Somoza Dynasty
From 1937 to 1979, Nicaragua was ruled autocratically by two successive generations of the Somoza family. Full control of the "Praetorian Guard," the economy, and the government gave the Somoza family a dynastic rule which controlled all spheres of authority and reigned over Nicaragua. The Somoza family ruled the nation in a harsh and unscrupulous way for more than four decades until it was overthrown by the Sandinista National Liberation Front. On July 19, 1979, thousands of guerillas and civilians entered the Plaza de la Republica, in the old center of Managua, where the whole population celebrated the fall of the Somoza dynasty. It was a national celebration and the opportunity to create a new Nicaragua. The question as to how such an unjust and corrupt system of rule came about and lasted over 40 years will now be answered.
One of the most persistent and difficult problems that has faced the makers of American foreign policy, particularly in the twentieth century, has been the conflict between the desire to encourage democracy abroad and the need to protect American interests around the world. Since its founding, the United States has been philosophically dedicated to supporting democracies and human rights abroad. This commitment is found in the most important documents and treaties of the nation, including the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution, and has been proclaimed by presidents and secretaries of state since George Washington. The United States has been an expansive nation territorially, economically, and culturally. As a result, the American desire to promote democracy abroad has often conflicted with the support of dictatorships that promised stability, protected American trade and investments, and aligned themselves against enemies of the United States. American foreign policymakers have often supported right-wing dictatorships in their efforts to protect what they see as the national interest and one result of this was the...
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