Nicaragua Nicaraguita is a short film set in Esteli in Nicaragua, a town twinned with Sheffield in England, and tells how people there are coping with everyday life after the revolution.

For most of the century Nicaragua had been controlled by American multi-national corporations who maintained the corrupt dictatorship of the Somoza family. When, in 1979, the Nicaraguan people finally overthrew Somoza, American interests were threatened. Mercenaries, funded by the US government, started making raids across the border, destroying and killing. Early in the film we see a mother grieving for one of their victims.

The total trade embargo by the USA in May 1985 meant that everything was in short supply, and the film points out that the people are very grateful for the gifts being sent from Britain and elsewhere. However the film describes considerable progress in working conditions and workers’ rights achieved by the trade unions and illustrates improvements in health and education. Since the revolution, the film claims, illiteracy had dropped from 50% to 12%.

Esteli is a city of 55,000 people in the northern hills of Nicaragua and the damaging effect of the trade embargo on everday life, employment, diet and hygiene in the city is shown. Nevertheless the film manages to maintain a positive tone trusting to the Nicaraguan peoples’ love of life to find solutions to their problems.

The unashamedly campaigning film ends with thanks to the people of Esteli and Nicaragua, to NUPE, COHSE, SCPS, ACTSS, NALGO, NATFE, Sheffield City Council, Orpington Womens Peace Group, SLASF, Salvador Allende Fund, Sheffield Media Unit, Red Star Cinema, Sheffield Trades Council, TURC video, Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign, TU/TV and the many other people who committed finance and time to the project. This video recording lasts 14 minutes and 0 seconds.