Nicaragua
Revolution and Neoliberal Reform in Nicaragua
June 30 - July 7, 2009
Itinerary
This 8-day seminar takes place in Managua and includes visits to the cities of Granada and Masaya. Click here to see the Summer 2009 Seminar itinerary.
Seminar Fee
CIEE Member: $2,400 Non-Member: $2,600
Academic Content (please note this is tentative and subject to change)
Lectures
- Politics in Nicaragua Today
- The Sandinista Revolution and its Legacy
- The Contra War and its Impact on Nicaraguan Society
- Women during the Revolution and Today
- NGOs and Grassroots Movements
- Economic Policy During and After the Revolution
- U.S. Influence in Nicaragua: Walker, Sandino, Somoza, and Beyond
- International Development in the Nicaraguan Context
- Access to Food and Land: Accomplishments and Challenges
- Roundtable with Former Combatants
Co-curricular Site Visits & Field Trips
- Managua’s Historic Center, including the National Palace, the Old Cathedral, and Carlos Fonseca’s Mausoleum
- Somoza’s Headquarters in Tiscapa
- Augusto C. Sandino’s Birthplace/Museum in Niquinohomo
- Scenic Mirador de Catarina overlooking Laguna de Apoyo
- The Old Market in Masaya
- Masaya Volcano
- Museum of Heroes and Martyrs
- La Casa de los Tres Mundos Foundation in Granada
- Tour of Historic Center of Granada including San Francisco Museum and Isles of Granada
Rationale
This seminar focuses on the political, social, and economic reality of contemporary Nicaragua. It emphasizes the contrasts between the revolutionary and post-revolutionary periods, and analyzes the features of the Sandinista government in power since 2007. After years of struggle against the Somoza dictatorship, Nicaragua became the only other country in Latin America—after Cuba—to establish a socialist-inspired government by force of arms. In the midst of a counter revolutionary war financed by the U.S. and faced with a severe economic crisis, the Sandinistas lost elections to a broad coalition of political parties in 1990. Upon assuming power, the new government implemented far-reaching neoliberal reforms that once again confronted Nicaraguans and had mixed results. Today Nicaragua remains the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere, and constitutes the biggest recipient of international development aid in Latin America. Participants learn about the defects and virtues of the socialist and capitalist experiments, the role of the U.S. in the country's history, and international development efforts in the Central American region.
Host Institution
The Institute of Nicaraguan Studies (IEN) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to proactive academic research and training in areas related to governance, peace studies, effective democracy, human rights, and public policy. The Institute has been a recipient of research grants from the European Union and the Swedish Agency for International Development, and hosted a number of seminars sponsored by the Latin American Studies Association (LASA).
Seminar Leadership
Dr. Héctor Cruz-Feliciano, a specialist in Nicaraguan politics and Resident Director of the CIEE Study Center in Managua, is the faculty leader for the seminar. Dr. Cruz-Feliciano earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and M.A. from Illinois State University. He has been a professor at the University of Puerto Rico, the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and at Thomas More University in Managua. He was also Resident Director of the CIEE Study Center in Santiago, Chile from 2003-2008. His current research interests are neoliberal economic policies, poverty and political culture in developing countries.
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