Speech given by Daniel Ortega at 30th celebration of the Nicaraguan Revolution July 17, 2009.
Because the truth is that our sister republic of Bolivia and Venezuela have come to the aid of the people of Nicaragua – that is the truth. We would be without energy in the entire country. There wouldn't be light in Nicaragua nor would companies be able to function if it were not for the solidarity of Hugo Chavez and Fidel who were the ones responsible for the formation of the ALBA alliance (a leftist Latin American Alliance). And when the United States decided to cut the last funds of the millennium, President Hugo Chavez immediately said we are going to help Nicaragua, and so we counted on Venezuela to generously give to Nicaragua 50 million dollars to defend itself in these difficult times.
President Hugo Chavez just called, and he sent a message that we are going to read and publish. In the telephone message that he just made, he called to send us his greeting. He is very happy for our 30th anniversary. He is watching thousands of Nicaraguans through channel Telesur. He congratulates Daniel and all the people of Nicaragua. He is sorry he could not be present because of sudden health problems at the last minute. Soon we will be together Long live the people of Nicaragua. Long Live Sandino, signs Hugo Chavez and the president of the Republic of Bolivia 1:30 pm Nicaraguan time.
July 17, 2009 marks the 30th anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution so says Ortega. My wife (who is from Nicaragua) and I used to travel to Nicaragua frequently before the revolution to enjoy its people and its culture. We have been back to Nicaragua since on several occasions, but Nicaragua is not the country it used to be. The destruction of its economy and the country can be attributed to one person Daniel Ortega, and Daniel Ortega's rise to power can be attributed to one man Jimmy Carter.
Ortega speaks of the 30th year of the revolution, yet for most of those years, the left in Nicaragua wasn't even in power.
I have followed Nicaragua since the 70s, so in commemoration of its 30th anniversary, I thought I would post a few pieces I wrote about Nicaragua.
What the elections in El Salvador mean (including Nicaragua) click here
Fraud in Nicaragua – Continuing Jimmy Carter's legacy click here
Obama's new buddy – Daniel Ortega click here
One of the traditions in Nicaragua, and only in Nicaragua click here
1 comment:
I'm from Nicaragua, lived there during the height of the Contra War, then moved to the US and have moved back since Ortega's re-election. In your right-wing, anti Nicaraguan government post you say: "I used to travel to Nicaragua frequently before the revolution to enjoy its people and its culture." You mean before the Revolution when Somoza would drop people from helicopters into Volcan Masaya? Or when Somoza's National Guard would rape and kill with impunity. Gotcha. Yeah, sounds like a great time was had by all. You then go on to say "We have been back to Nicaragua since on several occasions, but Nicaragua is not the country it used to be. The destruction of its economy and the country can be attributed to one person Daniel Ortega, and Daniel Ortega's rise to power can be attributed to one man Jimmy Carter." Are you on drugs? You blame all of Nicaragua's problems on Daniel Ortega and Jimmy Carter? WTF??? I love how you failed to mention the 5 year US embargo or Ronald Reagan's dirty war, like those things had no effect whatsoever on the country. You also failed to mention that since the Revolution Nicaragua has had many other presidents other than Daniel Ortega. Yet no blame falls on them. Violeta Chamorro, president of Nicaragua from 1990 to 1997, Arnoldo Alemán, president between 1997 to 2002, Enrique Bolaños, president from 2002 to 2007. And all three of them were fully supported and funded by right-wing US governments. So the country was ran by right-wing crazies like you for 16 years, but they somehow get no blame for Nicaragua's poverty? Please explain this, if in fact you even know how? Under Ortega's administration poverty has fallen to 57 percent of the population from 65.5 percent in 2005, according to government and World Bank statistics. Tourism has grown in leaps and bounds under his administration. Roads and infrastructure have been greatly improved. Oil-rich Venezuela sends up to $500 million a year to Nicaragua under a cooperation agreement. That money has been used to fix existing roads, build new roads, and alleviate rolling blackouts that the country once was plagued with. I speak from experience btw! And have seen these things with my own eyes. I'm sure you thought the Contra war was an admirable cause, like your evil president Ronald Reagan. All the killings, rapes, kidnappings, terrorism the Contras, CIA and U.S. State Department committed, the drug running, the illegal weapon sales to Iran, it's your guys who did this, NOT Ortega or Venezuela! And certainly not Jimmy Carter. So what's your point to all of this? What's fueling your hatred and lies? It's like you're mad that Nicaragua continues to prosper, or is it that you're mad that it's been prospering and moving forward under Ortega and the Sandinista government? I believe that's what your real beef is here, so that's why you have to lie and distort the facts. If you don't like the Sandinista party that's fine, and if you don't like Ortega being president that's fine too, that's your right, but don't lie and distort things, and make up your own facts. Just cause you're sleeping with a "Nicaraguan" doesn't make you an expert. Again, in all your blind hatred, you failed to mention that in his second five-year term Ortega succeeded in reducing extreme poverty in Nicaragua and that the Nicaraguan economy is the fastest growing in the region and that foreign investment rose by 60% in 2011, an election year. Please reduce your bias and be more informative and STOP LYING!
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