Where Is the Sandinista Spirit?: Nicaraguan Women’s NGOs and the Return of Daniel Ortega

Abstract

When Daniel Ortega of the Sandinista Front for National Liberation lost the presidential election of 1990 to Violeta Barrios de Chamorro of the National Opposition Union, the autonomous women’s movement began and the number of non-governmental organizations rapidly increased in Nicaragua. After more than 15 years of neoliberals, moderate socialism came back with Ortega when he won the election of 2006. This research analyzes if any changes in the values, structures and functions of Nicaraguan women’s organizations have occurred since the reelection of Ortega by conducting interviews with four local women’s NGOs: Asociación para el Desarrollo Integral Comunitario, Colectivo de Mujeres de Matagalpa, Grupo Venancia and Servicios Integrales para la Mujer. The case studies of these four women’s NGOs show that the Ortega administration has systematically harassed women’s non-governmental organizations by using explicit and implicit political tools.