"Worthy Sons of Sandino": Kinship, Martyrdom, and Morality in Sandinista Nationalist Discourse, 1979-1990

• In Event: New Perspectives on the Cold War in Latin America

Abstract

Following the 1979 revolution that overthrew the four-decade Somoza dictatorship, the Sandinista National Liberation Front of Nicaragua embarked on institutionalizing the revolution and legitimating the leadership of the party on the national political stage. The FSLN constructed a new, official historical narrative in which it positioned the Sandinistas as the rightful, authentic heirs to the struggles and values of Nicaraguan heroes through a nationalist discourse of kinship. In this framework, they imbued the revolution with the moral integrity of the national heroes through the concept of martyrdom and sacrifice. Sandinista leaders employed this historical, nationalist discourse while seeking support for continued national leadership and revolutionary programs after 1979. This paper, analyzing official documents, speeches, interviews, and materials from education programs, argues for understanding Sandinista ideology and legitimation efforts in the party's first decade of rule beyond its Marxian and more explicitly ‘political’ elements, focusing particularly on the role of memory and historical narrative.

Author

• Shannon James, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill