I will be in Nicaragua for about 10 days over spring break, doing health assessment in Managua and some rural areas. we are mostly undergrads, with myself and another 2nd degree nursing student, and several faculty. We are staying in a hotel in managua for most of the time. We get at least part of one day on a beach, so it won't be all work. I am looking forward to this: i have never been in a 3rd world country before, and this is something i think i want to do in the future: international nursing.
Here is daniel Ortega, current PM of Nicaragua
He was elected once before, then the US tried to overthrow him by supporting a right wing contra army. US congress eventually shut off funding they didnt like overthrowing constitutional democracies in latin america, i mean whats the alternative? Somoza family dictatorship that ran Nicaragua like a plantation system? Controlled by American fruit companies? So Reagan decided to fund the Contra's by selling surface to air missiles to Iran during the Iran-Iraq war (we were supporting both sides, selling arms to both sides, fuck em all i guess) and then taking the profits, laundering the money, and sending it to the contras. Ah, democracy.
So Ortega held another election, lost, became the opposition, and he won election again, as a new, recycled candidate (how American!) here are some murals, very cool:
I am leaving my two che Guevara t shirts home, i dont want to wear them in Nicaragua, might give wrong idea about Pittsburgh catholic nursing students. But i am looking forward to this adventure.
I am going to Sams Club today to buy boxes of multi vitamins, and childrens shoes and clothes. I plan to pack both my suitcases with extra nursing supplies contributed by my fellow nursing students and shoes and clothes.
I keep thinking about Fielding Mellish in the movie Bananas.......might i end up like him?????
Or like this guy?
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