Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition 2.24.2026: Remembering Jesse Jackson; Women’s Empowerment; Nicaragua Coalition T-shirts
Chicago Tribune (8/1/1986): Ortega Urges Treaty with the U.S., Nicaraguan Chief Speaks at PUSH Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega called Saturday for a U.S.-Nicaraguan peace treaty, talks between his government and leaders of the Nicaraguan Catholic Church, and a Sept. 15 deadline for signing a Central American peace treaty drafted by the Contadora nations. Speaking to a cheering crowd of 1,500 from the pulpit of Operation PUSH headquarters at 930 E. 50th St., he also extended an invitation to President Reagan to visit Nicaragua, offering him access to whomever he wished and to live television and radio coverage. "We shall overcome," Ortega said to an applauding audience, likening the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. to that of Augusto Cesar Sandino, the Nicaraguan guerrilla fighter who was killed in the 1930s.
After speaking for over an hour, Ortega announced a plan he said could prevent another Vietnam from taking place in Central America. The plan would include a proposed dialogue this month between his government and Nicaraguan bishops and the opening of communications with Pope John Paul II in an effort to heal the division between the Catholic Church and the ruling Sandinistas. He called for negotiations with the United States for a "new treaty of peace and friendship" that he said would address the security concerns of both nations, and which Nicaragua "is willing to sign immediately." He urged Central American nations to call for the immediate reopening of the Contadora talks with a goal of signing a peace treaty by Sept. 15, which is independence day in many Latin American nations. The shutting down of the opposition newspaper La Prensa would be reconsidered, he said, if its owners can "adjust their behavior to the legal and institutional framework" of a government at war.
Negotiations for his proposed peace and friendship treaty would include, he said, a "solemn commitment of nonintervention and peaceful resolution of disputes." Ortega also called for the establishment of joint patrol forces by the Nicaraguan, Costa Rican and Honduran governments along their common borders, with the participation of the United Nations. This measure, like his call for making Central America a demilitarized zone, has been proposed before. The Nicaraguan leader said his government had not yet discussed the proposals with U.S. officials. He was announcing them for the first time Saturday, he said, both because of his talks here with PUSH founder Rev. Jesse Jackson and because of what appears to be an accelerating war with the U.S.-backed contras. Ortega, who on past occasions has compared Reagan to Adolf Hitler, expressed gratitude to the President for granting him and his entourage travel visas beyond the New York area, where officials of Marxist governments are often confined.
Ortega addressed the United Nations Security Council in New York on Tuesday and accused Reagan of promoting another Vietnam in Central America by renewing support for the contras. He and his wife, Rosario Murillo, and seven Nicaraguan government officials went to Denver Thursday, where Ortega addressed members of the all- black National Bar Association and students at Metropolitan State College. But it was in Chicago, where he arrived Saturday morning at Jackson's invitation, that he chose to make his policy statement. "I wish I could have a dialogue with President Reagan like I have with Rev. Jackson," Ortega said through his wife, a poet and former journalist, who translated for him. The Nicaraguans had a lunch at Operation PUSH of fried chicken, cabbage, cornbread and black-eyed peas. Later in the afternoon, Ortega, wearing a gray nylon jogging jacket, and his wife, wearing a crimson dress, snacked at the Artists Restaurant, 412 S. Michigan Ave., two blocks from the Chicago Hilton Hotel where they stayed. Saturday evening was spent at Jackson's South Side home. Ortega is to return to Managua Sunday.
Nicaragua Mourns the Death of Jesse Jackson Co-President Rosario Murillo mourned the death of Reverend Jesse Jackson, social rights activist for millions of Americans. "This morning we also learned of the passing of our brother Reverend Jesse Jackson, whom we had the honor of meeting and working with. The last time we met him was precisely at the funeral of Commander Hugo Chávez in Caracas. And today, when we learned of his passing to another plane of existence, we must say that we owe the people of the United States a message and a greeting of deep condolences.
Rev.Jesse Jackson passed away at the age of 84. We remember him for his service to the American people, we remember him for his legacy in defense of civil rights, of the most vulnerable, the oppressed, the forgotten and marginalized, those who have no voice. We remember him for his unwavering commitment to justice, dignity and equality for all peoples of the world. We remember him because he knew how to keep faith and hope alive. And we are sure that his indelible mark, his legacy, lives on. And in the American people, it is a perennial flame lit for the rights of all. We lift up our prayers to Almighty God that his loved ones may find peace and comfort in his memory."
TeleSur: Venezuelan, Nicaraguan, and Cuban Leaders Mourn Death of Jesse Jackson Delcy Rodriguez, Acting President of Venezuela: “His legacy is indelible: We will always remember his call to ‘Keep Hope Alive,’ a slogan that strengthened and sustained marginalized communities in the U.S. and around the world. His life was a testament to service dedicated to the forgotten, fighting for voting rights, economic justice, and international peace. His life will also be remembered for his fraternal relationship with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, with whom Jackson held meetings and dialogues in defense of understanding between the U.S. and Venezuela, supporting solidarity initiatives such as the supply of heating fuel to vulnerable communities in the U.S. through CITGO, a subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela. Our condolences to his family and friends.”
Daniel Ortega: “We extend our assurances of solidarity to the family and loved ones of brother Jesse Jackson, whom we remember for his long life of service to the American people; his legacy in defense of the civil rights of the most vulnerable, the oppressed, the forgotten and marginalized, for those without a voice; and his unwavering commitment to justice, dignity and equality for all the peoples of the world, keeping hope alive. We are certain that Rev. Jesse Jackson leaves an unforgettable mark, and we raise our prayers to Almighty God so that his loved ones may find peace and comfort in his memory.”
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel: “Our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and the people of the United States on the passing of Reverend Jesse Jackson, an active fighter for civil rights and justice in his country and a defender of just causes in other parts of the world.”
Photo Gallery of Solemn School Parades in Homage to General Augusto Sandino Impressive display of the new generation of Nicaraguans recognizing and celebrating national heroes.
Stalin Vladimir Centeno: Empowered Women Thanks to the Good Sandinista Government In Nicaragua, the role of the woman sees and feels, due to a network of public policies, social programs, community participation, and effective access to opportunities, have changed the place of women in daily life. Women’s leadership is reflected in institutions, neighborhoods, communities, health centers, schools, businesses, families, and in the daily life of the people where the woman does not appear as a “companion” of processes of others, but as a central part of decisions and results.
In Nicaragua since 2007 the Zero Usury program of direct funding for women entrepreneurs, more than 550,000 women protagonists have benefited. Women are also involved in public safety and in the direct protection of Nicaraguan families, participating actively within the institution of the police and in the local tasks of prevention, support and social care. The Plan for the Prevention of the Women's Police Stations, reports 18,225 visits house to house with continuing consultations, and direct meetings with the population.
Compañera Rosario Murillo said, “We are among the first places in the Countries of the World, where Women's Rights are recognized, valued, respected, and we are inserted in all areas of Life, Institutional, Cultural, Economic and Social development of our Country.”
Becca Renk: ‘Worthy Children of Heroes and Martyrs’: How Nicaragua Cultivates Peace For decades there were active gangs in the community. Most families’ budgets couldn’t even stretch to cover three meals a day, even a primary school education was out of reach for many, and there were no opportunities for young people. Children were limited to begging in the streets, young women to becoming street vendors, young men day laborers. Faced with these bleak prospects, it is no wonder that some turned to glue sniffing, petty theft, and gangs. This left young men in poor communities stuck in a cycle of retaliation killings that held the people of the neighborhood hostage at night.
Neighborhoods have been transformed in recent years. Over the past 19 years of Nicaragua’s Sandinista government, the state has applied a range of targeted approaches, providing a host of opportunities for Nicaragua’s youth which have been institutionalized to create gradual and lasting societal change. These opportunities include free education, preschool through university, including technical degrees; free lunch in schools; well-maintained parks in each neighborhood; free sports, dance, art and entrepreneurial business programs; streetlights, community policing, regular home visits from social workers and police; and free family-friendly activities organized every weekend.
In a recent poll, 82.5% of Nicaraguans report feeling safer today than they did five years ago, with only 3.6% reporting gangs or delinquency as major problems, and only 3.3% reporting being recent victims of robbery or aggression. Remarkably, 98.6% of Nicaraguans say they “breathe peace” in their country.
Co-President Ortega has recognized the values of the youth of Nicaragua, who are no longer growing up in gangs. ‘You are Youth with a Conscience, with a Heart and who work for the benefit of the People,’ he told the young people gathered for the ceremony to confer the Medal of Reconciliation and Peace. ‘You are an example, an example of Conscience, you are an example of Solidarity, you are an example of Love for the People, you are an example of selflessness. You are worthy children of the Heroes and Martyrs.’
Popular Resistance (Roger Harris, John Perry): Laura Dogu And Washington’s Regime-Change Playbook In Latin America Dogu, new US Ambassador to Venezuela, is widely regarded as the “US ambassador of interventions and coups.” Dogu was US ambassador in Managua from 2015 until October 2018, a period coinciding with the preparations and then the coup attempt that began in April 2018 and was defeated in July. When the coup attempt fizzled, President Ortega explicitly identified Laura Dogu of being “the leader and financier of this conspiracy, the destruction, the fires, the torture, the disrespect for human dignity, the desecration of corpses, and other acts carried out with cruelty against all Nicaraguans marked by the great sin of being Sandinistas.” Laura Dogu’s appointment ultimately signals a recalibration of tactics in pursuit of the same objective that has defined US policy toward the Venezuelan revolution for decades – regime change through pressure, attrition, and delegitimization.
Sarah Woodard 2026 U.S. Speaking Tour, March 10 – May 20. To invite her, or to send questions or offers of travel help (e.g., airplane miles), email sarah@jhc-cdca.org. Sarah Woodard represents the work of the Jubilee House Community, a nonprofit she helped form in 1979. She has worked the last 32 years in Nicaragua, with the Center for Development in Central America. The JHC-CDCA continues to respond to local needs, seeking resources to help the poor accomplish what they see as their priorities, particularly in the areas of sustainable economic development, organic agriculture, health care, and education. Now, with the world in chaos, Sarah’s U.S. tour is focusing on educating those in the global north on the amazing realities developing within Nicaragua where the social and political will is aimed at helping the majority of the population, the poorest of the poor.
NuestraAmericaConvoy.org: Update - Our Cuba Flotilla is Growing into a Global Convoy Last week, we announced an emergency response to Cuba’s humanitarian crisis in the form of a sea mission to deliver aid to the island. The response was overwhelming. From trade unionists to doctors, from community organisers to parliamentarians, messages poured in from across the world asking how they could take part and show their solidarity with the Cuban people. So we are expanding the mission: we announce that Nuestra América is growing from a single sea mission into a global convoy to Cuba — mobilising humanitarian aid by land, air, and sea, and converging in Havana on 21 March.
Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition t-shirts :
T-shirts $15 and $5 shipping and handling. we have in total: 21 Small, 15 Medium, 5 Large, 4 XL
For online payment: For US residents, the cost is $20 per shirt, including shipping. If you live in another country, please write us to see what we can arrange. To make payment: Send an email to nicaraguasolidaritycoalition@gmail.com and state what size shirt or shirts you want. Calculate the total you owe (at $20 per shirt) and make a donation of that total amount to Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition, here: bit.ly/NicaCoalitionDonate. NOTE: Scroll down. The coalition's fiscal sponsor, Casa Baltimore/Limay, is handling your donation."
Upcoming Events:
March 8, 3pm ET: Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition webinar: Nicaragua's Extraordinary Commitment to Human Rights & International Law Recent delegation of National Lawyers Guild to Nicaragua. Register here: bit.ly/NicaMarch8 Human rights are more than just the right to liberty and life, and Nicaragua continues to work to guarantee its people social, economic and cultural rights, including the collective right to peace, development and a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
Speakers: Martha Schmidt is a retired labor and employment lawyer works on the right to health with National Single Payer.
Richard Hobbs is an immigration attorney who founded Human Agenda in San Jose, California and has helped form worker-owned co-ops.
Anna Capati has served as an Executive Editor of the International Law Journal and as the President of the USD National Lawyers Guild.
March 9 (Monday), 2:30 pm ET: Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition monthly meeting on zoom. Email NicaraguaSolidarityCoalition@gmail.com for zoom access
March 14-15 conference (NYC): Cuba under Siege: Stop US Military Intervention in the Americas! Defend Venezuelan Sovereignty! Welcome to the Delegation from Cuba Attending the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
Delegations to Nicaragua:
Casa Ben Linder Email casabenjaminlinder@gmail.com to apply:
21 May - 2 June 2026 Mayo Ya! Celebrating Afro-Caribbean Culture. Join us in Bluefields for the Mayo Ya celebrations featuring street dances, parades and traditional music to welcome the rainy season. Application deadline March 1st.
July 2026: Solidarity in Action: Nicaragua’s Popular Revolution
October 2026: Salud & Solidaridad: Hands-On Healthcare in Nicaragua
Now offering Spanish classes! Fun and practical language classes at Casa Ben Linder – our
model teaches 1/2 day class & 1/2 day practice in a community setting.
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Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition: nicasolidarity.com
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