From: harelb@math.cornell.edu (misc.activism.progressive co-moderator)
Subject: The Crimes of Nicaragua (II)
Organization: misc.activism.progressive on UseNet ; ACTIV-L@UMCVMB
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1992 08:44:05 GMT

The Crimes of Nicaragua (II)


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Life Before the Revolution -- a brief overview
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"The National Guard quickly became the personal army of the Somozas.
With political power came economic power, passed on from father to
sons. The family came to own a quarter of Nicaragua's land, plus
banks, ports, newspapers, airlines, a shipping fleet, and many
industries ... In 1979, Anastasio Somoza Debayle, son of the original
dictator, was estimated to be the ninth richest man in the world.

"By the eve of the revolution, 60% of the people i the countryside had
no land at all. More than half the country's land was in the hands of
1% of the landowners. The majority of the population lived in dire
poverty. 50% of children over five suffered from malnutrition. 46%
died before the age of four.

"Before fleeing the country, Somoza had bombed schools, hospitals,
factories, and housing... Somoza has looted the national treasure and
left the country with one of the world's highest per capita debts."

[Oxfam America _Nicaragua: Development Under Fire_, 1984.]

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"When the successful ``final offensive'' defeated [Somoza's National]
Guard and brought the Sandinistas to power, Nicaragua's new government
found the country in a desperate situation. Almost two percent of the
population had died in the insurrection, and many more were wounded.
Material damage from the war was great, perhaps half a billion
dollars, while foreign debt came to $1.6 billion. The later amounted
to approximately $640 per capita, three times the median annual income
of the poorer 50% of the population. (The average GNP per capita for
all Nicaraguans was slightly over $800) The national treasury had been
looted, while the Somoza family had accumulated a fortune of over $500
million. [8]"

[8]: Howard Wiarda and Harvey Kline (editors), _Latin American
Politics and Development_ (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1985), chapter
21, especially page 509

[Page 27 in: _What Are We Afraid Of? An Assessment of the ``Communist
Threat'' in Central America_ by John Lamperti, for the American
Friends Service Committee (published also by South End Press) $5 plus
$2 shipping from: Literature Resources // American Friends Service
Committee // 1501 Cherry St. // Philadelphia, PA 19102 TEL
(215)-241-7048 or 7167. See AML resource files AFSCcatalog and
South.end.press.]


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            =============================================
            T h e   " N i c a r a g u a   L i b r a r y "
            =============================================

*
* =========
* Nicaragua
* =========
*
  WHO-WERE CONTRAS    Contras' origins; make-up; practices - documented
  FSLN     H-RIGHTS  Documented HRs comparison w/Somoza,Guat,ES,others
  FSLN     MISKITOS  Sandinista treatment of Miskitos;Charges & Realit
  FSLN     NICAJEWS  Debunks charges of Sandinista 'Anti-Semitism'
*
  OXFAM84  NICARAG   Oxfam America's 1984 report on Nicaragua, in full
  FSLN     ACHIEVE   Documented: achievements of the Nica. revolution
*
  NICA-84  ELECTION  Documented: Fair under Sandinistas; US subversion
  FAIRNESS NICA-USA  Flwup:`Is Nicaragua More Democratic than the US?'
  NICRAGUA ELECTION  Study in US subversion of '90 Nicaraguan election

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