Background:
Until the 1980's, Nicaragua was ruled by a dictator called Anastasio Somoza Garcia who came to power or presidency in 1936. Somoza supported the rich and wealthy people and left out the poor people.The poor people lacked important things such as human rights, justice, and food. After some time, the people couldnt take it any more and a group called the Sandinistas started a revolution against the Somoza goverment. The Sandinistas were influenced by Marx and were communists. The wanted to share the wealth the poor people.
The United States, under Reagan, were against the Sandinistas. They didn't want Communists in Latin America and Somaza had done what the United States wanted. The US gave money secretly to a group called the Contras, who fought against the Sandinistas.
Interview:
My mother, Silvia Elena Hurtado was born in Managua,Nicaragua. She lived there most of her teenage years. Her mother, Mercedes Hurtado, didn’t work so she was the one to take care of the house and by that time she had 5 children or more. Her father was a worker in a car sho and most of their older children worked to sell fruit,water,ice cream etc.
Then tragedy struck. In December 1972, a earthquake hit Nicaragua, with 10,000 casualties and 500,000 homeless people.The effect of the earthquake was alot of destruction of houses,cars, boats, and part of Managua was totally destroyed. Many people starved to death or died from other diseases. There was a lot of suffering because of the earthquake.
After the earthquake in 1972, many people of Nicaragua were angered because the government made selfish choices in letting the poor die. The organized against the government of Somoza and the “Sandinistas” came to power. They received support from U.S.S.R and Cuba.
Later on in 1974 the same month, a guerilla group invaded a party at the home of the minister of agriculture. Soon after that martial law was declared and the National Guard began to raze villages in the jungles that were suspected that were supporting the rebels,but the president of U.S, Gerald Ford, refused to break an alliance with Somoza.
But as time passed it seems that death itself came to Somoza and his time was up.He was assasinated along with his guards by a tank blowing up his car. Nobody really knows to date if Paraguay aided the Sandinistas or the Sandinistas ordered the assassination.
After the war or the revolution , people thought that it would be better but it seemed to be worse, the revolution was not successful, many more died in the war, many teens or kid's were untrained and sent to war with no experience untrained.
My mother said that the people were not satisfied with the new president because Daniel Ortega. The Sandinista government was forcing people to go to serve the military and he would send untrained soldiers. That's why they were so many casuelties in the border or the battle. He also rationed all food,gas,market stuff, paper,drinks,etc, Seven people could only buy four pounds of rice each week. They had to go to a meeting if they didnt they could not buy anything.
When I interviewed my mom, she said that in her personal opinion war does not ever bring any good. Anywhere there is war, many innocent people die: kids,babys,old people and women. It also brings diseases and casualties. and the economy worsens.My moms personal opinion about Daniel Ortega is that his ideal is all communist related. He has come to power twice, and it is horrible to live in a communist rule. There is no liberty, religion, and all the citizens are opresessed.
I think interviewing my mother was much better than just reading a text book, or going to the internet or alooking information because non of that helps you understand and because it is not edited , unless when a person that has already experienced it and felt it, had feelings, look at it with their own eyes,hear it, basically just experienced it and that person just might tell the whole truth about what happened with that certain event.
