President-Comandante Daniel and Compañera Rosario, Vice President of Nicaragua.
during the event handing over 250 new buses
October 25th 2021
Nicaraguan brothers and sisters, Families of this Blessed Land of Darío and Sandino; of Diriangén and Andrés Castro; of Zeledón and Carlos... Blessed Land of this Song: Sovereignty! Sovereignty!
A Principle that is enshrined in the United Nations, subscribed to by all the Countries that are part of the United Nations. If this Principle were fulfilled, there would be Peace in the World, and there would be better conditions in the World for fighting Poverty, fighting pandemics, diseases, for improving the living conditions of the World's Peoples.... A Sacred Principle !
This afternoon, as night falls, we gather here with a Heroic Force, Heroes of Labor, the transport workers, who drive day after day, from early morning until night, men and women who go to work, then return from work; the Young People who go to study and then return from University, return from High School, return from Elementary School.
Transport workers who through their discipline at work provide a service of solidarity to the Nicaraguan people, to Nicaragua's families, throughout our country.... urban transport workers, interurban transport workers, Heroes of Labor. To all of you, beloved brothers and sisters, our recognition, our greetings, our fraternal embrace.
Here is Compañera Rosario; Compañero Alexander Khokholikov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation in Nicaragua. Ambassador, here we have two Presidents, because we respect the principle of 50 and 50; in other words, here we have a Co-Presidency with Compañera Rosario. Every day she communicates with our people, she informs us of everything that is being done for the benefit of Nicaraguan families. Without political distinction, without ideological distinction, those Works go on, multiplying every day in our Country.
Beloved Compañero Fiodor Yurchikhin, Cosmonaut and Hero of Russia, 5 Space Missions and 7 walks in Space. This Compañero holds the record for Space walks, this Brother who honors us with his presence today.
Well, you terrestrial transport workers, this transport worker in Space, now you meet here in Nicaragua and greet each other as Brothers.
Compañero Sergei Samburov, President of the Russian Rocket and Space Corporation and President of the Tsiolkovsky Foundation, welcome, Compañero! We are not talking about rockets for bombing a People somewhere, we are talking about rockets for developing Science and Technology, for the benefit of Humanity.
Compañero Nikolai Frolov, Director for Latin America of the Southwest State University of Russia, Welcome beloved Colleague, beloved Brother!
Compañero Petr Pankratov, Commercial Representative of Russia in our country... Here is Petr! Compañero Vladimir Berezhnoi, who is the Representative of GAZ Group, the manufacturer of these buses. Here he is with you, accompanying you. And Compañero Artem Vasilchikov, Chief of Protocol of the Russian Embassy.
And here too we are accompanied by the President of the Russia-Nicaragua Commission, who is our Minister of Finance, Iván Acosta; the Presidential Advisor for Investments, Compañero Laureano Ortega; the Secretary General of the Mayor's Office of Managua, well known to you Sister and Brothers, Compañero Fidel Moreno; Compañero Vice Minister of Transport, Amaru Ramírez.
Sovereignty, a powerful word that people carry in their conscience, in their soul, and defend with their lives if necessary. And thanks to the fact that Nicaragua definitively conquered her Sovereignty on July 19th 1979, we were able to establish relations with the Russian Federation, which led the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
And, look at us, a tiny country, where the Yankees say, when speaking of all our countries, caring little about the size of a country, whether it is big or small, or an island, if we are south of the United States, they say, "it is our backyard". So they say... "their backyard".
And it was not until the Triumph of the Revolution, in 1979, that we established relations with Russia and began Cooperation, unconditional Collaboration, with a Power that was decisive for world equilibrium. The Soviet Union, as opposed to the United States and NATO, was a point of equilibrium.
An so they gave us a hand in those circumstances, they offered us all kinds of Cooperation and Solidarity in those hard years, from 1980 to 1990, and then, as was to be expected, those who came to govern in the 90s, simply did not want anything to do with Russia.
Then, in 2007 with the Great Victory of the Nicaraguan People we resumed relations again with the People of the Russian Federation, at that time President Medvedev was presiding over the Russian Federation, and then President Putin, with no conditions, but since Nicaraguans have Sovereignty, and the Russian Federation defends of Sovereignty.... indeed!
Don't think that the Empire only tries to dominate us here in Nicaragua, casting all kinds of lies, slander and infamy against us, they do it also to the Russian Federation, which is a great Power, and they do it with the People's Republic of China, which is another enormous Power, and they even do it with their European allies... Yes!
They are not used to respecting Sovereignty, but they will have to learn to respect Sovereignty, because the decision of the world's Peoples is to defend Peace, to defend Peace in the World, which is very much needed, it is fundamental that we respect the Sovereignty of all Peoples, of all Nations, where each People and each Nation knows how to administer its house, knows how to develop Programs to combat Poverty, Extreme Poverty, as we have been doing here in Nicaragua.
And with the Russian Federation, starting in 2007, we began to develop intense cooperation, from basic foodstuffs such as wheat, to cooperation in the fields of education, science and technology. Thousands of Nicaraguans were trained in Russia in the 80's, they were trained as Doctors, as Engineers, as Specialists of all kinds.
They have also cooperated in the fight against drug trafficking. Here, in coordination with the Police, they have set up a Regional Training Center; that is to say, one at the disposal of all the Forces operating against Drug Trafficking, Organized Crime, for the whole Region, and those training courses are given here.
In the face of natural disasters too and they have also been able to provide us with an invaluable contribution for defense of our country. Why? So as to have the tools to defend Peace and therefore to defend Sovereignty.
Likewise, in our Trade, we export products from Nicaragua and import products from the Russian Federation. And really, they have given us great help, a great contribution with the vaccines against COVID; they were among the first vaccines that arrived here in our country, and at this point we are already able to talk about reaching a total of 3 million 900,000 vaccines manufactured by the Scientists of the Russian Federation, that is, we are reaching 4 million.... 3 million 900,000 vaccines!
By the way, we are grateful for the vaccines that arrived today from Spain, we are grateful to the Spanish people, we are grateful to King Felipe, and we are grateful to the President of Spain, President Pedro Sanchez. We offer them our recognition. Several deliveries have arrived from Spain.
We also thank the other countries that have contributed in different ways, and the World Health Organization, PAHO, and in particular, Carissa Etienne, who is in charge of PAHO, and Ana Solis, who represents PAHO here in Nicaragua. Our appreciation goes to them.
We are now going to present some data, update ourselves with some statistics, to our People who are following us, because we have a complete broadcast on all the Channels, via all the Media of our Country; that is to say, they are watching us, they are listening to us there in the North Caribbean, in the South Caribbean... everywhere! Everywhere!
Urban Collective Transport serving the country's 12 largest municipalities, with a fleet of 1,320 transport units, carries 1 million 100,000 people daily, 1 million 100,000 Nicaraguans are transported every day.
Intermunicipal Transport, which has a fleet of 3,598 units, moves an average of 430,000 passengers per day.
For many years, when the Revolution triumphed in 1979, transport was in very poor condition, and we began addressing this, bringing new bus units during the 1980s. Then came the period of 1990, 16, 17 years, and really, transport was abandoned, and the transport workers managing it performed miracles with their vehicles to put them to work.
That explains why when we returned to Government we immediately contacted the relevant authorities of the Russian Federation, and with every support from the Russian Government, from its President, in 2009, 380 Russian made buses arrived in our country. You remember that in this same place, in this same Square we held the event handing over those buses.
In 2012, 170 more buses arrived from the Russian Federation, so a total of 550 new buses have already entered our country.
In 2012, thanks to a loan from the Central American Integration Bank, and with the cooperation of the Government of Mexico, we visited the President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon, and he helped us to buy buses there in Mexico, and there we acquired 350 Mexican buses.
And for this year 2021, by the end of the year, we will have incorporated another 550 buses.
In total then, since 2007 when we took over the Government and began arranging for the buses from Russia and then those from Mexico and so on, we have set a record, because with these 250 buses that are in your hands, beloved brothers and sisters, and the 300 buses that will be arriving in December, that will be delivered in December, we are talking about a total of 1,100 Russian made buses, thanks to the principle of Sovereignty and Solidarity practiced by the great power that is the Russian Federation... 1,100 buses!
Today we are formally handing over the buses, the Compañer@s of the Cooperative Bus Routes in Managua have already signed up, and we are formally handing over 250 buses this afternoon, to the Historic Cooperatives: Parrales Vallejos, 21 de Enero, Las Jagüitas, Camilo Ortega, La Colón, Samuel Mairena, Iván Montenegro, 22 de Octubre, La Divina Luz, La Reconciliación, Unión, Esfuerzo y Paz, COTRASUDE, Ricardo Morales, Nueva Nicaragua, Milagro de Dios, Camilo Chamorro, Hagamos Patria, 12 de Octubre, Omar Baca, 30 de Mayo, Andrés Castro... a total of 250 buses.
And our Sisters and Brothers can get ready for another 300 buses that will be arriving and being delivered in December, God willing. So our transport brothers and sisters from León, Chinandega, Estelí, Matagalpa, Tipitapa, Granada, Juigalpa, Masaya, Jinotepe, Boaco, Jinotega should get ready, preparing for the buses that will be arriving for them.
Buses that also open up the highways, buses that open up the streets for people, in all the municipalities of our country, including here in Managua, roads that increase every day via the Streets for the People program, being paved or laid, streets where a vehicle, much less a bus, could not travel before.
This is a recognition for all the Nicaraguan families who travel by bus, who are the majority, for Nicaragua's young people that travel by bus, for the boys and girls, the children that travel by bus, for those that travel to the Health Centers or Health Posts. This is a basic service, without this transport we would simply have to walk for hours to get to work.
And thanks be to God, as I was saying, for Sovereignty, a Holy Word! And after all, this is a Word that defined by the Nature of all species and especially of Humanity. Humanity is born free and must never be enslaved. Humanity is born Sovereign and must never be subdued by any Power. Humanity must be respected, its Families must be respected, its Peoples must be respected.
On behalf of the People of Nicaragua, of Nicaragua's Families, beloved Ambassador, we thank the Heroic People of the Russian Federation. A Heroic People indeed, it was the People that really managed to defeat Nazism. A Heroic People that during those battles suffered 27 million dead in World War II, a People that resisted sieges in emblematic Cities. And they did not collapse when faced with the Nazis!
And it was Russian Forces, of whom we had the privilege here in Nicaragua, when they send us just after the Triumph, a Brother who has now passed to another Plane of Life, Konstantin Kurin. He had been a tank soldier in World War II, and was at the head of the tanks when they entered Germany and arrived where Hitler's bunker was and placed there the Glorious Flag of the Red Army. There was Konstantin Kurin, whom we had the honor to meet, to share with him, a simple, kind man, a man of the People.
So, thanks to President Vladimir Putin, to him our Respect, our Affection, and we are together with you, President, in the Struggle for Peace and in the Struggle for the Sovereignty and Justice of our Peoples.
Long live friendship and brotherhood between the Russian Federation and Nicaragua!
Long live the Transport Workers of Nicaragua!
Long Live Sandino, the Struggle Continues!
Remarks by Rosario, Vice President of Nicaragua,
after the event to hand over 250 new buses
October 25th 2021
A very good evening, Compañer@s. Here we are, content, grateful to God for this new Work of Progress, because this is Progress for our Families. To be able to move about in better conditions. Going to work, going to school, to Health Centers and Health Posts, to get vaccinated or to heal ourselves, to seek healing. To go to Church too, to Prayer Meetings. To go about doing our jobs, those errands, as we call them, that we have to do every day; going to the market, shopping....
Really the daily struggle to prosper, because this People of ours fills us all with Pride, for how we work, for how hard we work, how we are workers, how we press forward, always trusting in God, always full of Hope, and always with the Supreme Value of Love for our Neighbor and Love for the Family, and to feel that the Family is the center of our Hearts... Families and Communities !
Here, this afternoon, we give a new example of how we are making progress... With Sovereignty and National Dignity, with National Decorum, with Love for Nicaragua, we move forward along Sovereign Paths. How important that is! Truly, it strengthens our hearts, because we have fought so hard to be able to live as a Sovereign People, as we deserve, and so many Nicaraguans have offered the best of themselves for our National Sovereignty.
And so, as we take each step forward, towards the Future, working hard, and doing so in full recognition of our Sovereignty, we know that the Dignity that characterizes us, grows every day ... Consciousness of Dignity, Human, National, Dignity in our Homes, in our Families, in our Neighborhoods, in our Communities.
We feel, I repeat and repeat again, content, because we know that these Buses, these Transport Units, are for our People, so that our People can not only move around in better conditions, but also to confirm, confirming every day, that all these Triumphs belong to them; that it is precisely through their hard work, through that dedication to work and to that hard working, Creative, Imaginative Intelligence of Nicaraguans of all ages, that we can get ahead, with Faith in God, who showers Blessings, and these are indeed Blessings, on this Nation that is ours, of All of us, and where reinforcing our Unity is the key to be able to leave behind the Poverty that has been imposed on us, and to advance along the Roads to Prosperity. .. Unity for Prosperity !
Every day we recognize the Strength of God, the Spiritual Strength that God gives us in this Nicaragua, which is the Strength of God in this Nicaragua, which is the Strength of a People that is well used to struggle and knows how to overcome.
Hate has no place here. These are Labors of Love, Labors of Good Heart, and they are True Motives for what a People can do, for the Power of a People. A People, however small and impoverished it may be, keeps its Strength intact, a People like our own, going forward with Dignity, and demanding and insisting on Respect for our Sovereignty, for our Decisions, for our Model, for our Processes of Life and Liberty.
For the Nation and Freedom, said Sandino... For the Nation and Freedom, we say every day, and we always strive to go further, out of Love for Nicaragua, out of Love for our Neighbor, strengthening Peace and Goodness. The Peace of Dignity, not the Peace of the slaves... The Peace of Dignity ! We are Peace with Dignity, and we are Love in every expression of Life.
Thank you, Compañer@s, and my Warm Embrace to all the Mothers, to all our Families who sense how we are getting ahead, who know that we are moving forward, All of Us Together. And that is what is important.
An embrace again to all of you. Here we continue working, Proud to be serving you and trying to do better every day. Thank you, Compañer@s. Thank you.
And Long Live Nicaragua, Blessed and Forever Free!