The Political and Social Effects of the Sandinista Revolution in Nicaragua

“The people of Nicaragua were suffering oppression. This made us develop an awareness which eventually led us to commit ourselves to the struggle against the domination of the capitalists of our country in collusion with the United States government.” (Daniel Ortega 1974) As has been discussed throughout the semester thus far many countries throughout Latin America have experienced a political revolution in some way, shape, or form. In the early 1970’s Nicaragua joined the long list of Latin American countries to experience a revolution when the Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional (FSLN) lead by Daniel Ortega successfully overthrew the Somoza dynasty. Many people often times have a misconception of what exactly a political revolution is and as a result draw incorrect conclusions as to the effects that revolutions have on both politics and society. Nicaraguan politics provide a perfect example in regards to the effects that a revolution can have on a country. However, in order to fully understand the political and social effects of the Sandinista Revolution in Nicaragua two essential questions must be answered. First, what is the true definition of a revolution is in regards to Latin American politics? Secondly, what were the short and long-tem effects of the Sandinista Revolution on the Nicaraguan socio-political landscape? Although upon first glance the answers to these questions may seem relatively obvious the truth is that they are both very unique in regards to Nicaraguan politics. Once these questions have been answered it will become rather evident that the Sandinista Revolution has left a footprint on the socio-political landscape of Nicaragua that may never go away.

Political scholars have long had an enduring fasci...

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...ss frequently than the regional average of the other six Central American countries. In Nicaragua about 80 percent of urban dwellers are registered to vote compared to the 96 percent registration rate seen in Costa Rica, Honduras, and Panama. Moreover, Nicaragua also had a significantly lower percentage of total people to vote in political elections during the early 1990’s. According to the data presented 80.1 percent of Nicaragua’s population voted in the last election compared to 89.7 and 91.1 percent of neighboring countries Honduras and Costa Rica. These findings undoubtedly favor the distinctiveness hypothesis which asserts that the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua revolution “left distinctive imprints on electoral participation, civil society engagement and social capital compared to neighboring countries where no revolution occurred.” (Richard 118)