Managua, July 20 (RHC)-- Hundreds of thousands gathered in Plaza de la Fe, in Managua, to attend the main ceremony commemorating the anniversary of the emancipation process that overthrew the Somoza dictatorship, which ruled Nicaragua from 1936 to 1979.

Global leaders salute the anniversary of the Popular Sandinista Revolution and its successes in the fight against poverty

The event began on Saturday afternoon with multiple artistic activities and the presence of international guests and local delegations.  The closing ceremony was led by Co-Presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo.  The celebrations commemorate July 19, 1979, when FSLN guerrilla columns entered the capital, Managua.

Hours earlier, Somoza fled to Miami, the U.S. city.  He was responsible for murdering nearly 50,000 Nicaraguans during his years in power and for ordering indiscriminate bombings against civilians in cities such as Chinandega, Chichigalpa, Estelí, León, Masaya, Rivas, and even Managua.  He also ordered the National Guard to carry out airstrikes against cities already captured by the guerrillas.

From 1936 to 1979, the Somoza dynasty plunged Nicaragua into extreme poverty and turned it into a neocolonial country deeply dependent on the United States.

It was during this period, that the National Liberation Front was born in July 1961, inspired by the anti-imperialist and social justice ideals of Augusto César Sandino.  The armed organization, with revolutionary objectives and guerrilla methods, was led by commanders such as Carlos Fonseca, Tomás Borge, and the current president, Daniel Ortega.

After years of struggle, the victory of the revolution on July 19th represented a resounding defeat for Washington and the triumph of Sandinismo, opening new possibilities for socialist construction in Latin America and the Caribbean and contributing to strengthening the revolutionary and anti-imperialist movement at the regional and global levels.

[ SOURCE: teleSUR ]