Economic and military war of the United States against Nicaragua
Lenin Fisher
Nicaragua and its Sandinista Popular Revolution suffered during the 1980s the attack of North American imperialism through conditions, sanctions, blockade or suspension of economic aid.
Simultaneously, the Senate, Congress and the United States Government (EU) approved many millions of dollars to finance the counterrevolution (the so-called Contra), which was the largest irregular force (20,000 to 30,000 men) and the best armed , in Latin America, during the 20th century.
The counterrevolutionary war promoted by the United States to defeat the Sandinista Revolution cost the American people between two and three billion dollars. In addition, it caused losses to Nicaragua of 17 billion dollars, until 1986, which in 2021 would exceed 60 billion.
The counterrevolution never had a strategic chance of success, on the contrary it was strategically defeated and all its tactics were defeated. They never took or controlled any major city and when they attacked municipalities they were evicted in a few hours. They did not have popular support, they did not have the support of the population in the large urban centers. Thus, the counterrevolutionary forces dedicated themselves to sabotaging and destroying the economy, at the same time that they sowed terrorism.
Let's review some of the economic aggressions, in a chronological sense:
one-. The US government, chaired by James Carter, of the Democratic Party, conditions, on May 13, 1980, a loan of $ 70 million dollars to the reconstitution of the Governing Board of National Reconstruction (JGRN).
two-. The US government approved, on September 12, 1980, a loan of $ 75 million in aid to Nicaragua.
3-. On November 4, 1980, Ronald Reagan, candidate of the Republican Party, is elected as president of the United States and assumes office on January 20, 1981. The following day, January 21, 1981, Reagan orders the suspension of the last disbursement of $ 15 million. dollars of the $ 75 million approved by Carter.
4-. The Reagan administration announced, on March 8, 1981, the suspension of the $ 9.6 million loan for the purchase of wheat.
5-. Reports from the US press on the existence of Nicaraguan counterrevolutionary camps in the state of Florida were published on March 19, 1981.
6-. On November 6, 1981, the US government pressed to block the loans that the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) would make to Nicaragua.
7-. The US government vetoed, on January 19, 1982, an IDB loan of $ 500 thousand.
8-. On February 14, 1982, the US media reported that President Ronald Reagan requested $ 19 million to finance a covert operations plan against Nicaragua; plan and funds that were administered by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
9-. The US government announces, on May 25, 1982, the Mini-Marshall Plan for Central America and the Caribbean, of economic aid for the region; plan from which Nicaragua is excluded.
10-. On November 16, 1982, the United States vetoed a loan that the IDB had approved for Nicaragua for an amount of $ 34.4 million.
eleven-. On December 8, 1982, the House of Representatives unanimously prohibited the Pentagon and the CIA from training or arming the anti-Sandinista counterrevolution.
12-. President Reagan ordered, on May 9, 1983, to reduce by 90%, the export quota of sugar from Nicaragua to the United States.
13-. On June 29, 1983, the US government vetoed a $ 1.7 million loan from the IDB for Nicaragua.
14-. The Intelligence Committee of the US Senate approved, on September 22, 1983, the plan of $ 19 million dollars, promoted by President Reagan, to continue supporting the armed counterrevolution.
fifteen-. The United States Congress approved, on November 17, 1983, a total of $ 24 million dollars, as additional funds to continue supporting the counterrevolution.
16-. On April 9, 1984, Nicaragua presented a claim before the International Court of Justice, in The Hague, the highest tribunal of the United Nations, because the United States supported the counterrevolution and was undermining the ports of the Atlantic and Pacific.
17-. On May 10, 1984, the International Court of Justice ordered the suspension of mining in Nicaraguan ports and support for the counterrevolution.
18-. The United States Senate approved, on October 4, 1984, a total of $ 28 million, requested by President Ronald Reagan, to continue supporting the counterrevolution.
19-. On May 1, 1985, International Workers' Day, the president of the United States decreed a trade embargo against Nicaragua.
20-. The United States Congress ratified, on July 25, 1985, the approval of $ 20 million dollars, to support the counterrevolution.
21-. The President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, asked the Congress of his country, on February 25, 1986, the approval of $ 100 million dollars, to support the counterrevolution, of which 60 million would be for military aid (weapons, ammunition , equipment, supplies, etc.).
22-. The Federal Republic of Germany, on June 20, 1986, announced that it would not resume its financial aid, suspended since 1984.
23-. The United States House of Representatives approved, on June 25, 1986, the $ 100 million requested by President Reagan to support the counterrevolution and authorizes the CIA to direct operations in Nicaragua.
24-. The International Court of Justice in The Hague, condemned the United States as the aggressor country of Nicaragua, on June 27, 1986, for which it should compensate it, due to the human and material damage caused; but the US ignores the ruling of the world's highest court.
25-. The United States Senate approved, on August 14, 1986, the delivery of the $ 100 million requested by Reagan to finance the counterrevolution.
26-. The United States House of Representatives prohibits, on September 19, 1986, the use of secret CIA funds in the campaign against Nicaragua.
27-. On November 26, 1986, the Iran-Contra scandal broke out, also known as Iran-Contra-gate, for which President Reagan had to resign at least and be prosecuted.
28-. On February 26, 1987, the Reagan government considered imposing a naval blockade on Nicaragua to prevent the flow of aid from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
29-. On August 5, 1987, the US government proposed to postpone the request to Congress for $ 105 million for the counterrevolution, in exchange for the Sandinista government, chaired by Daniel Ortega, to dialogue with the counterrevolutionary forces.
30-. On November 26, 1987, the International Court of Justice in The Hague acted on Nicaragua's claim against the United States and authorized it to demand compensation from that powerful country.
31-. The United States Congress approved, on December 22, 1987, 8 million 100 thousand dollars for the counterrevolution.
32-. On July 31, 1988, the United States Senate approved $ 27 million for the counterrevolution (16 million for military aid and 11 million for alleged humanitarian aid).
33-. The United States House of Representatives approved, on April 14, 1989, $ 47 million dollars of humanitarian aid for the counterrevolution and $ 13 million dollars, as a collateral allocation, for political parties opposed to the Sandinista government, which existed within Nicaragua, to add no less than $ 60 million. On January 20 of the same year, George Bush had assumed the presidency of the United States.
3. 4-. On June 30, 1989, the United States House of Representatives approved a measure that allowed the George Bush administration to provide covert aid to Nicaraguan political parties related to Yankee politics.
35-. On September 21, 1989, President George Bush asked the United States Congress for $ 9 million in direct and indirect aid to finance the electoral campaign of the National Opposition Union (UNO), the political arm of the counterrevolution. .
36-. On March 13, 1990, President G. Bush, less than 20 days after the February 25 elections (which the FSLN lost and recognized its results), offered to suspend the embargo against Nicaragua and to petition the US Congress for a aid of 500 million dollars (amount that did not fulfill).
The amounts recorded here as part of the economic war add up to $ 61.2 million in financial aid or blocked loans. On the other hand, the sum of money for the counterrevolution (not including secret financing, never revealed), is 390 million 100 thousand dollars.
Bibliography:
Ramírez Mercado, S. (1999). Basic chronology 1979-1990. In: Goodbye guys. Mexico. Aguilar. 297-308
Managua, Nicaragua, February 7, 2021
Writings of Lenin Fisher: reflections on the life and history of Nicaragua.
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