Nicaragua In Focus
A Guide to the People, Politics and Culture
by Hazel Plunkett
ISBN-10: 1899365362
Paperback 1st August 1999
Price: £7.99
Whatever happened to Nicaragua? In the 1980s, it was a byword for revolution, a bogeyman for US governments and a symbol of Latin America's quest for new paths to development and social justice. But since the Sandinista's electoral defeat in 1990 it has dropped out of the headlines.
In the 1990s Nicaragua has continued to be buffeted by international forces, although rather than troops, the US now sends the International Monetary Fund. Nicaraguans' daily lives are dominated by a history of poverty, one which makes them the most indebted country in the region, although they retain a vibrant civil society and a rich culture. The country has resurfaced in the international media after the disastrous effects of Hurricane Mitch, the worst natural disaster to hit Central America this century. Yet in spite of hurricanes and earthquakes, Nicaragua is still a country of great natural beauty, with lakes and volcanoes creating a spectacular landscape.
Contents
- The history: Indigenous culture and politics; colonial days; the Miskito kingdom; repeated US intervention; the Somoza dictatorship; the Revolution; the Contra war; the peace process.
- The politics: Sandinista divisions; conservatives in power; rolling back land reform; civil society and grassroots politics.
- The economy: Economic colony; coffee; migrant workers; debt and the IMF; privatisation; tourism.
- The environment: Hurricane Mitch; earthquakes; volcanoes; deforestation; organic farming.
- The culture: Ethnic groups and regions; the churches; music and literature; baseball.
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