Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition News 1.21.2025: Daniel Ortega Speech, Ruben Dario; Achievements in Health Care, Education, Women’s Gains

Daniel Ortega Speech at Venezuelan President Maduro Inauguration: “Here is David, here is the Hero, here is the Revolutionary, Nicolás Maduro Moros! And here is Chávez, and here is Bolívar, here are all Venezuela's Heroes” And in a famous Battle in the history of Nicaragua, on September 14th 1854, in that Battle, at San Jacinto, which is commemorated by all the children, all the Youth, because in that Battle the Yankee was defeated. And there, when the Yankee lunged at Sergeant Andrés Castro, a young man, Andrés grabbed a stone and threw the stone and knocked the Yankee down. That's where it comes from then... David and Goliath! …And here the stone has been thrown by all of you, Brothers and Sisters, giving your vote to President Nicolás Maduro. And for today they had scheduled to bring another William Walker, to impose him here instead of Nicolás, but who is here? Did the pilot bring him, the pirate? No! Here is David, here is the Hero, here is the Revolutionary, Nicolás Maduro Moros! And here is Chávez, and here is Bolívar, here are all Venezuela's Heroes!

Article by Jeremy Cerna, Rubén Darío: Anti-colonialist and Anti-imperialist Literature by Ruben Dario is essentially political, its text and context are emancipatory weapons to denounce the arbitrariness of the ruling classes.  [January 18 Nicaragua celebrates the birth of Ruben Dario.]

Some 85% of Nicaraguans favor Daniel Ortega’s performance The polling firm M&R Consultores reported 88% said the Executive guarantees them hope, while 8.8% expressed the opposite. The poll found that 82% believe that the Government of the Sandinista National Liberation Front is democratic and adheres to the country’s laws, and 82% believe that it is leading the nation in the right direction. 86.3% of Nicaraguans stated has the sovereign right to build the interoceanic canal with the support of nations that show willingness within the framework of respect. Graph of Daniel Ortega government approval-disapproval, 2007-2024

Boosting Women’s Earnings: The Role of Nicaragua’s Small Business Program Nicaragua's Small Business of the Family Economy program significantly boosts earnings for low-educated female self-employed workers through increased labor supply and diversification but shows no impact on overall or male earnings. This government initiative, launched in 2012, aims to support self-employed individuals in sectors such as agriculture, forestry, and commerce. Women, particularly those with limited education, often face significant barriers to self-employment, such as restricted access to training, networks, and resources. The program addressed these challenges through targeted outreach, skill-building activities, and opportunities to connect with markets. Women with low levels of education saw considerable gains: female participants with primary education experienced a 14.5% increase in earnings, while those with secondary education enjoyed an 18.3% rise.

Becca Renk: Nicaragua’s Education Revolution - No One Size Fits All 500,000 Nicaraguan school children will receive cash from the government to purchase school supplies to start the 2025 school year. “For this school year, which begins in the last days of January, all children in preschool, first and second grade will receive $55 each for the purchase of supplies to the child's taste,” Vice President Rosario Murillo explained. This will spread out the $27.4 million investment in education among a wide variety of small and micro businesses around the country, creating a welcome cash infusion for Nicaragua's economy….When the Sandinista government came back into power in January 2007, President Daniel Ortega announced at his inauguration that public school would be free. The government had a huge task ahead of them just to repair the 27,000 completely deteriorated classrooms and train teachers – at that time, 47% of public school teachers had no formal training. 

Nicaragua’s Health Achievements in 2024 Maternal mortality decreased by 79.8%, from 104 maternal deaths in 2006 to 21 in 2024; reduced infant mortality by 52.6%, from 1,916 children under the age of one who died in 2006 to 908 in 2024; reduced chronic malnutrition in children under five, from 21.7% in 2006 to 4.5% in 2024. In 2024, 72,161 pregnant women were able to be housed in Maternity Shelters. The number of health workers increased by 77%, from 22,083 in 2006 to 38,984 in 2024.

Events

Register for Webinar January 26, 3pm ET: Sanctions: The Threat and the Promise for Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela The United States and its allies have long imposed harmful “sanctions,” economic coercive measures, on Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.  The US is increasing them and has just placed Cuba back on the State Sponsors of Terrorism List. How can we collaborate effectively, across our organizations and countries, to fight these measures? Webinar Speakers: Jennifer Atlee, Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition; Leonardo Flores, Venezuela Solidarity Network; Onyesonwu Chatoyer, National Network on Cuba

January 28-31: Havana, Cuba: VI International Conference For World Balance This conference cultivates partnerships and formulates actionable strategies to propel us towards a more equitable and just global community. Organized by the Office of the Martí Program and co-sponsored by UNESCO and Soka Gakkai International.

 February 8, London: Latin America Conference This will be the 19th annual Latin America Adelante! Conference.

Delegations to Nicaragua 2025:

Casa Ben Linder Email casabenjaminlinder@gmail.com to apply:

20 February – 1 March 2025: The Bird Brigade: Birding in Solentiname Arquipelago

6-16 March 2025: Power & Protagonism: Women in Nicaragua

May 2025: Co-ops and Communities: Cooperative Movement in Nicaragua

June 2025: Global Health: Family and Community Health in Nicaragua

July 2025: Solidarity in Action: Nicaragua’s Popular Revolution

November 2025: Salud & Solidaridad: Hands-On Healthcare in Nicaragua

 Date TBD 2025: Co-ops and Communities: Cooperative Movement in Nicaragua 

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