First Impressions – Ruby Cox
By Ruby Cox, Union Trade of United Kingdom
I’d visited Nicaragua three times previously when I was Chair of Greater London UNISON’s Regional International Committee, and completely fallen in love with the place, so when I learned that there was a UNISON delegation going out I simply could not resist. I am now retired, and no longer have any status as a UNISON representative, which meant I had to pay for myself, but even that could not put me off and I’m so glad it didn’t. Instead, I had the opportunity to catch up with old friends, make new ones, and see the fantastic progress that has been made by the Nicaraguan government in the ten years since I last visited. And best of all, to give my wholehearted support to my Nicaraguan friends and assure them that on my return to the UK I would do everything I could to refute the lies published in the MSM about last year’s attempted coup. This is my (very personal) account of what I saw.
First Impressions
I had visited Nicaragua 3 times before, in 2002 and then twice in 2009, so the first time there was a right wing government in power, and the second time the Sandinistas had just been re-elected. The first time, the effects of neo liberal policies were plain to see; grinding poverty everywhere, privatised healthcare, trade unions under the cosh and no social programmes to improve the lives of ordinary people. In 2009, things were starting to improve, but the years of damage had taken their toll. Still, the indomitable spirit of Nicaraguans was shining through everywhere and they were working hard to build a country where everyone could have a better life. So by 2019, clearly there were going to be some major changes but nothing could have prepared me for the scale and extent of what I witnessed when I left the airport. There were signs of a new prosperity everywhere. New roads and infrastructure, new developments, shopping centres, public buildings, plus I was also so happy to note the absence of tiny children weaving their way through the traffic to try and help their parents make ends meet by selling various goods at the traffic lights. It was clear how far the standard of living had been raised, the best evidence of all being the air of optimism and the pride in their country’s achievements which somehow crept into virtually every conversation we had with the Nicaraguan population.
Gone too were the shabby shacks that used to line the Pan American highway, surrounded by barefoot children playing in the dust. Neither did we see any beggars or homeless people, in fact I was reminded of my first visit to Cuba, and the culture shock I had then when I realised what can be achieved by a government that puts the welfare of its citizens first, regardless of that country’s wealth. What I saw more than anything was a country moving towards equality, where money is invested in the things people need, housing, health, education, public services, and the infrastructure that holds society together.
The coup
Nicaraguans know how important it is to tell the truth about last year’s attempted coup, and they are well aware of the lies that have been told in the media, portraying the golpistas as freedom fighters. But before they had even said anything, I knew it was impossible to reconcile the evidence before my own eyes with the stories of repression and a desperate population. I could see that this was a country where people looked forward to the future and had confidence that it would offer their kids the opportunity to prosper and lead long and fulfilling lives. Once again the contrast with the UK was stark, grappling as we do in this country with feelings of despair, apathy and anger towards a government that scarcely tries to conceal the fact that it truly does not care about ordinary people.
Many examples of the damage done by the coup cropped up during the course of the week, as trade unions struggled to support their members in repairing the damage done, both physically and psychologically. The examples of rampant vandalism of which we saw evidence can only make one wonder how on earth such wanton destruction could be attributed to individuals who claimed to want the best for the country. The University was particularly targeted with cars set on fire, laboratories destroyed and IT equipment stolen. The on campus nursery was destroyed and students were attacked and in some cases killed. A brand new state of the art hospital which we visited was also attacked with the intention of burning it down, but fortunately the golpistas were prevented from gaining entrance. Self-employed workers were also amongst the worst affected, since most of their work takes place in public areas which for months became off limits, and they had no capital to fall back on. We also heard a very moving personal testimony from the Nicaraguan wife of a British resident living near Masaya, who told us how she had been stopped and threatened at a road block near her home, despite her long record as a community activist who had secured both power and water for the local community.
Children
Nicaragua is a young country, the majority of the population being under 18, and recognises the importance and the value of investing in young people’s futures. There are facilities for children everywhere, playgrounds, sports facilities, parks and all of them well used by families with children of all ages. Clearly a conscious decision has been made to invest in the next generation. Education at all levels is free and sports facilities, swimming pools etc available at minimal cost, and everywhere you see healthy, confident children enjoying them. On our first day, before we had barely had time to visit our hotel, our Nicaraguan hosts could not wait to show us a local park which had been transformed from a wasteland used mainly by drug dealers and prostitutes into a facility which all family members could enjoy together no matter what their age. Even more impressive was the level of cleanliness and the complete absence of drugs and alcohol, which quite frankly put my local park back in the UK to shame.
Los arboles
One of the features of this new Nicaragua which I most enjoyed was the avenue of giant metal cut-out trees which lined the Pan American highway through the centre of Managua. At night they lit up in a myriad of different colours and the effect was absolutely stunning. I asked about them and was told that they represent the Tree of Life, in other words the regeneration of Nicaragua, and provided a message of hope and confidence that no matter what the Nicaraguan people have endured, they will never be defeated and will always rise again. Not surprisingly, these beautiful trees were targeted by the golpistas and some of them were even pulled down resulting in at least one death. However, they have now been restored and provided a stunning backdrop to the July 19th celebrations, of which more later.
TU meetings
I am now retired, but well aware of the long and successful history of relations between UK and Nicaraguan trade unions, and as a UNISON member, I am proud to have played my part in that relationship. I had met many of the trade union leaders before, but what was different this time was their eagerness to tell us about the enormous strides that had been made in the last 10 years, to emphasise what a difference it has made to have trade union and employment rights restored by the government, and to give us examples each pertaining to the groups of workers they represented. For example, before the Sandinista government came to power in 2007, health and education were privatised. Electricity was rationed with frequent power cuts, and only approximately half the country was covered. Now both health and education services are free and 95% of the country has electricity. A new highway linking the Atlantic and Pacific coasts has made a huge difference to the agricultural sector, but the difference is not only in the workplace. Social programmes providing housing, loans, childcare and many other services that contribute to the fabric of a society that works for all have made a huge difference to the lives of ordinary people. In a society where the government and trade unions work together to address the needs of members, trade unions have the opportunity to move beyond the narrow representation of the interests of a group of workers, and that is what we are seeing here with trade unionists taking part in programmes such as reforestation and disease prevention which benefit everyone.
UNAM
As a retired union member, I was interested in what facilities were available to retired trade union members in Nicaragua, whether they were included in union structures, and what the issues were for older people generally i.e. pensions etc. The age at which people are entitled to retire is 60, or 55 for miners and those in the education sector. (The neo liberal government raised this to 65, but through the efforts of the FNT (Nicaraguan TUC) it was lowered again once Ortega came to power.) I discovered that only FETSALUD (the health union) allows members to retain membership once they are retired, but many trade union members join an organisation called UNAM, which gives a voice to older people. I asked Domingo Perez, our main host for the week, if he would set up a meeting for me.
Rita Perez, co-ordinator for the Managua region, spoke about how much things had improved for older people under Ortega. Describing a situation that many older people in the UK will recognise, she said that many of them used to feel useless and were largely excluded from many areas of public life, even to the extent of being denied health care. But there has now been a cultural shift towards recognising the rights of older people. Rita spoke of the improved health services and what a difference they made to the lives of the older population, and described how residents of other neighbouring countries, particularly Honduras, crossed the border into Nicaragua to benefit from free health care (I later checked on this and found that health care is indeed free to everyone at the point of need, even to visitors such as ourselves, should we be in a situation to need it).
Most impressive of all, one woman at the meeting described how she had been living in very poor conditions, but had now been given a new home with all amenities completely free of charge. On top of this, older people enjoy free public transport and reduced water and electricity bills.
Pride and People Power
Nicaraguans are rightly proud not only of their recent achievements but also of their country itself, and couldn’t wait to show it off to us. So the day after we arrived was sightseeing day, and as much as was humanly possible was crammed in. We started off in Katerina, a beautiful spot overlooking a lake, much frequented by tourists but still unspoilt. We then moved on to Niquinohomo, birthplace of national hero Sandino, and looked around the house where he grew up. After lunch, we went to nearby Masaya, known for its market where local artisans sell their wares at far more attractive prices than those in the airport (although the goods are exactly the same), and then we went on to the Masaya volcano, which most obligingly allows tourists to peer down into its crater to see the bubbling lava beneath. It was however a bit disconcerting to read a few days later that things had become rather more lively, causing the inquisitive tourists to retreat to a somewhat safer distance.
But perhaps the highlight of the whole week for me was the Monday evening, when we were invited to a concert of revolutionary songs at the Ruben Dario theatre. I think we were all expecting a rather sombre affair, with polite applause after each song, but nothing could have been further from the truth. As the first notes from the choir and orchestra filled the hall, everyone shot to their feet and started to sing along, waving flags, clapping, cheering, whistling and joining in in every conceivable way. The enthusiasm of the crowd, and the fervour with which they expressed their support for their government and their president, was utterly overwhelming, and it felt like such an honour just to be there, and to be included. The singing was sensational, and so full of feeling and commitment, you could not help but be uplifted and believe that truly, the people united can never be defeated. It was an evening I know I will never forget.
Friday July 19th
And so we came to the end of our week, and the occasion we had been waiting for, the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Nicaraguan revolution. We knew that everyone would be headed for the main square to hear a number of speakers, ending up with the President, Daniel Ortega. We had been “prepped” the night before at a street party and we knew anticipation was running high, with everyone eager to show their support for their government and their defiance of any attempt to interfere with their democratic choice. As international guests, we found ourselves up on the stage, where, although separated from our TU friends down below, we could at least survey the magnificent scene of around 500,000 flag waving Nicaraguans celebrating their revolution, their country, and their government.
This is a country with a future, a confident country, a proud country, and one that I can’t wait to go back to.
