Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition 5.20.2025: Anniversary of the Birth of Augusto Sandino; Our Campaigns and Upcoming Events

Open for signature | Unified Call to Confront Famine in Gaza: Launch the Diplomatic Humanitarian Convoy Now Over 700 organizations besides the Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition have signed on. “We are witnessing, in real time, the deliberate starvation of a civilian population as a method of warfare. Over two million Palestinians in Gaza are living in famine. Since 2 March 2025, Israel has blocked all humanitarian supplies and life-saving assistance - constituting the longest total siege Gaza has ever experienced.”

May 18: Anniversary of the Birth of Augusto Sandino: Long Live Sandinismo – It was written with blood and it is defended with love! Commentary by Stalin Vladímir Centeno. Sandinismo is a flame that was born in the mountains, endured in the cities, and today governs with dignity. It has deep roots: the rebellious dignity of Sandino, the strategic intelligence of Carlos Fonseca, the courageous blood of the fallen, and the daily encouragement of the people who refuse to surrender. Today, in May 2025, Sandinismo governs with legitimacy and love for the homeland. Not as a simple administration, but as a moral force. It is a national, Christian, socialist, and supportive project that has withstood pandemics, coup attempts, damned sanctions, hurricanes, slander, and betrayals. And it hasn’t retreated one millimeter.

John Perry, Roger Harris: Under Trump, NED to continue weaponizing “democracy” in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba The brief freeze and rapid partial reinstatement of National Endowment for Democracy (NED) funding in early 2025 helped expose it as a US regime change tool. Created to rebrand CIA covert operations as “democracy promotion,” the NED channels government funds to opposition groups in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba. In 2018, Kenneth Wollack bragged to the US Congress that the NED had given political training to 8,000 young Nicaraguans, many of whom were engaged in a failed attempt to overthrow Nicaragua’s Sandinista government. 

The NED current program includes in Latin America and the Caribbean alone over 260 projects costing more than $40 million. Leading up to the 2018 coup attempt, the NED had funded 54 projects worth over $4 million. Of the 22 Nicaragua-related projects which NED has resumed funding, one third sponsor “independent” media. While the recipients’ names are undisclosed, the NED disingenuously operates as a 501(c)(3) private nonprofit foundation. However, it is nearly 100% funded by annual appropriations from the US Congress and governed mainly by Washington officials or ex-officials. In reality, it is an instrument of the US state.

NicaNotes: Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition Responds to UN Request for Evidence on Effects of Sanctions The UN Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures (UCMs or “sanctions”) made a global request for evidence of the effect of unilateral coercive measures on humanitarian action. Given that sanctions against Nicaragua are having a considerable effect on the Nicaraguan government’s humanitarian work, the Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition made this submission to the inquiry on May 1st. The entire submission is recommended reading, as it provides valuable statistics and other evidence for coalition members’ advocacy work. Excerpts follow:

 “The UN General Assembly, the organization’s highest decision-making body, has clearly condemned the use of UCMs. However, as in the case of Nicaragua, political manipulation of some UN bodies, such as the Human Rights Council, has led to recommendations that violate the UN’s own policies. For example, the so-called ‘Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua’ (the ‘GHREN’) has recommended the continuance and further use of UCMs in several of its reports, including the one issued in February of this year. That document called on governments to ‘expand legal actions and sanctions’ against individuals and entities linked to the Nicaraguan government.”

 Sign-on Campaign: Nicaragua Will Be Respected! The U.S. debt to Nicaragua Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition is partnering in this campaign, initiated by the European Committee in Solidarity with the Sandinista Popular Revolution. We denounce the United States government's failure to comply and we demand respect for the International Court's ruling, which requires the U.S. government to pay reparations to Nicaragua for the damages caused by its financing of the counterrevolution and its direct intervention in the war against the Nicaraguan people in the 1980s. We invite you to sign on.

 Action Alert: Nonprofit Killer Bill Pulled From GOP Tax Bill. Tell Congress to Keep it Out! The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, shares the deep concern of many nonprofits and calls on all US citizens to take immediate action. Urge your Congresspeople to ensure the dangerous and unconstitutional “Nonprofit Killer Bill” provision is not added back into the GOP's sweeping tax reconciliation package, following its removal over the weekend.

The troubling provision could still be reinserted as an amendment during committee proceedings or on the House floor. The previous wording would grant the Secretary of the Treasury unchecked authority to revoke the tax-exempt status of religious, charitable, and advocacy organizations, without evidence, formal charges, or due process. As noted by Defending Rights and Dissent, “this …would hand any president’s administration the power to cast [nonprofits] as potential enemies of the state if they happen to disagree with their political agenda.” 

Fill out the form on the link above to demand your Congresspeople reject the NGO killer bill. This was formerly the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, or H.R. 9495. See also Defending Rights and Dissent: New Version of “Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act,” (H.R. 9495) to Crush Dissent

Video Recording, May 18 Webinar, “Nicaraguan programs of maternal & child health: A cross-national comparison.” Featured speakers Becca Renk, Magda Lanuza, and Jameela Alexander were joined by co-moderator Natalia Burdynska. The webinar presented inspiring facts such as these:  Despite being one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, since 2007 Nicaragua has reduced maternal mortality by 79.8%, reduced neonatal mortality by 62.5% and reduced infant mortality rates by 58.6%.  Many thanks also to Activist News Network for adding the recording to their YouTube channel.

Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition listing of  other webinars Watch these webinars on our YouTube website.

Events

June 15: Global March to Gaza (WhatsApp Video 2025-05-19 at 21.59.06_a6365d9e (1).mp4 This is a call for many participants to join a peaceful march at the Egyptian border with Gaza, with the aim of negotiating the opening of the Rafah terminal with the Egyptian authorities, in collaboration with NGOs, diplomats, and humanitarian institutions.

Sunday, June 22, 3 pm ET Nicaragua Webinar: Our Time in Nicaragua: Veterans for Peace Report Back With Gerry Condon (delegation leader, VFP national Board Member and past President); Josh Shurley (VFP national Vice President); Michael Kramer (President, Northern New Jersey VFP); Douglas Ryder (President, Raleigh/Durham, NC VFP); Dan Shea (President, Portland, Oregon VFP); Al Glatkowski (At-Large VFP member in Virginia); Chris Smiley (VFP Communications Director, Managua). Webinar Co-moderator:  Camilo Mejía, Nicaraguan citizen, US veteran, former prisoner of conscience.

June 22: Belgium - Protest for Peace and Justice: No to NATO War Summit  An international protest will take place in The Hague in response to the upcoming NATO Summit  (June 24 and 25). A protest against the increasing militarisation of Western powers and their support for the ongoing Israeli offensive in Palestine.

June 23: Peace Conference in Brussels

November 9-10: Fourth CELAC-EU summit The leaders of the 27 European Union (EU) member states and the 33 countries of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) will meet in Santa Marta, Colombia

Delegations to Nicaragua 2025:

Casa Ben Linder Email casabenjaminlinder@gmail.com to apply:

June 2025: Global Health: Family and Community Health in Nicaragua

July 2025: Solidarity in Action: Nicaragua’s Popular Revolution

November 2025: Salud & Solidaridad: Hands-On Healthcare in Nicaragua

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