Remembering the Resistance to US Intervention in Latin America
Meta Description: Explore the history of US intervention in Central America during the 1980s and the powerful solidarity movement that rose in opposition.
The 1980s marked a dark chapter in Central American history, defined by extensive and destabilizing intervention by the United States. Backing authoritarian dictatorships and fueling widespread violence, the US government pursued policies aimed at suppressing leftist movements, most notably in Nicaragua. This period saw billions of dollars spent on interventionist policies, justified under the banner of combating communism.
The US involvement took many forms, including funding, training, and organizing the Contras – a paramilitary organization created with the explicit goal of overthrowing the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. The Sandinistas had previously overthrown the US-backed dictator Anastasio Somoza in 1979, ending over four decades of the Somoza family’s rule and promising revolutionary changes in health and education. However, the United States refused to accept this shift in power.
According to estimates at the time, the US government spent $9.5 billion in 1985 alone on its interventionist policies across Central America. This funding supported not only the Contras but also bloody authoritarian regimes, contributing to a climate of terror characterized by raids, civilian deaths, disappearances, massacres, and systemic human rights abuses.
“This is one of the darkest, if not the darkest, period of Latin American history when it comes to genocide, political violence and just mass death,” noted historian Alex Aviña. “And Ronald Reagan was behind a lot of it.”
However, the US actions did not go unchallenged. Across Central America, and within the United States itself, a powerful resistance movement emerged. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to protest US intervention in the region, coalescing into what became known as the Central American solidarity movement.
The resistance took many forms. Approximately 80,000 people in the US signed a Pledge of Resistance, vowing to engage in civil disobedience should the US invade Nicaragua. Demonstrators engaged in hunger strikes, blocked weapons shipments, and faced arrest. Vietnam veteran Brian Wilson, in a particularly poignant act of protest, lost both legs when a train ran him over while he was participating in a non-violent demonstration blocking a US weapons depot in California.
Wilson recounted the event in a 2011 interview with Amy Goodman’s Democracy Now!, stating, “This is what happens to people all over the world, who obstruct the Yankee mad train that’s trying to repress people who wanna have self-determination. It was just another part of US policy coming home to me viscerally.” He described how 9,000 people had initially disrupted the tracks, leading to a 28-month occupation with over 2,100 arrests and instances of police brutality.
The solidarity movement permeated various levels of American society. Historian Eline van Ommen explained, “It’s easy to forget because you haven’t lived it, but I think it was very, very present. And it was like something that, like in local council meetings there were debates about the Sandinista Revolution and United States foreign policy.” Student unions debated the issues, posters advocating for change appeared everywhere, and some city councils even established relationships with Nicaraguan towns, forging an alternative foreign policy route.
Some Americans went even further, traveling to Nicaragua to serve as human shields, hoping their presence would deter Contra attacks on the Nicaraguan population. Historian Alex Aviña explained, “Often, other Americans would go down there and serve as human shields to protect. They thought that if you have foreigners on the border areas that the Contras wouldn’t attack the population, the Nicaraguense population there, because foreigners were around.”
Despite these efforts, the Contras continued to inflict violence, even targeting Americans who were acting in solidarity on the ground. However, the resistance persisted, with lawmakers passing amendments to limit US assistance to the Contras. When faced with these restrictions, President Reagan turned to the covert and illegal Iran-Contra deal to continue funding the Contras, a scandal that ultimately damaged his public approval in 1986.
Still, people continued to march, raising their voices against US intervention and demanding self-determination for Central American nations. They stood in solidarity, advocating for a world where countries could chart their own destinies without external interference.
These historical struggles resonate today, as the US continues to navigate complex geopolitical relationships. As host Michael Fox noted, the Trump administration’s ongoing military actions in the Caribbean and Pacific, and its threats towards Venezuela, echo past interventions.
Fox highlighted the importance of remembering this history, stating, “These are dark times. We can not forget the long history of people standing up across the United States in solidarity with countries abroad. When they are under attack by US foreign policy and intervention.” His podcast, Under the Shadow, delves deeper into the US role in Central America during the 1980s, with Episode 10 specifically focusing on Nicaragua and the resistance movement. [Link to podcast in show notes].
The Stories of Resistance podcast has recently been recognized for its work, winning both a Gold Signal Award for best history podcast and a Gold Anthem Award in the category of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The podcast’s host, Marc Steiner, also received a Gold Signal Award for best episode host. [Link to Marc Steiner Show].
Listeners are encouraged to support the podcast and Michael Fox’s reporting through his Patreon account [patreon.com/mfox], where exclusive content, including pictures, videos, and interviews, is available. This history serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of resistance and solidarity in the face of injustice, offering inspiration for navigating the challenges of the present.
