Heroes and Martyrs
In many Nicaraguan towns there are Galleries of Heroes and Martyrs. These monuments to the country's more recent history were usually run by the mothers of fallen heroes and veterans of the FSLN (Sandinista National Liberation Front) who fought the repressive Somoza dictatorship during the Sandinista revolution in the late 1970's or, even more disturbing, during the US-funded Contra war. The two galleries we saw were quite simple and very run down- photo displays with the names and dates of death of the very young companeros and companeras. The Sandinistas won in 1979 but lost power in the 1990 elections. One can certainly see the loss of the movement's support on these faded and almost empty galleries.
The Gallery of Heroes and Martyrs in Esteli was a bit better - it has beautiful murals, English translations, and updated postings of relevant newspaper articles. Esteli was the historic site of several major turning points and victories during the revolution. We spent almost an hour speaking with an older woman who lost two sons during the revolution and who now runs the museum. She told us of her strong hope and belief that Daniel Ortega and the Sandinistas will regain power in the upcoming 2006 presidential election. She described how since the 1990 the country had fallen to a state similar to that of the Somoza era - no work, no education, and major poverty (Nicaraguan is second in poverty only to Haiti in the Western hemisphere). Some we spoke to seemed to mirror this woman's hope but many others (like our young Spanish teacher in Granada) felt that all of the politicians were corrupt and only looked to external economic investment for an improved future.
In the gallery, we saw the following quote from a man who had been a soldier in the revolution famous for the photographic image of him throwing a molotov cocktail (in a Pepsi bottle) and wearing a big cross around his neck and a beret on his head in a jaunty off-kilter Che-like manner: "Unfortunately, Sandinism outside of the revolution is different from the Sandinism that existed during the revolution."
Mural in Esteli
Check some of the olds posts below to see some photos we added
The Gallery of Heroes and Martyrs in Esteli was a bit better - it has beautiful murals, English translations, and updated postings of relevant newspaper articles. Esteli was the historic site of several major turning points and victories during the revolution. We spent almost an hour speaking with an older woman who lost two sons during the revolution and who now runs the museum. She told us of her strong hope and belief that Daniel Ortega and the Sandinistas will regain power in the upcoming 2006 presidential election. She described how since the 1990 the country had fallen to a state similar to that of the Somoza era - no work, no education, and major poverty (Nicaraguan is second in poverty only to Haiti in the Western hemisphere). Some we spoke to seemed to mirror this woman's hope but many others (like our young Spanish teacher in Granada) felt that all of the politicians were corrupt and only looked to external economic investment for an improved future.
In the gallery, we saw the following quote from a man who had been a soldier in the revolution famous for the photographic image of him throwing a molotov cocktail (in a Pepsi bottle) and wearing a big cross around his neck and a beret on his head in a jaunty off-kilter Che-like manner: "Unfortunately, Sandinism outside of the revolution is different from the Sandinism that existed during the revolution."
Mural in Esteli
Check some of the olds posts below to see some photos we added
posted by Jen and Cat at 3:06 PM
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