Nicaragua

It is argued that Sandinista Nicaragua is the most heterodox of all "Marxist" states. It has allowed a genuine opposition to function with minimal interference, it has given land to private peasants and protected the property of industrialists and landowners, and it has maintained diplomatic relations with states of great ideological diversity. Yet, because Sandinista policy is informed by class analysis and aims to curb the power of both the native bourgeoisie and foreign capital, Nicaragua remains a Marxist regime. The impact of the Sandinistas' dramatic rise to power in 1979 is put in full historical and geopolitical perspective. The continuing attention the government attracts and the present realities it faces are closely analyzed.