October 25th 2026
Coleen Littlejohn died today October 25th after a long illness. She leaves a huge gap for all those who knew, loved and respected her outstandingly talented and tireless hard work for and passionate commitment to the Sandinista People’s Revolution and for Nicaragua, which for most of us are one and the same, as they were for Coleen.
In 2024 Nicaragua's Copresident Compañera Rosario Murillo said of Coleen, "From 1980 here, always to the fore, compañera Coleen Littlejohn, whom we recognize for all her efforts accompanying us, and her constant dissemination of our realities and defense of our Truths."
Everyone lucky enough to have known her will have their own recollection of Coleen’s unquestionably impressive and influential record of enthusiastic work for and defense of Nicaragua’s Sandinista Revolution from the 1980s up until the very last weeks of her life.
For my part, I came to know Coleen quite late in life, really as a result of the failed coup attempt of 2018, during and after which she played a central role in mobilizing international solidarity in North America and Europe against the ferocious psychological warfare offensive of Western governments and their vast media, academic and NGO machinery of deceit and disinformation.
Others will recall Coleen’s leading role in solidarity with Nicaragua’s Sandinista Revolution during the 1980s, from the weekly demonstrations outside the US Embassy to arranging important material support, intensive media work and constant lobbying of both the US and allied governments.
Later during the 1990s, apart from her political solidarity work, Coleen was very well known for her successful work developing grass roots community organizations to accompany Nicaragua’s impoverished rural and urban families in overcoming the endless adversity of life under corrupt, neoliberal governments. Coleen’s work made it possible for thousands of low income families in Nicaragua to cope better than they might otherwise have done with the hardships caused by the campaign of privatization and public spending cuts imposed under the oppressive tutelage of US and European ruling elites.
Coleen went on to take up posts in international financial instituions, working both in Africa and Latin America, which enabled her to gain extremely useful experience and insight into the thinking and workings of organizations like the World Bank which she later put to good use to improve strategy initiatives with her compañeras and compañeros in solidarity with Nicaragua.
For me, one striking aspect in my conversations with Coleen was her humanity in that she was always very clear and steadfast in supporting the FSLN government led by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo despite having sincere personal friendships with ex-Sandinistas who later decided to work one way or another against the FSLN, aligning themselves with US and allied imperialist governments.
Coleen’s Catholic faith was a decisive factor motivating and sustaining her solidarity with Nicaragua's Sandinista Revolution and her forthright criticism of the contradictions and hypocrisies of Cathloic Church institutions, including the Jesuit order’s abuse of its universities, from one of which, Lemoyne College, she was an alumna, for political attacks on Nicaragua’s government.
It is no exaggeration to say that losing Coleen is truly an irreparable loss for Nicaragua. Few individuals have made such a great positive difference to the lives of so many thousands of Nicaragua's families over the last five decades. No one has her range of experience, knowledge and contacts across North America and Europe, nor her capacity to mobilize them in an effective, coherent way in support of what is now the most successful, strategic political project in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Sandinista People’s Revolution, something Coleen recognized with unrivalled clarity.
As always with the loss of much loved and highly respected individuals, we can celebrate the great gifts Coleen Littlejohn gave us all her life and take joy and inspiration from and in all her great achievements, for her unfailing kindness and humanity and for all she has taught us thanks to her great heart and her exceptional, incisive intelligence.
Hasta Siempre Coleen!
Viva! Viva! Viva!