The People of Nicaragua
Remembering the individual in times of strife – Welcome to CheckPoint News.
By Katelyn Livorse
EiC’s Note: This is my first article as Editor-in-Chief of CheckPoint News and I could not be more excited about what this year will bring. Before we get into this article, a few thoughts come to mind. First, CheckPoint would not be possible without our readers and contributors who join us in the search for truth every day. Thank you, especially to our faithful readers and those on our brilliant editorial team, Rena Mainetti, Clarissa Schuller, Scott Cross, and Jacob Reese.
Second, I’d like to emphasize the importance of remembering that real people, individuals as unique and important as you and me, are involved in the issues we see in the world today. Not numbers or blobs in a picture, but humans aching to have their dignity remembered and restored. These are the stories we hope to tell this year at CheckPoint. We’re glad you’re here to witness them with us.
Nicaragua’s Descent into Totalitarianism
From April 18 to December 21, 2018, protests against the Sandinista Regime’s oppressive policies rocked the Central American nation of Nicaragua. Five years ago, nearly to the day, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice-President Rosario Murillo, declared that protests against the government were illegal.
Their declaration marked the coup de grace in the Sandinista Regime’s quest for total power over Nicaragua, a quest that began in the late 1970s and whose effects are still being felt today.
The declaration has resulted in the death and imprisonment of hundreds of civilians. Vicious attacks against Catholic bishops and clergy ensued, with one priest being burnt alive. The Jesuit-run Central American University was closed in August last year for being a “center of terrorism.” Thousands have been sent into exile, stripped of citizenship, killed, and forced to live in fear.
But who are these thousands? Don’t they have names?
Sheynnis Palacios
Sheynnis Palacios hails from Managua, the nation’s capital. Last year, she became Nicaragua’s first winner of the Miss Universe Contest.
What began as a time of celebration of the young woman’s achievements quickly turned catastrophic for Palacios. The government discovered soon after her triumph at the pageant that Palacios was a former student at Central American University and a participant in the 2018 protests. She had also become a figurehead for the Nicaraguan people, who had begun likening her to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, Nicaragua’s patron saint.
Palacios now lives in exile along with the rest of her family in New York City. (READ MORE: Sheynnis Palacios: From Miss Universe To Dictator’s Worst Enemy)
Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa
Affectionately known as Monseñor Rolando, Bishop Álvarez has been one of the Sandinista regime’s biggest enemies since the protests began in 2018. He refused to leave the country even after Nicaragua broke off ties with the Vatican and became the second country to recognize the Taliban. Álvarez has fearlessly condemned the regime for the last five years, enduring prison and threats to his life.
Álvarez was sentenced to 26 years in prison. Later he was also stripped of his citizenship and forcibly deported from Nicaragua to Rome in January.
The Plazola Family
Nahim Abiel Leiva Plazola is 16 this year. So is his twin brother, Nahum. In a just world, his father, Eliel, would be out fishing. His mother, Xiomara, working other odd jobs to make ends meet. Nahim might be playing soccer or walking home from school to do his homework.
They could be doing this right now, but it’s impossible to know if they’re even alive. The Plazola family relied on Unbound, a non-profit organization through which American families sponsor families in need across the world so that they can begin building themselves a better life. Five years ago, the Sandinista regime forced Unbound to leave Nicaragua because of its American ties. The Plazola family, along with many others, were left stranded.
Today, their condition is completely unknown. Whether or not they are alive remains a tragic mystery
These people must not be forgotten. Their stories must be shared so that one day they may live freely again.
About the Author
Katelyn Livorse is a marketing fellow at the Institute for Faith and Freedom and the editor-in-chief of Checkpoint News. A junior political science and French major, Katelyn is a style editor for the Grove City College Journal of Law and Public Policy and served as a contributing writer for The Collegian. She is also a member of the AEI Executive Council at Grove City College.
In the summer of 2024, Katelyn interned at The American Spectator as an editorial intern. There, she covered topics ranging from Iraqi politics to the 2024 American Presidential Election. She also interviewed figures in American politics, including Paul Haring who wrote the Hyde Amendment.
Katelyn has also worked as a translator for the Jews of the Somme Project. She worked to translate French documents written during the Nazi occupation of France detailing the persecution of the Jewish population. Upon graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in international relations.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the writer alone and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grove City College, the Institute for Faith and Freedom, or their affiliates.
Cover Photo (cropped) by Caitlyn Wilson on Unsplash