A Clash Between Reality And Media Misrepresentation.
Masaya, Nicaragua – July 19th is a day of celebration in Nicaragua: the anniversary of the overthrow of the Somoza dictatorship. But the international media will have it penciled in their diaries for another reason: it’s yet another opportunity to pour scorn on Nicaragua’s Sandinista government. We’ll hear again about how the government “clamps down on dissent,” about its “political prisoners,” its recent “pantomime election,” its “damaging crackdown on civil society” and much more. All of these accusations have been answered but the media will continue to shut out any evidence that conflicts with the consensus narrative about Nicaragua, that its president, Daniel Ortega, has “crushed the Nicaraguan dream.”
7 월 19 일은 산다니스타 게릴라 들이 소모사 독재 정권을 전복시킨 니카라구아 국경일 입니다. 그러나 국제 주류 언론은 니카라과의 산디니스타 정부에 경멸을 퍼부을 또 다른 기회라고 생각하는 듯 합니다. 니카라구아 정권이 ' 어떻게 반대파들을 억누르는가', '어떻게 정치범들 다루고 잇는가', '최근의 선거 부정과 조작', '시민사회에 대한 탄압' 등에 대해 또 다시 나발 거릴 것입니다. 이 비난에 대한 답변이 있었지만 언론은-니카라과 대통령 다니엘 오르테가 (Daniel Ortega)가 "니카라과의 꿈을 무너 뜨렸다"는 니카라과에 대한 그들의 합의된 서술과 상반되는 증거를 계속 차단할 것입니다.
Mainstream media tells its own story
Since the violent, U.S.-directed coup attempt in 2018, in which more than 200 people died, it has been very difficult to find objective analysis of the political situation in Nicaragua in mainstream media, much less any examination of the revolution’s achievements. In disregarding what is actually happening in the country, the media is ignoring and excluding the lived experience of ordinary Nicaraguans, as if their daily lives are irrelevant to any judgment about the direction the country is taking. Most notably, instead of recognizing that 75% of Nicaraguan voters supported the government in last November’s election, in which two-thirds of the electorate participated, the result is seen as “a turn toward an openly dictatorial model.” This judgment is backed by confected claims of electoral fraud from “secret poll watchers,” which ignore COHA’s strong evidence that no fraud took place.
Streets show the political reality
In the run-up to the anniversary of the revolution on July 19th, Sandinista supporters have been filling the streets of every main city with celebratory marches. In Masaya, where I live, I took part in a procession with around 3,000 people and discovered afterwards that three other marches took place at the same time in different parts of Masaya, with even more people participating in each of those. People have much to celebrate: the city was one of those most damaged by the violent coup attempt in Nicaragua four years ago, but has since lived in peace.
During the attempted coup, for three months the city of Masaya was controlled by armed thugs (still regularly described in the media as “peaceful” protesters---홍콩 난동에서도 꼭 같은 현상이 반복되는 것을 아주 가까이에서 보앗습니다......홍콩은 그야 말로 난동이엇습니다...그런데 이 해괴망칙한 난동을...홍콩의 민주화 시위, 홍콩의 광주 항쟁이다는 개 소리로 치장되엇지요여기에 똥 오줌 못 가리는 광주 시민단체들 까지 설레발츨 치며 생 찌뤌들을 떨엇지요....그들이 님을 위한 행진곡을 부러주엇고...혹자는 태극기를 흔들어 주엇다는 것에 감동 감격을 처 먹엇다는 것이지요........아조 정신을 놓아 버린 것입니다...........광주 민중항쟁이라는 그 찬란햇던 저항도 변증되어 진화되지 못하고....썩어 버린 것이지요......그 세월만큼 썩어 버린 것이지요....). Five police officers and several civilians were killed. The town hall, the main secondary school, the old tourist market and other government buildings were set on fire. Houses of Sandinista supporters were ransacked. Shops were looted and the economic life of one of Nicaragua’s most important commercial centers was suspended. My own doctor’s house went up in flames and a friend who was defending the municipal depot when it was ransacked was kidnapped, tortured and later had to have an arm amputated as a result.
So one strong motive for the marches is to reaffirm most people’s wishes that this should never happen again: 43 years ago a revolutionary war ended in the Sandinistas’ triumph over Somoza, but this was quickly followed by the U.S.-sponsored Contra attacks that cost thousands more lives. For anyone over 35, the violence in 2018 was a sickening reminder of these wars. Since then, not the least of the government’s achievements is that Nicaragua has returned to having the lowest homicide level in Central America, and people want it to stay that way.
Progress under Sandinistas is not recognized internationally
But this is far from the government’s only success since it returned to power in 2007. It inherited a country broken by 17 years of neoliberal governments by and for the rich (after the Sandinistas lost power in the 1990 election). Nothing worked during those years: there were daily power cuts, roads were in shocking disrepair, some 100,000s of children didn’t go to school and poverty was rampant. When the Sandinistas regained the presidency in 2007, and helped by the alliance with Hugo Chávez’s Venezuela and a boom in commodities prices, the government began a massive investment program. For the second poorest country in Latin America, the transformation was remarkable.
Take the practical issues that affect everyone. Power cuts stopped because the new government quickly built small new power stations and then encouraged massive investment in renewable energy. Electricity coverage now reaches over 99% of households, up from just 50% in 2016, with three-quarters now generated from renewables. Piped water reaches 93% of city dwellers compared with 65% in 2007. In 2007, Nicaragua had 2,044 km of paved roads, mostly in bad condition. Now it has 4,300 km, half of them built in the last 15 years, giving it the best roads in Central America.
Its remarkable advances in health care were evidenced by how Nicaragua handled the COVID-19 pandemic, with (according to the World Health Organization) a level of excess mortality far lower than that of many wealthier countries in Latin America, including neighboring Costa Rica. It now has one of the world’s highest levels of completed vaccinations against the virus (83%), exceeding levels in the U.S. and many European countries. There has been massive investment in the public health service: Nicaragua has built 23 new hospitals in the past 15 years and now has more hospital beds (1.8 per 1,000 population) than richer countries such as Mexico (1.5) and Colombia (1.7). The country has one of the highest regional levels of public health spending, relative to GDP (“PIB” in Spanish – see chart), and its service is completely free.(니카라구아의 코로나 선방이 나름의 이유가 잇엇습니다)
Nicaragua is 6th out of 17 Latin American countries in public health investment
(Center for Economic and Social Rights).
Look at education. School attendance increased from 79% to 91% when charges imposed by previous governments were abolished; now pupils get help with uniforms and books and all receive free school lunches. Free education now extends into adulthood, so out of a population of 6.6 million, some 1.7 million are currently receiving public education in some form. Under neoliberal governments illiteracy rose to 22% of the population, and now it’s down to 4-6%.
Strides in gender parity: another victory
Nicaraguan women have been integral to the revolution. More than half of ministerial posts are held by women, an achievement for which Nicaragua is ranked seventh in the world in gender equality in 2022. Only two countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have a smaller gender pay gap than Nicaragua. More than a third of police officers are female and there are special women’s centers in 119 police stations. Maternal health has been significantly improved, with maternal mortality falling from 92.8 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2006, to 31.6 in 2021, a reduction of 66%. This is partly due to the 180 casas maternas where women stay close to a hospital or health center for the weeks before giving birth. The state also provides family planning free of charge in all health centers, including tubal ligations(난관 묵기 수술) for women who do not wish to have more children. It is also true, of course, that abortion is illegal, but (unlike in other Latin American countries) no woman or doctor has ever been prosecuted under this law.
니카라구아 장관들의 반이 여성
2022년 세계 성 평등지수에서 세계 7위(중남미 국가중에서 단지 2 나라만 니카라구아보다 성별 차별을 보이지 않고 잇다)
유아사망율은 2006년 10만명당 92.8명이 2021년 31.6 명으로 떨어젓다
At the moment, people’s biggest concern is the state of the economy and the cost-of-living crisis. Nicaragua has advantages here, too: it is more than 80% self-sufficient in basic foodstuffs and prices have been controlled because the government is capping the cost of fuel (both for vehicles and for cooking). Nicaragua’s economy grew by more than 10% in 2021, returning to 2019, pre-pandemic economic levels, although growth was still not sufficient for the country to recover from the economic damage caused by the 2018 coup attempt. Government debt (forecast to be 46% of GDP in 2022) is lower than its neighbors, especially that of Costa Rica (70%), where poverty now extends to 30% of the population.
However, Nicaragua and Costa Rica are economically interdependent, and the latter’s economic problems are a large part of the explanation for the growth in migration by Nicaraguans to the United States.
산다니스트 정권의 독제를 피해 이웃 국가 코스타리카나 저 머나먼 미국 국경까지 도망나온 난민들이 많다고...서국 언론들과 인권단체들을 줄 나발을 불고 잇고...이들의 행진을 생 중계방송 까지 햇습니다..
그런데 코르타리카와 니카라구아는 오랫 동안 상호 교류 하며 일자리를 찾아 시즌별 이동이 죽 잇어 왓던 나라이고...
정치적 이유 때문에 미국으로 탈출를 꿈꾸는 니카라구아 사람들은 없습니다....
먹고 살기 위해 보다 더 좋은 환경을 위해 움직이는 본능적인 것이지...........산타니스타 빨갱이들이 싫어서...탈출 한다 따위완 전혀 아니다는 것이지욤..
자유를 찾아 목숨을 걸고 남한에 내려 왓다....북으로 추방 당하는 사람.???
이 사람은 16명을 죽인 1급 살이자..
아갈통은 비뜰어 졋써도 말은 똑 바로 하라고 햇다..
무슨 얼어 되질 놈의 자유?...인권??....
지 살라고 내려 온거야...거기 잇다간 되지게 생겻쓰니....
니들 죶 꼴리는 대로 해석 하지 마....
늘 해 왓던 대로 코르타리카로 일 하러 왓다 갓다 하는 사람들을 사나니스타 빨갱이 정권의 탄압을 피해 도망나온 사람들이라고??
도망나온 사람들 만큼 되 돌아 간 사람들도 잇쓰니.....이들은 동토의 빨갱이 왕국으로 되 돌아 간 것이냐??
되 돌아가면 온전해??............판문점의 저 사람처럼 살겟다고 발 버둥 않 쳣써???
빤한 거짓말....자판 몇번만 두둘기면 바로 뽀록나는 거짓말 따윈 .....언론이라면 제발 그만.......응??
-짱꼴라 놈들이 쓰리랑카 완전히 벋겨 먹엇다....
-취지지지ㅣㅣㅣㅣㅣㅣㅣㅣㅣㅣㅣㅣㅣㅣㅣㅣㅣ
스리랑카의 중국의 부채는 전체 부채의 10% 박에 안되...너머지는 다 서구 국가 일본 인도등등의 자본주의 국가들의 빛이다..
어떻게 90%의 빛은 아무렇지도 않고 10%의 짱꼴라 빛만 스리랑카을 망하게 만들 수 잇는데??? ....
스리랑카는 이미 16 차레가 imf 구조 조정을 받앗다....
무든 도깨비 방망이도 아니고...
개도 안 들을 짜증나는 말쫌 ....하지덜뫄...
이 씨발놈의 개 쐣끼드라.....
Daniel Ortega enjoys high approval ratings
These are only a few of the factors that underlie people’s support for Daniel Ortega’s government. And this support continues: according to polling by CID Gallup, in early January President Ortega was more popular than the then presidents of Honduras, Costa Rica or Guatemala. M&R Consultants, in a more recent poll, found that Ortega has a 70% approval rating and ranks second among Latin American presidents. This was obvious when huge numbers of Nicaraguans celebrated November’s election result and it is still obvious as they go out onto the streets during “victorious July”.
At a meeting with Central American foreign ministers in June 2021, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken urged governments “to work to improve the lives of people in our countries in real, concrete ways.” Blinken deliberately ignores the ample proof that Daniel Ortega’s government is not only doing that but has been more successful in this respect than any other Central American government. Yet the more that the international media parrot Washington’s criticisms of Daniel Ortega, the more that people here will reaffirm their support for his government.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
-우리편 아니면 다 우리 적이다..
-중간은 없다 둘 중 하나만 골라라...
이때 까지만 해도....전 세계는 부들 부들 떨며...미국 편을 들엇습니다..........찍히면 되지니까???
노무현은 침략군을 파병해 주엇고..
처 먹은 뇌물이 뽀록나 되야진 다음에는 그의 후손들이 조야지 부시의 팔짱을 끼고 ....한 없이 아름다운 행진을 처 하게 하엿지요..
아....
증말 돌것써.............
그런데...러시아가 우크라인을 침공 햇을때...세계는 전혀 다르게 반응 햇습니다..
-줄서.....씨발놈드라...
-죶지나 까 .....좆 같은 양아치 횃끼야..
-이 빙쉰쇗끼들은 아직도 지들이 조지 부시 시대에 산다고 생각한다니까....
대안이 잇다는 것이지요..
과거 냉전시대의 공산진영과 같은 대안은 아니지만....어쩧던 미국에 줄을 서지 않고도 견딜 만한 공간이 잇다는 것은
그 만큼의 선택의 폭을 넓혀 주엇습니다..
이들이 신 자유주의 올리아키의 지배를 거부하고 잇다는 점은 분명한 희망입니다.
희망은 만들어 지는 것입니다.
이들이 조금이라도 더 빨리...성장하여 자리를 잡아 버린다면.....사람들은 다른 것을 생각 하게 되겟지요.
그 지긋 지긋 한 자유, 민주주의, 인권이라는 가식의 개 소리 말고......
진짜로 자유롭고 조화로은 세상을 생각하게 되겟지요.
미국의 탄압을 받고 잇는 나라라면.....그 만큼 미국의 올리아키들에겐 거북 스러운 이유가 잇는 것이겟지요.
큐바던 니카라구아던 베네주엘라던.....
미국의 방식이 아닌 다른 방식으로도 지구촌에서 생존하여 살아 갈수 잇게 되는 세상이
하루라도 빨리 오길 바랍니다..