Elections in Nicaragua!

Wow! What a crazy time to be in this country. Sunday is the presidential election. There are five candidates, but it seems now that there are only two who are really in the race. The first is Daniel Ortega, yes that is right. Daniel Ortega. The Daniel Ortega who was the President of Nicaragua and the leader of the Sandinistas throughout the 1980’s. For those of you who are around my age, we were only babies when the Contra War began, but the fear of Communism spreading throughout the western world and the reality of a people’s revolution in Nicaragua, was too much for the North to handle. This lead to a decade of war between the United States funded Contras (Guerrillas) and the leaders of the Nicaraguan Revolution the Sandinistas.

The other candidate that is in close running in the 2006 election is Eduardo Montealegre Rivas. Montealegre represents the liberal party or the ALN (Alianza Liberal Nacional.) Montealegre is a wealthy Nicaraguan banker. This causes suspicion for many Nicaraguans who are all too used to their tax money corruptly ending up in the hands of their leaders. So, for some, I think this election, like many, has turned into a decision between the lesser of two evils.

The more that I talk to the people the more I understand both sides. Although, it seems that the majority of the people that I come in contact with are supporters of the ALN. I think this is only because, as a tourist, I am naturally surrounded by more of an upper class. The people that I work with or who live in my neighborhood for example are all supporters of a change for Nicaragua and would like to see Montealegre in office. They think that Ortega back in office would be a step backwards for Nicaragua. They are scared as he represents a decade of hard times in Nicaragua.

The Sandinistas are more supported by a lower class population that do not have access to good jobs, they do not own their own houses, and they place hope in the Sandinistas to provide them with more opportunity. This is more of a communist mentality and one that was proven to work for some poor farmers throughout the 80’s when the Sandinistas forcibly took control of people’s land (non-supporters, rich land owners, foreigners) and redistributed it amongst the poor people.

Some people say if the Sandinistas win and Daniel Ortega is once again El Presidente, they will leave the country and move to Cuba (who has a close relation to Nicaragua), or to the United States to work, as they will only be forcibly taken from their homes and sent to the mountains to fight another war. This is how real and recent the memories of living under a dictatorship and war torn country actually are.

It is unbelievable the things that people will tell you here. Everyone is interested in talking politics and sharing their opinions, and on the other hand nobody really wants anyone to know their true opinions because they are scared of conflict. Por Supuesto! Of Course the people are going to think this way. Especially when you consider that the people lived for 40 years under the Somoza dictatorship and then lived through a nasty Revolutionary war followed up by 11 years of a Contra War that was funded by the US. I have spoken with people about what it was like to live during these times. People had ration cards that they would present to get one loaf of bread, one pound of rice, or one pound of beans during these years. The people would bath in the lake because there was no water or electricity. Most people in the city were woman and children because it was demanded that the men and teenage boys, as young as twelve, enter the service. Or as the Nicas say, fueron por las montanas (Went to the mountains to fight.) I have met people who have lost a brother or father from shootings on the roadside. It is a regular fear or paranoia common for most Nicas to travel at night. When the lights go out, most people do not leave their house. There is a general sense that everyone here works to avoid any conflict possible. There is also another side that seems to be fearless and revolutionary. The people seem strong and absolute in their decisions to live. They are ready to stand up and fight for a freer life. They are tired of being oppressed by corruption. They are tired of being held under the thumb of a corrupt leader or a world bully.

Okay, so back to the elections. They are on Sunday. The process is similar to the US, people vote in a precinct and usually at a church, school, or community center. The difference is that people actually handwrite their vote on a piece of paper and put it in a cardboard box! The votes are counted and the results will hopefully be out by Monday. I have also heard crazy stories about stuffing votes and the corruption that surrounds the counting process, so this will be interesting to watch as well.

Kevin’s birthday is the day of the election! We were going to travel but decided to stay here to see the whole thing go down. Plus it was recommended to us that traveling during this time might not be the best idea. Anyhow, we are going to pass the election with Anielka’s family watching the tele and waiting for the news. Who will be the next president of Nicaragua? We will keep you posted.