NicaNotes
October 9, 2025
One Memory of Witness for Peace, Jalapa, and the Contra War
By Kathy Floerke
[Kathy Floerke has been living in Nicaragua since 1994 as a part of the Jubilee House Community, doing sustainable development work in Ciudad Sandino.]
Witness for Peace sent thousands of US citizens to war zones in Nicaragua in the 1980s. Here a delegation from Massachusetts marches in Jalapa. Photo: Kelvin Jones/Empowerment Project
I was a long-term volunteer with Witness for Peace (WFP) during the Contra War from October 1984 to April 1985. Although most of the long-termers were located in the combat zones, often living with families, I was stationed in Managua to be part of the office staff but I was able to accompany one of the short-term delegations that went to Jinotega and Yalí.
During the month before I was due to leave, the administrators decided I had earned a vacation, so I headed north to Jalapa, where the first WFP delegation had gone in 1983. I wanted to stand in the field where those hundred and some visitors from the U.S. held an acto (a ceremony) with the people of Jalapa, including apologizing profusely for the actions of our government, and receiving gracious assurance that the Nicaraguans understood we as individuals were not to blame. The brigade had gone to Jalapa even though they were warned that a Contra attack might be imminent. No attack did happen while they were there. But shortly after they returned to Managua on their way home to the States, Jalapa was attacked. That led to the idea that stationing U.S. citizens out in the combat zones could possibly serve as a deterrent to the U.S-backed Contra forces. The birth of Witness for Peace!
WFP had a house in Jalapa where the long-termers stationed there lived. I remember standing in the open doorway as it rained one afternoon. That was the first rain I had seen in my time in Nicaragua! Wow, water falling down from the sky. Pretty amazing.
In April 1985, Kathy Floerke stands in the field outside Jalapa where the first Witness for Peace delegation had gathered with town residents three years earlier to apologize for the actions of the US government in funding the contra war.
One afternoon a sound truck went up and down the city streets encouraging people to make sure they knew where their shelters were in case of an attack, and where they should report if they had emergency responsibilities. From the tone of the announcement, I was pretty sure the city was gearing up for a civil defense drill. The WFP house was considered to be safe, so our shelter was to stay inside, away from doors and windows. That night the sirens went off. I was sure it was a drill, but even so I made my way to the room of one of my WFP hostesses rather than stay alone in my guest room. I decided that if it wasn’t a drill, and if I was killed, I had accepted that risk when I joined WFP and it would be a death I could feel good about, in solidarity with the Nicaraguan Revolution. My fear crescendoed when I heard gunfire. But everything was fine. Sometime after midnight, if I remember correctly, we all went back to bed and tried to sleep the rest of the night.
The next day my hostess took me with her as she made rounds checking on everybody that she wanted to make sure was okay. As we chatted with a school teacher, my hostess said, “Kathy wasn’t sure that was really a drill last night.”
I protested, “Yes, I did think it was a drill. But when I heard gun fire I got more worried.”
The school teacher informed me quite readily that the gunfire I had heard was only part of the exercise. In a real attack, the Contras’ weapons went “Boom! Boom!” Then the Sandinista AK-47s went “Bam-bam-bam.” I’ve probably got those syllables wrong after all these years! But she perfectly imitated the sounds of a real battle. I was impressed by the level of personal experience that represented, a personal experience I was just as glad not to have on my visit to Jalapa!
Note: If you have memories of your involvement with Nicaragua from years ago, write them down and send them to us! Even better if you have photos! Many of us are getting old and some of us have died! Leave a legacy! Write katherinechoyt@gmail.com.
Briefs
By Nan McCurdy
Join the Nicanet Google Group!
The Nicanet Google Group consists of activists who support the sovereignty of Nicaragua and the revolutionary government of Nicaragua. Membership is free, open to all who believe in the Sandinista revolution and the Sandinista government and also open to people who want to learn different things about Nicaragua not covered in the mainstream media. The Google Group is supported by the Nicaragua Network of the Alliance for Global Justice.
The Google Group is moderated by Arnie Matlin, Convener of the Rochester Committee on Latin America. Arnie, a retired pediatrician, has been to Nicaragua many times and supports projects that improve the lives of women and children.
Members are welcome to post to the group. The topic must be totally (or at least primarily) about Nicaragua. The only other restrictions are that we discourage more than one post in a day, except under emergency situations. We encourage people to submit their own postings, but people can send in posts from other people, if it’s obvious that the piece was meant for public viewing. Finally, all entries must be in the form of civil discourse.
30,000 Children Seen in First Day of “Sin Diabetes” Campaign
On Oct. 2 the Ministry of Health reported that during the first day of the national “Sin Diabetes” [Without Diabetes] campaign, 29,395 children, adolescents, and young people between the ages of birth and 20 were seen for diabetes screening. During the day, blood sugar tests were performed, and the abdominal circumference, weight, and height of each participant was measured. The tests identified 1,919 participants with risk factors such as obesity and a family history of diabetes; 345 tests showed abnormal results. A second test will be performed on these participants. Eight confirmed cases of diabetes were also detected. MINSA states that those identified with diabetes are receiving care and are under medical supervision. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/en-un-dia-30-mil-ninos-atendidos-en-campana-sin-diabetes/ (La Primerisima, 2 October 2025)
US Pressure Fails to Stop Loans from CABEI
The Central America Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) has been under pressure from the United States to stop funding projects in Nicaragua. However, because Nicaragua is one of CABEI’s founders, it is still receiving loans: over $640 million since Costa Rican Gisela Sanchez became president in December 2023. The money is financing water projects, sanitation projects and road improvement projects. Bank President Sanchez has attempted to halt the loans but has failed. That failure is criticized by La Prensa here.
Sanchez’s predecessor, Dante Mossi, who praised Nicaragua’s effective use of CABEI funding, was ousted as a result of that praise (Nicanotes, February 6). He has just won a US court case brought against him by the bank, on which it spent $4.5 million in legal fees. Dismissing the case, the judge said: “It looks like you want to silence the guy.” (Various, 24 and 28 September 2025)
Central America’s Green Giant Awakens: Nicaragua as Never Seen Before
A recent article from Spanish language National Geographic Viajes (Trips) opens with, “The first rays of dawn bathe the waters of Lake Cocibolca in gold as a flock of grackles unfurls its morning symphony over the colonial rooftops of Granada. In this magical moment, Nicaragua reveals why it has become Central America’s best-kept secret for Spanish travelers seeking authentic and sustainable experiences. By the end of 2025, this destination will have completed an extraordinary transformation. Known as the Land of Lakes and Volcanoes, Nicaragua has not only preserved its natural treasures, but has also revolutionized its approach to tourism, respecting both the environment and the local communities that are the guardians of these wonders.” See the whole article: https://viajes.nationalgeographic.com.es/promociones/despertar-gigante-verde-centroamerica-nicaragua-como-nunca-antes-se-ha-visto_23384 (Viajes National Geographic, 1 October 2025)
Nicaragua’s Public Sector External Debt Stands at US$18.8 billion
Nicaragua’s Central Bank reported US$18.8 billion of external debt held by the public sector in mid-2025, which corresponds to about 45 per cent of the country’s GDP. A further US$7 billion is held by the private sector. The ratio of public sector debt to GDP averages 66 per cent across Latin America. About 16 per cent of Nicaraguan tax revenue goes in debt payments, which is lower than in Costa Rica or Panamá. The opposition media are complaining that Nicaragua is becoming indebted to China; however, recent Chinese loans are for large renewable energy projects (solar and wind power) which are, of course, revenue-generating. In addition to China, Nicaragua is receiving bilateral loans from Germany, South Korea, Russia, Netherlands, India, Spain, Japan, Switzerland and others, most on favorable terms. For more details:
(El 19 Digital, 1 October 2025)
Central Bank Lowers Monetary Reference Rate to 6%
The Central Bank approved a reduction in the Monetary Reference Rate (TRM) by 25 basis points, from 6.25 to 6.00 percent. The TRM is the interest rate used by the BCN as a reference to indicate the cost in Córdobas of 1-day liquidity monetary operations. The TRM is established in line with the evolution of international interest rates and domestic monetary conditions, in accordance with the BCN’s fundamental objective of promoting the stability of the national currency and the normal functioning of domestic and foreign payments. In the domestic context, economic activity continues to grow, driven by most sectors and domestic demand, and supported by external demand for merchandise exports, dynamic credit to the private sector, and growth in external flows. (La Primerisima, 2 October 2025)
Sandinista Government Has Strengthened Cancer Care
The executive president of the Social Security Institute (INSS), Roberto López, said that since 2007 health service coverage and specialties, such as cancer care, have been improving. Significant progress has been made in terms of access to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and even nuclear medicine. Investments have been made in equipment and infrastructure in centers such as the Nora Astorga National Radiotherapy Center, which currently has three linear accelerators, sufficient to meet health demand. Approximately 4,800 cancer patients, are treated in the country. The Nora Astorga Center provides 48,000 radiotherapy treatments annually.
Dr. López also spoke of the recent visit by a Russian Federation delegation. He said that the new agreements with the Russian company Rosatom will expand isotope treatment capabilities. “They would be manufactured in Nicaragua at the nuclear medicine center, using a cyclotron. Through chemical elements and electrical energy, it produces radioactive isotopes that have a short lifespan but are used to treat certain types of cancer,” he said. “This work with Rosatom will last for many years. This nuclear medicine center is the first stage of an effort that we will be working on with them for staff training, use of new technologies, and relations with Rosatom hospitals in Russia in order to find the best forms of treatment,” he added “The center will be built within the Juan Ignacio Gutiérrez Hospital in Managua where we are already administering chemotherapy and will soon begin using other linear accelerators. The entire cycle will be complemented by this Nuclear Medicine Center. On one side, it will be a building with rooms for patient care, and the other side will house the cyclotron,” he reported. (La Primerisima, 2 October 2025)
Vélez Paiz Hospital to Perform Open Heart Surgery and Kidney Transplants
In December, the Sandinista government will relaunch the Dr. Fernando Vélez Paiz Hospital in Managua. The Vélez Paiz Hospital will have greater and improved capacity to serve the people, with new specialized services. It will have a modern high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine, lithotripsy equipment to fragment kidney stones using a minimally invasive technique, modern high-resolution tomography equipment, and a 22-channel electroencephalogram. An interventional cardiology service will be opened with angiography equipment to perform cardiac catheterization procedures and pacemaker implants, as well as the operation of an extracorporeal circulation machine in smart operating rooms to perform kidney transplants and open-heart surgeries. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/relanzaran-hospital-velez-paiz-con-tecnologia-moderna/ (La Primerisima, 6 October 2025)
Costa Rica Says Nicaragua Not Involved in 2018 Murder of Samcam
Even US-supported La Prensa (now online) has had to admit that Nicaragua had nothing to do with the death of Roberto Samcam in Costa Rica in June. The US promoted the lie that Nicaragua was involved in Samcam’s death. This was another disinformation campaign to denigrate Nicaragua, widely covered in US media. Roberto Samcam was one of the opposition/US-paid assassins during the 2018 failed coup and has been in Costa Rica since.
A recent Facebook post states that, “functionaries of Costa Rican intelligence discarded the accusation, in a hearing with legislators, that there were Nicaraguan “cells of Daniel Ortega” functioning in Costa Rica. The Costa Rican intelligence admits they’ve lost the trail on Samcam killing despite him being high profile.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Ft7dzPXce/?mibextid=wwXIfr (Facebook, 4 October 2025)
Héroes de Las Segovias Hospital in Ocotal Inaugurated
On October 5, the Sandinista Youth Association inaugurated the Héroes de Las Segovias Departmental Hospital in Ocotal, Nueva Segovia department. The coordinator of the Sandinista Youth in Nueva Segovia, María José Marín Lanuza, said that the hospital is a victory for the people and the youth who will benefit from it. The healthcare center has a total of 236 beds and five operating rooms, distributed across two levels of seven two-story buildings. It also has high-tech equipment such as a CT scanner, mobile X-ray machine, mammography machine, C-arm, internal pneumatic mail system, and towers for gastroscopy, laparoscopy, endoscopy, arthroscopy, and nasopharyngoscopy. The hospital offers physical medicine, rehabilitation with hydrotherapy, maxillofacial surgery, oncology, and chemotherapy services. It also has a nephrology unit with dialysis and hemodialysis, a pain clinic, endoscopic services, outpatient consultations, emergency care, hospitalization, an obstetrics unit, neonatology, and a pharmacy. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/entregan-el-hospital-heroes-de-las-segovias-en-ocotal/ (La Primerisima, 5 October 2025)
