This speech was given on the anniversary of the Navy (August 13), considered an important speech because it was given within a context of debate over the role of the military in the current crisis. After the violent removal of the barricades, the government has been promoting an image of a return to normalcy that would allow for economic activity to resume. But the construction of that image is affected by continued killings, and she refers to one in her speech: Lenin Mendiola, son of a famous FSLN peasant leader, Benigna Mendiola. The government has accused the opposition of his death, but there are witnesses in Matagalpa that claim he was participating in the march for the release of political prisoners on Aug 11th, and the shot that killed him came from the Municipal Government offices under the control of the FSLN. She also makes reference to a “run” for the release of political prisoners that was held in Managua on Sunday Aug 12. (Capitals are in the original text published on El Digital 19, FSLN website).
Declaration of Compañera Rosario, Vice President of Nicaragua, after the Event for the Commemoration of the 38th Anniversary of the Naval Forces of the Army of Nicaragua, August 13, 2018
Good evening, Compañer@s; good evening, dear Families of our Blessed Nicaragua, Always Blessed, Always Free! This Country of Everyone where we come together every day, first of all to give thanks to God, and also first of all appreciating and valuing the Security and Peace that we are recovering, from the Hand of God, to work, to retake the Good Path that we were on, and to Prosper.
How Much Strength in this Nicaraguan People…! This our People among whom we all move, inspired by our Historic Legacy and strengthened with our Faith, to overcome all obstacles, to overcome all difficult circumstances.
Someone was telling me the other day, and I think that with a lot of truth: What happened was unexpected, but also the recovery has been Miraculous. And it is true. Everyone admires how quickly our Country has been recovering Normality, Tranquility, because it has Security and strong Institutions that ensure Security, and because all of us want Work and Peace!
And what is more incredible, is that still this “scrap” of coup plotters and terrorists, criminals are insistent, when I say insistent it is in continuing to assassinate Nicaraguans, and to try to continue destroying the Nicaraguan Economy… It is incredible! Normality, Tranquility, Security irritates them, bothers them, makes them crazy. I was saying, I compare it with the vampires, who cannot see the Light; it is like a Cross that is thrust in their chests: Security, Normality, the desire to work and prosper of Nicaraguan Families. This Miraculous Recovery, for which we give thanks to God every day.
How terrible! How much toxins must those Souls have! How much hate, how much venom in those “scraps” that remain out there, who want to see our People unhappy; because that is the purpose: See us unhappy! That is why they destroy, that is why they insist on continuing to chase investment away, continue chasing Tourism away; they insist on seeing Nicaraguan Families unhappy…But they are not going to be able to do it, they should already know it!
This is a People of Marvels, this is a People blessed by God! This Faith, this extraordinary Strength of the Hope and Confidence in Nicaragua, is a Blessing from God, because we are a People of Faith. And how many things can we continue doing with Faith, with Strength, with the Strength of our People, just as we have been recovering marvelously, just as all of us admire the quickness with which we are flowing into all spaces.
I was saying, this Week End was an Explosion of Freedom of the People, that mobilized from all sides enjoying the Security, Peace and Freedom that we have been, Thanks to God, and along with the strong institutions of the Nicaraguan State, recovering precisely to enjoy the Country, to work in addition, to earn a Living honestly, and to Prosper…Because we are going to be able to do it! With the Strength of God and the Strength of our People, we all know that nothing is impossible.
So it is that, regardless of the fact that they have destroyed the Economy, regardless of the fact that there are Families who are sufferig pain, the irreparable loss of Loved Ones, and that stil this weekend killed a Compañero of ours, regardless of this suffering, we are Strong, we are a Strong People, and We are Going Forward! And we know how to transcende all adversities, because we have that Spiritual Force of Christianity, of Solidarity…A tremendous Spiritual Force!
We are Caring, we are Generous, we are Wise, and we know how to discern, and we know who to accuse and make responsible for what happened in Nicaragua. That is why we are going to demand Justice: That they Pay for their Crimes!
They, and all of us know who they are, killed 198 Nicaraguan brothers and sisters…That they Pay for their Crimes! They destroyed the Country… That they Pay for their Crimes!
This is what the people want, not taking revenge on their own, but that the Institutions judge and bring Justice, and that none of these crimes committed against Brother and Sister Nicaraguans be left in impunity: crimes that cut off Lives, and crimes like kidnappings, torture, fires, destruction of Families, of Families who lost their Homes and Institutions of Service to the People.
They took it out on the Institutions that represented, and represent, the essential Social Programs for the exercise of Human Rights in our Country. These are Human Rights: Health, Education, Training, Work…These are Human Rights! And against these institutions the great “defenders” of Human Rights took out their rage.
And why did they not think about the Human Rights of us Nicaraguan Families who want Health, who want Education, who want to work, who want training to Prosper? Oh no, these are not Rights for the criminal Coup Plotters! No, these are not Rights!
That is the Right of only the rich, for them! The rich who send their children to study in foreign Universities. Because in the National Universities the poor study, and the Poor study in the Public Schools, and in the Public Hospitals and Health Centers, that is where the poor go. That is what they wanted to destroy, because they are people full of hate who do not love the People, they have never loved the People. They are the same Families, the same last names, we all know them, that do not love, nor have they ever loved the People.
As our Commandante Daniel was saying: They are traitors. Let´s look at the pages of our History: What last names come out there? Who have sold out the Country throughout History? Who have been those who have turned over National Sovereignty throughout History? The same last names that we see today sounding as great “Leaders”, in big quotes, that to appear as Candidates and Leaders make a fool of themselves running in shorts with 10 other people through the streets of Managua…Ahh! The same as ever, if we all know them, the traitors those who sell out their country!
Who is going to bet on one of those, with the last names of traitors? Who is going to bet on those who make a fool of themselves, wanting to appear sympathetic, after they financed the destruction of the Country? Who is going to bet on them? Let them examine their Conscience and try to get rid of that venom that blinds them.
There are 198 Nicaraguan Brothers and Sisters who we are still greiving for, and the material losses are countless. But God will provide, because Love is Stronger than Hate and because God has in his Plan for Nicaragua Work, Security, Peace, Prosperity.
Throughout our Lives we have lifted ourselves up from so many tragedies, from so many difficult circumstances. How many earthquakes, hurricanes have we experienced! How we experienced the wars that also bet on destroying Nicaraguan and also destroyed us! All this we have lived through, all this we know, and we know about our capacity for recovery. That is why, as a Strong People, full of Faith, full of Hope, we know that We are Going Forward!
These are moments to see more clearly who are the enemies of the Poor in Nicaragua. These months, that we are going to take Roads that are a little more difficult, because as our Commandante was saying, we are not going to grow in terms of Programs, we are going to maintain with more effort the Social Programs, they are moments for verifying, confirming who historically have been, and are now, the enemies of the Poor, those who do not want the poor to get out of Poverty, and those who want to continue bringing ruin and pain to Nicaragua. Because that is what they have done throughout History, and it is what they have done recently, and it is what they want to continue doing.
They do not forgive the fact that Nicaragua has a Government and a State that is truly Christian, recognized in the entire World for having brought to our Country, developed in our Country, Policies of Social Justice, Caring, Christian, Generous policies that have allowed Nicaraguans and above all Nicaraguans from the poorest Families to study, have Health Care and to Prosper.
Of course we also have had in recent years a Model of Alliances that allowed many to prosper, many, not just the Poor, but it provided Work, this Model of Alliances bore its fruit, provided results, but well, everything in Life has Cycles and this is a Cycle that is closed, now we will have to look for how to open another Cycle… What do we have? This Formidable People, ourselves, and God first of all, that allows us each day to get up full of Hope, that allows us to get up each day giving thanks and embark on the day to work and to move Forward.
And just as we saw this Weekend, just as we saw all the People overflowing everywhere, walking around, recreating, and where people go for a walk there are also people who are working and earning a living honestly. With this Miraculous Strength, some compañeros and compañeras were telling us, in this way we are Going Forward! And that is why we say: How is it possible that they treat brutally the Happiness of the Nicaraguan People? How is it possible that Tranquility, Normality bothers them? Do you know why? Because it is a reflection of their defeat. These days, these days that show a People that is Going Forward, with Strength and Faith, is precisely the best reflection of their defeat, and that is what they cannot stand, makes them crazy.
But this Wise People, this Great People, this People of Darío, this People of Sandino, that know about difficulties, adversities, but know about Struggles and Honor, as the song says, are going Forward! Because we are together, and we go with Love and LOVE FOR NICARAGUA to build each day more Strength, so that God might continue Blessing us with all his Plan for Work, Prosperity and above all Peace and Security, so that we might Work and Prosper all together. Thank you very much, Compañer@s.