politicians-from-nicaragua

"I love poets who bring together poetry and life in all its motion: Neruda, Forché, Cardenal, Dugan, Bishop"

"The Ministry of Culture led by Ernesto Cardenal was essential for the flowering of a true artistic and cultural revolution in the Nicaraguan people through successful and influential programs that were quickly changing the cultural landscape in Nicaragua. The persecution of Ernesto began quite early and was organized and led by Rosario Murillo"

"The concept of cultural work that Ernesto Cardenal had was holistic, integral, inclusive, and comprehensive; it is clearly expressed in several of his speeches and writings. It would be necessary to read at least some of them, for example For a Culture of Peace, World Peace and the Nicaraguan Revolution, Culture and Sovereignty, etc., and above all, The Democratization of Culture, that I consider a key text to understand the scope of the cultural project that Ernesto wanted to realize in Nicaragua."

"Ernesto Cardenal, who has often spoken of his dream of retiring to Solentiname where he would "chronicle the revolution," was asked on a recent U.S. tour how he writes poems while attending to his duties as Minister of Culture. He replied, "I write short ones.""

"One of Latin America's most important living poets (perhaps one of the most important poets writing in the Spanish language) is Ernesto Cardenal...Among the living poets, Cardenal has without a doubt exercised the greatest influence. His open, conversational style (which he has called exteriorismo, the voice of the everyday, of the real objects about us) has had an impact upon hundreds to whom his verse has been meaningful, and now-through the poetry workshops conducted by the Ministry of Culture-the influence has become institutionalized to a certain extent."

"We feel it, long for them, without even knowing what it is that we feel and yearn toward. We try to replace what is lost with possessions, with belief, with false hope. Longing, as poet Ernesto Cardenal said, for something beyond what we want."

"The People's Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing all of China and Taiwan is an undoubted part of the Chinese territory."

"Either you are in favor of human dignity and respect fir human rights, or you are against human rights. There is no their possibility."

"We are creating a new society in which an individual is not a piece of merchandise, a society in which there are no wolves and lambs, when men do not live off the exploitation of other men. We are struggling to create a society in which the workers are the fundamental power driving things forward, but in which other social sectors also play a role, always insofar as they identify with the interests of the country, with the interests of the great majority"

"Our revolution has always been internationalist, ever since Sandino fought in the Segovias. There were internationalists from all over the world who fought alongside Sandino, men from Venezuela, Mexico, Peru. Another who fought alongside Sandino was the great hero of the Salvadoran people named Farabundo Marti. It is not strange that we are internationalists, because this is something we got from Sandino. All the revolutionaries and all the peoples of Latin America especially know that our people's heart is with them, beats alongside theirs. Our heart goes out to Latin America, and we also know that Latin America's heart goes our to the Nicaraguan revolution."

"We hate war, and our National Directorate has repeated this many times. We haven't organized the defense of our revolution for the purpose of conquering neighboring territories - or distant ones for that matter. We have done it in order to win peace. Our friends and neighbors can rest assured that this revolution was made in order to defend the land of our birth."

"The sons and daughters of this country are not robots, not mannequins. This is a population every day more conscious, more audacious, and more creative. With this heroic population, we will make it to our goal, we will for all the way. With this heroic population that understands the world around it more clearly every day, it will be easier to come up with the right answers to the questions the revolution poses."

"...When we talk about the FSLN, we are not talking about something that is just a political party. We're not talking simply about an armed organization. We are talking about a historic response. We are talking about the indivisible reality of the FSLN and the Nicaraguan people. As long as this people is militant and proud, as long as this people is made up of heroic workers, as long as the workers and peasants and all revolutionaries are ready to defend the national sovereignty arms in hand, as long as there are Nicaraguans who love the land where they were born, as long as this people exists, the FSLN will continue to exist."

"People learn from experience. We have learned that in order to be revolutionaries and advance a revolutionary process, it is necessary to have one's feet on the ground."