Government From Below
President Violeta Chamorro’s authority was also wounded. Since taking office April 25, the 60-year-old newspaper publisher has struggled to reconcile a country divided between the poorly organized majority that supported her and the well-organized minority that backs the Sandinistas. Her conciliatory style did help ease 16,000 contra fighters back into civilian life. She has tried to appease the Sandinistas with concessions-most notably her decision to leave Daniel Ortega’s brother Humberto in charge of the Army....