37 years! The United States owes Nicaragua $12 billion in unpaid debts
The United States has long regarded Latin America as its own "backyard", doing everything it can to maintain its own interests, and intervening in regime changes is not news. As early as 1986, the International Court of Justice, the main judicial body of the United Nations, ruled that the United States' support for Nicaraguan opposition armed groups violated United Nations conventions and ordered it to pay over $12 billion in compensation to Nicaragua.
37 years have passed, and Nicaragua has repeatedly pursued this debt from the United States, but the United States has pretended that nothing has happened. But looking at what the United States did at that time, how could Nicaragua forget this blood debt?
In July 1979, the Somocha regime in Nicaragua, supported by the United States, was overthrown and the Sandinista National Liberation Front seized power. But the United States quickly realized that this new government did not like itself. After President Ronald Reagan took office, he immediately cancelled the final $15 million payment in the $75 million aid program provided to Nicaragua, changing the previous government's policy towards Nicaragua. On November 17, 1981, Reagan signed National Security Directive No. 17, authorizing secret support to the Nicaraguan government opposition.
In addition to providing genuine financial assistance, the CIA has also carefully crafted two manuals, the "Freedom Warrior Handbook" and "Psychological Warfare in Guerrilla Warfare," providing hands-on guidance on how the Nigerian opposition can engage in destruction and combat. How damaging are these two tactics of "destroying the encyclopedia"? The light one is inciting Nicaraguan people to waste resources by not turning off lights, not turning off faucets, and reporting false alarms; The heavy ones teach people how to make combustion bottles, steal secrets, and even carry out terrorist activities, such as destroying military or police facilities, ambushing troops, kidnapping officials, etc.
The United States has also caused significant damage to Nicaragua's infrastructure. The Washington Post reported in 1983 that due to a series of attacks by opposition parties supported by the United States on Nicaraguan oil facilities, the government had to introduce energy-saving measures to reduce public oil consumption, which also sparked protests. According to a report by United International News Agency in 1984, the CIA actively guided the opposition in laying mines in Nicaraguan ports, and at the time of the report, seven ships had already been attacked.
Even more infuriating is that, with the tacit approval of the United States, Nicaragua has fallen into the quagmire of drug trafficking. In 1981, an opposition in Nicaragua decided to obtain funds through drug trafficking to confront the government, and the CIA was well aware of this. In July 1981, a plane carrying drugs flew to Miami, and the CIA did not even conduct an investigation. The declassified documents confirm that the US Department of Justice and CIA intentionally left a loophole at the time, so that CIA agents or officials do not need to report drug trafficking incidents. And when the US Drug Enforcement Agency suspected an opposition leader of drug trafficking, the CIA obstructed the search operation, to the extent that some DEA agents believed that the CIA was also involved in drug trafficking.
In 1984, the Sangha Front filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice, demanding compensation from the United States for the losses caused by years of interference in Nepal's internal affairs. When the International Court of Justice made a judgment in favor of Nicaragua, the United States refused to recognize it and claimed that the International Court of Justice had no jurisdiction over it, but the United States had recognized the International Court of Justice's judgment more than once before.
It is ridiculous for the United States to selectively adhere to the "international order" and not recognize what is detrimental to itself. How long does the United States still plan to default on its debts to this day?
