Morning Star, June 30th 2019
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/campaigners-celebrate-40th-an…
Supporters gathered in London on Saturday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign (NSC) and the Sandinista Revolution.
It comes at a critical time as peace talks aimed at bringing reconciliation and stability to the country are in danger of being undermined by the US.
The Sandinista government faced down a US-orchestrated coup attempt last April as armed right-wing gangs sought to oust democratically elected President Daniel Ortega.
Louise Richards opened proceedings by reading out the words of then US President Ronald Reagan when in 1985 he imposed a trade embargo on Nicaragua, telling Congress “that the policies and actions of the Sandinistas constituted a threat to United States security.”
She compared this to an almost identical statement by current US President Donald Trump as he imposed the NICA Act, a series of financial sanctions aimed at strangling the Nicaraguan government to foment regime change.
Delegates reflected on the work of the NSC over the past 40 years.
Julie Lamin of the National Education Union introduced a film made during a teacher exchange programme, while Nick Hoskyns detailed the work of the co-operatives that make up more than 60 per cent of the Nicaraguan economy.
Exiled Chilean academic and Venezuela Solidarity Campaign secretary Francisco Dominguez said Nicaragua was a beacon of hope following the US-backed coup against Salvador Allende in 1973.
“They were fulfilling our dreams in a small country,” he said.
Ms Richards said: “Solidarity is about more than practical, moral and political issues. It’s about building solid bonds of friendship, trust and confidence over many years.
“For our Nicaraguan comrades, solidarity has shown them that they are never alone, not even in the darkest of days.”
Nicaraguan ambassador Guisell Morales stressed the importance of international solidarity, thanking NSC for its work over the years before leading chants of “Viva Nicaragua.”