Nicaragua: A Mixture of Shades

Anyone who returns to Nicaragua after a two-year absence—as I recently did—must be struck by a marked deterioration in every facet of life in that country. Two years ago, despite the increasing cost of fighting a war on both borders, there was ample evidence of improvement in the life of the average citizen. While the rest of Latin America was experiencing a negative rate of economic growth, Nicaragua’s continued to increase steadily. Much of the country’s GNP was being eaten ...