History of Nicaragua’s FSLN

The Sandinista National Liberation Front of FSLN was established in 1961 in Nicaragua by Jose Carlos Fonseca Amador, Silvio Mayorga and Tomas Borge Martinez. This organization was originally a student foundation based at the University of Nicaragua in Managua. Many of the early members of the organization were arrested and imprisoned including the leader of the urban resistance, Daniel Ortega.

In 1974, just days after Christmas on the 27th of December, a group of FSLM guerillas seized the home of a government official and kidnapped a group of people close to Anastasio Somoza Debayle. The men were later exchanged for fourteen Sandinista prisoners who had been flown to Cuba. After this successful operation the prestige and influence of the FSLN greatly increased. In 1975, Debayle ordered a violent campaign against the FSLN killing a large number of guerillas includes Jose Carlos Fonseca Amador.

The regime received a setback when Jimmy Carter was elected President of the United States in 1976. Carter stated that he would only provide aid to the Nicaraguan government if it, in turn, improved its human rights record. On the 10th of January, 1978, Pedro Joaquin Chamorro Cardenal, publisher of the newspaper and a strong opponent of the government was assassinated. Evidence pointed the assassination to Somoza’s son and members of the National Guard. On January 23rd, a strike began nationwide with workers demanding the end to the military dictatorship.

In November 1978, the Organization of American States on Human Rights sent out a report that charged the National Guard with multiple violations of human rights. The report was followed by a resolution from the United Nations condemning the Nicaraguan government. Debayle refused to leave office and many organizations formed a National Patriotic Front. In June of 1978, a provisional government in exile was established in Costa Rica. The FSLN continued its guerilla activities and gradually took over control of most of Nicaragua.

In 1979, on July 17th, Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigned his post and fled to the United States for refuge. A Junta for National Reconstruction was established at that time and in 1984 FSLN won the countrywide elections. The following year Daniel Ortega became the Nicaraguan President. In the 1990 elections however, the FSLN lost to the Union of National Opposition and Ortega was replaced as president by Violeta Chamorro. Ortega’s words as he left office were "We leave victorious because we Sandinistas have spilled blood and sweat not to cling to government posts, but to bring Latin America a little dignity, a little social justice."