Achievements of the Sandinista Revolution: Statement from Encuentro Sandinista de Solidaridad con Nicaragua (Madrid)

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE SANDINISTA REVOLUTION

https://www.solidaridadsandinista.org/

Analyzing the achievements of the people of Nicaragua under the Sandinista government helps us to understand the reality of the current situation in Nicaragua.

GENDER EQUITY

Since 2006, the World Economic Forum has produced the Global Gender Gap Index, which aims to measure parity between men and women in 146 countries in four key areas: economic participation and opportunities, health and survival, educational attainment, and political empowerment.

In 2023 Nicaragua ranks 7th, ahead of Iceland, Norway, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden and Germany. Let’s take into account that Spain occupies the 18th place.

And if we check that in 2007 Nicaragua ranked 90th we are seeing the great achievement that women have achieved with the Sandinista government.

Different programs focused on empowering women such as:

• Zero hunger: Delivering animals, seeds and training courses to women.
• Zero Usury: Loans directed exclusively to women.
• Elections: Positive discrimination favoring women.
• Women’s police.

HEALTH

In the last 15 years the Sandinista Government has built more than 500 new health units including hospitals, health centers, health posts and specialized centers. Since 2007, 24 hospitals have been built; 17 health centers and 454 health posts. Also, 81 new maternity homes, 51 homes for people with special needs and care for people with chronic diseases, among others, have been built. Nicaragua ends 2022 with 19 new infrastructure works and the construction of mega hospitals that will be completed in 2023.

In short, free, quality public health care is guaranteed for all the people of Nicaragua.

EDUCATION

The Sandinista Government has restored the right to free and quality education where students have fully-trained teachers, comprehensive curricula, with the formation of values and national identity. School snacks and all types of school materials, free of charge.

ECONOMY: FOOD SOVEREIGNTY

Nicaragua’s economy is 70% in the hands of small and medium sized producers in cooperatives, 60% of productive land in their hands. This has enabled Nicaragua to be a food exporter.

Nicaragua is a food exporter and produces more than 90% of the food it consumes. The government has given land titles for productive land to people who had no land titles. Nicaragua grew by 5.3% of GDP on average annually between 2011-2017, with reduction in overall poverty (48.3% in 2005 to 24.9% in 2016), and extreme poverty (17.2% to 6.9%). Nicaragua was the fastest growing economy in Central America in 2010-2017, growing 5.1% on average.

TRANSPORTATION

Subsidized by the government barely costs a few cents.

POTABLE WATER AND SANITARY SEWERAGE

In these last 4 years Empresa Nicaragüense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados [Nicaraguan Enterprise of Aqueducts and Sewers] has invested about $100 million in drinking water and sanitary sewerage projects, a record amount. The priority is to ensure an efficient supply network, guaranteeing quality drinking water 24 hours a day and achieving 100 percent coverage.

HOUSING

More than 130,000 homes built by the Nicaraguan government since 2007. In addition, in the last two years, more than 45,000 urbanized lots have been delivered throughout Nicaragua and more than 10,000 homes in the Bismarck Martinez program.

ELECTRICITY

Nicaragua achieved 99.23% electricity coverage in October 2022 and the goal is to reach 99.25% by the end of the year and 99.4% next year. Among the most important works is the construction of 19 substations, reaching more than 100 substations and more than 26,000 kilometers of power lines. Another great achievement has been the promotion of electric mobility to reduce environmental pollution, for which 67 charging points for electric vehicles were installed in different departments of the country.

HIGHWAYS

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure built hundreds of kilometers of roads and bridges throughout the country, the most emblematic project being the Wawa Boom Bridge in the North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region. The Sandinista Government built and rehabilitated more than 4,500 kilometers of highways in Nicaragua in 15 years, of which 3,000 are new roads, connecting more than 75 municipalities in remote areas of the country. On the Caribbean Coast, more than 192 kilometers of hydraulic concrete roads have been built, linking the Atlantic with the Nicaraguan Pacific.

MINISTRY OF THE FAMILY, COMMUNITY, COOPERATIVE AND ASSOCIATIVE ECONOMY
(MEFCCA)

Through the different programs of the Ministry of Family, Community, Cooperative and Associative Economy, 600,000 entrepreneurial families throughout the country were assisted in 2022, with capitalization and strengthening of their capacities. Likewise, more than 370,000 family farmers were supported in training, workshops and technical assistance in basic grains, coffee, cocoa, etc. 50,000 healthy yards were installed, consisting of the delivery of vegetables, fruit and medicinal plants to contribute to the food and nutritional security of families, and to enable them to sell their surpluses in local markets.