Diary of the belgian delegation

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Elections Nicaragua 7 November 2021
Diary of Frans De Maegd,
3member of the Belgian delegation in Nicaragua
At the beginning of October, ARLAC, an association that supports the struggle of the
peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean, asked me to participate in a solidarity
trip to Nicaragua in the framework of the elections of 7 November 2021. I found that
strange because, of course, I have shown solidarity with the peoples of Latin America
in the past, but never actively. My attention is rather focused on the Far East
(especially the Korean peninsula and courageous North Korea) and the Horn of
Africa (especially Eritrea and today Ethiopia).
My choice was mainly dictated by the fact that North Korea and Eritrea, for example,
could count on almost no support in Belgium while the countries of Latin America
have done so for years, if only thanks to the strong presence of Latinos in our country
and the formerly large solidarity movements with Cuba, Nicaragua, El Salvador... as
well as the fight against the dictatorship in Chile, Brazil...
The answer to the question was actually simple and at the same time unexpected:
Haiti.
Haiti is both a country of the Caribbean (Central America) and Africa (it is a full
member of the African Unity Organisation).
The comrades of ARLAC thought that through me, they could establish a better link
between Latin America plus the Caribbean and East Africa.
Added to that was the fact that I have always opposed the criticisms (say going along
with imperialism) of a large part of the “left” against, for example, Venezuela and

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Nicaragua (when they crushed the (counter-) “revolutions” in 2017 and 2018 as well
as the shudder of the “left” of any armed and violent struggle against imperialism and
the reaction in the continent.
Moreover, they chose me because I have “plenty of time” since I am not really
organised anymore. But enough about me.
Four other consistent anti-imperialists were also asked to participate in this trip:
Ermelinde from ARLAC, Carla, Marianne and Selma.
During two visits to the Nicaraguan embassy in Brussels, the passionate and friendly
ambassador Irana Venerio and her right-hand woman Zolia Muller explained to us
the situation in Nicaragua on the eve of and important elections on 7 November.
Because the West had been calling the elections in Nicaragua “a farce” for Monday
and continued to criticise Nicaragua, Nicaragua wanted to call in some 200 election
observers. It was not the intention that these observers - in fact all sympathisers -
would adopt a “neutral” stance, because there is no such thing as “neutrality” in the
struggle between imperialism and anti-imperialism, but rather that they would bear
witness to the seriousness with which the elections were being held and the
importance that the people of Nicaragua attached to these elections.
The presence of the foreign observers (from the West) was also important for the
population so that they would know that there was interest in the elections and
support for their country in imperialist countries. The ambassador also gave us study
materials, including a bulky brochure on the central policy of the FSNL (the
Sandinista Party led by President Ortega): the fight against poverty since the
Sandinistas returned to power in 2007.
I left for Nicaragua on 3 November
via Schiphol Airport and Panama
City.
In Panama, I was blocked for two
days in and around the airport
because of problems with my QR
Covid-19 code. It was an unpleasant
experience; police and army
everywhere in copy-paste USA
uniforms. Everyone constantly
addressing you to sell you something
or take some money from you. Glad
that I could finally fly to Nicaragua in
the late morning of 5 November.
Friday 5 November, the meeting with the 180 foreign observer-
escorts in Managua.
During the course of Friday 5 November, the last foreign friends from Nicaragua
arrived at the Managua airport. Like most participants, we were taken to the (for us)
luxurious Crown Palza Hotel, where the participants were split into a dozen groups
and we got to know each other. Our “group 2” consisted of 30 participants from

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various EU countries, among them 14 Spaniards who have been working for
solidarity with Nicaragua for years (e.g. by selling coffee from cooperatives). In
addition, there were also some Germans, Danes, Irish, British and Italians in our
group.
Noteworthy was the Irish group
around the flamboyant Mick Wallace
(photo), an EU Member of Parliament
who did not hide his disdain for the
EU policy against Nicaragua and
Latin America in no uncertain terms.
On his return, by the way, he will
praise the elections in Nicargua.
There was no applause from the
benches of the EU parliament.
Our Group 2 was led throughout our stay by Carlos Morelos, an official from the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Sidhartha Marín, an official from the Ministry of
Justice.
The Belgian delegation: with Ermelinde, from ARLAC, leading the delegation;
Marianne Pétré, Carla Maurizi and myself (Frans De Maegd)
That same evening, in the impressive Olaf Palme Cultural Centre, we were officially
registered, received “a pass” as well as a Consejo Supremo Electoral (CSE -
Electoral Council) cap and vest to make our presence felt during our upcoming visits

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to the electoral offices. Our 4-member delegation (Selma could not participate
because she had tested positive in Belgium) was led by Ermelinde from ARLAC.
That evening, we also had a meeting and a short talk with the Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Nicaragua
In the middle Co-Minister Denis Moncada. Behind him: Carla, Marianne, Frans and
Ermelinde. In front; two comrades from Italy.
Saturday 6 November, the day before the elections.
Morning meeting with observers on 6 November in the Olaf Palme hall
with representatives of the National Electoral Council - Consejo Supremo Electoral
(CSE) election

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Summary of the panel's interventions
Introduction
“ Our Insurance Council (CSE) did a good job and worked well together. All parties
were able to make proposals and did so, either directly or through parliament.
This election was better prepared than any previous one by, among other things, the
use of modern techniques.
Some lists were submitted only regionally.
Since the fall of the dictatorship, these are our 20th elections (including municipal
elections).
- Gender equality is assured. 50% of candidates are women.
The assembly is led by a majority of 6 women. The entire CSE consists of 26 women
and 24 men.
- The entire population of Nicaragua wants peace and progress and supports the
holding of elections. Only the parties and individuals who do not respect the laws
cannot participate in the elections. They have put themselves out of business.
They are free elections. Human rights are fully respected.
We called on the universities, among others, to organise and monitor the elections.
- Covid measures are respected during the elections; keeping a distance, wearing a
mask, never more than 200 people in and around a polling station. The police
carefully check whether the Covid measures are respected (that is their main task to
the election offices).
Here on the stage are some members of the Electoral Council who are active in the
parliament, the different parties (including the recognised opposition parties),

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women's organisations, the education and sports sectors as well as the economic-
production sectors.
Every step the Council took in organising the elections, it could take in complete
independence. The preparation of the elections and the elections themselves must
strengthen democracy and the constitution. We are doing this with a great sense of
duty and dignity.
The challenge is great because of the pressure of US imperialism, which in the past
wanted to destroy our independence and occupied our country for certain periods.
Think for instance of the Walker period during which we effectively became part of
the US confederation. To stifle the revolt, Walker did not hesitate to set fire to the city
of Granada. But Walker was expelled.
Then there was the “Knock Letter”. In which the then President rejected Nicaragua's
independence, sent its fleet and occupied our country. Our President Zenedon was
assassinated and the country was occupied by the Yankees in 1912. But Augusto
Sandinoi stood up and started organising the resistance in the early 1920s. He was a
liberal who cared about our country and its people. In the beginning, he fought with
only 14 campesinos.
After years of armed struggle, the US had to leave Nicaragua and an agreement was
made with the ruling class. But they immediately betrayed the agreement and killed
Sandino in 1934. Nicaragua continued on the path that Sandino chose and in 1987
our country was freed from the Somoza dictatorship.
We continue to fight for our independence in the spirit of Sandino. Because to take
away a people's independence is the greatest possible crime.
Imperialism and the reactionaries are taking advantage of all the differences and
problems to try to stop the revolution. Imperialism claims that it is doing this to “help”
our people. We know their “help”. After the great earthquake of 1972, the Marines
killed the wounded they were pulling out of the rubble so that nursing was no longer
necessary....
We are heading towards a victory of all parties participating in the elections. The
people know the politics of the different parties and can choose those who will
represent them in parliament. Unity is more important than differences of opinion.
The people also know the politics we are pursuing today and those of the past.
Prosperity is rising, there is health care, education and electrification. 16 years of rule
by the right brought only decline because they glorified the free market.
In 2018, the bourgeoisie broke the national consensus and supported the foreign-
driven counter-revolution attempt. We have learned our lesson. Today, we no longer
rely on the bourgeoisie but emphasise the development of a social economy without
ties to 'big business'.”
Speech by Mr Martinez Chairman of the Electoral Council

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“Tomorrow is the elections. With our parliamentary appointed electoral council we
already started the preparation in April this year. In doing so, we have improved the
process of preparation and the conduct of the elections in many ways, compared to
those of 2014 (gender equality, modern technology, great attention to the national
minorities...).
Criticism and dissent are necessary and even desirable but they must be done within
the constitution. Organising protests with organisations financed by foreign countries
is not possible today”.
This was followed by a number of interventions from the floor by participants from
Puerto Rico, Costa Rica and Venezuela. The latter asked the participants to also pay
much attention to the elections of 20 November in Venezuela.
Intervention by a representative of the Central Bank of Nicaragua on the
developments in the economy today
“We have had a tough period due to the Covid pandemic and storms this year. In
2018, the economy deteriorated sharply when Covid struck. Today, we are
experiencing a strong recovery but vigilance is needed. Compared to 2019, we have
economic growth of 16.7% in 2020, with consumption up 10%, exports up 45%,
construction up 29% and industry up 26%.
This is due to the rise in prices on the world market of gold, cocoa, coffee, etc. The
vaccination campaign was successful and we were able to restart our economic
activities. However, inflation continues to rise, from 4.9 in 2019 to 5.6%. The rising
energy prices are playing a particularly negative role. Transport has become much
more expensive. Which will prevail: the growth or the more expensive energy prices.
It is a major challenge to keep public finances healthy. There was a lack of gold
reserves, which weakened the economy. Today there is a surplus because we
received 28% more tax money thanks to the resumption of the economy. However,
our foreign debt went from 64% of GNP to 67%. That is an increase of 5%. We have
to tackle that.
Our difficulties today are much less than those after the turmoil of 2018. People were
panicking for a while. They took their money out of the bank, which created a
shortage of money to finance the economy.
We had to adapt and strengthen the role of the state in the economy. At the same
time, we expanded the free trade zones and reduced the tax in these zones to 0%.
The advantage of these zones is that they provide an income for 10,000 families. The
presence of the trade unions and state control means that we do not allow brutal
exploitation of our workers.
Very important in the period after the unrest was the stabilisation of the price of
bread. In the past, we bought the grain from the US. In 2018, we got free grain from
Russia and today we are buying Russian grain. That took some adjusting. First our
bakers did not want that grain. Now they want only Russian grain.

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Bean production and distribution was also very important. Domestic sales definitely
take precedence over sales (at higher prices) to foreign countries.
Food safety is our top priority and we are succeeding”.
Taiwan?
Then there were questions from the audience. Mainly detailed questions related to
the economy. Someone did ask why Nicaragua still has ties with Taiwan and
recognises Taiwan.
The answer was rather diplomatic but still clear.
“Our ties with Taiwan have grown historically. Taiwan still supports many important
projects in our country today. That does not prevent our economic and political
relations with the U.R. China from being excellent. China supports us in all areas. We
support the growing role that China plays today in a multipolar world”.
Meanwhile, the ties with Taiwan have been severed and Eritrea (as in the period
1987-1990) recognises the People's Republic of China again. Very far-reaching
agreements were reached between the two countries, including the construction of
the canal through Nicaragua to connect the Pacific to the Atlantic.
To the northern city of Esteli
After the meeting and a hot meal, the more than 10 different groups left for various
cities in Nicaragua to follow the course of the elections. With “group 2”, consisting of
30 delegates from the EU, we travelled by bus to the northern city of Esteli, about
150 km from the capital. After a journey of about 3 hours we were welcomed by the
mayor of the city who introduced her city.
The person in charge of elections explained the course of Sunday's elections and our
important role as observer-escorts during our visit to various polling stations.
We spent the night in the beautiful and historic hotel Los Arcos, which makes
“responsible tourism” its value brand.

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We left the hotel at 7 a.m. to visit the first polling station. That same morning, we
visited three more polling stations in different districts of the city. Mick Wallace, MEP,
in an interview for an Italian newspaper, described the course of our visits perfectly.
I am therefore happy to adopt part of his report and his conclusions.ii
“We are in the city of Estelì, in the northern highlands, a Sandinista stronghold, an
important cigar producer, set in beautiful countryside. We visit four constituencies,
where we stay for half an hour each time, free to wander, observe and enter as we
please.
The voting mechanism is simple and, it seems, safe. Upon reaching the age of 16,
every citizen receives an identity card. On arrival at the constituency, the barcode on
the document is read and the voter is led to a polling station, where he or she is
registered and given a ballot paper, which must be folded and put in the ballot box
after casting the vote. At the end, a centimetre of indelible ink is applied to everyone
who voted, so that they cannot vote more than once. Outside each polling station
there are lists of the electoral body (a maximum of 400 people per polling station),
with a different conception of privacy from ours.
All parties are allowed to have their own representative in each polling station during
voting and counting, while the chairman, secretary and polling agent are members of
the CSE (at least that is what I understood).

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When we were there, things were extremely simple and fair, and everyone involved
seemed honest, polite and competent.
The official result was 65% participation in the vote and President Ortega with 75%,
an easy winner.
What can we say? To us, the elections seemed fair and everything seemed to be
going normally. What we felt was that there must have been a lot of pressure to vote,
we don't know if it was from the government or from family members: we saw poor
old people who didn't know how, what or why to vote. We cannot say anything about
the percentage of voters, although the influx seemed quite large: the 20% reported
by the opposition organisations Urnas Abiertas and Observatorio Ciudadanos seems
excessively low. On the other hand, it is impossible to know what went on in the
polling stations before and after our arrival or during the count.
As I said, I think we can assume that the results are regular, also because, as our
companion Carlos told us, the real challenge was not to win the elections, but to get
a good quorum of voters”.
Waiting for the election results
After our cordial visits to the polling stations, we returned to Managua by bus.
We were invited for a mealiii in a restaurant
at the foot of the still active Masaya
volcano
After dinner, we drove up to the crater and
looked at the boiling lava mass a few
dozen metres below us. Very impressive
Afterwards, we went back to the Olaf Palme Centre for a series of hefty conferences
with PowerPoint about the developments in Nicaragua in the areas of the economy,
health care, education, the participation of the population in the governance of the
country ...
I was really too tired to take notes, although it was extremely interesting.

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Then we had to wait for the election results.
It was only after 3 o'clock that the Election Commission started to read out the
preliminary results in detail (district by district). It soon became clear that the FSNL
had won the elections.
At about four o'clock I gave up and asked to return to the hotel to finally get some
sleep after almost 22 hours of tension. As we drove through the working-class
neighbourhoods, young people on mopeds passed us, cheering and waving FSNL
flags. People were also cheering at the major intersections, and at “the square of the
revolution” the victory party was already in full swing.
Monday, 8 November, the day after the election victory
We spent most of the day resting and drafting a statement of our delegation, which
we handed over to the Electoral Council, and we exchanged our and their statements
with the other delegations. In our statement, of course, we went against the negative
propaganda that was already being spread before the electionsiv. Everyone made the
same bilan, some statements were more lyrical than others.
We also had intense discussions with other international participants
Some of which I list here

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-
- Brenda Castillo Sandiniste
from Denmark.
This “young” comrade of almost 70
told with verve that as a
Nicaraguan she fought with the
FSNL in the 80s. During the
difficult years when the right was
once again in power in the country
(1990-2007), she met a Danish
communist, whom she married
and moved to Denmark.v
- Brenda would like to come and live with her husband in Nicaragua, but then they
would lose many of their pension benefits. She invited us to the big Spartacus
rebellion demonstration in January 2022
- German comrade Christel Schemel of Volkssolidarität, an independent social
service organisation - a legacy of the GDR - was happy to engage in a robust
discussion. She also led an alternative travel organisation to Cuba, among other
places. She stopped doing so because she noticed that Western tourists, for example
in Cuba, became increasingly intolerant each time they encountered the typical
difficulties of countries that are subject to sanctions.vi
- The communist comrade from Costa Rica. The comrade must be about 70. He
studied history in Moscow in the late 1960s and early 1970s and became a training
officer for the Communist Party of Costa Rica. These were difficult and dangerous
times. The most dramatic was the collapse of his party with the fall of the Soviet
Union. Only after some 15 years did he, other comrades of his generation who had
remained faithful to communism, together with young comrades, succeed in building
a new communist party: The Popular Vanguard Party (PVP). The main problem was
to make a correct bilan of the collapse of their party as well as to overcome the old
divisions and frustrations.
- I would have liked to have had a discussion with the Afro-American Paul Pumphey,
from Washington, but he was too busy with the discussions in his group. I did learn
that he was once a member of the Black Panther Party. Today, he is a chocolatier.
He organises support for the people of Congo Kinshasa through his organisation
“Friends of the Congo”.vii
-

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- After some hesitation, I also spoke to a “real”
American who was clearly from Texas (with a cowboy
hat).
I asked him why he was participating in the
international delegation? His answer was firm and
friendly: “Because Nicaragua realised the socialist
ideal of Jesus Christ”. He gave me a book “Jesus is a
socialist” with different articles and sayings from the
Gospels, from the socialist Eugene Debs and Martin
Luther Kingviii .
I immediately recognised the American version of the “Liberation Theology” that
became enormously popular among the progressive Catholic youth in Belgium in the
1960s. The great majority of those young people became communists in the late 60s
and early 70s and were members of “The Third World Movement”, which supported
the struggle of peoples - especially the armed struggle - or joined “All Power to the
Workers” (AMADA) that worked on building a new Marxist-Leninist (thought Mao Tse-
Toung) party (the later Labour Party under the leadership of Ludo Martens) .
In the afternoon, we visited a remarkable “open-air museum” on the edge of the
lake: Casas-Museo de Sandino, Blanca Aráuz y Rubén Darío
The father house (replica) of Sandino - The Ruben Dario museum
Museum consists of 6 reconstructed houses of heroes of the Revolution: among
them the birthplace of the liberation fighter Sandino (1895-1934). He was the
illegitimate son of a wealthy landowner and wine merchant, who acknowledged his
son with difficulty but neglected him at first after he had banished the mother, the
maid to the house. But the young Sandino worked his way up in his father's business
and quickly doubled the company's turnover himself. The story of Sandino's
childhood proved that he learned to fight at a very early age. This fighting spirit
served him well in the fight against reaction and imperialism in the 1920s and early
1930s.

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There was also the birthplace of the greatest Central American poet Rubén Darío ,
(1867-1916), born in Leon and still revered throughout Nicaragua. The murals and
statues with Sandino most closely resemble those of the poet.
During our walk, we also had an unexpected encounter with the mayor of Managua
who strolled through the city and had a chat with the inhabitants of the city. That chat
usually ended in selfies with the Mayor.
Evening meeting with President Ortega and Vice-President Murillo
“The place of the Revolution” with the cathedral and the palace of the nation
At dusk, around 6 p.m. and it was getting dark, we took part in a commemorative
meeting, which also became a victory meeting. It took place at the great site of the
revolution at the foot of the ruined cathedral, which suffered from the 1972
earthquake that destroyed a large part of the city.
There were some 3000 invited attendees (sitting at Covid safe distance from each
other). A very large group of enthusiastic young people from the FSNL youth
organisations were present, as well as veterans and people active in the country's
political and social organisations. Finally, there were also the 180 or so international
observer-escorts.
The meeting (also shown on two huge screens) started with stirring music and dance
and was followed by a long and interesting speech by the President.

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Some notable interventions by the President:
“We are continuing this struggle because Westerners continue to behave like
colonisers. They do not understand that the populations that emerged later were a
mixture of Spaniards and Indians. As well as a mixture of Indigenous peoples with
our African brothers who arrived as slaves. They do not understand that these
peoples, who rose up and fought for their freedom, fought for their independence,
and defeated the great Spanish armies. They do not understand that these Peoples
formed their Conviction and ceased to be a Colony of Europe long ago.
We fully understand the policy of the European Governments, which is different from
that of the peoples of Europe. (...)
It is time for Europe to understand once and for all that in our Countries, among our
Peoples and Nations, as well as here in Nicaragua, it is the Nicaraguan People who
rule and not the European Governments. (...)
The EU hates the Peoples because we continue to fight to defend our Independence,
our Sovereignty. That is why there is so much hatred for Cuba, why there is so much
hatred for the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, why there is so much hatred for the
peoples who are fighting for Freedom, like Bolivia. They feel that these Peoples
continue to revolt and they continue to break the chains, and they want to impose
those chains again.”
After his speech, he not only thanked the delegates present (most of them were on
the podium) from Russia, Cuba, Venezuela and other countries that have supported
Nicaragua for years (The U.R. China was not among them because, for historical
reasons, Nicaragua has no diplomatic relations with it). The President of course
mentioned the presence of the international delegations and was one of the first to
mention the delegation from Belgium, which of course pleased us very much.
The President fraternising with the musicians - Russian delegation with the dancers
The President then left the stage to fraternise with the audience, especially the young
people. He was protected by some bodyguards, who clearly could not handle the
situation and the enthusiasm. The President apparently enjoyed this “people bath”.

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Other attendees went to greet the Vice-President as well as the other guests
(including the Russian delegation) who were on stage.
The dance group also invited us to have our picture taken with them. Which, of
course, we did not refuse.
Dragged onto the stage, like it or not... (I liked it)
Tuesday 9 November; visit to the city of Managua
The official programme of the international observers had ended. Some went home -
including our comrade Carla M..
Others stayed in the country to deepen their contacts and get to know the country
better.
Thanks to ARLAC's contacts, we were
joined for the next few days by Ingrid
Gonzalez Miranda (photo), a retired
police commissioner and now lawyer.

17. 17
All those days, we could also count on the sympathetic driver Eddy Ruez.
During our long drives, I had a conversation with him about his life and work. He
worked for a parastatal that organises passenger transport for the government and
the state. His basic salary is low, about 200 euro per month. But his overtime, night
work and Sunday work made up for a lot. He was almost sixty but absolutely wanted
to keep working. Crossing the country and meeting people is his big life, even if it is
at the expense of his family. Since the FSNL took power in 2007, a lot has changed
for him and his family. His living conditions have improved, his children can study for
free. Important for him is that the roads were so improved. Now he can reach a city
after 2, 3 hours driving. What used to take a whole day. We did notice that the roads
between the cities and in the cities were excellent. Not easy with all the freight
transport in immense impressive American trucks. Reminded me of the roads in
France. The construction of decent roads was enormously important for the
development of the economy and the unity of the people after 2007. People do not
forget the difference between the past and the present.
The journalist of the free radio “La Sandino”
Before visiting the city, we were welcomed by the journalists of the free radio “La
Sandino”. This popular radio is independent but defends the politics of the FSNL.
Besides politics, much attention is paid to sports and culture. The radio also played a
lot of popular Nicaraguan music.
Besides Carla, Ermelinde and myself, the eloquent Fabricio Casari also took the
floor. The day before, he posted a remarkable bilan of the elections and especially of
the smear campaign against the elections on the Internet. His hatred of the
Sandinista traitors (“in the name of Sandinismo”) is strong:
“The traitors and mercenaries, the compulsive haters, the ruthless producers of lies
filled with dollars, have lost. The coup attempt was a heavy defeat because they had
hoped for a majority of abstention in the elections. They thought physiological fatigue,
which occurs after years of sabotage”.

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Behind the radio station, the Laguna de Tsiscappa (photo) (a crater filled with
water) is many, 10 metres deep. A large fountain provided oxygen. Under the liberal
regime, the waste water from part of the city was dumped in this small lake. The
water was completely dead. More or less the same thing happened to Managua's
lake, which is now also being purified. Successive FSNL governments provided
proper water treatment stations and limited the production of polluted water.
The rest of the day, we visited other parts of Managua, which always had political
importance in addition to being touristy. Like the visit to the “Resera Natural de
Tsicapa” with the 20 metres high metal silhouette of Sandino.

19. 19
The “Melecon de Managua” at the shore of the lake with the equestrian statue of
Bolivar and finally the immense park and tourist port “Puerto Salvador Allende”.
(pictures below)
Wednesday, 10 November: meeting with veterans
With Ingrid, we visited a FSNL
community centre in a large working-
class neighbourhood of Managua where
Mario, a veteran of the fight against
Somoza, holds a daily permanence. The
comrade received us in a round chair.
His foot was broken after being attacked
by contras a few weeks earlier at dusk.
He struggled to defend himself but
fortunately, a policeman showed up and
shot and chased off the attackers.
What struck us first was how much the room had been neglected due to lack of
financial means. Apparently, you did not get rich by serving the FSNL.
The room also contains the photos of the martyrs of the liberation struggle.
They are not forgotten but the pictures and frames deserve to be renewed.

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Mario told his story briefly, while he was constantly interrupted by visitors who came
to ask his advice, share some news, etc. They all expressed their thanks and
admiration. They all expressed their thanks and admiration for what Mario meant to
the district.
Shortly afterwards, another veteran,
Marvin, entered the room. He is a
historian and very eloquent.
For more than an hour, he told us
about the history of the Revolution and
the challenges of today, after the end
of the counter-revolution.
I understood little or nothing of his
explanations because I do not speak
Spanish, but I did understand that the
veterans played a decisive role in the
liquidation of the revolt during the
difficult days of the attempted counter-
revolution.
In the afternoon, we moved to another district of Managua where we met three other
veterans and a young militant of the FSNL who continues to defend the Revolution
in the footsteps of the veterans.

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Donald Ignacio Mendoza Garcia, who has a good command of Marxism and owns
an extensive library of books that he lends to comrades. I could see from browsing
the books, both theoretical and historical works as well as novels such as “les
misérables” by Victor Hugo, that they were read diligently. The book “Capital” by
Marx was very thumbed and still contained a lot of bookmarks. (10)
Raul Elias Area Vanegas, responsible for the organisation of the veterans told us
about his activities. He is constantly visiting the different departments in the country
(photo on the right) to strengthen them, to note down the stories of the veterans and
to assist those who need help. He is also active in the solidarity movement with
Cuba.
Finally, we talked to a young executive of the
FSNL who supports the veterans' organisation in
its daily work and is responsible for the training
given by the veterans to the younger generation.

22. 22
Thursday, November 11: visit to the cities of Granada and Masaya
Our visit to charming Granada and lively Masaya was rather touristy, but at the same
time an immersion in the daily life of those cities.
In Granada we had a short meeting in the city hall with 5 young cadres of the
FSNL, among them several militant women.
Also noteworthy was the conversation we had with a young woman, her mother
(photo left) and grandmother, buying chilled coconuts that they chopped open for

23. 23
us and of which we could taste the juice and the fruit. Ermelinde (photo right) asked
them who they had voted for. The young woman and the grandmother said without
hesitation: “for the president”. The mother pulled an angry face and said: “I certainly
did not vote for the President. He promised us work and we did not get it. The Bible
says that a man needs work because otherwise he cannot eat”. We did not continue
the conversation because of the tension that was felt among the women. In any case,
it was clear to us that elections and politics are freely and sometimes harshly
discussed in families.
In Masaya, we did some shopping and then went to the fortress that dominated the
city.
The fortress of heroism and horror in Masaya (Nicaragua)
Just outside the city on a strategic
hill is the fort Coyotepe.
It was built at the beginning of the
20th century and today has great
historical significance for the people
of Nicaragua.
There are two reasons for this: one
is heroic, the other gruesome.
At the beginning of October 1912, patriotic forces, led by General Benjamín Zeledón,
tried to stop the American intervention troops that were advancing towards the
capital. From Fort Coyotepe, they succeeded for four days. Major Smedley Butler's
US Marine Battalion therefore bombed the rebel stronghold. The marines captured
the fort and Nicaraguan general Benjamín Zeledón was killed. His body was dragged
behind a horse, to instil fear in the population.
But instead of spreading terror,
Celedón's murder was the spark that
encouraged Augusto Sandino and
others to fight against US intervention
in the mountains of northern
Nicaragua for seven years.
The resistance in 1912 is therefore
written in the hearts of all
Nicaraguans.

24. 24
During our visit to the fort, our guide
Gallego, a veteran, told the second
gruesome story of the fort.
President Anastasio Somoza (the first
dictator of the Somoza dynasty) turned
the fort into a prison and torture centre
in the late 1930s.
We walked with our guide through the oval-shaped prison, which follows the inner
walls of the fortress in a width of about ten metres and a length of 80 metres.
Long dark corridor Torture chamber
A long dark corridor, separated by a vanished fence, separated the prisoners from
the jailers. A little deeper were the dark and damp dungeons. In total, there were
1,000 prisoners in this prison. Prisoners were regularly taken away to make room for
new ones. The previous ones disappeared without a trace.
The walk through the sinister corridors and cells made a deep impression on us. For
a moment, we seemed to hear the cries of pain in the torture chambers. We were
relieved when we walked out into the open air again.
Our 65-year-old guide Gallego also told his personal story. As a youngster of 14, he
had organised a protest movement from his school against the Somoza dictatorship.
Repression struck. His brother (who the police mistook for him) was imprisoned.
Gallego warned a Sandinista commando, who succeeded in freeing his brother.
Together with his brother he fled south to take part in the guerrilla war until the 1987
victory.

25. 25
He was unable to participate in the
liberation of his hometown Masaya
and the capture of the fortress.
During the storming some
Sandinistas fell.
A few blue crosses inside the fort
remind visitors of their sacrifice in
battle.
Today the fort is managed by the
Scouts movement, for which our
comrade had worked until he retired.
But the Scouts have not yet found the
money to restore this fort and memorial.
However, it is necessary.
We will always remember this visit. The fort is a testimony to the courage and
perseverance of the Nicaraguan people and the FSNL.
Friday 12 November:
Visit to the revolutionary city of Leon in northern Nicaragua

26. 26
Leon, Nicaragua's second-largest city, about 100 km north of Managua, is
considered the capital of the Revolution because it was the first city to be taken by
the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) before the victory in Managua, which
forced dictator Somoza to flee.
It is also, after Managua, the city most affected by the 2018 counter-revolutionary
uprising.
The centre of this prosperous city, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is visited
by many tourists. It is also a university town and the population is very young.
Thanks to our friend Ingrid, a former police
commissioner and now lawyer, we were received in
Leon on 12 November 2021 by a former veteran retired
colonel, Gilberto Narvaez Moreno.
This comrade had joined the guerrilla movement at a
very young age and became an officer in the army
after liberation.
When the right came back to power in Nicaragua, between 1990 and 2007, he
remained in the army while clandestinely militating for the FSNL. Gilberto is now 66
years old and during his retirement, he engaged as a volunteer in the city
administration. He maintains a permanent social link between the administration and
the population by going from district to district, house to house, to gauge the needs of
the population and try to solve them. Gilberto works hard and does not count his
hours, especially in the difficult Covid-19 pandemic times. However, he is greatly
helped by the social and public health programmes implemented by Daniel Ortega's
government. From mid-November, the population will receive its third dose of
vaccine.
Gilberto told us about the attempt to overthrow Ortega's government in 2018. The
uprising was led by “liberals” (in reality, the right and far right) who received their
directives from abroad. Two to three thousand students and the poorest and most
marginalised part of the population took to the streets, accompanied by mercenaries
from the neighbouring countries of El Salvador and Honduras. These mercenaries
are usually members of extremely violent criminal gangs, the so-called “Maras”. The
poorest people helped build the barricades in exchange for alcohol and 300 cordobas
a day, the equivalent of the minimum wage.
The biggest problem for the government was to keep a cool head. Not to be
provoked to the extreme by the Contras in order to prevent a civil war. The unrest
was particularly strong during the first twenty days, during which there were 680
barricades and counter-barricades in the city and its surroundings. The interference
of foreign powers manifested itself in various ways: US funding, mercenaries from
neighbouring countries and Red Cross ambulances used to transport arms and
sicarios (hit men) to Leon.

27. 27
The contras wanted to cause as much
destruction as possible to provoke an
intervention of the armed forces. The
aim was to force the government into a
severe repression in order to legitimise
the ousting of the president.
The colonel and FSLN militants prevented the
looting and burning of the cathedral, where
the remains of the great poet Ruben Dario lie.
The main hospital was also threatened.
Gilberto led the resistance with the help of the
Sandinistas and ensured the safety of the
town.
His house was besieged by the Contras who
demanded the colonel's surrender under
threat of burning his family alive. He and his
wife did not give in and the family managed to
escape. His house was burned down.
The violence lasted no longer than twenty days because, according to Gilberto, the
right wing was never able to find unity after the initial destruction. The contras started
fighting among themselves, allowing the FSLN to take over the city quarter by
quarter. There were many injuries and two contras were killed. Immediately after the
restoration of peace, a policy of “national reconciliation” was adopted, granting
amnesty to those who had not committed crimes or serious misdemeanours. The
biggest villains had meanwhile fled the country.
This national reconciliation was a huge challenge for Gilberto, who now had to reach
out to those who had set fire to his house and tried to burn his family alive. Together
they now had to restore the city of Léon. Not all his relatives approved of his
conciliatory attitude. The retired colonel, on the other hand, understood that the
politics of reconciliation was the only way to reunite all the people. Therefore, he
made it his duty to provide jobs for the lumpen and involve them in social life. This
attitude has borne fruit: the elections on 7 November went off without a hitch and
many former “insurgents” cast their votes... often for the FSLN. Ortega's party
obtained 78% of the votes in the city, which is more than the national score of 75%.

28. 28
These figures show that, after the 2018 counter-revolution, the revolution has grown
stronger. Election day was a celebration; people went to the polling stations in
groups, a way of coming together despite past disagreements.
Meanwhile, all the damage has been repaired. The city is beautiful again and ready
to receive tourists once the Covid-19 pandemic is over.
The martyrs The uprising in the 1950s Against the CIA
In the centre, a street is dedicated to the martyrs in the fight against the dictator
Somoza with large plaques as well as murals: one illustrating the uprising in the
early 1950s, the other denouncing the CIA and its attempts to subjugate Nicaragua.
Of course, a painting in honour of
Nicaragua's and Latin America's
greatest poet Ruben Dario could not be
missed in the city centre.
At the end of the street, on the other side of the central square, stands the house of
the Sandinista veterans, which is rather neglected for lack of funds, but alive and

29. 29
well, with its many pictures of the struggle against Somoza - moving images but very
damaged. This centre deserves to be renewed.
Myths and legends Torture under Somoza
Further on, we visited the Museum of Local Myths and Legends. The building, a
former torture prison of Somoza, is well thought out and combines the myths of
Nicaragua and the dark years of the dictatorship. Large black paintings on a white
wall show life in prison, macabre scenes that hark back to the time of the Spanish
conquistadors and remind us that yesterday, as today, the country is fighting for its
sovereignty and independence.
Finally, we said goodbye in front of the
monument in honour of Ruben Dario,
national poet. Leon, its streets, its
people and its history, we will not forget.
Thanks to Colonel Gilberto and to our
guide Ingrid.

30. 30
Saturday 13 November: removal and rest day
This last day was already dedicated to the departure of Marianne and Ermelinde.
They were going to be tested with a negative QR-code to be able to leave; Marianne
to Belgium, Ermelinde to Mexico to visit her father. I myself moved from the Crown
Plaza Hotel to a charming and quiet little hotel about eight kilometres from the centre.
The price was more than reasonable; 40 dollars per night, breakfast and dinner
included. While in the Crown Hotel you had to pay at least 120 dollars for one night
and for breakfast about 20 dollars, not to mention the meals.
In the evening, we were visited by Lautaro, the former ambassador of Nicaragua in
Belgium. He too had very good contacts with ARLAC. He is now retired but still
politically active. Memories of his period in Belgium were recalled as well as his good
contacts with ARLAC.
Sunday 14, Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 November: the last days in
Managua.
The days after the departure of Ermelinde and Marianne, I mainly rested and slept in
the quiet Casa San Juan hotel. Furthermore, I wandered through different
neighbourhoods of Managua.
I also visited two museums, including the museum of Folklore and the permanent
exhibition about Nicaragua before the colonial occupation.
On Tuesday, I had a QR Covid-19 test taken to ensure an easy return. This turned
out to be negative. As a “gringo” I had to pay 150 dollars (132 euros) for this test. I do
not know how much the Nicaraguans pay. I also paid a “gringo” price at the
hairdresser's in 750 Cordoba of about 19 euros... 5 euros more than what the
Moroccan hairdresser asks me in Molenbeek.

31. 31
The streets of Managua
Christmas atmosphere from mid-November: homage to Mary and 35°C snowman
In the afternoon, I walked along the city's central boulevard and saw that stages were
being set up everywhere for the end-of-year festivities. Nativity scenes and altars to
honour the Virgin Mary also appeared everywhere. Big angels appeared on all street
corners if only to protect pedestrians crossing the street because zebra crossings are
rare and the car is king.
Finding a snowman on the shore of the lake at 35 degrees Celsius was a surprise.
Remarkable was the lighting at dusk
along all major Bolivar boulevard.
Most impressive were the illuminated
metal tree structures and above all
the illuminated metal Chavez
monument.
The illumination of all those
structures consists of thousands of
LED lights placed in the small holes
of the 15 metres or so metal
structures.
The illuminated tree structures contain about 3000 lights. They are placed manually
by four workers during two days. Dozens of teams are working on this, as I estimate
that there are more than a hundred of these structures along the central avenues and
on the squares. These colourful structures are there all year round. They are only
illuminated for the end-of-year festivities. Amazing! The Champs Elysees lighting is
nothing like it!

32. 32
Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 November: return to Belgium.
My departure from Managua for a flight to Panama went smoothly, thanks to the
guidance of Carlos from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the drive to the airport,
he urged me to continue ARLAC's efforts to defend the truth about Nicaragua and
reiterated his regret that so many leftist friends have turned their backs on Nicaragua
and often sided with the MRS, which supposedly wanted to restore “Sandino values”
but today fully supports US imperialism against Nicaragua.
Of course, I reassured him and promised to keep him regularly informed.
During the flight to Panama, I met a young French couple who had been travelling
through Nicaragua for four weeks. At first, they wanted to travel to Costa-Rica but
that was too expensive for them. They were very enthusiastic about the friendly
Nicaraguans they had met and stressed that they never felt unsafe during the whole
trip. They were not interested in politics but they were surprised by the fuss in the
West against Nicaragua.
At the departure from Panama, for the long and tedious flight to Amsterdam, 5
Chinese came to sit with me, dressed in a white plastic safety suit, with gloves and
mouth masks on. They were flying from Panama via Amsterdam to Beijing. They did
not want to fly back to their country via Hong Kong or an airport in the USA or
Canada. When I told them that I admired Mao and China, they liked it. As soon as
they flew, they kept quiet to save as much energy as possible.
At the airport, the hardest confrontation was the cold and rainy weather.
In the train to Leuven, I planned what I would do in the next days and weeks to make
my trip and that of the delegation pay off in the best way for solidarity with Nicaragua.
With ARLAC, it should work!
Discussion points
Abortion
After the election victory, the right in Nicaragua started a campaign against abortion
together with the church. This had an impact on the very religious population.
Abortion was officially banned.
The Sandinistas have thus given check marks to the church by “banning abortion” but
in practice (!) an exception is made every time “due to special circumstances”. One
should actually be a bit more careful when criticising Nicaragua in this matter
because abortion is tolerated here too.
What is not mentioned in the anti-Nicaragua propaganda is that homosexuality has
been decriminalised. Quite an achievement in a continent where macho behaviour
and disdain for homosexuals is still very much present.

33. 33
Christian identity
The population of Nicaragua is very religious. Marian statues are everywhere
(fortunately not so many gruesome crucifixes).
The FSNL bases itself on “the liberation theology”.
A slogan you see everywhere is: “Nicaragua: Christian, Socialist and Solidarity”.
Liberation theology has (shown) its limits (“charity” is central not “class hatred”) but
after the 2018 counter-revolution, I think the Sandinistas have learned their lesson.
The attitude towards religion is very complex for the communists. One has to be
careful and skillful about it. This is as true in very Christian countries as it is in Muslim
countries (cfr Gaddafi's Libya, the FNL during the Algerian war, ...).
i https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusto_C%C3%A9sar_Sandino
ii https://www.infoaut.org/conflitti-globali/nicaragua-il-sandinismo-alle-urne?fbclid=IwAR3MF-
n5r0twyjVhuqfNZpD9EMRgvZ_JSth_OWzOrv5HlZc17E72sbl6wiU
iii It was very remarkable but during these and other meals no alcoholic beverages were served. You
could order a beer separately but the price was high. I did not see anyone drinking more than 1 or 2
beers. We also noticed that alcohol was hardly ever served in the many restaurants and cafés in
Managua. According to Ermelinde, this is in sharp contrast with other Central American countries such
as Mexico (which she knows well) where drinking is abundant.
iv Press release of the Belgian CSE delegation
“In Nicaragua, presidential, parliamentary and pan-American elections were held on Sunday 7
November 2021.
Nicaragua invited international observers from many different countries to observe the electoral
process, including the voting process, throughout the country.
A Belgian delegation joined these 180 observers.
The delegation went to Esteli, a municipality of about 200,000 inhabitants north of Managua, where
they observed the voting process.
Managua, where they were able to observe the voting process in four election centres.
The organisation of these elections was entrusted to a Supreme Electoral Council (CSE), elected
within the National Assembly and composed of members of the National Assembly.
The organisation of these elections was entrusted to a High Electoral Council (CSE), elected within the
National Assembly and composed of members of all parties that have a seat in Parliament.
The main concern was to organise the electoral operations in such a way that the entire population of
the country could participate in the elections.
It was mainly a matter of organising the electoral operations in such a way that the entire population of
the country could easily and simply cast their votes.
This was the case.
The organisation of the polling stations with numerous CSE staff (with fully operational computer
equipment for the verification of identity) and volunteer staff to make the voting process run smoothly:
no queues, assistance for voters, and help for people with mobility problems, for the elderly and to
ensure all necessary hygienic measures related to COVID.

34. 34
The voting itself was done on numbered and sealed paper ballots, with voting booths (as in Belgium).
Security was ensured by a small number of police officers outside the polling stations.
No incidents of any kind occurred in our presence. We therefore observed that the elections took place
calmly and peacefully, with significant participation by the population (65%).
The youth were conspicuous in their presence and showed their confidence in the progressive
government of the country.”
v https://arbejderen.dk/udland/de-rige-hader-sandinisterne-derfor-er-jeg-sandinist/
vi It reminded me of Contact and Culture (CEC) of the PVDA (1.0) from the 1990s and early 2000s. For
political reasons, CEC was eventually disbanded
.
vii Friends of the Congo www.friendsofthecongo.ne
viii https://cpiusa.org/books/jesus-is-a-socialist
Caleb Maupin was also present but I did not have a conversation with him