La Rue Vibre !

The cathedrale, the biggest in Central America

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We spent our first night in Nicaragua in Leon, the former capital.
We immediatly felt well in the familial and peacefull athmospher.
There were a regional celebration on the “Parque Central”, with music, dance, handcraft and typical food (see our report). We ate delicious BBQ meat.

The da after we visited our first Nircaraguan Museum : the museum of revolution.
It’s only one room with lot’s of pictures, newspapers, old weapons, and a very passionate guide (for the foollowing, this is what we understood.).
He is passionate, a Leon is THE city whcih lead the fight aganst the dictator family who ruled the country for hlf a century (the Somozas)

The story begins in the 30’s, when Sandino, after traveling in several countries in Central America, began the fight for freedom. He is then assasined.
The dictatorship is protected by the US, and so almost invincible. Until a video of the power crime widely spread all over the world and force the US to withdraw their support.

From this moment, the FSLN (Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional), begins slowly to free the country till the late 80’s.
Almost every major actor of the revlution is from or fighted in Leon.
Daniel Ortega, the nowadays president of Nicaragua, used to be a guerriero in Leon.
The very long and sad list of martyrs and victims is long, but Leon was e first city to be freed, and still nowadays, the city is a bastion of the FSLN.

Unlike in some neighbour countries, the war didn’t lead to violence and unsafety, and so the Nicaragua is certainly a poor country, but very peacefull and welcoming, and proud of its history.