Richard Darman was, in 1984, Ronald Reagan’s White House Press Secretary. in 1985, Darman was appointed to be the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury in 1985 and served in other roles in the Reagan administration and Bush Sr. administration. in his role as Press Secretary, Darman and his office wrote a “White House Digest” on Sandinista human rights violations. This primary source includes a copy of the digest along with communications between Darman and the National Security Council to verify the digest’s accuracy.
Darman details multiple violations by the Sandinistas since their successful revolution in 1979 which overthrew a US-friendly government in favor of a more communist-aligned one. The digest lists out many violations including the religious persecution of christians and catholics, summary executions of thousands opposed to the new regime, attacks on private enterprise, various instances of torture, the abuse of political prisoners, persecution of Nicaragua’s indigenous communities, attacks on trade and labor unions, and organized surveillance of the Nicaraguan people through a secret police. Darman cites each of these accusations with reporting from American media, non-profit organizations, congressional reports, congressional testimony, and limited reporting from Nicaraguan sources.
“When the Sandinistas marched triumphantly into Managua on July 19, 1979, they promised the cheering masses that the Nicaragua of tomorrow would enjoy unfettered political pluralism, a free, mixed economy, and true non-alignment.
But in the more than four.years of Sandinista rule, the self-appointed guardians of Sandino’s revolution have not only ignored their victory promises, but have systematically trampled on every aspect of human rights — from the censorship of the press and the postponement of elections to the indefinite suspension of constitutional guarantees.
Individuals as well as institutions are targets of the ruling party, the FSLN (Sandinista Front for the Liberation of Nicaragua). The following incidents are not isolated events but reveal an official policy based on a true disregard for the rights of the individual, especially those considered threats to the revolution.
“Ajusticimientos”
In July 1979, under the guise of “ajusticimientos,” or “acts of justice,” the FSLN carried out a deliberate campaign of murder and revenge on individuals they had determined to be “informers and assassins” of the ousted regime of Anastasio Somoza.
Nicaraguan officials admitted to the summary executions of several hundred prisoners in the early days of the Revolution. (2) According to Jose Esteban Gonzalez, head of the Permanent Commission on Human Rights of Nicaragua, 2,000 Nicaraguans were executed in the first months of the new regime. (3)”
Source:
Roberts, John G. “Sandinista Violations of Human Rights.” National Archives Collection RR-0113: Records of the Office of Counsel to the President (Reagan Administration). May 24, 1984. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/135839342.