Few celebrate Nicaragua’s revolution on its 42nd anniversary

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Sunday, July 18, did not see the festive atmosphere of past years in Nicaragua, nor were there caravans all across the country heading to Managua to emulate the celebration of July 19, 1979.

Contrary to other years, the red and black flags of the ruling Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) and the “revolutionary” songs did not fill the streets of Nicaragua, except in some cities like Boaco, Granada or Jinotega, where a group of Sandinista militants toured the city.

The empty streets of the Nicaraguan capital contrasted with scenes of past years, in which thousands of Sandinistas from all over the country gathered a day before in the city to be as close as possible to the pulpit from where their leader, President Daniel Ortega, spoke.

The events leading up to the 42nd anniversary of Nicaragua’s revolution have apparently not been favorable to the FSLN and Ortega, from the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic to the wave of arrests against opponents that have sparked criticism both locally and from the international community, less than four months before the general elections.

CRITICISM REPLACES POPULARITY

Among the complaints against the Ortega government is the implementation of restrictive laws that have led to the imprisonment of critics of his administration, accused of crimes of treason.

The wave of arrests that began last May, in addition to an increase in the number of people who have fled to exile in recent months, and the denunciations of doctors of an apparent surge in cases and deaths due to Covid-19, have added to criticism of Ortega just before the day of the revolution.

Even former Uruguayan President José Mujica (2010-2015), who had not criticized the Sandinista leader, recently signed a letter repudiating Ortega’s actions, promoted by other left-wing icons in Latin America and the world.

This year and for the first time, Vice President and First Lady Rosario Murillo, government spokesperson, gave no clues as to how the anniversary of the revolution – the most important holiday of the year for Sandinistas – will be celebrated.

For decades the revolution was commemorated in the Plaza de la Fe Juan Pablo II, the largest square in Managua, where Sandinista militants crowded in the presence of heads of state, diplomatic representatives, and hundreds of leftist world leaders, as well as Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú, but this all came to a halt in 2018 with the socio-political crisis from which Nicaragua has so far not recovered.

WITHOUT “POPULAR MUSCLE”

Until Sunday afternoon no one knew if Ortega would finally appear before his followers or would limit himself to giving a speech on TV on Monday.

Caution before the Covid-19 was ruled out by Murillo herself, who announced that over the weekend government institutions would guarantee “5,000 cultural, recreational, sports activities, concerts, events, piñatas with the children, and large celebrations,” just as all regular Saturdays and Sundays.

FSLN militants used social networks to express their joy at the anniversary of the revolution. Concurrently, victims of armed attacks against the 2018 anti-government demonstrations shared photographs of their imprisoned, dead or missing relatives, surrounded by the Nicaraguan flag and a candle.

Since the 2018 events, the FSLN has failed to show its “popular muscle” again, as the people in the streets were called.

Twenty-four hours before the celebration of Nicaragua’s revolution anniversary this muscle shows no signs of vigor. The thousands of Nicaraguans entering Managua filled with joy to celebrate “July 19” were not seen on Sunday.