Meeting with the People of Esteli in Consultation of the Constitutional Reforms "Hay Patria”
September 10th 2026
Words of Dr. Gustavo Porras
President of the National Assembly
Where are the Estelianos? They must be asleep Where are the Estelianos? Where is Esteli's Youth? Let me ask again: Where is Esteli's Youth? Whoever loses the Spirit of Youth, loses the Revolutionary Spirit.Where is Esteli's Youth?
Now we are sure. For me personally, and for us members of the Constitutional Commission, it is truly a real honor to be here today, because it has great significance that this Second Stage of Consultation on Electoral Reforms, begins in Estelí Heroico, begins on the 48th Anniversary of the Estelí Insurrection.
To begin with we honor our Comandante, our Brother Francisco Rivera “El Zorro”, and we begin in a city whose people, whose Dignified Youth, have always demonstrated they deserve respect, against any oppressor of any kind.
So it is an honor for us, and here we have the members of the Reform Commission who are members of the National Assembly’s Executive Board, members of important parliamentary commissions and heads of political groupings; in a moment I will introduce them to you.
Here we have Dr. Arling Alonso who is the First Vice-President; we have our Second Vice-President who is a Heroine of our Country, Compañera Amada Pineda; we have our friend María Haydée Ozuna, president of the PLC, who is allied with us; we have Dr. Auxiliadora Martínez who is president of the Justice Commission, and Compañero Dr. Wálmaro Gutiérrez, president of the Economic Commission. We're may ask him to sing at the end.
Then, well we won’t introduce you to Pancho because you all know him; we have Compañero Raquel Dixon Brautighan, who is the First Secretary; Doctor Wilfredo Navarro, is the Second Secretary, and we have Compañero Edwin Castro, Head of the Sandinista Front, and our friend Lester Flores, Head of the PLC political grouping.
Now we are going to greet those who are here, well, we have an exemplary Brother, he is Mayor, he is Political Secretary, he is a Compañero who has always been steadfast like all of us who are here, like all the Estelianos, defending, fighting, working always for Peace, for the prosperity of the Nicaraguan People, our Brother Francisco Valenzuela.
We also have political and district secretaries from here, from Esteli, with us. Where are they? There they are, Rafael, Jorge, there is the Luz María. Great! A greeting to all the Brothers and Sisters, a round of applause. I know all of them. The thing is, we have been together, for like, 30 years now...... Here's Albita too.
Then let us turn to the Youth. We gave Pancho a standing ovation, and that recognition is correct, but Pancho would not be able to do his work if these Political Secretaries and all this Youth were not there. So, a big round of applause for everyone.
We also have the members of the Sandinista Youth present here. Where are they, can't you hear each other? Where are the members of the Sandinista Youth?
First everyone, and then your representative, your Sandinista Youth Coordinator here, Compañera Catherin, we want to hear the applause you all deserve, and for Carlos.
Are the Universities present here with us, are the Students here? They're over there, they sat you far away from me. Our representative of the National Police, our Brothers and Sisters who are accompanying us, Brother Alejandro Ruiz; Municipal Authorities, and Estelí’s Families who are here with us. Where are the Estelianos? Here, everyone, everyone!
So, Brothers and Sisters, let's start, we're going to try to make a dynamic that is as it should be, we're going to try to do the presentation in about 25 minutes, I'm going to try to present for about 25 minutes to leave enough time if you want to express yourselves, that's the most important thing.
And to be able to fulfill that, the first thing is that everyone was given this little leaflet, here is the Constitutional Reform without legal language, very simple; we recorded it in just a couple of minutes.
The first thing is Article 1, that they are not going to threaten us that there are going to be measures like the Nica Act, the Renacer Act, and similar laws they invent.
The First Article of this Reform, what it is going to say in essence is: No Law, no Norm, no Regulation of a foreign country, of a country or of a group of countries, or of any international organization, has any legal effect in Nicaragua.
That is the Constitution, that is what governs us Nicaraguans, wherever they perform their antics and their goings on, but here in Nicaragua we are governed by the Constitution of the Republic of Nicaragua, and it says, everything that is done outside in legal terms has no legal effect in Nicaragua. As Wilfredo was saying just now: Out there, let them say what they want, but here Nicaragua belongs to Nicaraguans.
Secondly, Comandante Ortega said on July 19th, there will be no elections here again that come to destabilize us, to destroy Peace, to create insecurity. There are not going to be elections again, if they think they are going to return to make a business out of the People’s Health, with the Education of the People, there are not going to be such elections here again, and he ordered us to get to work on this Reform; and that's the Second Article, so that you can share it widely, I know that you already know it and have shared it, but so that you don't forget, people are going to ask us: Is it true that there are no more Elections? No it’s not, there are going to be elections, what there are not going to be anymore are elections so that the enemies of Nicaragua can come and do as they please. That's why they say there are no elections.
There will be elections, but what does that mean? That the elections are going to be the same as always, with the same voting centers, with the various political parties that accompany us here today, with the same ballots and all that the Revolution ensures, for the path of transformation that we are taking, so there are going to be elections.
So what’s different? Who will not be able to be candidates, who will not participate? And here we tell you who they are: the coup plotters, the traitors to the Nation, those who incite or promote foreign interference, those who call for military intervention, those who organize with foreign financing, those who support economic, commercial, or financial blockades against our country, those who call for sanctions against the State of Nicaragua or its citizens, and those who do not comply with the fundamental Principles of the Constitution.
This makes sense since we cannot give space to any of these individuals because they are real enemies of the entire people of Nicaragua. So that's the second Article.
The third Article is very easy, we had already approved periods of six years and the Constitution is going to say that the periods of government and elections are going to be seven years; that is, that the next elections are going to be in 2028, when the period reaches seven years, for positions of popular election, but also for the positions that the President appoints, or that the National Assembly ratifies or elects, seven years.
That has a simple logic, it gives us stability, gives us security, and lets us deepen Peace, which are the three main elements that we seek to ensure.
The fourth Article is that the seven year periods also apply to the Commander-in-Chief of the National Army, of the Military Forces of the National Army, and for the Heads of the Police Forces. For what? In order for us to have security and cohesion, that period also applies.
This means putting that into the relevant laws so that they are reformed based on this Constitutional Law, because the Constitution is the supreme law above all other laws, immediately the Army Law and the Police Law are reformed.
The fifth reform is to strengthen the Supreme Electoral Council so that it has the necessary powers to organize elections every seven years, but also to apply the initial articles we mentioned.
In other words, for the Supreme Council to apply the order that sellouts and traitors will not be able to take part, none of those criminals will be able to take part, and for that the Council must identify, verify, see whether there is external financing for any political party, so it either denies or removes that party’s legal personality, that is, ensuring everything the Council needs to have is in the Constitution. This is the fifth point of the Reform.
The sixth reform is a historical reparation we have to make, I see that some are reading and it is correct. The sixth reform is a historical reparation, without going into the reasons for the moment, we had fixed the inauguration for January 10th which is one of the most important civil events we have, and eight days later it is the birth of our National Hero, and one of the world's greatest literary figures is our National Hero and Universal Poet Rubén Darío.
We have to do him justice, and we are going to do so in the Constitution, as that date is in the Constitution, we are going to change it and we are going to say, the inauguration in Nicaragua is going to be on January 18th in honor of the birth of Rubén Darío.
And the seventh reform to note is very easy, the seventh reform is that the period of all elected officials, that is, Mayors, Deputies, Councilors, to be in harmony with the constitutional change is extended to seven years, so that there is no gap in that year.
Those are the seven reforms, it is very simple, the seven points are very simple, they are the ones which we have come to consult with you, we have come to consult now because the reform was approved in the First Legislature, but not until January 18th, in honor of Ruben, are we going to approve the reform in the Second Legislature, until January 18th.
So we have all this time, plenty of time to be able to do this second stage of consultation, and that's what they directed us, Comandante Daniel and Compañera Rosario, directed us to do.
Our Co-Presidents told us that we have to carry out this whole process, and it makes sense, since the more we do this process, the more cohesive we become and the more we can be clear about what we are going to approve. Are we clear on that now? Okay.
So, I've taken 10 minutes so far, without including the introductions, and I’ll cheer you up now. I’ll warm the hearts of all you Estelianos: Greetings of Comandante Daniel and Compañera Rosario, a warm embrace to all Estelianos.
When Comandante Daniel told us, you have to make a Reform so that these criminals won’t be able to to privatize things again, we, those of us who are here and whom I have already introduced to you, set to work.
And we looked at where our history began, and do pay attention to what I'm going to say, 300 years, our history is 300 years old, from 1522, 1523, when the Spaniards appeared, up until 1821, which is the year of Independence, for 300 years we Nicaraguans, fighting, resisting foreign invasion with dignity, the Spanish colonization. 300 years!
You cannot believe those 300 years had no effect on our great-great-grandparents; you cannot believe we are the way we are, without taking into account all that struggle, that resistance, all that suffering of our forebears, who will have recounted from family to family, from generation to generation all the mistreatment.
That's why we are the way we are, because those 300 years there, from Diriangén, Nicarao and Adiact in León, from Yarrince in the Boaco area, Chontales. All of them were killed, all of them were betrayed, and still the struggle continued.
In this area there was a cacique whose name meant “the one of a thousand battles”, Mixual; everything turned on the struggle of our ancestors, but that's how we came to be formed, because new Nicaraguans were being born, maybe already mestizos, but, as Sandino said, with the indigenous, American blood in our veins, which means Dignity, which means resilience. And so, you see, we went on for 300 years. Tomás Ruiz was a lawyer, a priest, but he was an indigenous person, and then we got to 1821.
After 1821 they say that we became independent from the Spanish, but really what happened is that all this resistance undermined the power of the Spanish Crown, and we moved on to a new stage.
And that last little square at the top, those two squares, this one here at the bottom, and both the penultimate and last ones at the top have great significance, which is why I'm going to dedicate 30 seconds to them. One, Cleto Ordóñez, was a popular leader from Granada, who from there identified that his struggle no longer only had to be in front of the Spanish Crown, but in front of those who took over from the Spanish Crown; the effective heirs of the Spanish Crown were the oligarchic families, with the same surnames of the individuals who got on the plane to the US, the Chamorros, all those were born from from those same families, and those families believed they were the rightful inheritors of the Colony, and of course, they grabbed us and wanted to dominate us.
And the last one is that all those struggles bring us up to 1838, this fact I think we should keep in mind, since that's where we began to be a Republic called Nicaragua. We were not called Nicaragua, Nicaragua was the name of the original cacique, whom we call Nicarao, his name was Nicaragua, but formally we have been the Republic of Nicaragua since 1838, when we had our first Constitution.
From there we continue on to another stage, and you can see what a lamentable experience the first phase was under the Spanish Colonization. The second phase is the start of the Yankee intervention. But it's not that it was a random misfortune, rather it is a historical law, when an Empire is losing its spaces, another Empire is born, or else neighboring Empires grab those spaces.
It fell to us Nicaraguans from 1855 until today, to continue resisting and confronting Yankee imperialism, which back then was still at the level of the filibusters, they were just starting, they were expanding, but in 1856, we celebrated the battle of San Jacinto because it was the expression of the Resistance of Nicaraguans in 1856.
Then came General Zelaya’s Revolution, and so far I want to mention three things. When we started discussing this history, we saw that there seemed to be laws of history, you can see we have come from 1500 to 1900 so far, we have covered practically 4 centuries.
The first law we can identify practically as a law whereby the ambition and voracity of foreign powers, of empires falls on Nicaragua because Nicaragua has within its riches an enormous wealth which is the possibility of transiting between the Caribbean and the Pacific, the possibility of making an interoceanic canal.
The Spanish came with that idea, the Yankees came with that idea, the British arrived on the Caribbean Coast with that idea; that idea, that wealth of ours stimulated the voracity of the powers. That is a reality, and we must always keep it in mind.
The second law us that all the actions of the enemies of Nicaragua, be they Spanish, be they Yankees, be they Germans; the Comandante explained the other day that even German naval ships had come because of a situation that occurred here with a German citizen; so whether the enemies are Germans as well, whoever they may be.
If they come in peace we are peaceful, for the Nicaraguan People's highest aspiration is Peace, but if they come wanting to dominate us, wanting to overwhelm us, wanting to mistreat us, we, Nicaragua, Nicaraguans react with Dignity, we react by producing Heroes.
That has been the history, and that's why I mentioned Nicarao, Diriangén, Yarrince, Adiact, Cleto Ordóñez, Tomás Ruiz. And now I mention José Dolores Estrada, Andrés Castro, Heroes who set out to defend the Nation. That is the second law.
The third law that we find, since a law is something that is repeated systematically; it is that always in each of these stages, in addition to the Heroes who are our maximum expression, there is always one or another who sell out the Nation, a traitor such that betrayal becomes a constant.
Yarrince was seized via betrayal and taken away; Adiact was betrayed and hanged in Sutiaba, and so on... We now have three laws.
The fourth law, and this is important, every time there is a disunity of Nicaraguans, the great powers are stimulated to want to take over and attack us.
We have seen this throughout history, the disunity of Nicaraguans, then foreign powers come to intervene because they seek to find out how to extract some benefit. That's another law.
So, now yes, we have arrived at the confrontation with the new empire, Zelaya emerged and made the Liberal Revolution, a good revolution, but what did he want? He wanted to negotiate an interoceanic canal with the Japanese, and when he wanted to negotiate the canal, the Yankees would not allow the Japanese to finance it, so they sent him the Knox Note, sent some gunboats, and told him, we are going to destroy you unless you resign, and so he resigned, but then the laws came into play.
The Yankees, after removing Zelaya, put their puppet, the traitor, the sellout Adolfo Díaz, and the law came into effect that Nicaragua produces Heroes, Benjamin Zeledón. The Yankees murdered Benjamin Zeledón, went after him with their intervention of 1912, persecuted and murdered him thanks to another sellout. All this follows the laws we have explained, this sellout’s name was Emiliano Chamorro, it's not by chance that surname.
And selling out the nation, murdering Zeledón, is exactly what they wanted to do to us and what we all saw in 2018; they applied the same terrorism when they assassinated General Benjamín Zeledón.
At that time there were no social networks so then what the wretches did was to tie up his body on a cart and parade his body through Catarina so as to provoke terror in the population. You can imagine people watching the way a Nicaraguan hero was paraded around.
They believed that they were going to terrorize the Nicaraguans, they never weighed the almost 400 years of resistance that the People keep in their hearts, and the proof is that Sandino as a young boy, as you have seen him in that picture, and that was when he swore in Catarina, as Sandino himself has told us, to fight against the Yankee Intervention.
But that's our history, that's us, it's not that we are like just by accident; no, it's because we have it in our history, in our DNA, in our blood. And there we saw too how Emiliano Chamorro himself, one of Zeledón's murderers, was sent to the United States, to Washington to sign the Bryan Chamorro Treaty, which was the Treaty that said…
Interventions in the Consultation
held in Estelí
September 10, 2026
Katherin Salguera
Coordinadora de Juventud Sandinista Estelí
The City of Esteli is three times heroic, the city of courageous young people like our poet Leonel Rugama was, and our Comandante Francisco Rivera Quintero “El Zorro".
Today, the anniversary of our first insurrection in the city of Esteli, this youth of Esteli steadfastly reaffirms this process of electoral Reform, a process that will guarantee us Free, Sovereign and Independent Elections, as the Youth deserves, as Nicaraguan Youth deserves from these electoral processes.
Of course, only with the Sandinista Front, only with the Frente Sandinista in the lead are we going to guarantee the stability that the Youth deserve, and above all the protection of our rights.
Because these young people who are on the sports fields, who are in the vocational schools, who are in the culture centers, who are in the universities, deserve to have their rights protected.
As our Heroes and Martyrs dreamed of, as our Comandante Daniel and Compañera Rosario are making possible today, because we are on the road to development, because we are on the right side of the Revolution.
Today the Youth of the Sandinista Front, the Youth of this three times Heroic City, tells the People that we reaffirm these Reforms, because we are on the right side of the Revolution. Thank you very much, Compañeras and Compañeros.
Carlos Roque
Sandinista Youth of Esteli
Good afternoon, Compañero Gustavo Porras, Compañero Deputy Pedro Pancho, today paying tribute to that first insurrection of glorious Estelí, of victorious Estelí. Today this Dignified, Patriotic, Nationalist, anti-imperialist Youth, commemorates the legacy of our Heroes and Martyrs, with the commitment to continue for the sake of Prosperity, Peace and Stability, and obviously that economic growth that only the Sandinista Front, the Comandante and Compañera Rosario have guaranteed to our country.
Today Estelí reflects that Solidarity Model for the people of Estelí with top quality Hospitals, with a Stadium, with Sports Infrastructure for our Youth in Estelí.
Certain that this Constitutional Reform to our Political Constitution, will guarantee Stability, Peace, Sovereignty and Dignity for the Youth and Families of Estelí, and for this heroic Youth, this heroic Youth that has shown it always is and always will be on the right side of history.
We continue to faithfully support this Revolutionary and Evolutionary Model, committed to always continuing the struggle on behalf of our families, obviously, and supporting Comandante Daniel and Compañera Rosario. Thank you.
Judith Huete
Rural Youth Representative
We support the Reform because we want to continue living in Peace, enjoying the restitution of Rights. Today, as rural Young People, we have programs such as the University in the countryside, the Art Schools in the countryside, the Technical Schools in the countryside, the Productive Vocation Programs, things that we didn't have before, and today we are Protagonists.
The Youth of the countryside supports this Reform, because we want to continue to be Protagonists.
Today, rural Youth are present on platforms such as the Queens of Nicaragua; this is clear proof we have right now with our own Departmental Queen, who comes from a rural community. And we have a Departmental Summer Queen who also comes from a rural community.
Before this was never seen, and it is now because we enjoy an inclusive Model, and it is what we are going to defend, as we do defend it and will continue to defend. Thank you.
Gersán Vindell
Sandinista Youth Esteli
Compañero Doctor Gustavo Porras, Compañera and Compañero Deputies present, Compañero Francisco Valenzuela, and all the militants we are meeting today. The Youth from the three times Heroic City of Esteli, today say there is only one decision, and it is the one that says: A Free Nation or Death!, in support of Comandante Daniel and Compañera Rosario, in favor of the Reform of the Constitution.
Because today's Youth make their way in the light of prosperity, with every Right restored, from the full Constitutional 6%, to the bonus received by high school graduates, by schoolchildren, or in the school meal; the right to Sports, the right to Culture in its fullest expression. That is why today we say: A Free Nation or Death! Thank you very much, Compañeras and Compañeros.
Compañera Francisca Ruiz
Artisan
Compañeras and Compañeros, greetings to our Deputies, Compañero Gustavo, Compañero Francisco Valenzuela, our Mayor and Political Secretary.
Today, I want to talk about Culture, the Culture which is special in our Creative City, of Music, in our Creative City of Muralism; this Culture which has been the weapon of the Revolution and so today we are very satisfied that with these Constitutional Reforms we will have greater Stability, more Security to follow these creative processes, to strengthen our Identity.
Because without Culture there is no Identity, without Art there is no Identity; without Identity there is no Revolution. Long live the Revolution! Long live our Culture! Long live the Art of the People! Thank you.
Rafael Raudez
Citizen of Esteli
Doctor Gustavo Porras, President of the Assembly, Compañeras and Compañeros of the Executive Board; Pancho our Mayor and Departmental Political Secretary.
Well, first I really want to recognize the presentation made by Dr. Porras, in a relatively short time, because he gave a good explanation of what we have been and what has touched us throughout history.
I think this is very important to strengthen our National Identity, our History, and Estelí in particular. I think that's what Doctor Porras said, which is to disseminate this Reform, the content, the feeling, the Spirit, tell it to everyone, explain it to everyone, because not everyone follows the social networks, not everyone follows the National Assembly.
We have that challenge ourselves to share all this, because this Reform is an important contribution to the strengthening of Peace, which as Doctor Porras said, wherever we go, to the markets, everywhere, the main desire of people is to live peacefully.
I think that phrase that came into vogue for a few days, to stop causing problems here, is incorrect because people were upset with those events that distressed the population, preventing them from living peacefully.
I think that if we explain this Reform to them, the reasons why certain people and organizations cannot participate, they will be much more aware of the need to implement the Reform.
Those organizations sometimes used democratic spaces to promote violence, and they didn't use them for what they should be, which is for us to confront ideas, to make our proposals, but they used those spaces as a platform for violence, and then they lie that there was fraud so as to promote more violence.
So, I think that's why it was discounted; I think to a certain extent it's the impudence of these people, who after calling for interventions, sanctions, blockades, and so on, and then they want to participate in elections.
Because an intervention means there will be deaths, military intervention is an empty phrase; I am someone disabled by war, I dislike these proposals of military interventions being made, because I know what it means, especially for Young People. That Youth for whom the Frente Sandinista has given its Life.
I think we need a space of peace, and we have to put in their place these individuals who are no longer Nicaraguans, so that they cannot disturb us, because they have nothing of Nicaraguans.
And so I think the Reform is also very correct and we support it because of that, and all this has to do with periods that give more stability, more continuity to the Projects which are processes that need continuity, and I think this seven year period fits perfectly for that.
I think that as Estelianos, as Doctor Porras said, Estelí is where many struggles have been fought, from Sandino, Las Segovias, the three insurrections, I think we are the ones most anxious for Peace to be consolidated for our families, and not to allow bad children of our Nation to impose these kinds of actions on us which only bring pain and death for us all.
I also want finally to greet Amada Pineda, we northerners admire her greatly; she is from Matagalpa, but Matagalpa is in the North as well. So, good afternoon.
Wester Arosteguí
Citizen of Esteli
Beloved Compañeras and Compañeros, Sisters and Brothers all, our very special welcome to all our Compañera and Compañero Deputies of the National Assembly; to Compañero Francisco Ramón Valenzuela; to the Councilors of the Sandinista Front; to the Councilors and Militants of the best political party in the world; let's see if people agree... Which is the best Party in the World? The Sandinista National Liberation Front.
On behalf of all our Brothers and Sisters who are here, our total, full backing and support for all these Reforms being promoted by our highest authorities, including Comandante Daniel and Compañera Rosario.
We will always continue with the Sandinista Front, we do not want to sell out the Nation, we do not want traitors here, and they will never return to power. And I’ll culminate ending, with the phrase that the Doctor, our teacher, Doctor Porras mentioned which was said by the General of Free Men and Women, on May 4th 1927: Let's see if everyone cooperates with us so that it is very clear: The children of Sandino neither sell out, nor surrender! Long live the Sandinista Front!
Arelys Santos
Citizen of Esteli
To the Special Commission overseeing the Constitutional Reforms, to the Authorities of our Municipalities and Departments who are present, welcome to you all. Welcome to our City, a thousand times heroic, today as we celebrate the 48th Anniversary of our Insurrection of September 1978.
I am Arelys Campos, a business woman from the city of Estelí, on behalf of the entire busines sector, I want to express that we are totally with the Reforms, because we are sure these Reforms will give us the guarantee that the country needs, that it has the Peace and Stability that we need, as we have had right up until today.
That there is and will be a Patriotic Nation in Nicaragua; there is and will be Sandinismo, today, tomorrow, and always! That all the traitors, coup plotters, liars, all those who threaten our Sovereignty be blocked, and we give thanks with all our heart, that the leadership of our Comandante Daniel and Compañero Rosario defend the rights of Nicaragua. Because these traitors, They Could Not Prevail, Nor Will They!
Alesa Balladares Acuña
Teacher
Compañeras and Compañeros of the National Assembly, Pancho; I am a teacher, Alesa Balladares Acuña, and today, I want to tell you with my heart in my hand, aware of the history of our country, aware of the struggle of our Heroes and Martyrs, that we have a moral commitment given all the blood of our Heroes and Martyrs. We have to protect the sovereignty of this People today more than ever, and we cannot allow foreign hands to touch a single centimeter of the Nicaraguan People's land. And we tell you with pride, with Dignity, there are a People here, there is Sandinismo here for the duration, and we are going to fight, and we are going to defend this Patriotic Nation, as the General of Men and Women and Free said: "Sovereignty is not discussed, but defended arms in hand.” Greetings.
María José Armas Castillo
Citizen of Esteli
Good afternoon, Compañeras and Compañeros, from the Ministry of Health, my name is María José Armas Castillo, we reaffirm that we women in white coats, our nursing family, we reaffirm our commitment, we commit ourselves to providing care with love, with quality, we thank our Comandante, our Compañera Rosario, for giving us free Health Care, for all the high tech equipment we have, for the care we are able to guarantee in each Health Unit, for all these new Units built for us thanks to our Comandante Daniel and Compañera Rosario. We say today, not one step back, and always with our Comandante and the Sandinista Front. Not One Step Back!
Karla Pereira
Citizen of Esteli
Thank you for the time you have given us, thank you for everything that you are explaining to each of us, and the opportunity also to share with people who have not been able to come. Because the struggle is not to rest, and that those embers not be extinguished, why? Because our Heroes, those whom we already in our memory and those who are anonymous, that is what they have bequeathed to us, along with our General Sandino, are the ones who are the the chain as you say leading to Rosario and our Co-Presidents, because this continues, this goes on, and this process has cost so much blood, because this is as Che Guevara said: Though this may be hard, we do not lose tenderness, and tenderness is patience, as German Pomares Ordóñez said.
That the Revolution has the patience of lead, and that is what I thank our President for, for his patience of lead and his perseverance that has still sustains us. Thank you to our Co-Presidents. Long live our Co-President Daniel Ortega, and Long live our Co-President Rosario Murillo. Thank you.
Martín González
Political Secretary, District 3
For us this afternoon you have addressed very important issues, decisive issues like this process of Constitutional Reforms which we strongly support. The three times Heroic city of Esteli, we support our Comandante Daniel, Compañera Rosario, in promoting these Constitutional Reforms whose objective is fundamental for our People, to continue promoting participatory Democracy, to continue promoting Public Policies, to continue promoting Well-being for our People, to continue deepening the Revolution, to continue evolving.
The Sandinista Popular Revolution means Progress, it means Development, it means Social Welfare for our People. That is why, very strongly, in this three times Heroic City, we support this Process of Constitutional Reforms. Really we are making progress on these routes of Prosperity, we advance every day, as Dr. Porras explained to us. So much progress, so very much Progress, so much Development in our Country. We advance in the Revolution Compañeras and Compañeros. Honour and Glory to our Heroes and Martyrs. Thank you very much, Compañeras and Compañeros.
Alonso Hernández
Barrio Political Secretary in Estelí
Compañeras and Compañeros, it is a great honor for me to be here addressing you from the floor; a greeting to all the Compañera and Compañero Deputies; Compañero Francisco Ramón Valenzuela, Mayor of Estelí.
This is part of the history of our Nicaraguan people, this moment of coming to offer our words of recognition, that yes we are in favor, that we join the struggle supporting the decisions that have been taken for the Reform.
I believe that all of us Nicaraguans who are here should be, because all those who have left the country, all those who have tried to harm our Peace, Sovereignty and Nicaraguan Dignity, have really been against Nicaragua's economic, political and social development.
How can these individual think they can participate in our elections, when they have sought to damage both the security of Nicaragua, damage the security of the Nicaraguan People, as well as the Economy. No one believes these individuals are going to come and fight as our Government has been doing, Comandante Daniel and Compañera Rosario for the development of the Nicaraguan People.
Should they be able to participate? We cannot allow it, because instead of fighting for the Economy, for Peace, and for the Dignity of Nicaragua, they are going to come and sell us out so that foreigners can trample on us.
And the truth is the opposite, our history says that our People live with Dignity, and that is why as the Compañero pointed out, in the history of Nicaragua, which we have inherited since 1912 when General Benjamín Zeledón was killed.
And that's when Sandino emerged, when Sandino took up the promise of Dignity for the Nicaraguan People, because he saw how General Zeledón was paraded through the streets. Sandino bequeathed to us what we are strengthening today, which is the struggle of the People, with Dignity.
I've been with the Sandinista Front for 53 years, and I'm going to be with it until my very last day. A Free Nation, or Death! Thank you very much, Compañeras and Compañeros.
Graciela Farrach
Teacher of the UNAN-Managua in Estelí
I’m Graciela Farrach, a teacher with the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua in Managua, greeting you in Esteli on this cool afternoon, we are greeting and supporting this process of Constitutional Reforms, because we are convinced by the advances in educational affairs, which have been possible thanks to our good Revolutionary Government.
In this case, we enjoy Peace, Tranquility, Stability, which allows us to develop an inclusive, free, quality education with our Students.
We are certain that the historic struggle for the Constitutional 6% are behind us, because today we have restored the right to a University Education for all our Students in emblematic Programs such as te Rural University program UNICAM and also for urban students.
We are more than satisfied with our Governance Model, and we are also sure that we are always moving Always Further On. Thank you very much.
Dr. Gustavo Porras
By way of thanking all the Compañeras and Compañeros who have taken part, those who have spoken, I am going to put the support to a vote, in the style of the National Assembly; we first ask those who are in favor and then who are against and who abstain, to make clear in this Assembly of the People President in Estelí, how we stand.
Because it's not just raising your hand. After the explanation and getting to understand the reason for these Reforms and why we have to continue this path of Justice, really, for the Future, which defines our attitude to ourselves, as we have already said, one of Unity and Decision, of Dignity.
The Constitutional Reforms, the seven points that we have in our hands we have explained: Raise your hand those of us who agree to them? Put your hands down. Do those who are against raise their hands? No one. Those who abstain? No one. The Reforms are unanimously approved with this support in Esteli.
And to close with that Esteliano Spirit, with the Spirit of the Insurrection of September 9th, with the Spirit of our Comandante Francisco Rivera, “El Zorro,” we give the floor to close this Special Session to Compañero Francisco Valenzuela.
Francisco Valenzuela,
Mayor and Departmental Political Secretary
of Estelí
Thank you very much, Doctor. We can all sit down. I won't take up too much of your time. As Doctor Porras told us.
Dr. Gustavo Porras, President of the National Assembly, it is an honor to have you here again in this Heroic Esteli. We have had a lot of time to share working together, already with a certain history during several moments.
A very good afternoon to the Compañeras and Compañeros, members of the Executive Board of the National Assembly, to the members of the Special Commission on the Partial Reforms, to the Deputies present here, it is an honor to have you here, please feel at home, you are always welcome.
To the Heroic Youth of Estelí, to the Municipal Authorities, to our Vice Mayor, to our district and neighborhood Political Secretaries, to our Units of Victory, to the representatives of the various sectors, and of the institutions of Good Government.
To all the Social, Productive and Economic Sectors that are present this afternoon, this beautiful afternoon of unconditional ratification of the Partial Reforms to the Political Constitution of Nicaragua.
It was a masterful explanation, we had also participated in this process on line, and now we are here in the street, we are where we can reach, we do not have the space for so many people and the street is where we work, where we live, along with the Communities, the Municipalities, in the barrios.
And precisely, we want to thank the decision to begin the second stage of knowing and ratifying the Constitutional Reforms here in Estelí, today, September 9th, in Commemoration, in Celebration of the 48th Anniversary of the Popular Insurrection of September 1978.
The decision was the right one, and we are thank Comandante Daniel and Compañera Rosario, who are always aware of these historical dates, of the moments which lead us to take on the commitment to continue with the Revolution, to continue with this Project of Love, Peace and Tranquility.
In fact, we are convinced of the institutional strengthening implied through a Constitutional Reform of this nature.
The Compañeras and Compañeros have already forcefully explained the reason for it and why we need to defend it. Why do we assume it as our won and why do we vote for it? Because the People are the President, because we are the Protagonists. It is true, the National Assembly is the instance, which, of course, legislates, approves laws and reforms the Constitution.
But also what Comandante Daniel, Compañera Rosario, the People President, tell us is that effectively this is the practice of direct democracy we are engaged in today.
That's why we raised our hands, and we can't just leave it at raising our hands in support, but we must defend these Reforms by explaining them in detail.
There is an atmosphere we have felt since this Reform process began, of acceptance, of quite overwhelming, almost unanimous acceptance. There may be remnants and redoubts of people who are confused, and we can explain to them, and others too can do what they can, but there are very few who echo the coup plotters, the traitors, the sellouts who are outside, for the most part, but those are minimal.
But the great People, the great Nicaraguan community is convinced that the most important thing we need is to live in Peace, Tranquility, Prosperity, with Security, with Stability. And that is the heritage that we must protect and preserve.
I think this has been a good working session, an excellent working session, people have paid great attention, we have paid a lot of attention, there has been discipline and we have the correct information, the interpretation of the explanation that Doctor Porras has masterfully presented to us.
I want to repeat, thanking again, the presence of the National Assembly, the presence of the Deputies, the presence of the different sectors, always taking on these commitments today, September 9th which is a historic day for Estelí.
Doctor Porras explained clearly that events here that day were part of the process of the Final Offensive, which began in October 1977 in San Fabian, with Comandante Daniel Ortega, and also the actions in San Carlos.
That was an offensive, an operation, a strategy that was pieced together so as to reach the definitive Triumph, passing through Sabogales, with the death in action of Comandante Camilo Ortega.
Here we had the death in action of the Sandinista Hero, member of the National Leadership, Comandante José Benito Escobar Pérez, on July 16th 1978; the Insurrection of Matagalpa, of the Children, of the Youth.
In August came the storming of the National Palace and then we come to the September Insurrection. Five important cities at that time of struggle: Chinandega, León, Masaya, Managua, Estelí. And also subversive revolutionary activity in Carazo; all were important as part of the offensive.
”El Zorro", Francisco Rivera Quintero, was a member of the “Carlos Fonseca” Northern Front, he was with Comandante Daniel, Comandante Daniel holds him in very high regard.
In that photo we have here "El Zorro" was injured in September, and the first withdrawal was made. Thirty eight Compañeros and Compañeras from the Northern Front, entered Estelí with homemade weapons and a few automatic firearms.
There he got wounded, and after the tactical retreat, following thirteen days of insurrection here in Esteli, the guerrilla columns regrouped, the guerrilla columns of young combatants, of the People, of peasants and workers were strengthened, and the columns became more robust, the squads became columns and the columns became fronts. In such a way it was that the Final Offensive came.
We had the next insurrection in April 1979 and on July 16th we were Free, in the case of Estelí, and on July 19th all our Beloved Blessed and Forever Free Nicaragua.
Long live the Sandinista National Liberation Front!
Long live Comandante Daniel Ortega!
Long live Compañera Rosario Murillo!
A Free Nation, or Death!
A Patriotic Nation or Death, we will overcome!
They Could Not Prevail, Nor Will They!
They Could Not Prevail, Nor Will They!
