Anti-Revisionism in Nicaragua

Encyclopedia of Anti-Revisionism On-Line

Anti-Revisionism in Nicaragua

Popular Action Movement–Marxist-Leninist

MAP–ML (the Movimiento de Acción Popular–Marxista-Leninista) was formed by workers and revolutionary militants who rejected the reformism of the pro-Soviet revisionists of the Socialist Party (PSN) in 1971. They also rejected the Castroist tactics of the isolated guerrilla band and social-democratic ideas, both of which they believed were combined in the policies of the Sandinista Front.

Before the 1979 revolution, MAP–ML had led the 1973 month-long national strike of 20,000 construction workers that defeated Somoza’s decree imposing a 60-hour work week. In 1974-75 it had formed the FO (Frente Obrero) as its revolutionary trade union center, and during the next years it established deep roots not only among construction workers, but among workers in many other industries, including at the largest sugar mill in Central America.

Then, beginning in September 1978, MAP–ML organized the MILPAS (Milicias Populares Anti-Somocistas). The MILPAS mobilized thousands of workers, peasants and barrio youth for the 1978-79 liberation war, with hundreds of them giving their lives. Apart from the FSLN, the MILPAS were the only other organized armed force of the insurrection. And in March 1979, MAP–ML launched the daily newspaper El Pueblo, which achieved a press run of some 10,000 copies in a country where the largest bourgeois newspaper only printed 50,000 copies. MAP–ML also originated its youth group and cultural groups during the 70s.

After the revolution, MAP–ML expanded its work by leading a wave of worker strikes and poor-peasant peasant land seizures, and a movement for workers control with the aim of carrying the revolution further. But MAP–ML was also met with repression. The FSLN closed down El Pueblo, seized its printing press, and jailed 150 MAP–ML and FO leaders. What’s more, the FSLN leaders demanded the MILPAS be disbanded, and in order to avoid a civil war in which the victorious people would be fighting each other, the Marxist-Leninists dissolved the MILPAS on the 25th of July, 1979.

Thereafter, as the 1980s war against the contras heated up, MAP–ML called on former MILPAS members and the broader masses to join the Sandinista Popular Army and Militias, which many did. Alongside this it criticized FSLN policies that it believed weakened the fight to defeat the contras.

“Below is a selection of materials that give an idea of MAP–ML’s struggle to deepen the revolution in the direction of proletarian socialism during the 1980s. The links are to articles it published between 1983 and 1990 that were translated and reprinted in The Workers’ Advocate, or they’re to speeches by or interviews with MAP-ML members. Although the party changed its name to the Marxist-Leninist Party of Nicaragua (MLPN) in 1985, it remained popularly known as MAP–ML. If you have additional materials from MAP–ML/MLPN or FO, and would be willing to share them, please contact EROL.”

Encyclopedia of Anti-Revisionism On-Line

Anti-Revisionism in Nicaragua

Popular Action Movement–Marxist-Leninist

Primary Documents

Reports from U.S. Marxist-Leninist Party Delegations on Their Visits to Nicaragua