Augusto C. Sandino, Nicaragua's National Hero
Mikhail Ledenev, Ambassador of Russia to the Republic of Nicaragua
https://www.el19digital.com/articulos/ver/173440-el-heroe-nacional-de-nicaragua-augusto-c-sandino
World history is shaped by leaders whose actions acquire a significance that extends beyond national borders and the temporal frameworks of their time. These figures become symbols of historical processes. For Central America, one such figure is Augusto César Sandino, leader of the Nicaraguan resistance against foreign intervention and a symbol of the struggle for national sovereignty.
Augusto César Sandino is an inseparable part of Nicaragua's historical memory and national identity. He was the first national leader who not only spearheaded armed resistance against foreign interference but also successfully formulated a comprehensive, people-centered anti-imperialist program. The struggle led by Augusto César Sandino against the United States military occupation between 1927 and 1933 became a key factor in the formation of Nicaraguan national consciousness. At the same time, his activity had a distinctly international dimension: it attracted the attention of progressive political and intellectual circles outside of Central America, including those in the Soviet Union.
Augusto César Sandino was born on May 18, 1895, in the town of Niquinohomo, into a poor peasant family. From childhood, he was forced to earn a living through hard labor: he worked on banana and sugar plantations in Honduras and later on a cleaning crew in La Ceiba, Honduras, where he witnessed the exploitation of workers, social inequality, and the dependence of national economies on foreign capital. It was in Mexico that his anti-imperialist worldview was forged: Augusto César Sandino absorbed ideas of social justice, national dignity, and Latin American unity, drawing inspiration from the legacy of Simón Bolívar, Miguel Hidalgo, and José de San Martín.
The political situation in Nicaragua at that time was characterized by instability and the constant interference of external forces. The country's economy was geared toward the export of raw materials and agricultural products, while the main financial and transportation centers were controlled by foreign capital.
The United States' military interventions, which began in 1912, aimed not only to stabilize regimes favorable to Washington but also to create lasting mechanisms of political control. In 1926, when Nicaragua was again occupied by a U.S. Marine expeditionary force under the fictitious pretext of "stabilization," Augusto César Sandino returned to his homeland and raised the banner of armed struggle for national honor. He considered this his supreme patriotic duty:
“I want a free homeland or death!”
These words became his motto.
A turning point came in May 1927, when the commander-in-chief of the liberal forces, José María Moncada, signed the Espino Negro Pact with the United States representative, which effectively legitimized the U.S. military presence. Augusto César Sandino categorically refused to sign this document, to disarm his fighters, and declared his firm determination to continue fighting against the occupiers. On May 4, he proclaimed it “National Dignity Day,” stating that “on that day Nicaragua proved to the world that its National Honor is not humiliated; that it still has sons who would offer their blood to wash away the stain cast upon it by the traitors.” From then on, the anti-imperialist struggle led by Augusto César Sandino acquired a truly popular character.
Augusto César Sandino's refusal to sign the Espino Negro Pact was of fundamental importance: it demonstrated to the world that sovereignty cannot be compromised and that no "internal stabilization" is possible under a foreign military presence. He consciously structured his movement as a national liberation struggle, emphasizing its popular character. Augusto C. Sandino wrote his first political manifesto on July 1, 1927, from his camp in the San Albino mining town in Nueva Segovia. Known as the "San Albino Manifesto," this document formalized his fight against U.S. intervention following the Espino Negro Pact. Highlighting his indissoluble bond with the people, Augusto César Sandino vowed to defend their right to freedom and equality, and consistently stressed that his struggle was not directed against the American people, but against the imperialist policies that deprived Nicaragua of its right to sovereign development.
“Pessimists will say I am too small for the task I have undertaken; but my insignificance is surpassed by the pride of my patriotic heart,” wrote Augusto César Sandino. From that moment on, he became a symbol of national resistance.
In September 1927, in the mountainous region of El Chipote, the Army in Defense of National Sovereignty of Nicaragua was officially created, and Augusto César Sandino was unanimously elected as its commander-in-chief. The army’s red and black flag symbolized “liberty or death,” and the motto “Homeland and Liberty!” became not only a battle cry but also the ideological core of the Nicaraguan resistance.
The Army in Defense of National Sovereignty of Nicaragua operated primarily in the mountainous areas of the north of the country, employing guerrilla warfare tactics. Despite their limited material resources, for seven years Augusto César Sandino's forces successfully resisted the superior troops of the U.S. Marines and the Nicaraguan National Guard. By 1932, they controlled more than half of the national territory, forcing the United States to acknowledge the impossibility of a military solution to the conflict. In 1933, U.S. military forces withdrew from Nicaragua.
Despite the absence of official diplomatic relations between the USSR and Nicaragua in the 1920s and 1930s, Soviet diplomacy, analytical centers, and the press closely followed events in Nicaragua. Augusto César Sandino's activities were considered, within the broader context of the global anti-imperialist movement, as a genuine example of people's war against imperialism. In newspapers and magazines, he appeared as the "peasant general," the "leader of the people," the "symbol of resistance to U.S. imperialism," and a true expression of national interests. Materials about events in Nicaragua were regularly published, including chronicles of the military actions of the Army in Defense of National Sovereignty, assessments of the political situation, denunciations of foreign interference, and analyses of the movement's social base.
The struggle of Augusto César Sandino is of great importance not only for Nicaragua but also for the entire system of international relations because it demonstrated the vulnerability of imperialist policies. His successes against the invaders became an inspiring example for the peoples of Latin America.
The assassination of Augusto César Sandino on February 21, 1934, was a political crime intended to eliminate the symbol of popular resistance. His tragic death only served to reinforce the significance of his political legacy.
Popular memory preserved Augusto César Sandino as a martyr for independence and justice, transforming him into a symbol of resistance and a moral compass for future generations: the General of Free Men. The Sandinista legacy became an enduring political and ideological tradition. The creation in 1961 by Carlos Fonseca of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) constituted the institutional expression of this continuity.
By participating in the World Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow in 1957, Carlos Fonseca laid the foundations for a bridge of solidarity and friendship that unites our peoples. The victory of the Sandinista People's Revolution on July 19, 1979, signified not only the overthrow of the Somoza family, but also Nicaragua's historic return to the path charted by the General of Free Men, the restoration of historical justice, and the opening of the possibility of realizing the principles for which he fought: independence, social justice, and the dignity of the people.
In the Soviet Union, the victory of the Sandinista People's Revolution in Nicaragua was received with great enthusiasm. And rightly so: it paved the way for a qualitatively new kind of fraternal bilateral cooperation, based on respect for sovereignty and the right of peoples to independently choose their own path of development. The alignment of fundamental principles—anti-imperialism, sovereignty, social justice, and internationalism—made the alliance between Moscow and Managua unbreakable.
Our State contributed to the development of energy, industry, agriculture, transportation, as well as education and health systems in Nicaragua. Of particular importance was the support provided to the defensive capabilities of our sister nation in the context of the armed conflict with counterrevolutionary formations backed by the United States. The supply of military equipment, the creation of an air defense system, and the training of national military personnel enabled the establishment of regular armed forces and the successful defense of Nicaraguan national sovereignty against external pressure.
Humanitarian and educational cooperation played a prominent role: the training of specialists, the work of Soviet teachers and doctors in Nicaragua, and support for the development of social infrastructure. These areas reflected the Sandinista understanding of independence as a concept inseparable from improving the population's quality of life.
Contemporary relations between Russia and Nicaragua can rightfully be characterized as a strategic partnership, based on a high level of political trust, mutual support, and a shared approach to fundamental issues on the international agenda. Our countries are united by a commitment to the basic principles of international law, above all respect for state sovereignty, the right of peoples to independently choose their paths of socioeconomic and political development, and the rejection of external pressure and interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states.
In today's complex international context, Russia and Nicaragua are acting in a coordinated and coherent manner, confirming the strategic nature of their bilateral relations through concrete political actions. Of particular importance is the principled position of the Co-Presidents of the Republic of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, expressed in their recognition of the reunification of Crimea with the Russian Federation in 2014, as well as the new regions of Russia in 2025. These decisions clearly demonstrated the exceptional level of trust, mutual respect, and shared strategic values between our countries.
Practical cooperation in the socioeconomic and humanitarian fields occupies a significant place on the bilateral agenda. Examples include the work of the Latin American Institute of Biotechnology “Mechnikov” and cooperation with the Training Center of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Intensive inter-parliamentary dialogue is maintained, interregional ties continue to develop progressively, trade and economic contacts are expanding, and cooperation in the areas of energy, agriculture, infrastructure, education, and culture is intensifying. Taken together, all of this forms a solid institutional and economic foundation for further deepening the Russian-Nicaraguan strategic partnership, in accordance with the long-term interests of both countries and the aspiration to build a more just and sustainable multipolar world order.
Augusto César Sandino's struggle for a just and egalitarian world, in which dignity and independence are respected, became the foundation upon which the relations of friendship and mutual support between our countries and peoples were built. This foundation retains special relevance today, when defending the right to sovereignty and free development demands unity and courage.
* His Excellency Mikhail Ledenev is the Ambassador of Russia to the Republic of Nicaragua
