Contrary to the portrayal of the Sandinistas as "reds", the FSLN maintained private industry and nationalized hardly anything. Its main political programme consisted of literacy programmes and health care programmes, and these greatly upset US elites, especially since Cuba offered to help the Sandinistas with these.

For a decade, right up until 1990, the US openly armed, funded, and assisted the Contras - rightwing terrorist forces consisting of the remnants of the old National Guard and led by men who, far from having any commitment to democracy, were responsible for sickening human rights abuses.

The Contras were determined to undermine social reforms in Nicaragua, and to destabilize its government and its economy. They hoped to replace it with a neo-Somozist regime. The US was absolutely committed to their cause. US aid to Contras - which would be morally equivalent to the British funding the Oklahoma bombing - was defended by both main political parties in the US (although at times it was in violation of Congressional resolutions), even though it was - not only totally immoral but also - in clear breach of international law.

The US declared before the World Court in the late 80s that its intention in funding the Contras was to provoke the Sandinista government into suppressing civil liberties. Then the US could reveal the Sandinistas for the "communism" they were supposedly guilty of. (Not surprisingly, the World Court ruled that US-sponsored terrorism was a breach of international law. The US vetoed a subsequent UN resolution calling for all states to observe the law.)

The 1984 Elections

The FSLN, in fact, showed no reticence about democracy. Despite the lack of a democratic culture in Nicaragua, the Sandinistas held open elections in 1984. The US has admitted that it did everything in its power to prevent these elections from taking place. When they did take place, the US tried to bribe opposition candidates into withdrawing, because it was determined to portray the FSLN as undemocratic. In point of fact, international observers rated the 1984 as both free and fair, as did the international press. But the US government (and, unanimously, the US media) claimed the election was rigged (laughable given the US backing for the rigged election in El Salvador). The primary reason the US claimed the elections were rigged was, of course, because they didn't like the fact that the Sandinistas won.

When the next election was held in 1990, the US claimed it would be the first free election under the Sandinistas - which was untrue - and that it was only taking place due to US pressure - also untrue, given that the election had been scheduled in 1987, long before the US was making moves towards peace in the region. Throughout the 1990 campaign, there was a clear message - if the voters backed the US-sponsored rightwing candidate, then the US blockade of Nicaragua would be lifted and the terrorism would stop. If the Sandinistas won, then (US politicians unanimously confirmed) the US would continue to blockade Nicaragua and to fund the Contra guerrillas.

This was like holding a gun to someone’s head when asking them to vote, and it was, the US media unanimously agreed, a "free and fair" election. The evil commie Sandinistas had been pushed reluctantly towards elections by the benevolent US government and the loving, peaceful forces of the CIA and the Contras. This was the official story.

In 1989, the Associated Press reported that the US "is doing everything it can to disrupt the elections set for next year. American intervention is the main obstacle to the attainment of free and fair elections in Nicaragua". It added that the Contras were attempting to sabotage the elections, waging a campaign of intimidation, telling people, "If you support the [Sandinista] government, we will be back to kill you." At least 42 people were murdered by the Contras in "election violence" in October 1989. During the so-called "ceasefire" of 1989, the Contras murdered more than 700 Nicaraguans, many of them civilians. The Contras "had orders to force Nicaraguans to vote for the opposition" (wire services, 5th Nov. 1989).

Thus, after more than a decade of literacy reforms and health programmes (and economic progress which was poor, but good under the violent conditions and good by Central American standards) coupled with a US embargo and near-continuous US-instigated terrorism, Nicaragua once more elected a government that was "acceptable" to US elites - elites who see almost no amount of brutality and coercion as excessive in their desire to get a business-friendly government.