By John Kotula One aspect of the current situation in Nicaragua that hasn’t been discussed much is the evacuation of more than 160 Peace Corps volunteers. (Jesuit volunteers and Canadian volunteers have also been pulled out of the country.) Compared with the deaths of dozens of mostly young Nicaraguans, this exit of foreign service providers may seem relatively unimportant. However, it…
by John Kotula I am well aware, as I put this photo essay together, that the conversation about Nicaragua is totally dominated by the political conflicts that have shaken the country for the last month. I think that now is a good time to write about Rubén Darío, and his image in Nicaragua, and Nicaragua’s…
By Chuck Kaufman As the whole bewildering situation in Nicaragua has unfolded since April 18, I have been struck repeatedly by the reaction of internationalists who ignore or discount the gains accomplished by the Sandinista Revolution since Daniel Ortega was returned to the presidency in 2007 through democratic elections. Why, I ask myself, do so…
By John Kotula The last two weeks have seen turmoil and tragedy in Nicaragua. While there is still tension and many unresolved questions about the future of the country, fortunately, the violence has abated and there seems to be commitment to peace and working out the issues through dialogue. There is cautious hope that Nicaragua…
By Chuck Kaufman Before I get into analysis of the current crisis and unrest in Nicaragua, it is apparent from some of the emails we’ve been getting that there are plenty of people who do not understand the role of Nicaragua Network/Alliance for Global Justice in the international solidarity movement. The Nicaragua Network was formed…
by John Kotula Up until the unrest in Nicaragua began last Wednesday, April 18, 2018, the story being told about Nicaragua in the popular media was a very positive one: the most stable and safe country in Central America, a hip, cheap, new tourist destination, a growing economy, good evaluations by international lenders, a leader…
By John Kotula Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here are entirely those of the author and do not represent in any form the position of the Nicaragua Network/Alliance for Global Justice. Nicanet/AFGJ has for 39 years opposed the bipartisan US policy of militarism and intervention in Nicaragua and other countries regardless of the relative political…
By Chuck Kaufman In 2017 Nicaraguans sent $1.3 billion in remittances to family back home. That’s a lot of money. It is half as much as the whole economy was worth 30 years ago during the time of the Revolutionary government when I got involved. The most recent US census (2010) determined that there were…
By John Kotula I want to pitch the premise that art — painting, music, poetry, dance, photography, etc. — is essential to our understanding of the world. It has the ability to inform us about the vast space that exists between what we know and what is true. This is not empty space. It is…
By Chuck Kaufman Last week the US Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC), the agency that enforces the US economic blockade of Cuba, informed the Nicaragua business and banking communities that sanctions against Venezuela and the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, apply as well to Albanisa in Nicaragua. Albanisa is a public/private company, 51% owned…
