When the Americans left Nicaragua in 1932, they installed a member of the Somoza family to rule the country. The Somoza dynasty would rule Nicaragua for the next 40 years.

Before the 1979 revolution, the Somoza family owned 75% of arable land in Nicaragua.

The 1979 revolution led by the Sandinista National Liberation Front was a radical move from extreme right to extreme left, but the dream of political democracy was not to be realised. As soon as they took power, the Sandinistas set up a ruling junta made up of five top Sandista officials, including Danietl Ortega.

This documentary charts the rise of the Sandinista Guerrillas in the 1970s, the revolution of 1979 and the takeover by the Sandinistas

Produced by Ronan O' Donoghue

Presented by Anne Daly

First broadcast 31st January 1983

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