Neil Hughes Sandinista poster collection

The Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (F.S.N.L.) or Sandanista National Liberation Front was founded in 1961 in Nicaragua. They took their name from the Nicaraguan rebel Augusto Sandino who fought the U.S. occupation of Nicarague and was killed in 1934. They struggled against the ruling Somoza dictatorship until it was overthrown in 1979. In 1979, after the F.S.L.N waged a successful guerilla campaign against Somoza, a five member Junta de Gobierno de Reconstrucción Nacional (Junta of National Reconstruction) was formed which ruled until 1985, although the F.S.L.N. had effective control over the country during that period. In 1985, Daniel Ortega, a leader in the F.S.L.N., was elected president of Nicaragua.

One of the major initiatives undertaken by the Sandinistas while they were in power was an initiative to promote literacy, the Cruzada Nacional De Alfabetizacion. This initiative lowered the overall illiteracy rate from 50.3% to 12.9% in the first five months. The Sandanistas, however, had to deal with armed opposition from U.S. backed contras during their rule in Nicaragua. Due to this opposition and a stagnating economy, the F.S.L.N. was unable to win the presidential election held in 1990 and were removed from power. The party continued in opposition to the government and eventually regained the presidency in 2006.