'AUTONOMY IS not a idea' explained Nicaraguan president, Daniel Ortega to special held last year it has been the desire and aspiration of the people the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua for over four hundred years'.
The Atlantic Coast comprises 56 per cent or the country's territory.
suffered tremendous isolation, and its peoples have been subject superexploitation racial discrimination.
The Pacific coast was the CORVICCU Spaniards who minated the native tribes But they were never able to through their colCounty onial policy in the Atlantic region. That was left to the Bush.
The British first began contact with the Atlantic coast early in the seventeentn century. They ried favour with sections of the indigenous peoples seeking turn them againt both the Spanish onel morgetour peoples to strengthen their rule. The GWil coast continued until British protectorate 1860 (Nicaragua had won its independence Spain 40 years earlier).
Following the Coast's incorporation agua in 1894 its resources were milked ary eign, principally US-based companies. panies wiped out forests. Mining companies CAhausted the considgold deposits. eradic was world's top ten goldproducing nations in 940s '50s). Overfishing чет! Coastal waters bereft of the most healthy and lucrative fish.
Prior to the revolution of 1979 nothing was done for the region. schools roads were built. Illiteracy stood at 80 per tempts to organise unions crushed by the NaWElC tional Guard. Silicosis and tuberculosis was the plight LUTOWE OUl work by the closure of the The people's cultures languages were suppressed.