Before my trip, a number of people had told me that Nicaraguan soldiers, unlike those elsewhere in Central America who inspired fear in them, made them feel comfortable and protected. Maybe by wanting and expecting them to be that way … Continue reading →
I had heard that the Sandinista Revolution was trying to do something about machismo. President Daniel Ortega is quoted, in an interview in Playboy magazine, as saying that he is aware of machismo in himself and is trying to overcome … Continue reading →
Over the last few years I’ve known a lot of people who have visited Nicaragua. I’ve seen a lot of slide shows. So I arrived with a fair idea of what to expect. Still, there have been a few surprises … Continue reading →
The second co-operative we visited, named “Casa Blanca” for the old white building which houses its storage and administration facilities, is about twice as old and has twice the number of families as the first co-op. It is situated in … Continue reading →
Hotel Chepito, Managua, Nicaragua, November 16, 1987 “Where are you going next?” asked an American friend. “Tomorrow we’re going to a settlement of displaced people north of Condega.” “How are you getting there?” “Hitch-hiking….” My friend shakes his head in … Continue reading →
Upon entering and leaving Honduras (which I did in the same day en route to Nicaragua), the army did a thorough baggage search. What they were looking for was pretty obvious. “What is this book about?” asked the soldier, holding … Continue reading →
A year after the big earthquake, much of San Salvador still looks like a disaster. Flashy stores are juxtaposed with heaps of rubble, garbage, damaged buildings, crowded streets, and the many people trying to sell something, anything, to make a … Continue reading →
By the time I arrived in San Salvador it was 9:30 pm. My taxi was an unmarked half-ton and the other passenger was the hulk with the military haircut whom I’d been avoiding all the way on the bus from … Continue reading →
I have one more story from Guatemala which illustrates how the repression can operate. I tell you these things because the average tourist, sticking to the tourist sites, having no contacts in the country and speaking little Spanish, will not … Continue reading →
Rosa (not her real name, and I’ve changed other details to protect her) is a middle class Guatemalan woman in her early thirties. She lives in Guatemala City with her husband and three school-age children, and tries to maintain a … Continue reading →
