very useful in pointing out how the same patterns of domination and oppression that have impacted the history of Nicaragua have occurred around the world. I have mentioned separately books where Nicaragua is dealt with more specifically.

Deterring Democracy – by Noam Chomsky (Vintage, 1992)

Hegemony or Survival, Americas Quest for Global Dominance – by Noam Chomsky( Hamish Hamiliton 2003) – One of the best!

Failed States – by Noam Chomsky (Metropolitan Books, 2006) – Shows how the USA itself, whilst purporting to intervene in failed states, itself shares many of the characteristics of those states.

Section (3) – Background stuff illustrating other aspects of relations between the ‘developed’ world and the so called ‘developing world’ – including novels. I do not think it is possible to understand the history or the current situation of any country in isolation. Particularly given the impact of globalisation (the growth of empires and capitalism) over the last 500 years. And now the global crises of climate change caused primarily by carbon dioxide emitted by fossil fuels used in the developed world will actually impact disproportionately on poor countries. Deforestation is however a mjor issue here.

Ecological Debt – The Health of the Planet and the Wealth of Nations by Andrew Simms Pluto Press, 2005. Although nearly 15 years old, this book could not be more relevant today. It shows brilliantly how the West not only owes the ‘rest’ of the world a debt for all of the silver and gold etc effectively stolen 500 years ago but also owes for the ecological damage – caused almost exclusively by the lifestyles of westerners – but which the poor world is paying for way disproportionately. He also offers possible solutions, which, needless to say, the West has pretty much ignored.

Guns, Germs and Steel – The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond (Norton, 1999). Presents an anthropological explanation for the relative ease with which Western nations conquered peoples all over the world. How did, for example, just 62 Spanish soldiers under the command of Pizzaro defeat Atahuallpa’s army of 80,000 in the battle of Cajamarca? Mostly of course the superiority in weapons (steel guns) and horses. Diamond offers a lot of fascinating detail to back his thesis.

The New Confessions of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins (BK Publishers 2016). An ex economic hitman himself, Perkins tells the modern ways in which the rich world continues to ensnare, enslave and rob the poor world. Essentially his job was to lure by whatever means ‘Third World’ governments into agreeing to pay for huge projects they could not afford and thus be trapped into a spiral of unpayable debt. I found the story of his friendship with Omar Torrijos, President of Panama, particularly fascinating especially as he supported the Sandinista revolution. (Graham Greene has also written an interesting book about Torrijos called Getting to Know the General).

Empire’s Workshop – Latin America, the United States and the Rise of the New Imperialism by Greg Grandin (Owl Books 2007). Shows in detail how the same individual North Americans who engineered military coups, death squads and massacres in Latin America resurfaced in Iraq, using the same techniques. Indeed, some like John Bolton are still around in power positions today. I am a little less convinced by his theory that Latin America was a kind of test run for Iraq – I think its subjugation was vital for North American interests as well.

This Changes Everything – Naomi Klein

The Ordinary Person’s Guide to Empire by Arundhati Roy (Flamingo, 2004). A great little book – pretty much every sentence is a gem! I quote just one example – ‘Modern democracies have been around for long enough for neo- liberal capitalists to……..have mastered the technique of infiltrating the ….. judiciary, the ‘free’ press, the parliament – and moulding them to their purpose. They…. mean little when the free market has reduced them to commodities on sale to the highest bidder’. Sadly, exactly what has happened in Nicaragua over the last decade or so.

We Say No – Chronicles 1963 – 1991 – by Eduardo Galeano (Norton, 1992) As with all of Galeano’s books, a wonderful read – an unbeatable combination of poetry, history, personal and political reflections. He is one of the few writers to directly address the role racism has played in empire (many books address racism as an issue within the US or within Britain but as a tool of empire it is still rarely discussed). I quote him ‘Dark skin indicates incorrigible defects. Thus, outrageous social inequality, which is also racial, finds an alibi in hereditary tares…….in all America……the social pyramid is black at the base and white at the top.’ And indeed if you look at top politicians (with few exceptions), the Latin American wealthy, the actors in popular soaps – they are all whiter than the general population. I appreciate this is a lengthy comment but another quote, ‘I’m struck by the face of a woman in a rather large advertisement; ‘Whiten your skin! Why let your dark skin be a barrier to romance and an impediment to happiness? Put Beautiful Dawn cream on every night……’

**Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Extremely powerful novel in which the character Kurtz says ‘the horror, the horror’ which could almost have been the mantra of early colonialism and the utter cruelty with which ‘inferior’ colonized peoples were treated. Apocalypse Now is a 1979 American war film set in Vietnam and based on this novel.

*Development and Disorder – A History of the Third World Since 1945– by Mike Mason (University Press 1997) Rather lengthy as it does cover the whole world this book explains much about why and how ‘uneven’ development came about. He suggests that the West actually were about imposing order (The Western notion of order, naturally!) not about development. He also convincingly attacks the notion of ‘Western Civilisation’.

Part of my campaign to save the planet – from a book called Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari – This statistic really sticks in my brain….do we want to continue like this till there is literally no wildlife left? Because that is where we are headed. “Our children’s books, our iconography and our TV screens are still full of giraffes, wolves and chimpanzees but the real world has very few of them left. There are 800,000 giraffes, compared to 1.5 billion cattle, only 200,000 wolves compared to 400 million domesticated dogs and only 250,000 chimpanzees in contrast to billions of humans”. 

LEARNING SPANISH

Nicaraguan Spanish – Speak Like a Native – by Lee Jamison (Jamison, 20120 If you have ever wondered what a ‘chimbomba’ might be or why someone is described as ‘arrecha’ this little book is full of goodies. Be careful though. As not all words or phrases are sued in all parts of Nicaragua so check that out first. Also note that Nicaraguans are not, on the whole, given to coarse or impolite language.