The Sandinista Revolution: A Global Latin American History

Jarquín cogently argues that the bloody civil wars that ravaged Nicaragua between 1978 and 1990 were heavily influenced by global ideological shifts and regional political dynamics. During the Carter administration, Latin American governments that despised the ruling Somoza dynasty covertly funneled arms to the Sandinista rebels and manipulated multilateral organizations, including the Organization of American States, to forestall U.S. military intervention. The collapse of the Soviet Union and a global resurgence of democracies pushed the ruling Sandinistas toward more market-oriented liberal economics and pluralistic, electoral politics. More recently, democratic backsliding worldwide has facilitated the regrettable return of authoritarian, dynastic rule in Nicaragua under President Daniel Ortega, a Sandinista leader. A member of a prominent Nicaraguan political family, Jarquín gained access to key political actors, including Sandinista commanders. The result is an authoritative, deeply documented account of a pivotal period in Nicaraguan history that also brilliantly illuminates major trends in inter-American and North-South relations.