Intervention by Comrade Arjae Rebmann from the Workers World Party
at the Press Conference of the North American Solidarity with Nicaragua.
January 12, 2022
In an act of sheer hypocrisy, the United States and European Union have announced new sanctions against Nicaragua. Sanctions are a weapon of war, and we need to understand that the purpose of sanctions are to cause hardship and suffering for the people of a targeted country, in order to sow discontent and justify regime change.
The US and the EU have accused President Daniel Ortega of “human rights abuses and undermining democracy and the rule of law” — a laughable accusation coming from the United States government who has made a name for itself around the world for its total disregard of human life and undermining democracy wherever a dollar can be made.
Brian E. Nelson, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said “we continue to stand with the Nicaraguan people and their calls for a return to democracy.” By “Nicaraguan people”, he means a small reactionary oligarchy and coup plotters, not unlike the anti communist contras hired by the US government in the late 1970s (which the US still owes reparations for according to the International Court of Justice and refuses to pay to this day.)
The truth is that the people of Nicaragua and the Sandinista government, through the revolution, have already achieved many of the things people in the US are still fighting for, including free healthcare, free education, unlimited paid sick leave, and more.
As a Starbucks worker in the US, I had to fight every step of the way just to have my union recognized, and I have seen here in Nicaragua how the unions and the progressive government work hand in hand to improve society for everybody. All these are reasons why Nicaragua and the Sandinistas are labeled as the enemy by our government. Working class and oppressed people in the US know that Nicaragua is not the enemy.
The truth is that the US is grasping for straws and applying sanctions because the US sponsored coup attempt of 2018 failed miserably, and the people’s desire to defend their progressive government only grew stronger.
I have seen with my own eyes here the enthusiasm and love for President Ortega. I have listened to the farmers and workers tell me how their lives have improved since the revolution and with the help of the Sandinista government. Nicaragua has been able to build cooperatives, hospitals, schools, health clinics, bring water, electricity, and housing to people who did not have that before the revolution. The returning of land to indigenous people (which the US has not done) as well as placing women’s liberation at the forefront of their progress. Nicaragua has also achieved near total food self-sufficiency, with 95% of food being produced domestically. I can say based on my own experiences, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the US media is lying about Nicaragua and the US government is guilty of all the things they accuse President Ortega of, and worse.
I am demanding an immediate end to the sanctions against Nicaragua and payment of reparations owed by the United States. I am demanding the US government take its hands off Nicaragua for the last time, so Nicaragua may have the self determination it deserves. I am demanding the US government stops worrying about other countries elections and starts cleaning up its own rampant corruption and sham elections, or maybe address the ongoing COVID pandemic that has killed more than 840,000 people in the US alone.
Joe Biden — clean up your own house and leave Nicaragua alone!