Nicaraguan President Chamorro

Unfortunately, the video itself would not upload to the site, but the link is provided above.

The video is an ABC News news report which briefly discussed and showed clips of the transition of power in 1990 from Daniel Ortega to Violeta Chamorro, the first and only woman president in Nicaragua, and the problems Chamorro faced. Before Chamorro assumed the presidency, Nicaragua had undergone a war with the United States between 1981-1987. The war was fought between the Sandinistas, a socialist political group who named themselves after Augusto Cesar Sandino, and the US-backed Contras, which were several right-wing rebel groups. Although the US backed out of the war in 1987, the nation lent support to Chamorro, which helped with her election in 1990. The video includes statements of US hostility and intervention, which reflect the common occurrence of US intervention in Latin America during the Reaction Period in order to oust socialist leaders. The video also includes remarks on the economic state of Nicaragua, which reflects the economic disarray the US left Nicaragua in during the Reaction Period.
In the video, it is stated that Nicaragua is transitioning from “a decade of mutual hostility between…the United States” (ABC News 1990). It is also mentioned that Violeta Chamorro was “elected with the backing of the United States” (ABC News 1990). The notion of hostility between the US and Nicaragua, paired with the statement on the US’ backing of Chamorro help indicate that the US engaged in military action in Nicaragua for the purpose of removing the socialist Sandinistas, which serves as an instance of similar intervention by the US across Latin America during the Reaction Period. Also, in the video, it is mentioned that “Nicaragua’s money is virtually worthless. Production is at levels of 20 years ago. 70% of the workforce either has no job or is underemployed (ABC News 1990). This statement indicates how the US had taken actions against Nicaragua such as mining the nation’s harbors to limit trade with other countries, which greatly damaged the Nicaraguan economy in the Reaction Period.

Works Cited:

ABC News. 1990. Nicaraguan President Chamorro. https://abcnews.go.com/Archives/video/nicaraguat-chamorro-president-9866060 (April 18, 2020).

By: Giovanny Bravo