Week 11—History of Latin America
Central America in the 1980s
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The Nicaraguan Revolution, 1979-1990 (with reference to El Salvador)

I. Nicaraguan v. Cuban revolutions

A. U.S. intervention

- William Walker (1856-57)
- Somoza family (1933-1979), Anastasio Somoza Debayle
- Pedro Joaquín Chamorro (d. 1978)
- Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN), enters Managua July 20, 1979

B. Sandinista socialism

- mixed economy
- pro-church
- decentralized

II. Limits to the Revolution

A. Internal polarization

- Violeta Chamorro
- Daniel Ortega

B. Internal contradictions
C. U.S. intervention

- contras
- Iran-contra affair
- Oliver North
- John Negroponte

1981-85, ambassador to Honduras
Military aid grows from $4 to 77 m.
Compare to El Salvador, $6 b.

- Economic blockade and loan blocks

III. The Revolution's End?

- 1983, Contadora group (1983)
- 1984, Nicaraguan elections, 67% to Sandinistas
- 1985, Group of Eight
- 1987, Esquipulas Accords, (1987)

Oscar Arias of Costa Rica

- Dec. 1989, Panama invasion

Manuel Noriega

- 1990, Nicaraguan elections, 55% to UNO/Violeta Chamorro