William Grigsby Vado *, NicaNotes August 6th 2026
https://afgj.org/nicanotes-lessons-in-democracy
Who can give us lessons in democracy? By what right? We know what it is, how it is built, and how it is defended. We know that democracy does not begin or end with elections. The Yankees told Somoza to hold elections, to commit fraud, and they also gave him the weapons and the money so that the people would remain poor and the country would remain subjected to imperialism. They called him a “democrat,” defended him everywhere, and held him up as an example of how to subjugate a people.
What greater democracy is there than the people’s insurrection to overthrow the Yankees’ puppet? Who made the decision to put an end to the Somoza dictatorship? The impoverished. Meanwhile, the rich and their lackeys were parasites of Somoza. They asked the National Guard to protect them, applauded Somocismo when it murdered the people, filled their pockets while the people died of hunger and lived in ignorance.
What greater democracy is there than the National Literacy Crusade? “To be educated is the only way to be free,” said Cuba’s National Hero, the poet José Martí. Democracy is ensuring that everyone knows how to read and write and has the right to education.
What greater democracy is there than eradicating polio, than vaccinating the entire population to prevent poor people from dying after contracting whooping cough, tetanus, or measles, among many other diseases? Democracy is protecting life.
What greater democracy is there than the armed defense of the homeland, led by the youth of the 1980s, true heroes of the people, who defeated the mercenaries armed and trained by the Yankees? Democracy is defending freedom and sovereignty with one’s own life.
What greater democracy is there than giving land to the peasants? Democracy is social justice.
What greater democracy is there than accepting our electoral defeat in 1990 and handing over the government to the Yankees’ puppets? The FSLN was the first party in Nicaragua’s history to come to power through armed struggle and peacefully hand over the government. That had never happened before. Democracy is recognizing the verdict of the ballot box.
What greater democracy is there than placing the people, the people themselves, at the center of all government and state activity? For centuries, those who hate us used the institutions and their armed forces to make the rich even richer and to murder anyone who fought for life and freedom. Democracy is for the people to rule—the People as President.
And so, we could offer hundreds of examples, such as what our government is doing now (yes, our government, the government of the Sandinistas and of the entire people: it is ours), multiplying schools, teachers, universities, hospitals, health centers, doctors, nurses, streets, highways, roads, bridges, housing, buses, and so on.
Democracy is defended with all the instruments of the State. With weapons, because the people are armed through their Army, their Police, and their Ministry of the Interior. With government action, improving the quality of life of all the people day by day. With the rule of law that the people themselves have built in order to create laws that allow us to defend life, peace, security, sovereignty, and the right to decide for ourselves what kind of society we want.
That is why we must shield our State and strengthen the legal framework that prevents the Yankees and Somocismo from taking advantage of any loophole with the aim of once again subjugating the people and the nation. The Yankees’ parties will never be allowed to participate in any electoral process, and therefore they will never return to government, nor will they ever witness elections in Nicaragua. Let them watch them from outside, on their computers paid for by the Yankees.
Sandino founded the homeland of all when, on May 4, he said no to the Yankees. He never surrendered. He never sold out. With a handful of barefoot, ragged men and women, he expelled the Yankees from the homeland’s soil. That is why they assassinated him.
Carlos Fonseca taught us that Sandinistas fight for a Revolution: “it is not simply about achieving a change of men in power, but a change of system, the overthrow of the exploiting classes and the victory of the exploited classes.”
The teachings of Sandino and Fonseca. That is exactly what we have done throughout our entire history as the Sandinista people. We overthrew the exploiting classes, we build people’s power, we pursue social justice, preserve national sovereignty, exercise self-determination, and defend the peace and security of everyone.
Under the leadership of Commander Daniel and of Rosario, with the FSLN as the greatest political instrument ever created in our country, we do all of this with dignity, generosity, patriotism, with weapons, with laws, with all the power of the people, obeying the people because we are servants of the people.
Thousands upon thousands of Nicaraguans have given their lives throughout our history for the cause of the people. We remain faithful to their sacrifice. Because the color of blood is never forgotten: we neither sell out nor surrender! Free Homeland or Death!
* The original Spanish version of this article published on July 22nd can be found here. William Grigsby Vado is a Nicaraguan journalist, FSLN Militant, and Director of Radio La Primerisima.