Sandinista government

Definition

The Sandinista government refers to the political party in Nicaragua that came into power in 1979 after overthrowing the Somoza dictatorship. They were named after Augusto Cesar Sandino, a leader of resistance against U.S. occupation in the early 20th century.

Analogy

Think of the Sandinista government as a new coach for a struggling sports team. The team (Nicaragua) was previously under poor management (Somoza dictatorship), and now they have a new coach (Sandinistas) who promises to change things up and improve conditions.

Related terms

Augusto Cesar Sandino: A Nicaraguan revolutionary and leader of a rebellion between 1927 and 1933 against the U.S. military occupation of Nicaragua.

Revolutionary Government Junta: A group formed by the Sandinistas to rule Nicaragua from 1979 until it was replaced by an elected president in 1985.

Daniel Ortega: A key member of the Sandinista National Liberation Front who served as President of Nicaragua during two periods, first from 1985-1990, then again from 2007-present day.