Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Americas. Natural disasters have compounded hardships brought by dictatorship and civil war.
Heavily reliant on farming, Nicaragua has traditionally exported much of its produce, with ordinary people reaping few of the benefits. Instead, the bulk of revenue has boosted the coffers of a small Spanish-descended elite.
Following the ‘Sandinista’ revolution in 1979, the country’s new leaders began redistributing property and wealth, and improving access to health and education. Fearing a socialist uprising in its ‘backyard’, the US sponsored a counter-revolution.
The ensuing turmoil led to the Sandinistas’ defeat in the 1990 elections, held as part of a peace treaty. Nicaragua’s infrastructure was in ruins, and incomes – of already poor people – had tumbled.
In 1998, Hurricane Mitch shattered recovery. One-fifth of the country’s people were left homeless and thousands were killed. Nicaragua was left with a massive repair bill.
Home to most of the Central American Volcanic Arc, Nicaragua is extremely susceptible to destructive earthquakes. One of the most disaster-prone countries in Latin America, Nicaragua experiences major floods and landslides – exacerbated by deforestation – every two or three years.
Meanwhile, unemployment, drug trafficking and political corruption are fuelling Nicaragua’s huge social challenges.