Augusto César Sandino

In around 1927, Augusto married Blanca Arauz, who was from Jinotega village and by profession she was a telegraphist.

Sandino’s disapproval of rich and foreign dominance made him a ‘Robin Hood’ of sorts amongst Nicaraguan leftists, and also many Latin-American individuals.

The political party of Nicaragua, ‘Sandinista National Liberation Front’ adopted the silhouette and picture of this revolutionary leader as their symbol.

This revolutionary was born on 18th May, 1895, in Nicaragua. He was originally named Augusto Nicolás Sandino.

His father was a rich Spanish landlord by the name Gregorío Sandino, and his mother Margarita Calderón served as a domestic helper at Gregorio’s house. Gregorío and Margarita shared an illicit relationship, and Augusto was their illegitimate child.

As an illegitimate child, he was not accepted by his father as a descendant, and spent his childhood with his mother.

After he turned nine, Augusto was welcomed to his father’s house, and later his schooling began.

His primary education began in a school in his village, and later he joined an institute located in Granada.

At Mexico, he got employed at the ‘Standard Oil’ refinery which was situated near Tampico port. By that time the ‘Mexican Revolution’ was approaching its end. Augusto noticed the patriotism of the Mexicans which helped him develop his own political and social philosophy.

In 1926, César went back to his country after the charges against him got subdued. Later, at a gold mine in San Albino which was close to the Honduras border, he started working as a clerk.

During the same time, the Liberal Soldiers of Puerto Cabezas (a Caribbean Port) raged a war against Adolfo Díaz, the President of Nicaragua, who was then re-elected to the position, under the supervision of the United States.

At the gold mine, where he worked, Augusto convinced people to fight for their rights and formed an army with gold miners as soldiers. With this army, he led an attack on the barrack of the Conservative soldiers near the gold mine of San Albino.

After leading the armed attack, he went to meet the revolutionary leader José María Moncada Tapia in order to join them in the revolt. However, Moncada did not have faith in Sandino as he was aware of the latter’s proclamation of himself as the president. Moncado also knew about the attack led by Sandino on the Conservative military base, which went in vain.

In 1926, this young man emerged as a guerrilla leader, and organized an army which fought against the US military based in his country, Nicaragua. The following year, the revolutionary raged a war against the US, which he stated as their enemy. He even declined to accept the terms and conditions of the ‘Espino Negro’ Accord. At last, six years of continuous rebellion freed Nicaragua from the grip of the US army.