Today on Sojourner Truth:

In 1979, the people of Nicaragua overthrew the U.S.-backed dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza. The Somoza family dictatorship ruled Nicaragua from 1937 until 1979, when the Sandinista National Liberation Front liberated the country from their rule. Upon taking power, the Sandinistas vowed to free their country from the grip of U.S. hegemony and prioritize the needs of poor people ahead of foreign corporations. Since then, the people of Nicaragua have faced constant attacks from war hawks in Washington. This, in an effort to topple the democratically-elected Sandinista government and impose a pro-U.S. government.

During the 1980s, the U.S. armed and trained counter-revolutionary forces, known as the contras, in neighboring Honduras. Not only did the contras kill supporters of the Sandinistas and carry out terrorist attacks in Nicaragua. They also helped to smuggle drugs from South America into the United States, destroying Black and Brown communities at home. Although the Sandinistas lost an election in 1990 that temporarily removed them from power, they eventually came back in 2006 after another democratic election. Since 2006, the United States has continued to attempt to destabilize and overthrow the Sandinista government. This time, however, instead of using brute force and armed drug gangs, they are using crippling economic sanctions. Sanctions have devastating impacts on jobs, healthcare, food, water, education, transportation and more, impacting ordinary Nicaraguans.

Today, we bring you audio from a presentation by the late Dr. Paul Oquist about the impact of sanctions on Nicaragua. Dr. Oquist was the Secretary Minister for National Policies under the Sandinista government. Although he was born and raised in the United States, Dr. Oquist was a lifelong supporter of the Sandinista Revolution. He held numerous positions in the progressive government during the 1980s, following the victory of the Sandinista Revolution, as well as after 2007, when the Sandinistas came back to power. In October of 2020, the U.S. government sanctioned Dr. Oquist, claiming that he was helping to "undermine democracy."

As a dedicated environmentalist, Dr. Oquist refused to back the adoption of the Paris Agreement. He argued that the deal did not go far enough to cut global emissions and protect exploited countries from climate devastation. Sadly, Dr. Oquist passed away on April 11, 2021. He remains a hero to many in Nicaragua. Ramiro Funez, Assistant Producer of Sojourner Truth, recorded this presentation on March 15, 2021, during his participation in the Sanctions Kill & Friends of the Rural Workers Association Delegation to Nicaragua. This was Dr. Oquist's last public speech.