Nicaragua

On Friday 2nd of August we finally made public what we have been doing for some time now: the conscious and consequent study of the ideas of Marx, Lenin and Trotsky. The inaugural activity was a meeting introduced by the Swiss comrade Caspar Oertli. During his leadoff he sketched out in general terms the socio-political and economic crisis that the Old Continent suffers, the question of SYRIZA in Greece and the role of the International Marxist Tendency on a world scale.

The Sandinistas carried out many progressive reforms after they came to power, but they never seriously tackled the question of ownership of the means of production. By leaving the bulk of the economy in private hands they gave the local oligarchy and imperialism the instruments by which these were able to undermine the revolution and eventually defeat it.

At the end of the 1970s, the people of Nicaragua rose up and overthrew one of the most hated tyrants in the world, Anastacio Somoza. It was an inspiring revolution that raised the hopes of many workers and youth around the world. Today Venezuela raises similar hopes. But the Nicaraguan revolution was defeated. What lessons can we draw from this today?

After 16 years the Sandinistas have made a comeback. The vote for Ortega represents a desire for fundamental change on the part of the masses. But Ortega has bent over backwards to reassure the capitalists that he can be trusted. No long-lasting reforms are possible in Nicaragua under the domination of US imperialism and as long as capitalism survives in the country.