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, 1979B. Sandinista socialism
- mixed economy
- pro-church
- decentralized
II. Limits to the Revolution
A. Internal polarization
- Violeta Chamorro
- Daniel OrtegaB. Internal contradictions
C. U.S. intervention- contras
- Iran-contra affair
- Oliver North
- John Negroponte1981-85, 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