NicaNotes
August 27, 2026
Marking the 46th Anniversary of the End of the Nicaraguan Literacy Campaign
By the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign of the United Kingdo
When the Sandinistas came to power in 1979 their key priority was building “a new model of society based on equality, wellbeing, solidarity and social justice.” Nicaragua’s 1980 literacy Campaign was part of that model. August 23rd marks forty-six years since the end of a six-month literacy Campaign during which over 400,000 Nicaraguans learned basic reading and writing skills for the first time.
On August 23, 1980, the brigadistas were welcomed in Managua after reducing the country’s illiteracy rate from over 50% to 12%.
The literacy Campaign was a means of integrating all aspects of this model: eradicating illiteracy and poverty, building understanding between Nicaraguans of different classes and backgrounds; gender equality; raising political awareness; nurturing cooperation, and critical thinking; and building national cohesion.
Over 60,000 young people and 30,000 adults mostly from urban areas, received basic training in teaching literary before being assigned to rural communities to spend five months living and working with families and teaching them to read and write.
Thousands of others provided logistical support, bringing total numbers involved in the campaign to one fifth of the population. Women made up 60% of brigadistas and 50% of literacy learners.
Reading from two books
An extract from a campesina to the mother of a young urban brigadista sums up the essence of the literacy Campaign: “I am no longer ignorant; I know how to read. And your son isn’t ignorant any more either. Now he knows how we live, what we eat, how we work, and he knows life in the mountains. Your son has learned to read from our book.”
As a result of the campaign, illiteracy was reduced from 56% to 12%. Nicaragua was awarded the UNESCO Nadezhda K. Krupskaya award in September 1980 in recognition of this success.
Upon finishing the Spanish literacy campaign, the Sandinista government initiated a campaign on the Caribbean coast to teach literacy in the local languages of the region. The Miskito phrases on this poster mean “Let’s go teach our relatives. Laughing, jumping, singing, whistling, and dancing along the way.”
Shortly thereafter, additional literacy campaigns were carried out on Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast in the local languages: Miskito, Sumo [Mayangna] and Creole English.
These innovative and highly successful initiatives not only dramatically reduced illiteracy but also inspired and informed other literacy projects around the world.
What did the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign contribute?
The Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign (NSC), set up in 1978, organized a United Kingdom campaign to support education in Nicaragua including the literacy Campaign.
This included publishing an 80 page booklet called The Loss of Fear, building alliances with the National Union of Teachers (now the National Education Union), raising £5,000 (the equivalent of £28,000 or US$38,000 in 2026) towards literacy Campaign costs, and organizing a conference on education in Nicaragua attended by 80 people many of whom went on to became long-term NSC members and supporters.
NSC was also instrumental in gathering the support of 133 Members of Parliament, Members of the European Parliament and members of the House of Lords for the nomination of the Literacy Campaign and its director Father Fernando Cardenal for the 1981 Nobel Peace Prize.
[The grey cotton shirts that were the uniform of the young literacy workers were produced thanks to a contribution from the National Network in Solidarity with the People of Nicaragua (NNSPN) which was later to be called the Nicaragua Network.]Briefs
By Nan McCurdy
National Literacy Campaign: An Action of Love that Transformed Nicaragua
The web publication “La Gente” of Radio La Primerísima also highlighted the anniversary of the closing of the National Literacy Campaign in 1980. The article noted that, forty-six years ago, one of the largest educational mobilizations in Nicaragua’s history came to an end: the Great National Literacy Campaign, spearheaded by the revolutionary government of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN).
The article noted that thousands of young adults and students traveled to rural and urban communities across the country to teach thousands of Nicaraguans to read and write, bringing pencils, notebooks, and educational materials to hard-to-reach areas. The campaign, carried out in 1980, significantly reduced the illiteracy rate and was internationally recognized as a major example of popular education and social participation. It brought illiteracy from over 50% down to about 12.5%.
After a further literacy campaign in 2009, Nicaragua—now with under 4% illiteracy—was named a country free of literacy. Under UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) guidelines, a country is typically classified as free of illiteracy when its illiteracy rate falls below 5%.
Beyond its educational outcomes, the Campaign represented a broad mobilization of youth and various sectors of society around a national goal: to guarantee access to basic education and combat illiteracy. [Editor’s note: those who thought they were only going to teach, found that they learned just as much, if not more about the impoverished people of Nicaragua and developed lasting bonds of respect with them].
Forty-six years after that campaign, the Great National Literacy Campaign remains a pivotal event in Nicaragua’s educational history and one of the major achievements associated with the revolutionary process led by the FSLN. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/2026/08/23/cruzada-nacional-de-alfabetizacion-una-gesta-que-transformo-nicaragua/ (La Primerisima, 23 August 2026)
No Foreign Law Shall Have Legal Effect in Nicaragua
On August 22, the plenary session of the National Assembly approved an amendment to the Partial Reform of the Political Constitution of Nicaragua now under consideration, specifically Article 12, which establishes that no foreign law, regardless of its origin, shall have legal effect in Nicaragua. It further states: “The Political Constitution of the Republic of Nicaragua therefore prohibits and does not permit the extraterritorial application of foreign laws, but only the application of agreements signed on behalf of the Nicaraguan State. No law, regulation, or rule issued by another State, group of States, or international organization that undermines or threatens the independence, sovereignty, national self-determination, security, or peace of the Nicaraguan people and nation shall have legal effect within the national territory.
“In our country, the laws of the State of Nicaragua are the ones that take effect; the laws are Nicaraguan for Nicaraguans—no foreign law can interfere with or take effect in Nicaragua,” said Porras. (La Primerisima, 22 August 2026)
Infant Mortality Declines by 12.24%
Infant mortality has fallen this year by 12.24% (72 deaths) as of August 2026, the Sandinista government announced on August 24. According to official figures, the number of deaths fell from 588 during the first part of 2025 to 516 this year. Authorities attribute this progress to monitoring children’s growth and development, vaccinations, the promotion of breastfeeding, the specialized care provided at our health facilities, and the “Love for the Little Ones” and “No Diabetes” programs. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/2026/08/24/mortalidad-infantil-disminuye-un-12-24/
(La Primerisima, 25 August 2026)
Advances in Drinking Water and Waste Water Projects
ENACAL, the Nicaraguan public water company, has implemented more than 89 drinking water projects. Between 2007 and 2025, work was carried out in 62 cities, and between 2026 and 2030, work will be carried out in 16 additional cities, bringing the total number of cities benefiting to 78 and improving potable water service for some 116,000 families. In terms of sanitation, sewer coverage rose from about 30% in 2007 to nearly 57% today. The Managua wastewater treatment plant, in operation since 2009, processes 182 million liters of wastewater daily that was previously discharged into the lake. The plant and collection systems are currently being expanded to increase capacity from 182,000 to 240,000 cubic meters per day, making it the largest in Central America. Between 2026 and 2030, wastewater treatment projects are planned for 13 additional cities. (Informe Pastran, 20 August 2026)
More Than 7,000 Homes Delivered in Managua in Recent Years
More than 7,000 homes have been built in Managua through the Bismarck Martínez Affordable Housing Program over the past seven years, representing a steady pace of about 1,000 homes per year, according to Fidel Moreno, secretary general of the mayor’s office. On the “Informe Pastrán” program, he highlighted the completion of the “Las Madres” housing complex, located near Sabana Grande, which comprises 575 homes. He emphasized the significant urban transformation in the Sabana Grande sector and surrounding areas, where the construction of no fewer than 25,000 homes is planned for the coming years. (La Primerisima, 25 August 2026)
Private Construction Grew more than 13% in the First Quarter of 2026
During the first quarter of 2026, private construction in Nicaragua grew by 13.4%, according to the results of a survey covering this sector. Channel 2 TV reported that this trend positions construction as a key driver of the country’s economic development. The growth also reflects the momentum of housing projects and infrastructure works. Among the projects driving this growth are housing projects, including both luxury residential developments and affordable housing. (Informe Pastran, 25 August 2026)
Military Hospital Celebrates 47 Years as a Model of Modernity and Excellence
As part of the celebration of its 47th anniversary, the Military Medical Center reaffirmed its position as a robust, professional, tertiary-care medical institution. Its flagship facility, the Dr. Alejandro Dávila Bolaños Military Teaching Hospital, inaugurated in 2015, stands out for its international accreditation and modern infrastructure which features 576 beds and encompasses 116 specialties and subspecialties. During the most recent administrative period (2025–2026), the institution provided a high volume of medical care to citizens and military personnel. This included 1,673,407 laboratory tests, 1,397,892 medical consultations, and 358,607 imaging studies.
At the commemorative ceremony, the Commander-in-Chief of the Nicaraguan Army, General Julio César Avilés Castillo, expressed his appreciation to the healthcare staff for their patriotism and commitment to the people’s health, and also thanked the government authorities for their support. “On the occasion of this 47th anniversary, we wish to convey to all of you our appreciation and congratulations on behalf of the General Command, the General Staff, and all of us who make up the Nicaraguan Army, for your sacred commitment to caring for the health of your brothers in arms and, of course, the health of our people. All of you are examples of patriotism, ethics, and solidarity,” he said.
The head of the Military Medical Corps, Colonel and Dr. Marco Salas Cruz, emphasized the unit’s identity and strength. “Throughout these 47 years of institutional existence in the service of the Nicaraguan people—to whom we are committed and to whom we belong—we reaffirm that all members of the Army’s Military Medical Corps are united by a sense of belonging and institutional pride, with a strong and consolidated corps identity,” he said.
Founded on August 19, 1979, as a clinical and surgical center to address emergencies in the post-insurgency context, the hospital has evolved over nearly five decades of service. [Editor’s note: I have many friends including two who have had their cancer treatment there and they all speak very highly of the care.] (La Primerisima, 20 August 2026)
