The New Face of Nicaragua: 'Equality, Economic and Social Justice'

It has been 37 years since revolution first ushered the Sandinistas' into power, and now the government boasts an astonishing approval rating of 69 percent, the second-highest rating in Latin America, according to recent surveys.

Louise Richards, trade union and communications coordinator for the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign Action Group (NSCAG) in the UK, told Radio Sputnik's Brian Becker that the reasons why FSLN is so popular are clear and well-documented.

Before the Sandinistas came to power, right-wing and neo-liberal governments backed by US corporate and military interests implemented austerity and privatization policies making it almost impossible for people with low income to gain access to healthcare and education, Richards explained.

"The poorest and most vulnerable in the country were those who suffered during those years," she said, adding that the Sandinista revolution changed the face of Nicaragua completely as it took unlimited power from the hands of a corrupt elite.

Currently, Richards says, poverty in the country has decreased some 13-14 percent, infant mortality has halved, there's free basic health care for all citizens, education spending has doubled, social programs for the poorest have been introduced, and those are only a few examples from a much longer list.

"What you see today in Nicaragua they call the second stage of the revolution," Richards said. "It's a transformation of society, having a society where equality, economic and social justice are important, and where the programs that are being implemented are designed to help  everybody and to help the poorest and most vulnerable in society, and not just the wealthy few."

Richards added that she did not recognize Western government and media accusations "fueled by the right-wing opposition" that Nicaragua's elections are fraudulent.

"It's completely wrong to say that there's no democracy in Nicaragua," she said. "There's plenty of space for discussion, for debate."

According to Richards, the reasons behind these accusations are rooted in a long-lasting confrontation between the FSLN and the US. Washington supported a counter-revolutionary war against the Sandinistas from the moment the FSLN took power in 1979, that led to the deaths of tens of thousands of Nicaraguans.

Ortega, who led troops against the US-backed militants, invoked the years of American interference in Nicaragua when he cast his vote on Sunday night.

"Now it's us, the Nicaraguans, who decide because we no longer have a single Yankee general here," he said. "It's we Nicaraguans who count the votes. This is a sovereign democracy."