#nigaragua

[chicagondn]

Smoke’em if you got‘em!!!! #certifiedpsyko #rcbapproved #psykoseven #psyko7 #nigaragua #ashholecigarclub_il #ashhole4life #cigarporn #chicagondn #wanagioyate #ghostnation #nativepride (at Chicago, Illinois) https://www.instagram.com/p/CE0F3qBg9LM/?igshid=lp9rlsj4tfti

[lorengarcia-yut]

😍😍😋 I want some! Tia this is the bomb madylabella

[arjanderuijter]

Isla Ometepe Kids - Isla Ometepe, Nigaragua

[harvestheart]

Window in Nigaragua - Photo by Laura Garcia

[mclite]

sterls and co in nicaragua.  nate tyler has sick style.  and they all need haircuts!

[lysscglobal-blog]

So why should the United States care about Nicaragua and its elections?

First, we have values, and among these are free and fair elections, the rule of law and a governmental architecture of checks and balances. We call this liberal democracy. Ortega would regard it as a bourgeois contrivance, something to be endured but not embraced. If we fail to promote these values, then we lose some of our ability to attract through example, what Harvard professor Joseph Nye described as “soft power.”

We don’t have to be perfect in our efforts to apply these values at home, nor should we expect perfection from others, but we must be consistent in calling for efforts to establish them everywhere. We have denounced authoritarian and nepotistic governments throughout the Middle East, and this has earned us gratitude and respect. Why shouldn’t we do the same in Nicaragua? To be sure, circumstances differ there, where a fragile democracy exists but is in danger of coming apart. But Ortega would emulate the type of leader that we saw in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, where a strongman held sway with family and friends for decades.

Second, there are Nicaraguans who share our commitment to democracy and human rights. A few are among the opposition politicians and in the media, but most belong to civil society organizations. Despite intimidation and harassment, despite personal risks inconceivable to an American, they persist in their advocacy. They have proven resilient and self-reliant. In addition to some modest financial support for training and education, which the United States and others have provided over the past decade or so, they need our encouragement and moral support.

Finally, the Nicaraguan people, especially the poorest, deserve our attention. They have endured hardship and abuse, have had to overcome outrage and neglect, but have not lost hope. We may think that when people struggle to feed their families, clothe their children, and find adequate shelter, democracy and human rights are of little moment. But anyone who speaks to impoverished Nicaraguans knows they have a keen appreciation of politics.