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•Leftist rebel group who overthrew the dictator Anastasio Somoza.

•Introduced land reform, overtook businesses, and helped the poor.

•Held free elections, generally disliked by the rich.

•Faced opposition by US backed contras.

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•Studied guerilla warfare from Cuba’s Marxist government.

•Leader of the Sandistas who overthrew dictator Somoza.

•Fought against the contras in the civil war.

•Won the free presidential election in 1984 and again in 2006.

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•Contras- Guerilla warfare group that opposed Sandinistas.

•US supported the contras with money to get rid of the Sandinistas.

•Also placed an embargo to prevent Russian influences.

•They sold weapons to Iran to fund their support of the contras.

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•The free election of 1990 was the transition of power away from the Sandinistas.

•1990- Violeta de Barrios Chamorro beat the Sandistas for control of Nicaragua. (National Opposition Union)

•First female president of Nicaragua.

•1996- Arnoldo Aleman: Convicted of embezzlement and sentenced to 20 years in prison.

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•Economic hardships and poverty

•GDP -1.5% yearly

•36,000% inflation

•Increased by embargo and hurricane Mitch

•60% unemployment in 1992

•Agriculture

•Poor people deprived of farmland

•Price of coffee (staple crop) dropped creating poverty

•Many people migrated to the US to escape hardships (500,000)

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•Ronald Reagan placed an embargo on Nicaragua, preventing imports or exports.

•He wanted Nicaragua to:

•Stop sending terrorist forces to other countries.

•End ties to Cuba and the Soviet Union.

•Practice basic human rights.

•Cease the buildup of arms.

•Declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, but still continued for 4 years. (Without reparations)

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•Protests of the Daniel Ortega and his government.

•People unhappy about his rule and changes to social security.

•Protestors turned violent and started barricading roads and burned vehicles.

•Dozens have been reported killed by human rights organizations, with reports of police killings and bombings.

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What caused the fighting that led to this civil war?

Do you think this war could have been avoided, or was it inevitable?

Would you have gone to war over these issues?

Do you think things would change if president Ortega stepped down?

Should the United States get involved?