Message from President-Comandante Daniel at the National Parade in Commemoration
of the167th Anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto and the 202nd anniversary of the Independence of Central America
September 14th 2023
Nicaraguan brothers and sisters; Youth of this Nicaragua; "Youth, Divine Treasure”, as our Great Poet Rubén Darío called you.
Youth is a Song to Life, Youth is a Song to Hope and, therefore, Youth assures us a future of Peace, Stability, so that we continue to develop all our programs to emerge from the situation of extreme poverty and poverty in which some Nicaraguan brothers and sisters still live.
To continue building houses, schools, health posts, health centers; more police stations for the safety of young people, students, families; more presence of the Army, not only in defense of our Sovereignty, but also to ensure productive activities in rural areas.
It's 6.40pm, so, on September 14th, 167th Anniversary of that glorious battle of San Jacinto, we are 5 hours and 20 minutes away from September 15th, which is the Anniversary of our Independence.
In other words, we are commemorating here the day of the battle in which Nicaragua was defended, after already managing to leave Spanish rule in 1821, September 15th. We are a few hours away from September 15th, and therefore we are making a Commemoration where we pay tribute to those Central American brothers and sisters who fought, and even gave their lives in different circumstances, against what was the Spanish Empire; the indigenous communities who fought not to be enslaved, as they were throughout Our America, many exterminated indigenous communities.
Independence was finally achieved on September 15th, 1821, and please take note, on the 21st we Central Americans achieved Independence and then 30 years later, in the 50s, that is, 1821, 31, 41, 51, already in the year 1855 Nicaragua was occupied by a Yankee President. William Walker was President of our country, in these very days he had imposed himself by force taking advantage of the confrontation between the political forces that had organized here after Independence.
You boys and girls all know the history well, of how Liberals and Conservatives confronted each other. Some called themselves Legitimists and the others called themselves Democrats, one side settled in Granada and the other side settled in León. They had the country divided, in permanent war. Of course, the Yankee took advantage of that to invade Nicaragua, and by invading Nicaragua he intended to occupy all of Central America.
And here in Nicaragua the first thing the Yankee did, apart from murdering and burning down cities like Granada, was, already then as the President recognized by the Yankee Ambassador at that time, was to decree slavery in our country, when just 35 years earlier, in 1821, Central America had become independent and with that the kinds of oppression, like slavery, that the Spanish Empire had installed had disappeared. So then comes the Yankee wanting to take over Central America, starting with Nicaragua, because Nicaragua had and still has that transit route which the European Powers and the United States of America were seeking to take by force.
Today, at this distance in time, after we have traveled so many years, through how many battles and how many struggles, you know well what the battle for Nicaragua has been, from our Original Forebears, the caciques Diriangén, Nicarao, caciques who faced the invaders, always fighting for their Land, fighting for our Identity, because then we were forging our own Identity, without losing our roots.
That is why Darío and Sandino proudly claimed that indigenous blood ran through their veins, and we are all proud that indigenous blood runs through our veins. Likewise the brothers and sisters who came from Africa as slaves and who finally managed to free themselves, the Afro-descendant Peoples. Also Native Peoples such as the Miskitos, the Mayagnas, the Ramaquíes, who are there with their language, with their own language, native Peoples who have managed to maintain themselves and develop in these times of Hope, of Struggle and Hope, pof Hope and Struggle!
Yes, there is always the struggle to defend Peace, to protect Peace, so that students can go to their classes in peace, so that they are not victims of traffic accidents. And thus, taking care, so far as possible, given the resources available to our country, to the Nicaraguan people, with the resources God has given us, with the strength that our Heroes have given us, General José Dolores Estrada who led the Battle of San Jacinto, and that Hero who went down in history throwing the stone to bring down the invading Yankee... Andres! Andres!
168 years on, Nicaraguan brothers and sisters, we say to Andrés: Here are your children, here is your People, also willing, like you Andrés, to throw that stone in defense of the Peace and Sovereignty of Nicaragua.
We salute all the students, those who are organized in the Federation of Students, those who are organized in the different Youth Movements, in the Alexis Argüello Sports Movement, in the Sandinista Youth, in the Guardabarranco Movement, in the Leonel Rugama Cultural Movement, everywhere Youth multiplies, developing themselves not only in the classroom, but also participating in cultural events and in entrepreneurship.
These are times of entrepreneurship which means having one more tool to improve families living conditions. Thus, entrepreneurship has been multiplying all over the country, and that itself multiplies better conditions for families, and Youth are participating in entrepreneurship in its different expressions.
Saluting on this day the parents of the Students of Nicaragua. For all of them our affection, our embraces to all the parents of families, fathers, mothers, grandmothers, who are always alert whether the students went to class, that if they did not go to classes; there they are always aware seeking the best, of course, for the family.
Also give much deserved recognition to the teachers of our country, because the work of a teacher is not easy. And the young person who decides to follow a course, decides to follow a career to be a teacher, well, they have great spirit, a great vocation to serve children, young people, the family, because teachers are a fundamental support also for the family.
And on this day, on the day of the Heroic Battle of San Jacinto, we are going to take the Oath to the Blue and White Flag, the Blue and White Flag that, as has often been said, the Nicaraguan People have known how to defend, and all the Heroes have known how to defend, including naturally General Sandino, who, as the song “Sovereignty” says, defended the Blue and White Flag with the Red and Black Flag, to defend the Blue and White Flag, so that we could proudly parade today with the Blue and White Flag. How much blood has flowed, how much pain, to defend our Sovereignty!
Let's take the oath then.
Beloved students, beloved young people, beloved parents, beloved teachers, Nicaraguan brothers and sisters all, on this day in which we commemorate the Glorious Battle of San Jacinto and at the same time the Independence of Nicaragua, we swear before God, before the Nation, our Families, our National Heroes and Heroes, that we will all continue to contribute to Peace, to the development of the country, and you beloved girls and boys, young people, to study, to acquire culture, in art, in sport, such that this allows you to fulfill your personal dreams.
That is to say, everyone has, in all justice, the right to have a profession, a good job, and you are already of course thinking about this. And making personal dreams come true contributes to the development of our country, so that we can live a dignified life every day, in Peace, so that all Nicaragua’s families feel strong and blessed with our model of ideals and values, the values of Christ, because Christ is the greatest hero humanity has ever had.
And it is the values of Christ that inspire us to also continue developing socialist, solidarity based practices for the well being all Nicaragua’s families, work for all Nicaragua’s families, education and health care for all Nicaragua’s families, security and Peace for all Nicaragua’s Families.
So on this day we swear it. Do you young people swear to it?
Young people present: We swear to it!
If we indeed swear to this before God, before the People, before the Nation, and thus, God Willing, we are sure that we will fulfill this path. Go ahead then, Young People! Go ahead!
Congratulations, and to all our People, to all the Families who have been watching this extraordinary creative Parade, full of Joy, full of Love, full of Hope. Because people have watched it all over the country, every TV Channel in the country has been broadcasting it.
And what do we say to Nicaraguan families? You can see what Peace means, Peace gives us Joy, Peace gives us Hope, and Youth full of Joy, full of Hope, gives Nicaragua a Future.
Long live Nicaragua’s youth!
Remarks by Rosario, Vice President of Nicaragua, After the National Parade
in Commemoration of the167th Anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto
and the 202nd anniversary of the Independence of Central America
September 14th 2023
We are finishing this very beautiful parade, an example of the talent, the imagination, the joy of Nicaragua’s Youth and of Nicaraguans, an Eternally Young People, forever young!
We have been able to share the color, the vigor, the Love of Nicaragua, of all the students and of every one of us, sharing as Sisters and Brothers, in the commitment to more victories from the Peace that we celebrate, from that stone thrown by Andrés which is Hope, and which sustains us all in Hope.
Today, commemorating that Glorious Battle of San Jacinto, we also feel that after having fought those battles, and after having won those battles, this represents the Will, the commitment, the Spirit of Nicaraguans, to overcome hatred and ill will forever; to overcome disrespect forever; to overcome evil intentions forever.
The Battle of San Jacinto yesterday, and every day “to fight against the Yankee, Enemy of Humanity”, to fight for our Blessed, Glorious, Vigorous, Splendid Nicaragua, Always Sovereign, Always Free and full of Peace and Love!
It is a source of pride for each of us to have ratified, to be ratifying Peace every day, to celebrate Peace every day. Because we have a Nation, we have Peace, and because there is Peace we have a Blessed Nation that is moving Forward, making its way with Faith in the God of All Victories, who blesses us and guides us to work safely, calmly, to study safely, calmly, to live the Harmony that Christ commands, as Comandante Daniel said: The Greatest Hero of Humanity!
To live that Harmony and to feel each one of us is part of a big family, the Nicaraguan family, which is Courageous, which is Brave, which is Dignified, and which loves its Nation. The Nicaraguan family that reveres its sacred symbols, and that values very much the sacred blood that our People has shed to be as we are today, Joyful; to live as we live today, full of Hope, and Gratitude to the God of All Victories, to Jesus Christ Our Lord!
We embrace each other on this Day of Battles and Victories. We embrace each other, making our way as we create the Future. And we embrace each other from those sacrosanct convictions that have always mobilized our Hearts, for Good and for Justice, for genuine Truth, to be ourselves, every day aware of the privilege of being from this Blessed Land, Nicaragua, which grows in each of us by the Grace of the Father, by the Grace of God!
Warm embraces, Compañeras and Compañeros, and let's go onward, Always Further On! Thank you, Compañeras and Compañeros.