Nicaragua Political Timeline
Category: Other
Updated: 6 Dec 2018
POLS 331
Contributors
Created byTara Djukanovic
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Events
1821: Mexican Independence:
Nicaragua first won its
independence as part of
the Mexican Empire1838: Nicaragua becomes
a sovereign state1855: US and Britain sign
Clayton-Bulwar treaty
to establish trans-oceanic
transit route w/o Nicaragua
permission1855: The liberal Leon party
hires American William Walker
to attack conservative Grenada
party. Liberals win.1860: Walker is executed by
Nicaraguans and the British after
he tries to white-wash Nicaragua
and became a symbol of US
imperialism to Britain1893: Jose Santos Zelaya
liberal revolution begins
liberal movement.
This alarmed the U.S.1909: U.S. forces Zelaya
into resignation, which
sparked anti-interventionist
sentiment1909: Augusto Sandino, a
radical liberal general joins
liberal movement1934: Sandino is killed, guerilla
is disbanded by National Guard's "liberal"
Antonio Somoza. Somozo creates U.S.
sponsored dictatorship1950: Nicaragua becomes
fully dependent producer of primary
goods on U.S. and a U.S. symbol
of control in LA.
Conservative party is only opposition1956: Nicaraguan poet assassinates
Somoza. Creates destabilization.
Somoza's son takes power1944: Nicaraguan Socialist Party (PSN) is formed
Marxist, Fronseca was a member1961: The Sandinista
National Liberation Front
is created under the leadership of
Carlos Foncesa/ Guerilla warfare
begins1967: FSLN fails to mobilize
local population an fails in attack.
They regroup and start pandering to campesinos1970: Progressive Christian groups
emerge to oppose Somoza. Creating
a unique marxist and christian opposition1972: Earthquake kills 10,000 in Managua.
Somoza does not help, keeps all money to himself
subsequently loses all support-even among
business elites.1974: FSLN holds Somoza elites hostage
in return for political prison release
Somoza imposes Martial law, thousands
are tortured. Church stops supporting
him too.1979: Somoza flees contry and then
is assassinated after bombing citizens.
Sandinistas/FSLN take power and form
government dominatd by them and other
oppositio movements1984: Sandinistas hold fair elctions (rare)
representative democracy works1990: Sandinistas lose election and
peacefully hand over power to Violeta
Chamorro's conservative National
Opposition Unuon (UNO). Marked return of elite
decision making. unemployment rose, became a
conservative neoliberal movement1996 Elections: Conservative Aleman wins
creates liberal alliance. FSLN Daniel
Ortega comes in 2nd,. Aleman is known for
corruption.2001: Elections. Ortega aligns himself with
Aleman which turns out to bad. He loses to
liberal alliance candidate Bolanos.2004: Liberal Alliance splinters,
Sandinists sweep municpal elections, Aleman
is persected and sent to prison2006 elections: Ortega wins after alignment
with catholic church.2007: Nicaragua receives $600 million from
Venezuela and Bolivia1980: women's rights make numerous gains-
maternity leave, equal access to education,
divorce, sex ed. Abortion legalized2006: Abortion banned1980: 55% of workers are unionized2018: In April 2018, demonstrations opposed a
decree increasing taxes and reducing benefits in
the country's pension system. Local
independent press organizations had
documented at least 19 dead and over 100
missing in the ensuing conflictPeriods
1927-1933: First Sandinista War
US makes deal with
Nicaraguan govt to stop
conflict. Everybody but Sandino
agrees. Sandino takes oppressed
groups (peasents, natives) to
the mountains to begin a guerilla
war. Successful at first which was
surprising1979-1984: Council of state created
as legislative authority. Majoriy was pro-FSLN
with some other representation.
FSLN had trade unions, land regorm,
women's rights etc.
Joined Non-aligned movement and
created opposition from former elites and US1981-1982: U.S launches Contra War
against Nicaragua.
Reagan makes it a priority to remove
Sandinistas, Sandinistas defeat them
but at great cost.
Conflict extends beyond just the war2007-2012: Nicaragua receives over 1.5 billion in
renewable energy
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