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3A

This poster was produced in Managua by the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN)’s Department of Propaganda and Political Education between 1979 and 1986 (the exact year is unknown). Political participation was encouraged by the FSLN, which promoted political pluralism and universal suffrage. These ideas were a far cry from the political strategies of the U.S.-backed Somoza dictators, who rigged elections and used political intimidation tactics to ensure political dominance throughout their dynasty lasting from 1936 to 1979. The Somoza dictatorship is characterized by its intolerance to opposing views; the Somoza’s crushed political opposition by imprisoning, torturing, and murdering dissidents. One of Anastasio Somoza’s most outspoken political opponents, Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal, the editor of the opposition newspaper La Prensa, was imprisoned, tortured, and assassinated in 1978 under the Somoza regime. His murder triggered public uproar and was a key catalyst in the eventual downfall of the 40-year Somoza dictatorship in 1979.

Spanish

Poster