La Prensa’s US $50k Loan to Sandinistas Was Never Repaid

The Sandinistas requested a loan of US $50,000 in 1978 for “an unspecified revolutionary operation.” They committed themselves to pay, but never did, and instead attacked and censored the newspaper which they now confiscated.

By La Prensa

HAVANA TIMES – The voucher is from Southeast Bank of Miami, Florida, and is dated August 5, 1978. It states that US $50,000 was to be given to “Rosa S. Castillo.”

This was a loan from the Chamorro family, owner of La Prensa, to the Sandinista Front for “an unspecified revolutionary operation,” according to the former director of the newspaper Jaime Chamorro Cardenal in his book “Frente a dos dictaduras” (Opposing two dictatorships), published in 1987 on the newspaper’s 60^th anniversary.

In January 1978, the director of La Prensa, Pedro Joaquin Chamorro, had been assassinated by hired killers while in route to the newspaper’s facilities in his vehicle. This sparked massive protests in Managua and in February the Monimbo insurrection took place, in which Camilo Ortega, Daniel Ortega’s brother, was killed.

Subsequently, at the beginning of August, the loan was handed over to the guerrilla fighters and “shortly after” it was granted, (Eden) Pastora, Commander Zero, successfully took over the National Palace with Somoza’s congressmen and ministers inside,” narrates Chamorro Cardenal.

It happened on August 22, 1978. A Sandinista commando led by Eden Pastora took over the National Palace and kidnapped deputies, government officials and relatives of dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle. In the assault participated the current political prisoner Dora Maria Tellez and another political prisoner, Hugo Torres, who died in prison in 2022.

With that assault, known as “Operacion Chanchera” (Operation hog farm),