Flor de Pochote

Sandino's Birthplace
Niquinohomo

Agusto Cesar Sandino may be the most famous Nicaraguan who has ever lived. In life he lead a little peasant army, which defeated the US-Marine corps. After his dead he became the symbol for the struggle for liberty in his own country, and for a whole continent's anti-US feelings.

Sandino a real hero? Much can be said about whether Sandino's insisting in a military solution was wise, or if Moncadas pragmatisme would have brought more wealth to the country. However, the conclusion of this should not affect the fact that he fully comply with all the marks of a real hero: He fought for what he thought to be right He was with the poor against the rich His ideals could not be bought with promises of money and positions. He was a small man from a small country fighting against a big power. He was a great soldier and came victorious out of the most impossible situations He died struggling for his sake Especially the fact that he never sought personal benefits, makes him a great example for the future generations in a country infested with corrupt leaders who fight for themselves in the name of the poor. Sandino's life Sandino was born in Niquinohomo in 1895. His father was a wealthy coffee farmer, and his mother a poor housemaid working in the Sandino family's house. The first years Sandino lived with his mother in a simple hut. Later he was recognized by his father and moved to the place, which is now known as his native house.

Problems with a pregnant girl friend and an accusation for homicide during a fight made him flee to Mexico where he worked in the oil industry and got in contact with leftist movements. When he heard about the Marines' presence in Nicaragua and the constitutional war of Moncada, he decided to return and invest his savings in organizing his own army.

Sandino's struggle

In 1926 Nicaragua's liberal party lead an uprising against the conservative government which, supported by the US, refused to hand over the power after being defeated in the general elections. The USA feared that a liberal government would be an alley of the revolutionary movements in Mexico.

The liberal movement had its main base in the Meseta highlands south of Masaya, and was naturally leaded by general José Maria Moncada from Masatepe. Sandino supported Moncadas army, but with his own troops.

The uprising was successful, and the US-troops accepted to negotiate with Moncada who managed to make a really good deal - for his party and for himself. New elections should be held, and the US-marine would stay and guaranty the new government's stability during the time necessary to establish a national army. Moncada won these elections with a solid margin.

Sandino found this arrangement a treachery. A liberal government controlled by the USA, was not a free government, and would surely not build relations with Sandino's friends from his time in the Mexican syndicalist movements. Furthermore he claimed that the true president of the country was Juan B. Sacasa, who had won the elections in 1926. Sandino decided to fight on his own. Only 29 of his former soldiers followed him. But good luck in the battles, strong support from leftist movements in Mexico and other countries, and a lack of good behavior within the marine corps permitted his movement to grow. During a few years Sandinos army operated in up to a third of the country. In the thirties things changed. Sandino lost his international support, as he refused to follow the international communist movement. By the time the marines complied their promise to hand over control to a national army, and the main reason for his opposition disappeared. At least the main population saw it like this, while only Sandino and few other politicians saw the threat that the new National Guard and its leader Anastasio Somoza García represented.

Agusto Cesar Sandino togetjer with his father Gregorio Sandino (right) and the minister Salvatierra shortly before the 3 were killed by Somozas men.

Sndino's political inheritance

Somoza ordered the National Guard kill to the people who had belonged to Sandinos army and to persecute all sandinistas. Therefore it lasted almost 30 years untill Nicaragua saw a political movement that used Sandinos name. This movement - Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional, FSLN - worked underground for almost two decades. In 1979 it managed to establish a broad national alliance that could overthrough the National Guard, then leaded by Somozas younger son Anastasio Somoza Debayle.

The FSLN governed Nicaragua during 11 years with a program of radical social reforms, and claiming that it was carrying out the historical programe of Sandino. The FSLN also inheritated the hostil relation to the USA, who was soon to help the inconformity among the Nicaraguan upper class.

The FSLN could not handle the multiple conflicts, and although their troups won the civil war at the battle field, the political project of the revolution failed. In 1990 the FSLN lost power in a general election to a right wing government leaded by Violeta Chamorro.

The FSLN still is one of the principal political forces in Nicaragua and still claim to fight for the ideas of Sandino. Many have questionned if the FSLNs present strategy based in aliances with anybody who can bring them to power can represent the ideas of Sandino. A new political force has rosen which also struggles in the name of Sandino. The MRS (the Movement to Renovate Sandinism) has recently gotten rather strong, and together the to parties using the name of Sandino seems to represent the majority. So the name of Sandino is still very alive in Nicaraguan politics.

The Sandino Museum

During the 1980th the Sandinista government openned a museum for Sandino in the house of his father, where Sandino lived the major part of his childhood. After the political change in 1990 the Museum was closed and most of the exhibited items disappered.

Today the National Institute of Culture runs a children's library in the house. The library has conserved a little part of the museum's colection, and the persons in charge are very happy to show the house and tell the stories. They hope, with the help of small contributions from the visitors, to be able to reconstruct some of the exhibitions.

The Library is open Monday-Fridag 9-12 and 14-17.

Last updated 12.01.2007