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In Nicaragua: Maude De Victor

By VVAW

In 1979, Maude De Victor put her personal life on the line for Vietnam Vets. She blew the whistle on the cover-up of Agent Orange and its health effects. As a result she lost her job, was the recipient of physical and death threats and is forever blacklisted from federal jobs. A member of VVAW, she has traveled extensively and spoken to groups of many sizes about Agent Orange and its terrible legacy.

Most recently, Maude was in Nicaragua, her second trip there as an official observer of the election process and VVAW representative. The following interview was conducted by The Veteran on April 23, the day after Earth Day Activities in Chicago in which Maude De Victor was introduced as the featured speaker.

The Vet: Maude we understand you were in Nicaragua recently to monitor the elections. Could you tell us about that trip?

Maude: Yes. I traveled to Nicaragua from February 17 to March 1st. I arrived in Managua and flew to Bluefield on the Atlantic Coast, about a 2 1/2 hour flight. While there I also journeyed by boat to La Frey, Panama, and Rama Key.

The Vet: Were you travelling alone?

Maude: I was part of the Witness for Peace delegation, an ecumenical organization that has been monitoring the war in Nicaragua for 19 years. I was an official observer for the national election, assigned to the Bluefield Area by request of the residents. This was under the auspices of the United Nations and Organizations of America States. The UN role was quite large. I know that in Bluefields the UN had spent six months stockpiling supplies for the elections.

The Vet: Because the government wouldn't?

Maude: No, the government didn't have the resources to run the elections and needed the UN resources.

The Vet: What did you hear of former President Carter's role?

Maude: A lot of positive things. He was everywhere and because of his past, the power of his presence was immense. Politically he was neutral.

The Vet: Well, someone had to be. The U.S. government wasn't.

Maude: Carter was! The Nicaragua press monitored him closely. I heard a lot through the press pool. I also got my initial briefing from the Moravian Church. The staff working in the church was made up of former fighters who had been wounded fighting against the contras. Also there were views of wounded veterans.

I also met with different women's groups. The women's groups in Bluefield were well organized and politically active. The Mesquito Indian women's groups were not as experienced. I encountered the first female Mesquito to graduate from high school. She spoke about the contradictions of being educated and then returning to tribal society. The Mesquites value their autonomy. They were never close to the Sandinistas. During the Samosa regime the government didn't pay much attention to the Atlantic Coast. The Indians called that the "old days" and view them with some nostalgia. The Sandinistas made some errors in dealing with the elections. They were bombarded with both Sandinista and UNO representatives. One good thing the Sandinistas did was to make posters of the UNO candidates using their photos when they were with Somosa's National Guard, as most were, into "wanted"-style posters.

The Vet: Were things real wild leading up to the elections?

Maude: In Bluefield they weren't. The policy for the elections were followed. Campaigning stopped 72 hours before the polls opened. There were no alcohol sales 24 hours before.

The Vet: any activity—buying of votes, things like that?

Maude: No, in fact it was so quiet it was scary. On the morning of Sunday, February 25th, the polls opened at 7:00. People had been standing in line since about 6:25. Fifty plus, mostly old people. They said they didn't want to take chances, that they might die before they would be able to vote They had such dignity about them, almost as if they had light coming from their eyes. Solemnly, they powered their votes, standing as if waiting to get diplomas or something. Old and sick were moved to the front of the line, young and healthy to the rear. They had their voter registration cards wrapped as if treasure-like the family bibles—possibly the most valuable thing they owned.

The Vet: Well, we know the outcome of the national voting. The Sandinistas were defeated. Daniel Ortega maintained that the people of Nicaragua had voted with their stomachs. Is that true?

Maude: The people voted with their heads, their stomachs were empty. They felt that if they were to face the Somonistas again they would need to be healthy after five years of the U.S. economic boycott taking its toll. They faced starving children and animals. They voted to end the embargo, to save the country and to continue to define their destiny.

You much understand the Atlantic areas were devastated after the boycott. The hurricane was the final straw, wiping out commerce, industry agriculture—everything was changed.

People told me about being lashed to palm trees in neck deep water—watching their homes blow away. The tin roots decapitated hundreds of people. The middle class and intellectuals migrated to Costa Rica creating the "brain drain".

The eco-system was turned upside-down. With palms gone the lagoon became hot changing the food sources.

The library and schools were destroyed. Portable water was non-existent. No quinine. One bottle of beer cost 300,000 cordobas. The U.S. exchange was 60,00 per dollar. A pack of cigarettes was 40,000. No medical supplies—no doctors, no dentists, no shores.

When the U.S. made demands for elections there was no equipment. All that came from Denmark and France.

The Vet: What were the reactions after he elections?

Maude: At first hopeful. UNO then indicated that they were canceling the Agrarian Land Reform program returning the land to its "true" owners—the long absent gentry. Further, they said UNO would not allow the autonomy of Bluefields. The people were calm and not really surprised. They said, "We will fight," and "Sandino said in 1933 the revolution would be won on the Atlantic Coast."

The Vet: And the future of Nicaragua?

Maude: The Sandinista party is still the largest single party in Nicaragua. They'll not go away. The Mesquito Indians feel that change is necessary. Nothing wrong with it but they'll to keep their autonomy.

The Vet: What is the potential of future elections?

Maude: Unforeseeable at this point. UNO is out of step with the people already. The Contras refuse to disarm. With 14 factions in UNO they lack the ability to function day-to-day. They're lacking any unity of will. The people will live their day-to-day life and wait.

The Vet: Thank you very much Maude.