Event on the 40th Anniversary of the Nicaraguan Army's Naval Forces
August 13, 2020
Daniel's Words
Nicaraguan Brothers and Sisters, Nicaraguan Families, today, August 13 of the Year 2020, the Naval Forces complete 40 Years; in other words, our Naval Forces were born a little
after the Triumph of the Revolution. And on this day, greetings to all the Brothers of the Naval Forces and their Families, we want to pay Tribute to two Brothers ... To the Commander of the Revolution Fidel Castro, who on this first visit to Nicaragua He sailed there along the Rama River, he went sailing. We remember from Commander Fidel, his feet, when they embarked in Mexico on the yacht Granma and arrived in Cuba on that historic landing that began that Great Battle for the Freedom of Cuba, which was to fight for the Freedom of the Peoples of Our America and the Peoples of the World.
And on August 13 Comandante Tomás Borge also turns 90 ... 90 Years! They coincided on their Birthdays, and Tomás, we already know how he also toured all our Territories. So for them, for their Families, our Tribute, our Memory.
We are going to listen to the words of Army General, Julio César Avilés Castillo, Commander in Chief of the Nicaraguan Army.
Words from Army General
Julio César Avilés Castillo
Commander in Chief of the Nicaraguan Army
Comandante Daniel Ortega, President of the Republic and Supreme Chief of the Nicaraguan Army; Comrade Vice President Rosario Murillo; Brothers from the General Command, Major General Bayardo Rodríguez, General Chief of Staff; Major General Corrales, Inspector General; Brothers in Arms, Brothers and Sisters.
On August 13, 1980, a contingent of Men and Women belonging to the Border Guard Troops were assigned to found the Sandinista Navy, today the Nicaraguan Army Naval Forces. That is why today we are commemorating the 40th Anniversary of our Heroic Naval Forces. Receive, Sailors, the Recognition and Congratulations you deserve.
Since its Foundation, our Sailor Brothers carry out their Missions always thinking on the Well-being of our People. Throughout these 40 years, the Members of the Naval Force have shown their firmness and dedication, safeguarding our National Sovereignty and enforcing the Nicaraguan Law in our extensive maritime spaces.
40 Years full of Patriotism and Discipline, accumulating more than 2 million miles navigated, patrolling our Seas, Inland Waters, Islands, Keys and Coasts, overcoming complex weather conditions.
In this Patriotic Work, we want to highlight that as of November 2012, our Naval Force has consistently fulfilled the General Augusto C. Sandino Peace and Sovereignty Mission, in the ample waters restored by the International Court of Justice to our country in the Caribbean Sea.
We also want to highlight that in addition to strengthening naval capabilities in the Caribbean, we have also done so in the Pacific and the Gulf of Fonseca, through the Flagging and put into operation the Farallones and Nacascolo ships.
Brothers of the Naval Force, we want to recognize the significant contributions to the Security of our Homeland, achieving important results in the fight against Drug Trafficking and Organized Crime, forming part of the first National Security ring in the Retaining Wall National Strategy.
In this valiant effort, we want to highlight the seizure of cocaine, money, boats and drug traffickers. In addition, as an important element to highlight, that you, with your patrol, guarantee that tons of drugs cannot circulate through our Territory.
This year, during the fulfillment of the Missions, they have carried out more than 160,000 soundings and issued more than 80,000 sailing permits, guaranteeing the safety of the people and the vessels that transport them.
Today we want to highlight the protection of our Ports, which have high levels of security, duly certified and recognized by International Organizations.
Likewise, it is worth noting their significant contributions in the protection of the fishing fleet and merchant ships, which has allowed in the last year the export or import of more than 4 million metric tons of cargo for the benefit of the National Economy.
With Discipline and Love for our People, they have fulfilled tasks of support and protection of the population, actively participating in
Health Programs in remote places of our Rivers and Coasts.
We recognize the Effort and Solidarity in the Search, Rescue and Rescue Missions, helping 50 boats this last year and saving the lives of 130 people.
We continue to improve the Living and Working conditions of the Personnel, and we concluded the construction of a dock with the capacity to beach ships of more than 300 tons, in the Caribbean Naval District.
Brothers of the Naval Force, the Members of the Nicaraguan Army feel proud of their relevant contributions for the benefit of our People, and the successes achieved in the fulfillment of their Missions and Tasks.
Our Recognition and Congratulations for the achievements made to the Chief of the Naval Force, Rear Admiral Ángel Fonseca.
Our Recognition to the General Staff, the Naval Districts, the Naval Detachment of Inland Waters, and the Battalions of Naval Troops. All have demonstrated their Patriotism, Firmness, Discipline and Institutional Cohesion in the fulfillment of the Sacred Missions mandated by the Political Constitution and the Laws.
On behalf of the General Command, the Corps of Generals and all Brothers in Arms, we want to convey our Recognition to the Captains, Commanders and Liutenant Commanders; to the NCOs, Classes, Sailors and Auxiliary Personnel, for the work carried out and for their 40 Years of Foundation.
We congratulate those who, for their merits, were awarded the Medal of Honor for Naval Merit, and those who received the Miles Sailed Badges in their different Categories.
President, we want to thank you for the support you give us for the successful performance of the Missions and Tasks of our Heroic Sailors.
Thank you President. Thank you, Vice President, for always supporting our efforts.
In this 40th Anniversary, the infinite memory of the Brother Sailor who fell in the fulfillment of their Duty. They will always be examples of dedication, and a beacon on the Horizon guiding our actions in defense of the Homeland. Our Solidarity and Fraternal Embrace to the Families of our Sailors who have fallen in the line of Duty.
Brothers of the Naval Force, transmit the appreciation and affection of always to your Families, they are fundamental support for you to serve the Homeland.
Sailors, always remain firm and cohesive defending our Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity, firm and cohesive, contributing to the Security and Well-being of our People.
Honor and Glory to the Comrades of the Naval Force, fallen in the line of duty! Honor and glory!
Honor and Glory to our National Heroes!
Honor and glory!
Long live the 40th Anniversary of the Heroic Naval Force of the Nicaraguan Army! Viva, Viva, Viva!
In fulfillment of our Missions and Tasks …
All for the Homeland!
In Defense of the Homeland and the Institution … Firmness and Cohesion!
Long live the Nicaraguan Army!
Homeland and Freedom!
Daniel Words
Compañera Rosario Murillo, Vice President of the Republic; Army General Julio César Avilés Castillo, Commander-in-Chief of the Nicaraguan Army; Major General Bayardo Rodríguez, General Chief of Staff; Major General Marvin Corrales Rodríguez, Inspector General; Major General Bayardo Rodríguez Ruiz and Major General Marvin Corrales Rodríguez, must be cousins. And our greetings also to Rear Admiral Angel Fonseca Donaire, Chief of the Naval Force.
We remembered, as we always remember, that for the month of September 1979, just after the Triumph, we went to Las Minas, and that Genius of Literature accompanied us, who had an immense love for Nicaragua, Julio Cortázar. And we had a Mission, it was to nationalize the mines, the Gold mines that were subjected to forms of slavery exploitation, and where the profits that should remain in income to the Nation, in royalties, in Taxes for the Nation It was simply shared by the Companies with the Somoza Family. There they were distributed. No one was accountable.
They even went to the extreme, over the years, in that mining exploitation, they went to the extreme, in what was a jetty that had been named Puerto Isabel, there they expanded it and built a port so that they could enter barges with greater capacity, not to take the gold bars, the gold bars when they were processed simply then went by air to the United States, but there what they did was create the conditions so that the gold was no longer processed here in Nicaragua and that the chaff was shipped, without even having any idea of how much gold was going to come out of those tons of chaff.
They took the chaff to work it there, and there was no idea of how much gold was being extracted, looted, stolen from our country. And they called that Democracy, the operation of the Country in those conditions they called Democracy, and there was no greater Well-being for the Native Populations that worked in Las Minas.
For that reason, because of the looting of Wealth, of the Natural Resources, in this particular case of Gold, is why went there to nationalize, the State to intervene with the Workers, and with the Workers and with the Technicians to organize and with the, with the Specialists, organize the exploitation of the Gold, leaving resources for the Country. And facing, logically, the demands that the expropriated Mining Companies went to present; They went to file lawsuits against Nicaragua, and there are lawsuits that lasted for a long time.
Therefore, we went there to that act of Sovereignty, because it was simply not a foreign investment that was being carried out in accordance with International Laws, and with National Standards. There was no regulation, it was simply the looting agreed between the Somoza Family that had been imposed to govern our Country, after assassinating Sandino it had been imposed by the Yankees and armed by the Yankees, with North American companies that had no sense of Ethics and that they enjoyed this plunder because it gave them unlimited profits. So we went there, it was a Day of Joy, it was a Day of National Pride, of National Sovereignty.
That has changed diametrically. Now the mining operations are carried out according to National Laws and according to international parameters, and there is a good harmony, a good relationship between the Nicaraguan State, and they pay taxes, they contribute to the Community, they contribute with construction of Houses, contribute with the construction of Schools, Hospitals, Roads. That is, it is the shared investment, where the Population receives benefits, the Workers receive benefits, not only the salary, but also the Community receives benefits. And we see that, how the Mining Poles have developed throughout our Country.
Then the Ceremony culminated, and then y talking with Commander Campbell, Commander Campbell is originally from Corn Island, and with Rosario: Why don't we continue to know that other part of Nicaragua that we did not know? Well, we made the trip, we made the trip there by land, and there we got to know the famous Wawa River, that immense River, it was not in condition that it could be passed if it was not with the barge that they had there, a barge where the vehicles are mounted and the vehicles cross, and continue the road towards Bilwi.
It was a huge barge, of course, a river that when it grew was kilometers of flood, and still when it grows, it is kilometers of flood. There we do not lose sight of the fact that a bridge will have to be built, the point where that bridge will be built has already been located. It is a situation very similar to the one that existed here in Malacatoya, of course, the crossing there in Malacatoya with shorter dimensions, the vehicles also crossing on a barge.
How Malacatoya changed! Something that seemed unbelievable, something that seemed like it had to be that way all Life long, how it changed! Highway, Bridge, and Life changed, and thus Life will also change for the Brothers of the Caribbean, as we move forward with the Project of these Routes, where the point that the Railways traveled in other times is already located. Because it was the other exploitation that North American companies had here, without any control, it was also looting bananas, wood. They took what they wanted, they felt they were owners of the country, because they had here a government imposed by them, on the blood of the Nicaraguans.
And in that journey we got to know, we stopped in the Communities along that road. Well, when we left Las Minas and crossed the Wawa we entered the plain, that flat area, because in the areas of Las Minas we have high altitude areas. On the other side is the plain, it is that immense plain, and there the Communities, the Communities of Miskito Peoples, of Mayagnas Peoples, of Afro-descendant Communities, until we reached Bilwi. And Bilwi was in the hands of the People, in the hands of the People was Bilwi, just as all those Communities of the Caribbean Coast, Bluefields, Corn Island were in the hands of the People ... Everything in the hands of the People!
I remember that we then began to hold Assemblies, and in the Assemblies, there with Steadman Fagot, with Brooklyn Rivera, how we made a Great Unity, first, of the Miskito Peoples, Mayagnas, of the different groups that they had. We participated in those Assemblies that lasted hours and hours and hours, and a discipline in the Assemblies, and that was where that organization arose that in Miskito, Sumo, Rama, said: Asla Takanka! United! United!
That was the first ... there were Miskitos, Sumos, Ramas, Sandinistas, Asla Takanka! Everyone together! Everyone together! That was ... All one people! Assemblies with 800, 1,200 Delegates from the different Communities. And in Peace, and with much Joy, because that People had never had the right to speak, to express opinions, to propose; it had been permanently oppressed, plundered, exploited.
Then we went to the Port, and at the Pier was an Israeli-built boat, Dabur; They were the boats or the coast guards that were supplied to Somoza, as well as some air planes also made by Israel, this as a complement to all the weapons that came from the United States of North America. Dabur, the Coast Guard, and the Arava aircraft, which had the ability to fire rockets.
So we approached the boat to browse, why? Because there was no Naval Force, as the General reminded us, there was still little formal presence of the Army, well the Army was just being constituted. All there was in the hands of the People, as I was telling them, so we went to the boat to talk there with those who were in command of the boat.
At the command of the boat were some Miskito Brothers who are great sailors, and while talking with them, I asked them if they could drive that boat; They said yes, that they could handle it, that they could drive it, even though it was missing some instruments, the boat had been half looted. So could we go take a tour on this coast guard? We go along the Coast looking south and we stop at the Communities to visit the Communities, and then later on we will see if we also cross to Corn Island.
We were accompanied by a Cuban journalist, I remember, Erasmo Terrero, Rest in Peace. He accompanied us writing chronicles.
Well, we settled into the Dabur and the tour began; One of the first towns where we disembarked was there, where what they called Puerto Isabel, in that moment its name was changed, that I remember Puerto Isabel was called Puerto Benjamín Zeledón, at that moment.
Well, we disembarked, we walked through the town, talking there with the population. There the Authority was the People, the Commissions that they have, the Communal Councils that they have, that was the Authority; so, we talked with them with great expectation about everything that the Revolution was going to bring. It occurred to no one at that time, in that Atmosphere of Peace, Tranquility, and Joy, that soon another war would come to be imposed on Nicaragua. Nobody thought of it, it was the Joy that there was.
Then we continued, and we went to a Community, Tasbapauni, a Community where vehicles simply did not enter, there you could only get there by rivers, or from the sea you could get there by canoes. The Miskito Comrades anchored the coast guard, immediately the community members who were there, a Miskito Community as well, immediately took their boats and began to navigate to where the coast guard was; We got off the coast guard, crossed to the boats and they took us to the little town. Because, of course, the coast guard could not dock, there was no berth for the coast guard to dock, they had to stay a little away from the coast, and then they would arrive.
Before we had passed through Sandy Bay as well, a totally virgin Community. In other words, in all those Communities, you already know, Brothers and Sisters of the Naval Force, Brothers and Sisters of the Air Force and Brothers and Sisters also of the Infantry Force, you already know a good part of the Coast, and you know how you live in those Communities.
There, what impressed us the most when we arrived in that Community, is that the little houses were there and the concept of "fence" did not exist. Everyone had their chickens, their pigs, some cattle, and there no one fought because they moved from one side or the other. And there was no pavement, logically, just the dirt streets, but covered with grass, with flowers, the green streets, a green covered with flowers. There we were sharing, talking, talking to them about what they wanted to know, what the Revolution meant.
Later, leaving this Community, I asked the Comrades: See, could you take us to Corn Island? Yes, Yes. And how long is that trip to Corn Island? A few hours. Well, let's go to Corn Island. Then they already headed for Corn Island. It was late in the afternoon and it was getting dark, in the middle of rumbling waves, the sea was rough and it already seemed that the coast guard was turning over. And with each wave that came with great power, the Miskitos jumped and shouted with joy, while we were a little worried, and they were jumping for joy with each wave that came with force.
And there we went ... They were looking at the Sky, looking for Stars to orient themselves, there were some maps, they took the maps. Well, it was hours, hours and hours, and at a certain moment I said to the Captain: I think we have already left Corn Island, I think we are going to stop at San Andrés. No, no, he says, we're doing good, we're doing good, we're doing good. And indeed they took us exactly to Corn Island.
Then in Corn Island, there traveling through Corn Island, talking to the population ... I remember an Assembly there in Corn Island, and in the Assembly there was a discussion, that is, we arrived when the discussion was taking place, the People's Power was there directing the Assembly. And the discussion was that that place, which had been a business, a restaurant, a bar, something like that, the owners had run away and left the business; So what do we do with this business? Then there was the discussion, some said that it was necessary to make it a dance hall, others said that it had to be turned into a Cultural Center. And there was the discussion, the discussion, and in the end the vote, well, you had to vote, the vote was held, then it was that it would be a Culture Center, and on weekends, a recreation center, dance, a combination was achieved. That's how decisions were made at that time.
Then we returned to the Dabur and entered Pearl Lagoon, and there when we entered Pearl Lagoon, we were going to disembark, we already docked, that great Poet was there waiting for us, who accompanies us from that other Plane of Life where he is, Carlos Rigby; Carlos Rigby was there with a trombone, receiving us with the notes of the trombone, it was a magical thing, the Culture alive, natural, spontaneous, and with that great Wealth and Strength of those Peoples, and in particular of Poet Rigby. We went down, we were there talking, they invited us, where we were arriving they invited us to eat, we were eating on the way, to eat Rondón, to eat little fish.
Then we went to Bluefields, we were in Bluefields too, we were getting to know that other part of Nicaragua, mind you. After Bluefields we come through El Rama, always with the Dabur through El Rama, to the landing stage, to the little port of El Rama, there we disembark, we say goodbye to the Comrades, and headed to Managua.
That was the Naval Force at that time, and I imagine that this must have worked in all the Ports, next to San Carlos, Río San Juan, in the different places where these Dabur could have been, because the Guard had a few Daburs.
Actually what we found as a Naval Force was very little, the part of the Dabur would say that it was the strongest, the most powerful that it had, hence it was a quite fragile Naval Force and without great capabilities to be able to fulfill basic missions of a Naval Force. Why? because that was a system run by the Americans which had the Somozas as operators here, and what they were interested in was having a Guard, a Police, to keep the people terrified. And if a Guard patrol appeared there, on the edge of a small port, it was to loot, to steal, to kill.
Then the maritime issue was not among their priorities, they did not care about defending the integrity and territorial sovereignty of the country and that explains that we found ourselves with a very fragile Naval Force.
These Dabur were incorporated into the Naval Force, of course, and there it was necessary to start building a Naval Force practically from scratch. Then the Naval Force was strengthened, with the Cooperation of Brotherly Peoples, of Friendly Peoples Comrades of the Naval Force got qualified.
And already in recent times, when the ruling of the Court about the dispute we had in our Territorial Sea in the Caribbean was about to arrive, already then we had boats, with boats of higher quality, of greater strength, of greater autonomy, such as the last ones that were bought, we bought them with our own resources, those of Dutch manufacture, very modern boats.
We also received some from Spain, previously, and these Dutch boats that we bought with our own resources, expensive boats but of great quality, and that, combined with everything that has been captured from drug trafficking, because then there the Naval Force began to play its role, first, in safeguarding the Sovereignty of the Country, and first also in the fight against Drug Trafficking and Organized Crime.
So, apart from the efforts that we made to get them to cooperate with us with boats, that we bought other boats, or coast guards, the Naval Force itself, by fighting drug trafficking, was seizing fast boats that drug trafficking use for transportation of drugs, of all kinds, there were some with several engines which gave them great speed.
Then all these means were adapted s for the Naval Force; In other words, the Naval Force grew from External Cooperation, it is true, from the State's own resources, but it was also growing from you own efforts, Dear Brothers of the Naval Force, who began to capture speedboats everywhere, the kind used by drug traffickers, and which then became patrol boats to pursue Drug Trafficking and Organized Crime, also to accompany the protection of our Maritime Borders, both in the Caribbean Sea, the Pacific Sea, as in our Rivers.
In other words, we have already managed to make a leap in quality in terms of having a Naval Force that has had an extraordinary job, has developed an extraordinary job in safeguarding Sovereignty at that time of enormous expectation and enormous tension, of the Ruling of the International Court of Justice, and General Avilés, as Commander in Chief of the Army, gathered them together and told them: Well, we are going to patrol
the Territory that belongs to Nicaragua, as dictated by the International Court of Justice.
Well, it took a lot of courage, a lot of valor, a lot of Patriotic Spirit from the Comrades who in their speedboats, in their coast guards, from the Comrades who were going to be combining efforts on the air planes to exercise that patrol, because we already know that the Colombian State has a powerful Naval Force, a very powerful Naval Force, and there were people there who did not want to accept the Ruling and who were rather pressing for the Colombian Naval Force to continue to maintain the limits that had been imposed for years as territorial limits of the Caribbean Sea of Nicaragua. They had imposed those limits by the force of the power of their ships, of their frigates.
That danger was there, and the Comrades, under the General's leadership, did not hesitate to go to protect our new Maritime Boarders. And there we have been and there we continue, always looking for a way with the Colombian Brothers to finally reach an understanding where everything is completely in Peace, in Tranquility, in Stability, in accordance with International Laws, respecting what was dictated by the Court.
Likewise, the operations of the Naval Force here in the Pacific Zone combating Drug Trafficking and Organized Crime, and also in the Caribbean and in the Pacific protecting Natural Resources, because we already know that there are acts of illegality of some Companies that penetrate without permission to look how to take our Natural Resources. They can enter, but they need to request permission, they pay what they have to pay, and they can enter to operate.
But we already know that this behavior occurs, it has diminished to the extent that it is seen that there is a decision here to protect our Natural Resources, and to protect our Fishermen, and to protect the operations that General Avilés reminded us, of loading and unloading of merchandise in our ports, which is a decisive work for the economy of our Country.
And there will be more work for the Naval Force, because now we are already advancing in the studies for the construction of a Deep Water Port there in Bluefields, because we need a Port on the Caribbean. The ports that we have towards the Caribbean are very small, the Port of Bluff is very small; the Port of Bilwi is a very small pier, that is, large ships with cargo cannot approach to unload. The Port of El Rama is a small Port too, we need a large Port in the Caribbean.
Meanwhile, we share a port with Costa Rica, Puerto Limón, and we also share a port with Honduras, to intern merchandise and to export merchandise, which will always be necessary; In other words, the fact that we have a Port on the Caribbean does not mean that we are going to stop working with the Ports of Costa Rica, with the Ports of Honduras. The economy grows, exports grow, commerce grows, it gives for everyone. As well as the Canal.
So, on behalf of the Nicaraguan People, Dear Brothers of the Naval Force, Dear Commanders of the Nicaraguan Army, Dear General Julio César Avilés, I want to congratulate you all, on behalf of the Nicaraguan People, because, as I told you, for a Body and several Bodies, which is even more complex, can coordinate, can work, can advance, can strengthen, can develop, they demand a direction, a centralized leadership, that shares criteria, that shares opinions, but then comes the "execute", centralized in the Command. And this explains the strength that the Naval Force has had over Time.
That is why we congratulate on behalf of the Nicaraguan People, and we recognize in the Naval Force and the Army an Institution that is a guarantee of Stability, Peace, the Economy, the fight against Drug Trafficking, the protection of our Sovereignty, of the Country. Fundamental Forces for the Country!
To all of you, Dear Brothers and Sisters, to your Families, Congratulations! And for the Brothers who throughout these 40 Years have given their Life in fulfillment of Duty, our Prayers and our Commitment to give continuity to the work that they have been developing, to give continuity to the footprint that they have already left, walking towards the Future, and our Love, our Affection, for their Families, for their grandchildren who will be older today, I mean those who started 40 Years ago in the Naval Force. And for the grandchildren who today will be children, of the new Members of the Naval Force, for their Relatives, for their Mothers, for their Grandmothers, for the entire Family, who accompany them in this work, which is a noble task for the benefit of the Nicaraguan people.
Long live the Nicaraguan Naval Force, on the 40th Anniversary!
Long live the Nicaraguan Army on its 40th Anniversary!
Homeland and Freedom!