“Sandino Lives On, The Struggle Continues!”

Excerpts from Co-President Daniel Ortega’s speech in Honor of Sandino

Today is a Day of Light. On a day like today, General Sandino, Augusto Calderón Sandino, was born in a humble house in Niquinohomo. His mother, a poor working woman, found refuge in that little home, and there Sandino was born. And Rubén Darío, also, was born in a humble little house. You see, two great heroes of this Patriotic Nation. Who could have imagined two such geniuses being born in those humble little homes: A literary genius who revolutionized the Spanish language, and Sandino, a genius of Dignity, of Fortitude, who knew how to say to the invading Yankee: I’m not signing, because to sign is to surrender the Nation, and I don’t surrender the Nation. And when the sellouts had already signed, when they were already handing over their weapons for a few pesos that the Yankees were giving them, Sandino was on his own, and then, indeed, he sought out other compañeros. The first to join the Army in Defense of National Sovereignty were 29 workers and peasants, from the Mining Region. There his destiny was born, reclaiming the dignity of this Patriotic Nation. One hundred thirty-one years ago on May 18, Sandino was born to a very humble mother.

Where was Sandino buried after the Somoza National Guard killed him and his lieutenants on the orders of the United States? They wanted him to disappear! That is to say, Sandino instilled in them a great deal of fear after the multiple battles he had fought against the Yankee interventionists and after forcing the Yankee troops to leave. There were eight years of combat, and the Yankee troops kept coming, and Yankee planes were sent to bomb. But they could not intimidate or make the Army in Defense of National Sovereignty surrender!

During eight years, the Yankees took casualties; they had dead, they had wounded, and for them that was inconceivable. In the end, there was no recourse for them but to surrender, and they surrendered by retreating from Nicaragua, defeated. This was the first major defeat of the American troops in Nicaragua. The US was terrified of him, yes! The Yankees were terrified of Sandino because of what he represented and they thought that, by murdering him and disappearing his body, Sandino was going to stay disappeared forever. They could not understand that Sandino’s blood continued to flow through the veins of the Nicaraguan people, from the oldest to the youngest. And in Nicaragua’s Youth the heroic blood of Sandino runs through their veins.

Today we greet the Family of General Sandino: nephews and nieces, grandchildren, Rosario, who is the great niece of General Sandino, children of his daughter Blanquita and grandchildren, at the same time, of General Sandino. To them and to all the family of Sandino, our affection, our respect, our appreciation.

And we keep on fighting the battle, because unfortunately there is no Peace in the World. Those who impose war are the Imperialists of the Earth. So, we have to keep working, struggling, fighting in all fields, as we have been fighting, here in our country.

Therefore, we will continue multiplying advances for the benefit of children, of young people, of adults, of all Nicaraguans who are going through many difficulties because they cannot afford a private hospital. And now I can say that the hospitals of the people are multiplying and those hospitals of the people will continue to multiply. Sandino Lives On! The Struggle Continues! Sandino Yesterday, Today and Always! We will Overcome! (Tortillaconsal, 18 May 2026)