Ceremony of the 27th Graduation of Officers of the
“May 4th” Defense University of the Nicaraguan Army
December 12th 2022
Address by Daniel
Beloved Nicaraguan Brothers and Sisters; beloved Families of these Blessed Lands; beloved Comrade Rosario Murillo, Vice President of the Republic; beloved Comrade, Commander-in-Chief of the Nicaraguan Army, Army General Julio César Avilés Castillo; beloved Chief of the General Staff, Major General Bayardo Ramón Rodríguez Ruiz; beloved Inspector General of the Nicaraguan Army, Major General Marvin Elías Corrales Rodríguez; beloved Minister of Defense of the Republic of Nicaragua, Comrade Rosa Adelina Barahona Castro.
Beloved Director General of the National Police, First Commissioner Francisco Javier Díaz Madriz; beloved Rector of the Defense University “4 de Mayo“, Brigadier General Manuel Geovani Guevara Rocha; beloved Director of the Higher Center for Military Studies ”General of Division José Dolores Estrada Vado", Colonel Nelson José Villegas; beloved brothers and sisters of the Corps of Generals and Senior Officers, Members of the Military Council of the Nicaraguan Army.
Beloved brother and sister members of the National Police High Command; beloved military, naval, air and deputy defense attachés accredited in the Republic of Nicaragua; beloved sister and brother president and technical secretary of the National Council of Universities; beloved president and vice-president of the National Council for Evaluation and Accreditation; academic authorities of the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua and the American University.
Former directors, military and civilian teaching staff of the Superior Center for Military Studies “Division General José Dolores Estrada Vado"; Lieutenants and Lieutenant Graduates and their beloved relatives; men and women of the social communication media, and special guests.
Beloved brothers and sisters, comrades, members of the Government Cabinet, mayors, who accompany us in this Solemn Graduation Ceremony.
Today, December 12th, on this day, which is a very special day, a day of mystical significance, dedicating this graduation to General Sandino gives a vital force, a spiritual force to this graduation ceremony.
But also, just yesterday, December 11th, we paid tribute and we honored those who were part of the beginnings that were in place until, with the passage of time, the National Army was built, namely the Sandinista fighters, the Sandinista guerrillas, those who with their blood laid the foundation on which this National Army was established.
On a day like yesterday, a priest who came from Asturias, part of Spain, he came from Asturias, but he did not come like Columbus, with the Cross and the Sword, he came with the true words of Christ, and he came to preach Justice; and he was moved when he saw the situation in our country and the conditions in which the peasants were brutally exploited and repressed in the communities in which he served, where he worked as a priest, there in the department of Rivas, in Tola, in San Juan del Sur, in Cárdenas, in all those places. And one December 11th he gave his life for Justice, for the Nation, for Freedom.
Naturally, Gaspar was respectful of other religious beliefs, but especially of his own faith in Christ who unites all of us Nicaraguans, and his faith, because he found it in our People, he also brought with him his faith in the Guadalupana, the Virgin of Guadalupe, and today is the feast day of the Guadalupana.
And our People, our Peoples, see in the Guadalupana a spiritual force, such that, converging on these dates, out of the spiritual strength of Christ, with the example of a truly Christian Catholic priest, Gaspar García, someone who practiced true Christianity, and the Virgin of Guadalupe. All this converges for this ceremony, a ceremony that is blessed, blessed by God, blessed by Christ, accompanied by our General Sandino, by Gaspar, and illuminated by Our Lady of Guadalupe.
And how proud for Nicaragua's People that our Army continues to train young people to defend the Peace, the stability, and the security of Nicaraguans.
How much progress, so much progress in the different schools there have been, the first schooling being those of the guerrilla, and then came the schooling that began in the year 1979, schooling with great Love, with great consciousness, great vitality and commitment, without immense resources, because we were in a war economy imposed by the world's imperialists, as our General Sandino rightly called them.
Of course, that caused limitations, difficulties for our People, and therefore too for the families of our soldiers, of our officers. But that is how this school was forged, in the same way that the Nicaraguan Army was forged, built and established, an Army that today is the pride of Nicaraguans, a guarantee of the Peace and Security of the Nation.
And on behalf of our People, we congratulate General Julio César Avilés, who has been an extraordinary leader throughout this period, giving continuity, strength, training, to the Army in Defense of National Sovereignty, which today is the Nicaraguan Army, and he, along with the officers, the soldiers, with the families of all the members of our army, has been united in this struggle, in this battle, where, thank God, in the face of attempts to promote fratricidal conflict, Peace has been defended, Peace has been secured.
And with Peace it has been possible to ensure the well-being and progress of the Nicaraguan economy. And with the well-being and progress of the Nicaraguan economy, it has been possible to multiply the work carried out for Nicaragua's families, in the cities, in the countryside, where schools, hospitals, health posts, and highways, roads, bridges, ports have been multiplied. Thank God, who has given this people an Army that has been a guarantee, and continues to be a guarantee of Peace for Nicaraguans, joining efforts, naturally, with the Police and working hand in hand with the People of Nicaragua.
Today we managed to reach this year's end making progress, overcoming obstacles, despite the enormous difficulties suffered by the global economy, despite the unemployment affecting developed countries, despite difficulties caused by expansionist, imperialist, neocolonialist policies, which are becoming more and more a thing of the past every day.
In the midst of these conditions, after all, Nicaragua is a country of Peace, of joy, with young people and children who achieve, in decent conditions, albeit poor, but dignified, we are poor but dignified, because this People is poor but one with dignity, a People who may be poor but who have the opportunity to study, from primary level, through secondary level and on to technical careers and university. Nicaragua's People may be poor but is able to and does train doctors and nurses who provide care for thousands of citizens throughout our country. Nicaragua's is a poor but dignified People, who know how to make progress, and do so proudly, with their heads held high.
And we say to our General Sandino, on this graduation day, that present here are the forces with which our General Sandino started his battle for the defense of our country.
There are 34 companeros and compañeras here, 31 men and 3 women compañeras... 34 compañeros! With Sandino there were 29, and, with himself, 30 , and so you can see how the strength of a force like the one that you, beloved brothers and sisters, represent today, can be enhanced to achieve a goal under conditions in which, indisputably, Sandino is our inspiration, Sandino is our example, Sandino is our principle, and our reason for being and of being Nicaraguan.
We are going to close this ceremony with the oath: beloved graduating officers, do you solemnly swear, before God, before the Nation, before our National Heroes, and on your Honor, to respect and obey the Constitution and the Laws, defend at the cost of your own Life, if necessary, the Rights and Freedoms of the People, the Independence, Self-determination, Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity of our Nation, as well as serving the Nation with Honor and Loyalty, fulfilling the orders issued by the High Command, respecting the Laws and Regulations governing Military Career and Life, and faithfully and conscientiously to fulfill the duties of the positions conferred on you and the missions your commanders assign to you?
Graduates: Yes, We swear!
If you do so, may the Nation and the Institution reward you; if not, may they call you to account.
A Free Nation or Death!
A Patriotic Nation and Freedom!
Sandino Llves, the struggle goes on!
May Nicaragua live Blessed and forever Free!
Long live the Nicaraguan Army!
Long live the Nicaraguan Army!
Long live the Nicaraguan Army!
Remarks by Rosario, Vice-President of Nicaragua,
after the 27th Graduation Ceremony of Officers of the Nicaraguan Army
December 12th 2022
Good evening, compañeros and compañeras and beloved families who are watching from your homes and who celebrate with us this Day of Joy, this day when we feel blessed with the strength that the Little Virgin of Guadalupe gives us, with the strength that a ceremony like this gives us, celebrating the honorable, glorious, dignified and sovereign nature of our Nicaraguan Army, which today graduates 34 young men and women, three women who inspire us, because we know how difficult it is for women to combine military tasks with being a woman head of household which is normal in our culture and in this blessed Nicaragua.
Congratulations to all... Congratulations to General Aviles, to the High Command, to the Military Council, to our entire army. We know that an institution like this, heir to our General of Free Men and Women, to our General Zeledón, to all the heroes, all those heroes and great spirits, who guide us, who shape us, who forge us and who have left us this duty to go through every day with a sense of Nation, Dignity, Freedom, Security, Stability and Work for prosperity.
How should we feel...? We feel, I repeat, blessed, and ever more certain, ever more confident that this country is making progress with everyone helping, each one of us doing our job, and with the Army guarding the Tranquility, Security and Peace that all of us defend, because it is our national duty to defend Peace, to build every day the good, prosperous nation we all want.
Work, Security and Peace, together, all of us together, we are advancing, and all of us together know that the future is ours!
Yesterday we honored Gaspar, today we honor Gaspar and also our General, and we honor all our past teachers, because as we say we have learned from them and they have left us this strength of heart, of hope, of victories... Strength of Spirit!
Nicaragua is a People full of vigor, of glory, of courage, and these are characteristics, attributes of an immense spiritual force. There is no other way to explain how this small People, which has been impoverished by aggression, has moved forward illuminating each and every day with new victories, in education, in health care, in the works of progress and prosperity that the People deserve; in production; in construction, in infrastructure projects, roads, highways and so on and too our ability to face natural disasters or misfortunes, whether from volcanoes or weather phenomena.
We have an incredible strength, after all, and in all circumstances we are able to overcome, first because we have faith, and because we are a People of deep spirituality.
These December days are days of goodness, days ending a victorious year, a year of great struggle, of great integrity, of great honesty, and our Sense of Nation. And we say, because there is this Nation, there is Peace too, and we are honored when we recognize that our nation is a small one, but we dream of it being great and we are making it great, with courage and with Love.
An embrace to all you families, an embrace to the families of the comrades who graduated today and who are now going to integrate into the majestic and formidable force that is our Nicaraguan Army. An embrace to the fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters, grandparents, all the relatives of these comrades.
We know that together we can achieve our aims, and together, with what we learn, with all we experience, with the same dedication and devotion, to this Nation, to this Nicaragua belonging to all of us, we are advancing towards a Future that is ours!
A warm embrace compañeros and compañeras. Thank you.