Violeta Chamorro

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Violeta Chamorro : biography

October 18, 1929 –

Chamorro’s presidency faced decreased US interest to the point that when Chamorro came to the US in April 1991 to ask Congress for more economic aid, few members even showed up to listen to her. Because the Sandinistas were defeated and peace talks were being established, U.S. foreign policy did not treat Nicaragua with as much importance anymore.

In 1992, Senator Jesse Helms worked to cut off financial aid to Nicaragua. Helms stated in his Senate report that the Sandinistas were still controlling much of the Nicaraguan government and suggested that the government replace all former Sandinista officers with ex-contras, replace all judges, and return all US property that was taken from US citizens during the revolution. Chamorro’s administration denied the allegations while still trying to meet Helms’ demands. Helms ended up winning and the US government denied Nicaragua the $104 million that they had been promised for that year.Nicaragua: The Chamorro Years, 136 Predictably, the aid cut-off, subsequent freeze, and Helms’ demands were put forward in October, the month after Chamorro withdrew the compensation claims associated with the Nicaragua vs. United States verdict.http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1992-11-04/news/1992309160_1_helms-nicaragua-chamorro

Presidency

In 1990, after nearly a decade of civil warfare and economic sanctions, Chamorro became the presidential candidate of the National Opposition Union (UNO), a coalition of 14 political parties that ran against the Sandinistas in that year’s national elections.Beckman, Peter R., and Francine D’Amico.eds., Women in World Politics, 31 Chamorro won the election with a 55% victory over the incumbent, Daniel Ortega.Guillermoprieto, Alma. The Heart that Bleeds, 39. These elections were internationally monitored and provided a relatively smooth transition. The elections were known for being tremendously influenced by the United States: in addition to the White House’s insistence that the embargo would continue if Chamorro were not elected, the White House also contributed $9 Million to Chamorro’s UNO party. Chamorro’s presidency is primarily known for the peace her election allowed for war-ravaged Nicaragua, as the US was expected to continue funding the Contras (and maintain the embargo) if she did not win. Cement-covered tank in Chamorro’s Peace Park (Parque de Paz) symbolizing the wish of Nicaraguans that "never again" will their country be plagued by such violence. When Chamorro was sworn in, it marked the first time in decades that a sitting government had peacefully surrendered power to the opposition.

Chamorro’s peace reforms are perhaps her most enduring. Most noteworthy was her official declaration of the end of the war; she maintained this peace by a reduction in the size and power of the military, an end to the national draft, and the demobilization of the military.Beckman, Peter R., and Francine D’Amico.eds., Women in World Politics, 40-41 This demobilization included the removal of the US-backed Contras thereby leaving the Sandinistas with no one to fight, and therefore creating a highly effective peace.Guillermoprieto, Alma. The Heart that Bleeds 40 Chamorro additionally allowed for the Sandinista’s agrarian reform movement’s redistribution of land to be maintained, and retained Daniel Ortega’s brother, Humberto Ortega, as a military leader. While Chamorro received criticism for this accusing her of supporting the Sandinistas, it proved to be a valuable political move.Walker, Thomas W., ed. Nicaragua Without Illusions. Wilmington, DE: Scholarly Resources Inc., 1997, 49 Chamorro also granted unconditional amnesties for political crimes, resulting in little room for protest from the Sandinistas, and creating a smooth transition of power. The only time the “recontras” attempted to resurface was in 1994, and Chamorro quickly suppressed the violence through a peace agreement. Chamorro’s fierce weapon-buying campaign eradicated the threat of persisting violence, and all weapons were covered in concrete at the Plaza de la Paz (Peace Square), specifically built in downtown Managua to symbolize “never again.”Skidmore, Thomas E., and Peter H. Smith. Modern Latin America. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997 344-345