Articles by: Katherine Hoyt
Any objective assessment of Daniel Ortega's government in Nicaragua must take into account the programs it has put in place that are improving the lives of the poor. The Nicaragua Network recently sponsored a ten-person delegation to the country led by my colleague Chuck Kaufman and me. Within the country we were confronted with claims about Ortega's anti-poverty programs that strongly contradicted one another. We heard severe criticisms of the programs from some but found that in practice the criticized programs were making a difference, albeit with problems recognized by the people involved in implementing them.
Thirty years ago today, the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) succeeded in removing from power the Somoza family, one of Latin America's most corrupt and violent dictatorships. In the last months of combat, the FSLN launched its final offensive against the regime. Hoyt recalls her personal experiences in Matagalpa during the final months of the Sandinista insurrection.