An interview with Harold Urbina by Ken Yale

[Ken Yale is an anti-imperialist activist and independent journalist who participated in Casa Benjamin Linder’s “Women: Power and Protagonism” delegation to Nicaragua in March of 2025. While there, he interviewed Harold Urbina, a part of the team of the Jubilee House Community and Casa Benjamin Linder, which is a project for art, education and solidarity.]

Ken Yale: Could you tell us about your family, your educational background, and some of the people who influenced you as a young person in Nicaragua.

Harold Urbina: I grew up in a working class neighborhood in Managua, close to Monseñor Lezcano neighborhood. And I attended a public school for my primary education, and then I also went to a public school for my secondary education. When I was 10 years old, I decided to become a member of what was called at that time, the Sandinista Children Association, Asociación de Niños Sandinistas (ANS). It was named after Luis Alfonso Velasquez, who was a child, a boy who was killed by the National Guard of Somoza back in the 70’s. This boy, Luis Alfonso, became a national hero, and the child symbol of the Sandinista Revolution. And I was proud to be a member of the ANS, of this association. I was an active member when I was in fifth and sixth grades in 1983 and 1984.

And I also have to say that another big influence for becoming a member of the Sandinista Front since I was a child was the fact that I was able to witness the impact on Nicaraguan society of the National Literacy Campaign. I could interact with some of my neighbors and friends who were older because at the time of the triumph of the revolution, I was only six years old, and by the time that the National Literacy Crusade took place, I was only seven. But I could see my friends returning from the mountains saying, “Oh, it’s a whole new world that we have just discovered. We just realized how the rural areas and the cities were separated by the dictatorship. So now we know how they produce for us.  Now we know how the gallo pinto [rice and beans] that we eat every day at home is produced. Now we know every time we drink a cup of coffee how hard it is for them to produce that coffee in the mountains.” So, I was understanding things that I wasn’t able to realize before, and that impacted me as well.

So, I decided to join the party. Not a party exactly, because at that time, the Sandinista Front was in the process of making its transition from a guerilla movement into a political party. But anyway, I understood that the Sandinista leadership, the one that was leading the revolution in the National Literacy Crusade, was also connected to another huge, huge improvement in the life of the Nicaraguan people, which was the agrarian reform. I saw a lot of small farmers, for the first time in their lives, being allowed to have a piece of land. And you can imagine how it was a huge change in the lives of people having a piece of land and being allowed to learn how to read and write. So obviously, for any nation in the world, it is a big change. So, the very start of the revolution was something that was having an impact, an impact on people’s life, because it was like coming from having nothing into another situation in which you were allowed to have the rights you had never been allowed to have. So, I was really happy to support that process.

But I also have to mention things at school. I started to learn about Nicaraguan history. I was inspired by the ideas of Sandino and the ideas of Carlos Fonseca, the founder of the Sandinista Front. I didn’t have that information available before, so I was like discovering a new world, and I was happy to be part of that.

Ken Yale: Let me go back for a minute just to place this in history. So what year was the Literacy Campaign and roughly what year was the Agrarian Reform?

Harold Urbina: Okay, both the Agrarian reform and the Literacy Campaign, took place in 1980. The year before, in 1979 we had the triumph of the revolution. And I have to tell you this. I was only six years old, but I still remember today, as if it was yesterday. I was sent by my mother to the corner in my neighborhood to buy tortillas. And when I was right there buying the tortillas for my house, I saw a man who came into the house wearing a red and black bandana covering his face, and he said, “We won, the march to victory will never end.” Él dijo: “Ganamos, la marcha hacia la victoria no se detiene.”

I wasn’t able to understand the political background of that moment, but I could see the happiness on the faces of the people, and I could see how each person inside that house came to this man and they were all giving him hugs and celebrating. I knew it was something very big, important. So I went back to my place, and when I was walking back home, I stopped on the corner to see the parade of guerilla fighters. They were all coming from, I assume from Leon, because my house is located in the western part of Managua in district number two. I could see hundreds of youngsters on top of tanks and pickup trucks and different kinds of vehicles. And they were all screaming, celebrating, and people were standing in both sides of the street, welcoming them.

Then, I went into my house and I saw my family members together around a small 12 inch black and white television, and I was able to see the first speeches of the revolution on that day. I wasn’t able to understand the content of the speech at that time, but I could see again the happiness on the faces of my family, so I knew it was something powerful. And I think that’s the moment I became engaged with the revolution. Obviously, later I was able to learn a lot more. But I think that specific moment marked my life in a way. And again, then the next year, in 1980 we have the agrarian reform and the Literacy Campaign, both processes were together. I think that was a good strategy that we used because it impacted the life of people, both processes at the same time.

….

Ken Yale: So just to be clear, when you say the revolution won in 1979, just very briefly explain what that means. Who was it that won, and who was it that was defeated?

Harold Urbina: The Somoza family ruled Nicaragua for almost 50 years, because they were in power, supported by the US, from 1934 until 1979, when we had the triumph of the revolution. And when I’m talking about the triumph of the revolution, I mean that Sandinista Front that was a guerrilla movement founded in 1961 similar to the national liberation movements around the world such as in Asia, Africa, and in other parts of the world, where people were still living as colonies from Europe. It was the same here in Nicaragua. We were talking about the national liberation of Nicaragua.  FSLN, in Spanish, Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional, (in English it is the Sandinista National Liberation Front), is the name of the guerrilla movement that we founded, inspired by Sandino’s ideas.

Santos Lopez, who was a general of Sandino’s army, met Carlos Fonseca, and he was able to transfer the political and ideological legacy of Sandino to Carlos Fonseca. And the Sandinista Front was not only inspired by Sandino’s legacy; it was also Inspired by Marxism and all of the socialist ideas of the revolution in the Soviet Union. In fact, Carlos Fonseca went to Moscow at the end of the 50s, and he returned to Nicaragua inspired. Carlos Fonseca also visited Cuba many times. Many of the leaders of the Sandinista Revolution were trained in Cuba.

So, there was a political influence by Marxism. But the Sandinista Revolution was not only inspired by Marxism; it was also inspired by liberation theology. Many Christians became supporters of the Sandinista Front. And that’s how, in the 60’s, we were already working in the direction of thinking about educating people, and we were using the different tools of popular education to transfer knowledge to the people. Because the principle of popular education is that when you have a community or a population that is educated, they can transform, they can understand, reflect on the life they have, and transform reality. We understood from the very beginning that education is power, and that a population that is well informed is able to make better decisions. And this combination of Marxism with the positive values of Christianity, and all of the person-to-person support, based on the Christian values of solidarity, all of these combined, I think were key factors that contributed to the growing development of the Sandinista Front in the 60’s and 70’s.

And I can also mention that in 1978 there was an important action by the Sandinista Front. The members of the legislature [Senate and Chamber of Deputies in joint session] at that time were all taken hostage by a special group or cell of the Sandinista Front. And, as a result, many of the leaders of the Sandinista Front who were in prison were released. It was a way for the Sandinista Front to recover from many different actions in previous years when the Sandinista fighters had been massacred by the National Guard.

And before the 1970’s, I have to mention something really, really important, there is a national hero whose name was Julio Buitrago. In 1969, Julio Buitrago was a 25-year-old who was the best student of the School of Law at that time here in Managua. He was a leader of the urban resistance of the Sandinista Front, and he was organizing the resistance in the neighborhoods of Managua. But he was detected by the National Guard when he was hiding in a safe house. He was so committed to the struggle that he told the comrades that were with him operating in this group to go; they should escape.

“We didn’t care about Spider Man, Superman, Batman, or all of these cartoon characters when we already had Julio Buitrago, a real hero.”

And he stayed. It was a house with a second floor and he had a machine gun. He was aware that the National Guard was outside the house. But what he didn’t know was that the National Guard thought it was a big group of Sandinistas inside the house. They called in full support and there were many Jeeps and other National Guard vehicles outside the house. They even brought in a tank and a plane to bomb the house. But Somoza made a mistake: he invited journalists from local and international media to come and give coverage live, to broadcast live what was an action of the National Guard in order to protect the Nicaraguan population from a terrorist group, because that’s what they were calling the Sandinista Front back in the 60’s and 70’s.

So, a lot of journalists came to cover the action. And when they were finally able to complete the action, when the house was destroyed totally, they entered the house, and they only found Julio Buitrago, who was this 25-year-old young man. He was basically massacred alone. And outside there were more than 200 National Guard soldiers. So, it was hundreds of soldiers, the tank and the airplane, all of this movement for attacking only one person. The result for the Somoza dictatorship was the opposite. People realized the high level of repression. On Julio’s body they found a lot of documentation, a lot of papers talking about Somoza and how he was repressing the Nicaraguan people.

So instead of being a benefit, it was something that affected the dictatorship. And for most kids in Nicaragua, Julio Buitrago became like a real hero, because it was in the news, and we were just thinking, “Oh, one boy against hundreds of National Guards, one person.” So, yeah, it had a big influence on most people. And if you go to the museum of Julio Buitrago, which is located in the western part of Managua, the same district where I live, district number two, you will see that on one of the walls, there’s a poster with a quote from President Daniel Ortega saying, “I still remember when Managua kids were playing on the street and some of them were doing role play. And one of the characters they were using for the role play was Julio Buitrago.” They were saying, “Oh, I want to play Julio Buitrago,” because they knew what happened.

So, I think in my own case, he’s one of my heroes. We didn’t care about Spider Man, Superman, Batman, or all of these cartoon characters when we already had Julio Buitrago, a real hero. And I think that inspired me. And politically, as I said, if we want a list of top actions representing the Sandinista Front before 1979, we can think of the 15 of July, 1969, when Julio Buitrago was killed, and then the 22nd of August, 1978, when the legislature was taken by the Sandinista Front.

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Briefs
By Nan McCurdy

Nicaragua’s World Court Case against Germany Continues 
Nicaragua’s Co-President Rosario Murillo said on April 28 that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has confirmed that the case filed by Nicaragua against Germany is still pending and appears in the general list. Nicaragua maintains that Germany’s actions, including its support for Israel through military aid and other forms of assistance, are facilitating or enabling actions that constitute genocide and serious breaches of international humanitarian law.

Murillo explained that Dr. Carlos Argüello, Nicaragua’s representative to the World Court, received a note from the Court stating that “having duly considered the various communications received from the parties on the status of the proceedings, it has decided that the aforementioned case is still pending, therefore, it is on the general list.” “So, with this good news, we are resuming our participation in the International Court of Justice, to claim breaches of international obligations with respect to the occupied Palestinian territory, in the case of Germany,” she added.

She also said that, in June, Nicaragua’s participation in the case filed by South Africa before the Court will also resume. (La Primerisima, 28 April 2025)

2025 Marks Fifth Consecutive Year of Economic Growth
Despite global challenges stemming from the new US tariff policy, Nicaragua is poised to maintain sustained economic growth for the fifth consecutive year in 2025, according to projections by international and national organizations. The IMF projects an economic growth of 3.2%, the World Bank 3.4%, and the Central Bank of Nicaragua 3-4%, projections that reflect Nicaragua’s macroeconomic stability, backed by solid economic policies, a well-capitalized banking sector and record international reserves that reached US$6.6 billion as of March 31, 2025. Nicaragua has consolidated a period of remarkable economic dynamism, accumulating Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 22.3% between 2021 and 2024, according to official data.

Such an achievement, driven by a spectacular rebound of 10.3% in 2021, followed by sustained increases of 3.8% in 2022, 4.6% in 2023 and 3.6% in 2024 reflects the resilience and stability of the Nicaraguan economy. The economic take-off that began in 2021 marked a milestone for the country, with double-digit growth that positioned it as one of the most dynamic economies in Latin America following the impacts of the pandemic. The rebound was followed by three years of steady expansion, consolidating Nicaragua as a benchmark for sustained growth in the region. (La Primerisima, 29 April 2025)

1,700 Inmates to Live with Their Families
Co-President Rosario Murillo announced that, on May 4, 1,700 prisoners from the different penitentiaries of the country will be granted what is known in Nicaragua as family coexistence. She said that 159 women and 1,541 men will return to their homes, to their families, to an opportunity for a new life, committed to work, security and peace. Of these, 606 are from the Tipitapa prison, 300 from Matagalpa, 274 from Granada, 154 from Chinandega, 111 from Juigalpa, 97 from León, 84 from Estelí and 74 from Bluefields. Murillo went on to say that “All human beings are worthy, and we have the right to new paths, to rectify mistakes, conduct and undertake new paths, ensuring work, peace, harmony in our blessed Nicaragua.” (La Primerisima, 25 April 2025)

First CT Scanner on the South Caribbean Coast
A modern computer tomography machine (CT scanner) was inaugurated on April 24 by Bluefields authorities and Japanese Ambassador Masahiro Ogino at the Ernesto Sequeira Regional Hospital, strengthening the public health system in the Southern Caribbean. The equipment will allow more accurate diagnoses and timely medical attention for thousands of families. The unit where the CT scanner has been installed bears the name of Beverly Johnson Taylor, heroine of the community of Orinoco, municipality of Laguna de Perlas. Beverly was killed by counterrevolutionaries in the Tasbapounie community on May 5, 1985 along with her father, Alborth Johnson. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/primer-tomografo-en-la-costa-caribe-sur/ (La Primerisima, 24 April 2025)

CABEI Strengthens Regional Energy Integration
The Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) will allocate US$37 million for the Second Circuit of the Electrical Interconnection System of Central American Countries (SIEPAC) Project, a key initiative to strengthen the regional electricity market for the benefit of 50 million people. The total cost of the project amounts to US$46.4 million, of which US$37.2 million will be financed by CABEI and more than US$9.2 million by the Empresa Propietaria de la Red (EPR–the public-private Central American electricity company) and thus strengthen the electric power transmission capacity of the Central American electrical system.

The project will increase the minimum international interchange operating capacity by 300 MW in the interconnection sections between Honduras and Nicaragua, and between Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The project includes the construction of 301.8 kilometers of 230 kV transmission lines and the expansion of four strategic substations: Agua Caliente (Honduras), Sandino (Nicaragua), La Virgen (Nicaragua) and Fortuna (Costa Rica). In addition, the existing infrastructure of the Central American countries’ electrical interconnection system will be optimized to guarantee a reliable, affordable and quality electricity supply. CABEI Executive President, Gisela Sánchez, expressed her pride in the Bank’s role in this important project: “At CABEI, we are deeply honored to have been selected by the EPR as the financial institution that will make this regional integration project possible. We are the Bank that knows the region best, the one that has been present at every step of Central American development, and the one that will guarantee that this project is executed with the highest standards of quality and efficiency as a commitment to the future of Central America.” (La Primerisima, 28 April 2025)

Nicaragua Attends IMF and World Bank Meetings
The President of the Central Bank of Nicaragua (BCN), Ovidio Reyes, participated in the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) 2025, from April 21-26, 2025. According to a press release, within the framework of these meetings, the president of the BCN held a meeting with the IMF Mission Chief for Nicaragua, Alina Carare, and other officials of that institution with whom he discussed the work plan for the current year. The Nicaraguan officials also held important meetings with numerous other high ranking World Bank and IMF officials along with central bankers and finance ministers from the other Latin American countries. These meetings addressed Nicaragua’s and the region’s economic situation and outlook, as well as issues related to Nicaragua’s work agenda with the financial institutions for the rest of this year. (La Primerisima, 28 April 2025)

Sandinistas Highlight Country’s Progress for European Solidarity
A delegation of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), headed by Supreme Electoral Council President Brenda Rocha and Minister-Advisor on International Relations Orlando Tardencilla, participated on April 26 in a virtual meeting with the platform for Spanish solidarity with Nicaragua, from San Bernardo, Madrid. The FSLN delegation during its intervention requested that the meeting be dedicated to the thousands of innocent martyrs of the criminal aggression of the State of Israel against the people of Gaza. The Nicaraguan presenters then recalled that they came from centuries of struggle against empires and said that today they are moving forward with firm steps and concrete achievements including an economy that grows with social justice as its goal; infrastructure projects that reach every corner of the country; clean and renewable energy that supplies more than 75% of national consumption; free, dignified and humane health care; and free, universal and emancipatory education. (La Primerisima, 25 April 2025)

Successful Perinatal Mega-Fair in North Caribbean Region
More than 3,000 pregnant women received medical attention in the perinatal mega-fair, held on April 26 by the Sandinista Government in the Oswaldo Padilla Primary Hospital in the municipality of Waspam, Río Coco, North Caribbean Region. Almost 1,000 women from the 115 communities located along the banks of the Río Coco arrived starting Friday in the city of Waspam. Just from the municipalities of Puerto Cabezas and Prinzapolka, more than 1,700 women travelled to Waspam in a long caravan of buses. More than 100 medical specialists, nurses, assistants and health technicians from different hospitals in the country provided medical services focused on maternal and gynecological health, as part of a day organized to ensure the welfare of mothers and their babies. Minister of Health Dr. Sonia Castro pointed out that, previously, women had to bear the cost of being attended by perinatal specialists. However, thanks to this initiative, they do not have to pay a single Córdoba, since all services are covered by the government. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/exitosa-mega-feria-perinatal-en-caribe-norte/ (La Primerisima, 26 April 2025)

LACTONIC Exports 848,000 Pounds of Dairy Products per Month
Cruz y Medal y Compañía Limitada “LACTONIC”, located in the department of Río San Juan, is a dairy company of Nicaraguan-Salvadoran capital, which began operations in 2014. The company specializes in the daily collection and processing of 17,000 gallons of milk per month and monthly export of 848 thousand pounds of dairy products including different cheeses destined for El Salvador and the United States. This company currently provides direct employment to 60 families in San Miguelito and collects milk from 917 producers on 22 collection routes in San Carlos, Morrito, El Almendro, and San Miguelito. The Ministry of the Environment (MARENA) provides technical assistance for its wastewater treatment plant, to make sure that water it discharges into the environment is properly treated, thus ensuring the protection of water sources. Among its environmental initiatives, in 2024 LACTONIC, together with community members, reforested in the surroundings of San Miguelito with 5,000 forest and fruit plants, donated by MARENA and the mayor’s office, as a contribution to the “Verde, Que Te Quiero Verde” (Green, I Want You Green) National Campaign. With these supportive actions, the government demonstrates its support for industries that stimulate the national economy, while respecting the ecological balance of Mother Earth. (La Primerisima, 29 April 2025)

Somotillo Opens Modern Hospital
On April 29 the Sandinista Government will inaugurate the rehabilitation and equiping of the Raymundo García Hospital in Somotillo, in the department of Chinandega. This hospital will be able to attend to the needs of the population of 35,000 under better conditions. The remodeling work included: expansion of emergency areas, a fever unit, the labor and delivery, a shock area, operating room, and a laboratory. A warehouse was built to store supplies and equipment for vector control. The investment amounted US$1.9 million with funds from the National Treasury. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/somotillo-estrenara-moderno-hospital/ (Radio La Primerisima, 28 April 2025)

Garífunas Dazzled San Marcos and Diriamba
A Caribbean carnival thrilled the inhabitants of Diriamba and San Marcos who enjoyed Garifuna dances, food, and products of the artisans of one of the six ethnic groups that make up the Nicaraguan nation. On April 26 and 27, the Garifuna delegation was in the department of Carazo, as part of a cultural exchange, taking advantage of the traditional and cultural festivities of San Marcos. The Garifuna carnival paraded through the main streets of Diriamba and San Marcos, while the artisans offered their products that especially distinguish this area of the Nicaraguan Caribbean. Gifiti, the famous herbal liqueur prepared by the Garifuna, caused special interest. See photos: https://radiolaprimerisima.com/caribenos-encandilaron-san-marcos-y-diriamba/ (La Primerisima, 27 April 2025)