Their graves will be volcanoes: Martyrdom and the construction of history in Sandinista Nicaragua, 1960-1990

In 1979, the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) led the Nicaraguan revolution against the Somoza dictatorship. The FSLN as the ruling party began institutionalizing the revolution and consolidating its rule, immediately contending with political groups within and outside of Nicaragua, including the domestic business class, the Catholic Church, and the U.S. government. The Sandinistas faced the task of legitimating their power amid economic and political struggle. This thesis, analyzing the works of FSLN founder Carlos Fonseca, materials used in Sandinista education reform projects, and speeches, writings, and statements by Sandinista leaders in the 1980s, explores the FSLN's construction of an official historical narrative of resistance to exploitation through martyrdom and sacrifice. The party inserted the Sandinista revolution into this nationalist narrative, claiming moral superiority, authenticity, and legitimate representation of the Nicaraguan people. The martyrdom discourse incorporated the experiences of Nicaraguans under Somocista repression, contributing to the creation of official memory.