As you may know from previous postings, I was born in Managua, Nicaragua. I was born in September of 1979, less then two months after a Communist revolution by the Sandinista overthrew the Somoza Dynasty and their stronghold of 45 years. After the Sandinista "freed" Nicaragua from a "ruthless" dictatorship things were never the same for my beloved country. The Sandinista pillaged and plundered as much as they could. They not only took government money, they also confiscated land and private property. Poverty in Nicaragua skyrocketed. Daniel Ortega has recently begun his second term as president. Even when the Sandinista weren't in power, they were in control of whoever was representing the government.
Although it was known that the Somoza Dynasty was a dictatorship. Nothing compares to the degradation that Nicaragua has succumb to over the past 31 years. When Somoza was in power he was feared and revered. Part of his stronghold was the factor that he was also head of the Guardia Nacional or National Guard. They were the army and police all rolled into one. They protected Somoza and helped him keep his power. There are many stories of people who disappeared during his rule. My father recalls as a child hearing Somoza shoot from his home out over Managua in the middle of the night. This frightened my dad. Which was it's desired goal. He did these things to strike fear into the citizens. No one messed with him or his army. My father also said that when there was a parade, instead or barriers or walls, they would put one guardsmen one every corner. People knew not to cross the line.
The Somoza's went into power soon after the elder Somoza became the first director of the National Guard. He was the person that ordered the killing of Augusto Cesar Sandino. Sandino was a rebel general, that was fighting for the sovereignty of Nicaragua. The president at the time Sacasa was in talks Sandino to end the rebel attacks in the northern parts of the country. Sandino was leaving the National Palace, after lunch and talks with Sacasa when some National Guardsmen apprehended him. Surely ordered by Somoza behind Sacasa's back. He was then taken to a hilly wooded area. The leader of the group that was sent to do the job was a Free Mason. So happens, so was Sandino. Since they were "brothers" he could not give the firing order. So he told his men that he would go in to the woods. Then he would fire into the air. When they heard the gunshot, they were to open fire on Sandino. He was buried on the hill in an unmarked grave. About forty years later my father actually met the man who lead those men. He was the one that told my father how it all happened.
Aside from having total control of the country and being the leader of a force or killers and degenerates. Somoza was a proud patriot. He loved Nicaragua very much. A lot of what he did was for the betterment of Nicaragua. During the dynasty Nicaragua was prosperous. They had social security and insurance. All the major automakers in the world had hubs in Nicaragua. Most importantly he had a great relationship with the United States. True like anywhere in the world, even here, there was poverty. Never like the poverty that people live in to this day. Furthermore Somoza never did the things that other dictators did. A major newspaper, and communist sympathiser, La Prensa was headed by Pedro Joaquin Chamorro. All the Prensa ever did was badmouth Somoza and his administration. Don't you think that a true ruthless dictator would have at least closed the paper, or had Chamorro silenced. True that during the thick of the fight against the communists the Prensa was shut down. Chamorro was also assassinated. It was never clear who did it. If he was killed by the National Guard, it wasn't ordered by Somoza. There was also speculation that the Sandinista killed him to make it look like Somoza did it to outrage the people. By 1974 all the founding members of the Sandinista were incarcerated. Daniel Ortega included. There was a total of 9 men that headed the communist movement in Nicaragua. In my eyes if Somoza was a true dictator, he would have had all those men killed before they made it to the prison. True he would have been shunned by the international community, but a dictator wouldn't have cared.
For the last month or so all I've done is have deep conversations with my father about Nicaraguan politics. He has given me so much insight as to what happened, and as to what is going on. Truth be told he wasn't a fan of Somoza. Although he benefited from him in many ways. However he could never see himself living under a communist regime. That is why he left his beloved home 30 years ago. He knew it was only a matter of time where he would have found himself in a situation that instead of laying down to the Sandinista, he would fight and probably die. All this talk of patriotism and where Nicaragua could have been and where it is got me to thinking. Why can't I be president? Of course I don't qualify and I'll tell you why later. True I may not be formally educated or even aspire to be a politician. I only lived in my country for a total of 3 years over the past 31 years. I'm more American than Nicaraguan. Maybe it's my old age or the passion in my fathers voice when he talks about Nicaragua. He knows that one day it can return to it's former glory. I feel that I may be the one to bring it back. I have begun to miss it more then ever before. I haven't been back in 10 years, and had even decided that I may never go back. After all these hours of hearing my father talk I'm starting to feel very patriotic towards Nicaragua. Seeing images of the suffering. Knowing people and children are dying of hunger and disease. Is making me want to stand up and do something. The worst part is knowing that Daniel Ortega and his government have embezzled millions of dollars. They have put Nicaragua in the disgrace that it find s itself in today. I want to lead my people out of poverty and ignorance.
Unfortunately the law says I can't be that man. I looked up the qualifications to run for the Presidency of Nicaragua. I met all of the requirements except one. The last requirement is, "Person has to have never relinquished his or her citizenship". I of course am a naturalized American citizen. In doing so I took the following oath.
I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.
Now that it something I can't argue. It seems that for now my dreams of seeing my beloved nation rise from the ashes only will continue to be a dream.
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