IN a powerful demonstration of international solidarity, seven members of Veterans For Peace (VFP) visited Nicaragua in mid-to-late March as an official VFP delegation. Veterans from five US states flew to Nicaragua on March 19 for a week-long visit to community clinics, regional colleges, vocational schools, youth groups and mayors in several Nicaraguan cities, including the capital Managua, Matagalpa, Masaya and Ciudad Sandino.

The veterans were most impressed to learn that Nicaragua, the third-poorest country in the Western hemisphere, is providing free, high-quality healthcare and education for all its people.

Delegation participants were VFP vice president Joshua Shurley, VFP board member Gerry Condon, VFP communications director Chris Smiley, at-large member Alvin Glatkowski, and Daniel Shea, Douglas Ryder and Michael Kramer, presidents of their respective VFP chapters in Portland, Oregon; Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina, and Northern New Jersey.

The VFP delegation had a wonderful exchange with the Juventud Sandinista youth group, young women and men who are dedicated to continuing Nicaragua’s unique revolution.

One of the most striking aspects of the trip was the delegation’s visit to a Casa Materna maternity and birthing centre in Matagalpa. Nicaragua has reduced maternal mortality rates by 80 per cent since 2007. These centres reflect the government’s dedication to ensuring that every Nicaraguan mother and child has access to life-saving healthcare.

“What a difference it makes when a government prioritises the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable,” said Shurley, “And what a contrast to the US, where things are moving in exactly the opposite direction.”

Nicaragua withstands US sanctions and hybrid warfare

Nicaragua’s achievements are all the more impressive given the brutal economic sanctions imposed by the US. Nicaragua’s resilience in the face of this economic warfare is partly a result of its focus on “food sovereignty,” as 90 per cent of the food that Nicaraguans eat is grown in Nicaragua. Also notable is Nicaragua’s commitment to sustainable energy. Over 70 per cent of Nicaragua’s energy needs are met by wind, solar, geothermal and hydroelectric.

Nicaragua has a long history of resisting US imperialism. The delegation was able to visit the home of Nicaragua’s national hero, Augusto Cesar Sandino, who led an army in the 1920s that kicked out the US marines. Sandino is the namesake of the Sandinista National Liberation Front and the Sandinista Popular Army, which overthrew the US-backed dictator Somoza in 1979 and fought the US-backed Contras throughout the 1980s.

The VFP delegation travelled to sites in Masaya where brutal violence occurred during the US-backed attempted coup in 2018. Western media portrayed these events as a Nicaraguan government crackdown on peaceful protesters. However, the delegation heard a different story from Masaya residents: the so-called “peaceful protesters” were actually violent mobs, a key element of hybrid warfare (aka colour revolutions) funded through shadowy arms of the US intelligence sector.

“US imperialism has not yet given up on undermining and overthrowing the Sandinista revolution,” said Condon. “Our job as peace-loving veterans is to tell the truth about the remarkable achievements of the Nicaraguan people.”

Nicaragua is ranked sixth in the world in gender equality

The veterans were highly impressed by Nicaragua’s deep commitment to achieving gender equality. The Nicaraguan constitution dictates that half of all political parties’ candidates for political office must be women. If a mayor is a man, the vice-mayor must be a woman, and vice versa.

The same goes for every government ministry. At the highest level, Nicaragua now has a co-presidency that is filled by a man and a woman. Nicaragua is rated first in gender equality in the Americas, and sixth in the world.

As the US continues to grapple with the mounting challenges of authoritarianism, mass deportations, and the dismantling of social services, the VFP visit to Nicaragua underscores that solidarity between peoples of different nations can help break through the disinformation promoted by powerful interests and reveal how the struggles of ordinary people are interconnected.

“We have some serious problems at home in the US — even veterans’ healthcare is under attack,” said Ryder, a veteran of the US war in Vietnam. “We can learn a lot from Nicaragua’s commitment to take care of all its people, beginning with those most in need.”

The VFP delegation to Nicaragua will present its report at a June 22 webinar, co-sponsored by the Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition. VFP is a 40-year-old organisation with chapters in over 100 US cities — www.veteransforpeace.org.