The United States' Role in Causing the Nicaraguan Revolution

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The United States’ Role in Causing the Nicaraguan Revolution

The Nicaraguan revolution of 1979 is an event that many American citizens may not know about. What is likely less understood is the United States’ role in the cause of this revolution. The US actually played a very important role in causing the Nicaraguan revolution. The US did three major things that strongly influenced the revolutionaries to revolt against the government. The US helped create the National Guard of Nicaragua, a group that abused citizens and blatantly disregarded for human rights. The US was also complicit in the assassination of Augusto Cesar Sandino, a citizen who fought against US Marine occupation in the 1930’s. Finally, the US supported the Somoza family, a series of three dictators who held Nicaragua from 1939 until 1979 when the revolution occurred. The United States involvement is not limited to these three occurrences, but these three examples are important causes of the revolution. To provide a better understanding of the revolution and the United States’ involvement in Nicaragua, the historic setting is necessary.

The first case of US involvement in Nicaragua was the Walker Affair, of 1856. William Walker ventured to Nicaragua from the United States in 1855 on the invitation of Nicaraguan Liberals, who hoped his assistance could help them win a war against the Conservatives of Nicaragua. Walker easily defeated the conservatives because of his “aid of private American financing, superior firepower, and no small amount of luck” . At the end of this war, however, instead of handing over the regime to the liberals he had helped, he made himself the president of Nicaragua . Once he was president, Walker legalized slavery and made English the...

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...nuel Antonio, Newman, Edward. Democracy in Latin America: (Re)Constructing Political Society. The United Nations University Press, 2001. New York, N.Y.

Gilbert, Dennis. Sandinistas: The Party and the Revolution. Basil Blackwell Press, 1988. Oxford, United Kingdom.

Kampwirth, Karen. Women and Guerrilla Movements in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Chipas and Cuba. The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2002. University Park, PA.

Vilas, Carlos M. The Sandinista Revolution: National Liberation and Social Transformation in Central America. Editorial Legasa S.R.L., 1986. Madrid, Buenos Aires, Mexico.

Walker, Thomas W. Nicaragua: Living in the Shadow of the Eagle. Westview Press, 2003. Boulder, CO.

Walker, Thomas W and Armony, Ariel C. Repression, Resistance, and Democratic Transition in Latin America. Scholarly Resources Incorporated, 2000. Wilmington, Delaware.

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