You saw it, I saw it, we all saw it. Earlier this week, following a right-wing electoral victory wave across Latin America—where, coincidentally after the suspension of USAID to Latin America, right-wing parties across Latin America triumphed in elections—Daniel Ortega, the left-wing dictator of Nicaragua, has decided to suspend elections, claiming that the other political parties are attempts to destroy Nicaragua, a common playbook for authoritarian takeovers. But this is not the only time this has happened in Nicaragua’s history, and once upon a time, it was an American that ruled Nicaragua.
Who is Daniel Ortega?
Daniel Ortega has ruled Nicaragua since 2007 with an iron fist, and previously ruled Nicaragua in the 1980s when he was a member of the communist Sandinista movement. In recent years, Ortega has become even more authoritarian, banning opposition parties, jailing and exiling opposition, shutting down independent newspapers, and during protests in 2018, Daniel Ortega authorized the murder of hundreds of anti-government protesters.
Ortega’s latest decision to suspend elections was driven out of fear, fear of the Trump wave of the eight, a pattern that has been liberating Latin America from left-wing tyranny over the past few years, beginning with Nayib Bukele in El Salvador, Javier Milei’s victory and transformation of Argentina, and by recent victories of conservative/libertarian parties in countries like Chile and Peru. And Ortega is not just a violent dictator, but also a member of the socialist bloc of Latin America and was closely allied with the anti-American Maduro regime in Venezuela. He still maintains close ties with Russia, China, and Iran, the three major geopolitical rivals of the U.S.
Ortega move to suspend elections only is him formally becoming a dictator, a status he has held for nearly two decades. But what if I told you that this wasn’t the first time the Nicaraguan government has been authoritarian and anti-American, and what if I told you once upon a time, in the 1850s, an American decided to do something to liberate Nicaragua and succeeded? This American’s name was William Walker.
Who Was William Walker?
William Walker, one of the forgotten heroes of America, was born on May 8, 1824, in Nashville, Tennessee. At just 14, he graduated from the University of Nashville. At 19, he received a medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania, later becoming a lawyer and co-owner of The Daily Crescent newspaper. Walker had made himself a pretty good life and secured the American dream, but William Walker did not feel fulfilled in life. He wanted to become an American hero, and he became one.
William Walker became a member of the Knights of the Golden Circle, a prestigious organization of American patriots, and instead of LARPing, William Walker decided to act! William Walker first went to the Mexican government and requested humbly to create a small American colony, but they rudely refused. Undiscouraged, William Walker assembled a brave army of 45 men, and with just this tiny army, set out to conquer Baja California and Sonora for the U.S. and the Anglosphere. In just a short amount of time, Walker captured La Paz, the capital of Baja California, declaring the establishment of the Republic of Lower California, and then conquered Sonora, declaring it a republic as well. But unfortunately, the Mexicans launched wave after wave of counterattacks, which forced Walker to retreat back to California. But the fact that he managed to conquer all of Baja California with just 45 men is impressive. This was just the beginning of his career in filibustering.
In 1854. a civil war erupted in Nicaragua between the Legitimist Party and the Democratic Party, and to save democracy in Nicaragua, the Democratic Party requested Walker’s assistance. He immediately took the offer, and on May 4, 1855, along with 57 other fellow filibusters, left for Nicaragua. On June 16, Walker and his men landed in Nicaragua, and on October 12, he and the Democrats seized control of Granada, effectively taking control of Nicaragua, making Walker the head of state. Walker would almost immediately begin to Americanize and modernize Nicaragua, making English the official language and encouraging settlement of Americans.
Due to the success of Walker’s liberation of Nicaragua, many other Central American autocracies feared being liberated, and as such, an alliance was formed between Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, along with remnants of the Legitimist Party, to take back Nicaragua and make it a third-world cesspool again, and unfortunately they won. William Walker was no match for the combined armies of four nations and retreated from the country. Walker would not give up, though, and in 1860 he set sail to Honduras to help aid the British settlers there who feared a takeover of their territories by the government. Unfortunately, Walker would be intercepted and arrested by a British naval squadron, who immediately turned him over to the Honduran government, which then executed him by firing squad at just 36 years old, a very sad fate for one of America’s forgotten heroes.
What Would William Walker Do?
Nicaragua is currently run by an anti-American, anti-democratic, socialist, authoritarian regime that was closely allied with Maduro until we black-bagged him and is still closely allied with Putin’s Russia, communist China, and Iran. Think about what would William Walker do. Would he sit by and let the Nicaraguan government be a threat to America in our own backyard, or would he take action and liberate Nicaragua and make it an ally?
When socialist anti-American dictators like Daniel Ortega suspend democracy and ally with our main rivals, do we sit by and relax or do we remember the spirit of William Walker and take action? It is time for a new generation of patriots to take action and secure American interests in Central and South America. Do it for Western Civilization.
