By Nan McCurdy

(Nan McCurdy is the author/editor of NicaNotes.)

“Here no one surrenders. The youth order, the people command, and Daniel obeys.”

This is how President Daniel Ortega began his speech, to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the triumph of the Sandinista Popular Revolution, on July 19, 1979.

Some 20,000 national guests and numerous international delegations were seated in a heart shape design and in the center was the symbol 45/19, a reference to the 45th anniversary of July 19, 1979. Among those present were delegations from the governments of Algeria, Angola, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Ghana, Honduras, Iran, Kuwait, South Ossetia, Palestine, Qatar, People’s Republic of China, Russian Federation, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Vietnam and Zimbabwe. Also present were numerous representatives of solidarity committees from Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Honduras, Italy, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, Dominican Republic and Uruguay.

There was one guest who received the loudest applause from the audience: the Palestinian heroine Leila Khaled, whom Vice President Rosario Murillo introduced as follows: “And from that immense and heroic Palestine, the beloved and admired bravery of the fighter Leila Khaled.” Also present was Brian Willson, a solidarity hero, who lost his legs, severed by a US arms-carrying train that refused to stop. Willson was demanding that the government of Ronald Reagan stop sending arms to the Nicaraguan counterrevolution and the dictatorships of North Central America.

Ortega said, “We recognize the value of the presence of the delegations from states and governments that have listened to our denunciations and from nations that show respect for this small country.”

He went on to say, “We have much love for peace, which is what we Nicaraguans defend. We Sandinistas are committed to that principle and the Nicaraguan people are also convinced that only peace brings wellbeing, work, schools, hospitals, roads, housing, transportation, entrepreneurship, and free education, because peace is a right of the people, a right of our families, a right of our youth.”

“We are grateful for the presence of all the delegations, and the presence of brothers and sisters who have been making, are making, and will continue to make progress in favor of transformations, in favor of revolutions, in favor of peace. These brothers and sisters are all over the world; they are also in the United States; they are also in Europe; many of them are present here.” He added, “The US and Europe have not stopped being colonialists, they continue to be neocolonialists.”

Looking at the history of the revolution, Ortega said, “In 1979, the war began and was assumed [in 1981] by the president of the United States. The country had just gone through a long war against the Somoza tyranny, which caused more than 50,000 deaths, and then came the other war, financed by the U.S. rulers.”  “When the literacy brigades began to move into the countryside, they [the counterrevolutionaries] began to kill, but the literacy brigades did not give up; they achieved their objective; they managed to reduce illiteracy to 12% from 60%. That was the first great victory for the benefit of the people, for the benefit of the poor, the peasants.”

He continued, “The second great victory was the agrarian reform, when the Somocistas and the great landowners were expropriated to give the land to the impoverished peasants, who in turn had been robbed of their properties. It was justice to give land to the peasants and for that it was necessary to recover the land that had been stolen from society, from the people, from the peasants; and it was another great step.”

Ortega went on to say, “On this 45th anniversary, our recognition we carry in our soul, in our heart, of the Heroes and Martyrs of the people who have given their lives since the first conquerors arrived. Of the heroes and martyrs in the last attempt of the fascist Yankee empire in April 2018. They thought they were defeating the revolution, but how wrong they were, because the strength of the revolution is in the loyalty, the commitment of the Nicaraguan people. Here no one has burned houses as in April 2018, as they destroyed university campuses and health centers. There are only celebrations with joy throughout the country, and we recognize the orderly and disciplined way in which the people have presented themselves. There have been no acts of violence, only joy, because there is peace and security. We have managed to recover peace.”

Renowned Palestinian resistance figure, Leila Khaled, expressed her deep respect and solidarity with the Nicaraguan people and leaders. [In 1970, Lelia Khaled and Nicaraguan FSLN member Patricio Argüello participated in a Palestinian revolutionary operation in which Argüello was killed. Read more.] “I am addressing all of you on behalf of the heroic Palestinian people and especially those in the Gaza Strip. On behalf of the Palestine Liberation Front, I salute the heroes of Palestine and Nicaragua, the martyrs of both heroic peoples,” she said. Khaled highlighted the courage of the Nicaraguan leadership in denouncing the atrocities committed against Palestinian children. “I am proud of this revolutionary leadership that has denounced before the International Court of Justice the murderers of children and babies, and that has pointed out those who support these crimes,” she said. Gaza today needs help, and we know that the Nicaraguan people will always be there for us, she added. She also referred to the urgent needs in Gaza, which is facing severe shortages of food, water, and electricity.

President Ortega responded, “That is the most powerful force that humanity has, those who are becoming conscious of what is the struggle for peace and deciding to fight the battle, dealing with the threats of the enemies of peace. But in the world, on the planet, there are no peoples, no youth, no women, no workers, no peasants who surrender. On this planet the world’s peoples do not give up, and they will continue to make the path as they walk, until the earth is a world of peace.” See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/aqui-no-se-rinde-nadie-el-pueblo-manda-y-daniel-obedece/ La Primerisima, 19 July 2024

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Briefs 
By Nan McCurdy

Vigils and Parades to Celebrate 45/19
The people of Nicaragua last week celebrated the 45th anniversary of the Sandinista Popular Revolution, a historic event that changed the course of the country’s history, putting an end to the tyranny of the Somoza family dictatorship. As every year, many activities were carried out around the national celebration, among these vigils in the different municipalities of the country on the night of July 18. In the celebrations, Sandinistas travel from the early hours of July 18 through the main streets of their cities on motorcycles and pick-up trucks, chanting songs and proudly raising the red and black flags. While at the all-night vigils, families sing and dance to the songs performed by various national and international artists, among them the Venezuelan group Los Guaraguao who arrived in the country to perform at the vigil organized in the San Judas neighborhood, in Managua.  Another point of reference in the vigils was the San Antonio neighborhood, where hundreds of people congregated to enjoy the cultural show that takes place each year on the occasion of the anniversary of the Revolution. Also, a great concentration this year was on the Bolivar to Chavez Avenue, where there were presentations on stage and a group of entrepreneurs that for days have been installed in the sector offering t-shirts and caps alluding to the Revolution, as well as food, beverages and other products. See Photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/vigilias-y-dianas-para-festejar-el-45-19/ (La Primerisima, 19 July 2024)

Sandinista Youth Commemorate Student Martyrs of Leon
The July 19 Sandinista Youth held parades on July 23rd, National Day of the Student, to commemorate the student heroes massacred by the Somoza dictatorship in the city of Leon on July 23, 1959, and to celebrate the educational victories since 2007. In all the municipalities of the country, there were colorful and festive parades where students from high school, technical schools and universities participated. These parades were accompanied by bands and other music and dances. Students carried red and black and blue and white flags and scarves. Students from cultural centers and dance and folk music classes wore traditional costumes and young students from sports academies wore their uniforms. Also, in these parades “Queens of Mother Earth” participated from schools all over the country. At the Ramirez Goyena High School, students planted sixty trees to honor the murdered students. (La Primerisima, 21 & 23 July 2024)

Nicaragua with Solid Optical Fiber Network 
According to statistics from the Telecommunications Institute (TELCOR), Nicaragua is accelerating its regional competitiveness and, by the first quarter of 2024, maintains 44,707 kilometers of optical fiber, up from 26,627 in 2021. This provides opportunities for more investments and demonstrates TELCOR’s response to the demands of a growing market, with greater demand for internet access as well as for the sending of data. (Informe Pastran, 22 July 2024)

2024: Financial Soundness, Employment, and High Levels of Consumption
Nicaragua’s economy has been growing since the pandemic period and those good numbers continue to be reflected in the first half of 2024. This was explained by Ovidio Reyes, president of the Central Bank of Nicaragua: “The economy continues to advance at a steady pace after the economic recovery seen in the last three years. The growth rate has been sustained at between 4% to 4.5%.” “The first semester has been characterized by continuity of the economic growth rate and all economic sectors have been evolving positively; except for one sector which is fishing. That caused export volumes to drop, but the rest of the goods and economic sectors have been growing in a sustainable way,” he added. The most dynamic sectors this semester are hotels and restaurants, construction, and mining. Hotels and restaurants grew 17.6% in the first quarter; construction grew 16% while in the electricity and water sector growth was at 8%; commerce grew 7.3%.

Rainfall has been plentiful this year and agriculture is benefiting. Likewise, the preliminary estimates of planting are good.  “We expect no less than 3% growth in the case of agriculture,” Reyes indicated. Public investment has experienced an important rebound of 20.3%, which, “is quite observable in this year’s projects, especially in infrastructure to improve road and transportation capacity.” He mentioned a 24% growth in gross capital formation and a “4% growth in real consumption.” Although exports and imports remain at similar levels, a 3.7% growth has been achieved in the first quarter. When compared to the same period last year, growth was 3.5%. Likewise, foreign investment continues to show strength, with the expectation of exceeding US$2 billion in 2024. “Exports continue to be dynamic; some have dropped in volume, but we believe that we will again reach US$8 billion in exports this year,” said Reyes. He highlighted the continuity of family remittances and an upturn in the tourism sector. “Consumption is growing and is sustained. Consumption has been growing at 8% for nearly two and a half years and shows no signs of slowing down, despite the fact that prices are being affected,” he said. (TN8TV, 23 July 2024)