XXVI Graduation of Cadets of the “Leonel Rugama" Academy of the National Police
December 20, 2023
Address by Daniel
Today, December 20th I am going to refer, first of all, to December 20th 1987. We cannot forget, we simply cannot forget the Nicaraguans who have suffered Yankee imperialist aggression.
That December 20th 1987, the mercenary forces the United States had organized under the command of President Ronald Reagan, who had them trained them there in the United States and those forces later also occupied Costa Rican territory and Honduran territory, the United States installed bases there, so that the mercenary forces could launch themselves against the Nicaraguan people, and imposed on us a bloody, brutal war, which caused more than 50,000 victims.
And, in the early morning of December 20th in one of the many attempts they made to take over territory, settle in that territory so that then the American aviation would arriv; the attempt was to dominate territory and then the American aviation would arrive there to support them trying to defeat the Sandinista Popular Revolution.
On that occasion, the target was not Teotecacinte, while Teotecacinte was a permanent target, a Heroic People, because Teotecacinte juts into Honduran territory and, therefore, they could launch attacks from the flanks of the town and from the front. And that was constant, endless, constant, but they didn't break through, and Nicaraguan brothers and sisters fell there, young people fell, children fell, but they Couldn't Prevail, Nor Will They!
This time they organized a large detachment, with a lot of artillery to try to take the Mining Area, in the Heart of Nicaragua where the Mines are. And it was a question of trying to take all the municipalities, Siuna, Rosita, Bonanza, where there are also airstrips; that is, they satisfied all the conditions for them, taking them so the Yankee aviation might enter there.
And in those battles that were fought, Comrade Agustín Sambola, Comrade Epifanio Oporta, Comrade Santos Mendoza, Comrade Raymundo Obando, Comrade Dionisio Rodríguez gave their lives, murdered by Yankee Imperialism, in the Municipality of Siuna. Fellow combatants of the Sandinista Popular Army who were defending those positions. They were in the Warehouse area, and there they resisted.
In the Radar area, on the Loma El Guerguero, Comrade Pedro Polanco Medina died there, plus 6 Air Defense Comrades.
In La Ceiba, in the Gilberto Romero Neighborhood, Comrade Omar Mercado Silva died.
In Sector 3, Alcantarilla Barrio Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Comrades José Luis Torres Aguilar, Rita Cárcamo Montenegro, Guillermo Sánchez Murillo, Antonia Tomasa Granados, Silvano Sánchez Madrigal, Rosalío Sánchez Madrigal and Nicolás Montoya fell heroically. Heroic Women fell in combat there.
In the Mining Company installation, there Comrade Juan Francisco Rodas Corea gave his Life for the Nation.
In the Barrio Denis Mendieta, Comrade Fermín Hunter Mendoza and Comrade Elias Castillo Hunter. Fermín Hunter was already of legal age, and Elias was a child.
A girl, Julia Reyes, was murdered in the Barrio Marco Antonio Somarriba.
In the Barrio Cantagallo and in the Barrio Sol de Libertad, in the area of the Water Tank, Compañera María Estela Gutiérrez Zepeda, Compañero Francisco Antonio Martínez Cantillano and Compañero Sebastián Aguilar were murdered. Many of these Comrades were from the 50-20 Battalion, and there were, of course, civilian Compañeras and Compañeros who also took up the rifle to defend the Nation.
In the same Municipality, the Comrade of the 50-02 Battalion, Francisco Alfaro Borge, also fell in combat.
In the Municipality of Rosita, in the Community of El Doce fell the Comrpañeros Gabino Godinez Rayo, Efraín Álvarez, Arsenio Torres Jirón, Manuel Arvizu, Leonel Velásquez Smith, Rafael Caballero, José Luis Gutiérrez Martínez, José Mendoza.
Compañeros José Antonio López Martínez, José Ramón Rivas Pérez, Víctor Andrés Artola Jarquín fell into the Mining Company's Power Plant.
In the Community of El Zopilote fell the Compañeros Pedro Guillermo López Polanco, Valentín Hernández Granados.
Compañero Carmelo Valle was killed in the Powder Arsenal.
In the Municipality of Bonanza, at the Salto Grande Hydroelectric Plant, that is, it was a large-scale operation, or pincer movement, to take over the entire mining area. The Comàñeros Roberto Antonio Sevilla, Antonio Reyes Morris and Richard Sevilla Avendaño fell there.
Comrade Santos Suárez Zelaya was killed at the Siempre Viva Dam.
Comrade Moisés Octavio Pineda Angulo and Comrade César Augusto Castillo Ramírez were killed on Los Olivos Hill.
At the other Power Plant, Comrade Mónico Lagos Zamora fell. The enemy were clear about the objectives, they sought to take over the Energy Plants, they were going over the most sensitive points in the area.
Compañero Ramón Humberto Castellón Matey fell on Cerro La Cruz.
Compañero Guillermo Manzanares and also Compañero Emilio Manzanares Merlo fell in the community of La Curva.
In the Community of El Bosque, Compañero Medardo Manzanares was killed.
In total, 47 Brothers and Sisters were killed. That is, that December 20th at dawn, in those combats 47 Compañeros and Compañeras passed to Immortality, 22 from the Municipality of Siuna, including children, 14 from the Municipality of Rosita, and 11 from the Municipality of Bonanza. But, They Could Not Prevail, Nor Will They!
We say to their relatives, to their descendants, and we say to them all, that with their example, with their courage, they accompany us; that They Could Not Prevail Then, Nor Will They Now, Nor Will They Later, the Yankee Imperialists will never be able to take over Nicaragua!
Now we are going to refer to two pieces of good news: One, to congratulate our Brother, the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro Moros, because they achieved the freedom of Alex Saab, who was kidnapped by the Yankees. He spent 1,286 days kidnapped.
And what was it that irritated the Yankees? That Saab, a Venezuelan diplomat also, during hard times for Venezuela where the blockade had tightened to the maximum, carried out extraordinary tasks to ensure that food arrived for the People, that oil arrived, which was not allowed to reach Venezuela with the blockade the Yankees maintained; and to ensure that medicines arrived.
And for that humanitarian work then the Yankees decided to capture him, violating all International Laws, when he was traveling to carry out those tasks; on an island that facilitated the maneuver when the plane in which he was traveling made a stop to refuel, then right there they captured him. Of course, the Yankees put pressure on the government of that little island, and they handed him over.
So, how glad we are that Alex Saab was there today! We saw him meeting with his wife, with his children, with Nicolas and with the whole team that worked for his release. Because it was a Battle for Justice, for the Rights of a People, which is the fraternal Bolivarian People, the fraternal Venezuelan People.
Here I have the note that I had mentioned to begin with, where I talked about the 19th, that is, yesterday. Yesterday at 8 pm we were in communication with the Comrade, Brother, President of the People's Republic of China, President Xi Jinping, and a conversation with a Brotherly People who achieved an Extraordinary Victory with the Revolution led by that Great Leader, Mao Tse Tung.
The first challenge that their Revolution had was to defeat the quisling forces, the pro-imperialist forces, the forces on the side of colonialism, and then to unify that gigantic territory, where there were a multitude of Peoples; it was an administration that was not centralized, but rather each People was decentralized, and it was a feat to unify those Peoples, to unify them and then continue the Battle to establish, develop Socialism, with the Chinese Communist Party at the head of that Extraordinary Process.
A Revolution that the imperialists undoubtedly tried to destroy, they blocking it, since those Empires, the Yankees, the British, all those Empires, none of them wanted the Chinese Revolution to develop.
And at the same time there was the October Revolution and the Socialist Bloc. With the passage of time the Socialist Bloc fractured and the Revolution was supported by the Russian Federation. The Russian Federation, which the NATO Imperialists are also trying to destroy, grouped together in NATO, the Imperialists who are fully involved in the Ukrainian war there, are, as we say here, “throwing everything and the kitchen sink” at Russia. But, They Won't Prevail!
The defeat of the Fascists in Ukraine is the defeat of the Imperialists of the Earth. And that's now a fact. And nowthe Yankees and the Europeans are at a loss what to do, because they have put tanks, planes, ammunition, billions and billions and billions of money, whereby they weaken their economy, weaken the European people, weaken the American people, but they are desperate to try to defeat the Russian Federation. And President Putin has been very clear, it's a battle against Nazism, against Fascism.
President Xi Jinping too has developed Initiatives in the search for Peace; such that the Europeans and the United States and the Fascism that is installed there in Ukraine will just give up.
President Xi Jinping has also made extraordinary efforts in other meetings to put an end to the genocide, the terrorism against the Palestinian People, which is being carried out every day, not just by Israel, but by the United States, because without the weapons of the United States, without the Yankee ships there, the ammunition of the United States, Israel simply could not commit the crimes it is committing. Those responsible for these crimes are the US Government and the European governments that have joined in this brutal and cowardly aggression.
And in the midst of these different situations we had sent a Condolence Note to President Xi Jinping yesterday the 19th for the earthquake, they had an earthquake, and when we started the telephone conversation he thanked us for the Message we had sent and told us that they were deploying all possible forces, the Party resources, the military forces to save lives first of all, and to recover from the damages of the earthquake.
Then we were discussing too, because over these days we are now celebrating 2 years of having resumed relations with China. We had relations with China earlier, as we know very well, but then the government of the 1990s came along, broke relations with China and opened relations with Taiwan.
So we were commemorating yesterday 2 years of having resumed relations with China and the speed at which these relations have been going. How can we see this? The results are there for all to see, the buses that appeared like a lightning can be seen, 500 buses, and more will come next year; and the homes that are being developed are there, and we have already achieved a Free Trade Agreement which is a strategic step, because it frees us from any sanctions that people may want to apply, as requested by the quislings who are now back in the United States, whereby they are insisting that they cease trading with us.
So now we have a Free Trade Agreement with a Nation that has been developing in an exemplary way. If all the powers making up NATO, instead of promoting wars, military occupations and terrorism, were to follow the practice of the People's Republic of China, which has been linking up with the developing Peoples, in Africa, in Asia, in Latin America, developing relations, without preconditions, of a political type, but rather contributing to the development of all these Countries, the World would be different, the World would be at Peace, and without doubt there would no longer be problems of people dying of hunger, misery, poverty.
So, the People's Republic of China has been showing the behavior of a Power that does not disrespect any developing Country, and very much not in the style of capitalist, developed, warlike countries that seek to attack them, China logically has the authority, the strength and the right to tell them: Not here! Stay out of here!
Today, the information has already circulated from Beijing, in the XINHUA News Agency, where Chinese President Xi Jinping says, today Wednesday, that is, yesterday when we had our conversation in the evening, that he is willing to work with his Nicaraguan counterpart, Daniel Ortega, to promote the advancement of bilateral ties with the newly announced Strategic Partnership between the two countries as a new starting point.
Because now not only is there the Free Trade Agreement, but last night we signed an Agreement on relations between China and Nicaragua and the Agreement is one of Strategic Partnership. We subscribed to this last night and today it is being published, it was already published this morning by the newspapers in China.
Since the resumption of relations, both sides, with a sense of urgency, have promoted an accelerated development of China-Nicaragua relations, President Xi said this, adding that the two countries firmly support each other on issues related to each other's core interests and main concerns, and have comprehensively expanded and achieved positive progress based on pragmatic cooperation. That is, without beating around the bush, Chinese Cooperation has simply worked at enormous speed.
President Xi also said that he is willing to join the Nicaraguan Leader in setting an example of Solidarity, Cooperation, mutual benefit and shared gains.
He emphasized that China greatly appreciates Nicaragua's adherence to the One-China Principle and our public support for the safeguarding of China's Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity on many occasions; because the World’s Imperialists are continuously trying to damage Chinese Sovereignty. Adding that the Asian country is willing to be a reliable friend of Nicaragua, and will continue to firmly support the Central American Country in safeguarding its National Independence and Dignity, and also supports Nicaragua in its rejection of external interference.
He highlighted China's willingness to share its experience with Nicaragua in fields such as governance and poverty eradication, adding that he has presented, during the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, eight important steps that China will take to support the joint construction of high-quality Cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiative and China welcomes Nicaragua's active synergy in this regard. In other words, joining this project.
The Free Trade Agreement between China and Nicaragua, which will enter into force on January 1, 2024, that is, we are just a few days away, is a historic achievement of Cooperation between the two countries, President Xi said, noting that both sides should take advantage of this opportunity to continuously increase the volume and level of bilateral trade.
China encourages competitive Chinese companies to invest and start businesses in Nicaragua, in addition to carrying out more Cooperation Projects needed by Nicaragua to help it achieve autonomous development and bring more benefits to the Nicaraguan people, the Chinese President stated.
President Xi added that China is also willing to strengthen Solidarity and coordination with Nicaragua in international affairs, work with Nicaragua to oppose hegemony and the politics of force, promote the development of a more just and rational International Order, and safeguard the legitimate Rights and Interests of Developing Countries.
This is their practice with the African Peoples, this is their practice with the Asian Peoples, this is their practice with the Latin American Peoples.
I mentioned to him and the cable picks it up here, the remarkable achievements of China. Yes, China is already converting at a speed that has the Imperialists of the Earth trembling, not because China is going to make war on anyone, there is no country, neither in Asia, nor in Africa, nor in Latin America, where China has launched even a hint; only Cooperation, Solidarity, in the fight against Poverty, for the Well-being of Peoples.
No! What they are panicking about is economic development, technological development, science, the speed at which China has been growing and has grown and is now taking the first place in the world as the most powerful economy, which it shares with Developing Peoples.
This is great news! And here we have with us some Brothers, Military Attaches that President Xi has here. Our Brothers are here to shake hands, not to attack us. Let the Imperialists of the Earth learn how to do the same, how to govern. Let the Imperialists of the Earth learn how to work for peace.
Well, President Xi also invited us to visit China and he remembered when we were there before, he also remembered that we were the first country in Central America that opened relations with them, in the 1980s, and that we were the first Government in Central America, the first President from the region to visit China, because we visited China when we were in government in the 1980s. And he invited us to visit China again, so we told him that we hope to visit him, of course we do! That it would be an honor for us to visit him.
This is, Thanks be to God, to the Grace of Christ, of the Virgin, this is the best Christmas Gift the Nicaraguan people could receive. And this benefits, if you look closely, this benefits all sectors, it benefits the poorest families, the people without work, because there will be more work; it benefits Entrepreneurs, Small, Medium, Large, because there will be investments, more development, more strength for the Nicaraguan economy.
Beloved Nicaraguan Brothers and Sisters, on this day we say to you, here you have graduating from this Academy, another Detachment of Young People who are, just as a few days ago we were with the Detachment of Army Cadets, the Youth who have been growing up, well prepared to defend Peace, well prepared to guarantee the Safety of Nicaraguan Families, well prepared to also guarantee Nicaraguan Families their Rights to Joy, to Happiness; well prepared to continue guaranteeing and further improving the Security that has made Nicaragua in Wall of Containment against Organized Crime and all those evils that do so much damage in the World.
To the Families of all of you, beloved Brothers and Sisters who have graduated, there is a Compañera who is now in the Detachment of those whom we have given the rank of Commissioner General, this has to do with the initiative of Compañera Rosario, we have to be 50 and 50 in the Police; so here we have 10 Compañeras General Commissioners and 9 Compañeros. We are failing there, we are missing one man for us to be 50 and 50.
Congratulations to you beloved Brother and Sister Commissioners General. I just met a compañera, originally from Chagüitillo. Let's see, are you the one from Chagüitillo?
Words of a Fellow Police Officer
That's right, my Comandante.
Words of Daniel
Where are you from?
Words of a Fellow Police Officer
I am from Managua, but I come from a community in Matagalpa, Chagüitillo.
Words of Daniel
That's right. So, these are communities where the Police come from, that is, the Police come from the People, and the Army too, from the People.
I also wanted to mention a relative of Sánchez Sancho.
Words of a Fellow Police Officer
Sanchez Sancho is my mother, daughter of Domingo Sanchez.
Words of Daniel
So then, “Chagüitillo” was your grandfather then, right? We used to call her grandfather “Chagüitillo”, because he was a historical leader there, always in the struggle, always moving forward! And so I said to her: Here is your grandfather, here is “Chagüitillo” with you, accompanying us too.
Well, congratulations to all of you, and all our Love, all our Affection for your Families, for all the Families, for all the Mothers, Sisters, Grandparents, who accompany you, giving you strength in your work as Policemen, and now in your responsibilities as Commissioners.
We also offer to the Brothers and Sisters, the young people who have graduated, the Affection, the Recognition of the Nicaraguan People, Nicaragua’s Families, the embrace of the Nicaraguan people, and our embrace too.
And I close by paying tribute to Francisco Rivera "El Zorro", an Extraordinary Being, really extraordinary, and who is present here with us. There is “El Zorro”, Francisco Rivera “El Zorro”, Hero of a Thousand Battles, and we knew him very well, he was an extraordinary Brother, with a Sense of Solidarity, of Respect, of Humility. Extraordinary!
We so we continue to make our, making our way ahead, along with the 47 Brothers and Sisters who were murdered by Imperialism on a day like today, we continue to move and we continue to defend the Right to Peace of the Nicaraguan People.
Remarks by Rosario, Vice President of Nicaragua, after the
XXVI Graduation of Cadets of the “Leonel Rugama" Academy of the National Police
December 20th 2023
When one receives so much Strength, as we receive in each of these Events that are in fact a Tribute to the Heroic People of Nicaragua, one is moved, but one is strengthened above all because it is truly Strength. Here we are illuminated by a Sun that does not set, and we know and feel that, and we live and vibrate with the Strength, the Strength of that Sun... The sun that does not set!
How much Spirit in each of these expressions of the Gallantry, Bravery and Love of our People...! Imagine, 47 Compañer@s there in Siuna, in Bonanza, in Rosita, and that is just one moment, because they continuously attacked all those Communities, those Neighborhoods, and the response was the same: They Could Not Pass, as They Will Never Be Able to Pass!
This is a Nicaragua that is blessed by that Heroic dedication of so many Nicaraguans who have given their Lives, their Hearts to the Sun, to say: Here we are, and the enemy will not move us! As they have not moved us over the years, in our defense of Sovereignty, our defense of Dignity, our defense of Joy, our defense of Rights, our defense of Peace.
When we talk about Sovereignty, Dignity, Rights, we are talking about the Right of the Nicaraguan People to Live Well, to work safely, to be tranquil, in our Communities, in our Neighborhoods, in our Homes, and to work so as to prosper.
And that is what we are achieving, and there it is, or rather, we are achieving it thanks to the Strength of every Nicaraguan who has given the best of themselves, so that we can live as we deserve to live, and so that our Young People can realize their dreams, so that Children can have Hope, and so that Women have Full Rights; allowing us all to be Protagonists of our Destiny
This is a country of Heroes, the whole people are Heroic...! A few sell-outs are where they need to be: Out of here! But the majority of the Nicaraguan people have their roots in this land that flourishes and bears fruit. We are Nicaraguans, proud to be Nicaraguans and proud to learn every day to live together, to share, and to be more supportive, more integral, more whole, with all our Rights, and above all knowing that this Land is ours, that this Destiny belongs to us, the Destiny to be prosperous, to progress, and to be at peace in our own land, that's what Sandino said. And those who do not advance that Right, how can they feel Nicaraguan?
The beautiful days we are living, Christmas, the End of the Year, and the Hope for a Year that is getting Better and Better, also, a Time that is getting Better, because Everyone is doing better, and for the Sake of Everyone. And these events of our Police, our Army, make all of us feel more and more aware of the pride we have, of having these Units that come from the People, from a Free People, a People that has given everything so as to live peacefully, to live securely, to live moving ahead.
And well, too, every day we also say: Thank you Father! To the Heavenly Father, to our Mother Mary, Thank you, because it is with that Inner Light that we advance, with that ability to see and feel ourselves as Brothers and Sisters, Families, with that ability to recognize ourselves as Full Beings and Beings of Solidarity. Solidarity which is also the basis of our Better Future.
And so today we are here celebrating so many Compañeros and Compañeras who are graduating, celebrating too that we now have another 19 General Commissioners, both Women and Men, celebrating that the Police are making progress in Gender Equality.
We have already had Comandante Doris Tijerino as Head of the Police, at an earlier point, and how much we owe to so many Heroic Women, like Doris, like Gladys, and like so many who gave their Lives and who enlighten us, like so many Suns that do not set.
The Police, the Army and a People that knows how to keep alert; because the Community is also the Protagonist of our Security, of course Specialized Bodies such as the Police and the Army fulfill their functions, but the Family is also the Protagonist of Security.
Next week, on the 27th, celebrating a Heroic Action of so many years ago, in 1974 it was, I can’t remember right now, but I think it's 49 years and you'll excuse me if I'm wrong. We are going to have the Closing Ceremony of the Year of the Ministry of the Interior, we are going to be with the Compañer@s of Migration, the Compañer@s Firefighters, who now have Fire Stations all over the country, thanks be to God, just as we have Women's Police Units, over three in many Municipalities.
Women's Commissariats, United Firefighting Stations, and also the Prison System... In fact, the day after tomorrow, on Friday the 22nd, 2,200 People will be reuniting with their Families after a period in prison in which they have also followed their education, because in the Prison System there are Courses of all kinds, from Literacy to High School Graduates, to Technicians who are graduating to contribute to their Families in a better way. So, they will be a New Year's Eve full of Vitality.
We also celebrate the inauguration of another Cultural Center that will be named after the Magnificent Tino López Guerra, author of so many emblematic songs.
We are proud of each of these achievements, of all the Technical Centers, of all the Rural Schools, Rural Universities. They are unique Projects enabling the Protagonism of our Families. And here all the Triumphs are of the People, they are the Triumphs of the Nicaraguan People who want to Live a Better Life, and who also want to have that Future of Prosperity that we all deserve.
So, Congratulations to all the Graduates, their Families, their Communities, the Commissioner Generals, all the National Police. And Congratulations to all our People, because every day we advance, every day we make our way ahead, and from the Faith we have in the Heavenly Father, we know that every day and every Time to come will be Better.
A big embrace to everyone, Compañer@s. Thank you.