El Repliegue

One of the most unusual in the long history of uprisings against despotic regimes in Nicaragua took place on the night of June 27, 1979. The handle of the Somoza dynasty that had ruled the country for over 40 years, was slipping. The Sandinistas had advanced from their rural strongholds to cities and early June, they controlled the working class neighborhoods to the east of the capital.

President Anastasio Somoza Debayle confiscated the passports of his cabinet members "to keep them from deserting and supported the personal counter-offensive against the Sandinista stronghold populated in Managua. When his troops on the ground have been stymied by the barricades of the guerrilla and pitfalls, he sent in the Air Force. The Sandinistas realized that if they stayed put, they and their supporters would suffer heavy losses. On the morning of June 28, the Somoza National Guard moved to the final offensive.Meeting as sporadic sniper fire, one after another they repeated the Sandinista barrios - and found almost deserted.

Under cover of darkness the previous night, a huge, silent retreat took place. More than 6,000 insurgents have left the city in single file and traveled on foot through streets and rural roads, more bare volcanic hills to reach the nearby town of Masaya activist. Retired El Repliegue took two days. Many people have temporarily lost their way on the 20-mile trek, but thanks to the Sandinistas' secrecy, careful planning and strong support networks, only six were killed.(One of them was the elder brother of my wife, Socrates.)

Somoza rejected the appeal of the U.S. ambassador in his resignation. He mounted a fierce attack against Masaya, dropping napalm from aircraft and indiscriminate in the city since the colonial fort overlooking El Coyotepe. Despite heavy losses, Masaya handed. The isolation of Somoza and the lack of effective control of the country were clear for all to see. In July, abandoned by his former American allies, he fled the country and left the way open for the Sandinistas to take power.

Pride and prejudice, a novel

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