Pilgrimage Through the Americas: A Sandinista hotbed: Esteli, Nicaragua

We support him, We don’t support him

People have lived continuously in “Las Pintadas” near Esteli for 12,000 years, making this area one of the first inhabited places in Nicaragua. Esteli was a breeding ground for the FSLN (Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional) or Sandinista movement. Many Sandinista “compas” (friendly companions) came from this city. Most were killed or “disappeared” in the uprising against the dictator Somoza in the 1970s. The city was founded in 1711 and razed in 1978-79 by Somoza’s air force and army. Indiscriminate aerial bombing of the city killed scores of non combatants, many were women and children. This random killing of innocent people radicalized the population in support of the Sandinistas. The urban area lacks visual beauty and is still in the process of rebuilding with many buildings showing signs of warfare. It is one of the fasting growing cities in Nicaragua. There are two museums and many monuments commemorating the tragic history of this city.

Museum of the Martyrs with tributes to "compas" killed in the revolution

Mural depicting civilian uprising against dictatorship

One of many public monuments to the liberation of Nicaragua

Che is a symbol throughout the Americas in the fight against oppression,
injustice, and for respect of human rights

Esteli is a university and college town. The large student population brings vibrance to the biggest commercial center in northern Nicaragua. It is known worldwide as a cigar capital, producing the finest tobacco in the Americas. Cuban exiles came in the 1960s, escaping Communist Cuba, smuggling prime heirloom tobacco seeds, bringing expertise, and experience. In the fine cigar business, it’s known that the “best Cuban” cigars in the world are made in Esteli with Cuba seeds by Cuban craftswomen and men. The cigars are made by female and male pairs. The male prepares the filler tobacco, and the female rolls it with a wrapper leaf. Local Nicaraguans do not smoke these quality cigars. Ironically, you see Americans and Cubans brandishing these high end rolled tobacco leaves and puffing away.

American businessmen arranging shipment of "Cuban cigars" to the United States

Esteli River splits the city between the modern and the rural

There are many small shops and eateries on the two main boulevards and adjacent side streets. Walmart and other “super stores” have not arrived in this expanding city. Besides the many fruit and vegetable stands, there are two “supermercados” that are about the size of a medium grocery store in the USA. They sell basic food items, household supplies, and packaged, processed foods. The prices are competitive, but not lower than the smaller stores on the side streets. Even though Esteli is a commercial hub, one still hears roosters crowing in the morning in the city center. The smell of burning wood from old-fashion cooking is prevalent. The city has not yet become modern. It is still holding on to a rural way of life, but quickly transitioning into a contemporary twenty-first century urban center.

One of the two main boulevards with numerous small retail businesses

Small store on a side street selling clothing, shoes, and fresh fruit

Unusual fruits sold at the supermercado

Transportation by horse still used one block from city center

Small neighborhood convenient store

Cell phones have arrived in Esteli. Most people, young and old, are using them to the point that they show signs of “addiction” to these devices. Young and middle aged shop clerks are more interested in checking message on their cells, than helping me or other customers. Even security guards around banks and electronic stores selling expensive products are constantly checking their gadgets. Teenagers are walking everywhere while talking or texting on their cell phones. There are many people, female and male, driving around on scooters and small engine motorcycles. Frequently, small pickup trucks pass with many people riding in the truck bed.

Small engine motorcycles are used by everyone and are everywhere

This area of Central America was the least expensive for food, board, and transportation of all the areas I’ve visited. I stayed at a hotel in a key location one block from the central plaza, the heart of the city, and only paid $14 dollars a night (Hotel Meson, recommended). One of the hotel clerks, forty year old Dona Cruz, said she was a Sandinista and supports President Daniel Ortega for reelection. She said, he hands out free food to poor people. He is the “president of the poor.” She approved of what he’s done and is going to vote for him.

Garden courtyard at Hotel Meson

Amanda, kind helpful front desk clerk at the hotel

Another clerk, twenty-nine year old black woman Pamela said, “Ortega was violating the constitution by running for reelection.” She proclaimed, “He is no Marxist and is as corrupt as all of them. He’s acquired a fortune and became a ‘Christian’ because it serves his needs to be reelected. Ortega is a Christian in name only!” She went on to say that he’s a capitalist and yes he helps the poor, “But what about the rest of the country. Us people who work, what has he done for us? I don’t support him, nor will I vote for him. He can’t run for reelection. We have a law against a president being reelected for consecutive terms. He doesn’t care. He’s transgressed the constitution and probably is going to win.”

"People who work, what has he done for us?"
(Postal clerks selling me stamps)

Working for a living

Mural painted on the outside wall of the Esteli mayor's office
(It reads: With Daniel {Ortega} . . . . With him out front . . . .
We will continue changing Nicaragua)

One of the opposition presidential candidates. His slogan reads:

A President for everyone

Another presidential candidate: has been accused of being encouraged by Sandinistas to enter the race in order to split the opposition vote and assure a victory for Ortega

I spoke with my potential Spanish teacher, Milda, about Ortega and the Sandinistas. She has an advanced degree in education, owns a Spanish language school, and is active in women right’s issues. Currently she’s organizing a coalition of groups to petition the government for funds to help educate and assist in the fight against breast cancer. She is a breast cancer survivor. She is a confirmed Sandinista. She also called Ortega the “president of the poor.” While she supports the Sandinistas and their programs, she’s disappointed that Ortega is running for reelection and not allowing and giving a change for other candidates within the party that are qualified and ready to lead as president. She would like to see a woman candidate. Nevertheless, she is going to vote for him “because all the other candidates are corrupt and won’t help the people.” She lived through the Sandinista revolution and the Contra War. During the Contra War she studied in Cuba on a scholarship, but remembers the rationing of gas and staple foods, the empty store shelves, and the lack of public transportation. She pointed out some improvements that she ascribes to the Sandinistas: “We now have a free market economy, sufficient food and many commercial businesses, plenty of gas, taxis, buses, and cars on the roadways. We enjoy the ability to freely travel throughout Central America.” She would like to visit the United States one day and experience a country she’s heard a lot about - good and bad.

"Sufficient food" to feed the population of Esteli

An abundance and variety of fresh fruits

"Plenty of gas, taxis, buses, and cars"

I met entrepreneur Roberto, early thirties university educated, at his popular cafe where I had a delicious ham and cheese warm pressed panini sandwich, a decadent chocolate cake, and superb coffee. He’s developed a unique eatery catering to university students, foreign travelers, and the quickly growing employed middle class. The restaurant is a hub of intellectual discourse, blending of ideas, and incubating future leaders for the Esteli community. Roberto is concerned that his country is suffering a “deficit of intelligence”, the inability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills, and thinking critically. He said college professor are satisfied to earn their salary by only teaching what’s allowed by the government, nothing that questions the norm, or accepted doctrines and ideas. Students are not challenged to learn anything else than what is taught and needed to pass exams. He illustrated by an example he witnessed when he was studying at the university: “A popular professor was teaching the importance of protecting natural resources - forests, rivers, undeveloped wilderness - for future generations. That afternoon the professor was at an outdoor coffee house smoking a cigarette and interacting with students. When he was finished smoking, he threw the butt in the street, instead of disposing in a trash can. The students were watching the professor. They all want to be like him. What kind of example are students going to follow?”

Delicious decadent chocolate cake with gourmet coffee

Roberto asked me, “What should you fear more a physical delinquent or a mental delinquent?” I said a mental delinquent because they’re thinking about controlling consequences before they act. He said, “Yes, the physical delinquent I see the person coming at me and I can defend myself. The delinquent that uses their mind, acts as my friend, shakes my hand, then goes behind me and does me harm. That’s what Daniel Ortega and the Sandinistas have learned. They don’t come at you physically with gun in hand. They manipulate through visits and gifts of free food, a cow, a small tract of land, a free shirt, and promises that if they stay in power they’re going to help you. These elected representatives end up harming you by hiding and keeping foreign aid intended for improvements to infrastructure.” He further said, “The poor, uneducated people are also to blame for allowing themselves to be manipulated. They wait for promises of help to be fulfilled from leaders, without going out and helping themselves. After the election, the people forget the promises, but remember the free shirt, cow or land. This is also a deficit of intelligence.”

Bags of "free" beans, rice, corn like these were given to poor

people by President Ortega months before elections

The cafe owner believes that leaders from both the left Sandinistas and the right opposition parties have vested interest in keeping Nicaragua poor. Being a poor country allows those in power to ask foreign governments for money for development. When this money arrives portions are siphoned off to all the parties involve before it goes into helping develop the country. All these leader, right and left wing, are amassing personal fortunes while the majority of people remain poor. These leaders do not want Nicaragua to advance to the point that foreign aid is no longer needed or given. This revenue stream would cease for them. Roberto declared, “Ortega and the Sandinistas are no longer Marxist, now they claim to be ‘socialists’, but in name only. They claim that socialism allows for differences in economic benefit depending on one’s ability to make money. The money they’re making rightly belongs to the people of Nicaragua for the benefit of the nation.” With cynicism Roberto stated, “There won’t be another revolution. People are tired of violence and war after the disastrous conflicts of the 70s and 80s. There might be protests, but most people are indifferent or willing to wait, as I said deficit of intelligence.”

This young "Nica" has only known peace. Will it be true for her entire life?

Next let’s travel to where the Sandinista “compas” still retain their ideals. We’ll go to the mountain stronghold where the revolutionaries organized and trained. We’re headed to the mountains of Miraflor, a recently designated nature reserve. These mountains and the people surround Esteli and provided hideouts, bases of operations, and support during the war of liberation from Somoza’s dictatorship. These compas work and practice a rural way of life. I’ll stay with them in the “campos” (farmland and fields) for one week in a home without running water, electricity, or indoor plumbing and try to get a sense of their lifestyle, values, and thoughts. They realized benefits and are grateful to the revolution. They are bound to disagree with Roberto’s analysis. What do they believe? Even though practicing subsistence farming, and would be classified as “poor” do they support a millionaire for president?

There has been an explosion of fine dining and international cuisine in Esteli. Below are some selected meals that are in the gourmet category. All these small businesses are highly recommended. You can eat at half to a third of the cost of a meal in the United States.