All-in-the-Family Approach : Chamorro plays it statesmanlike by keeping on a prominent Sandinista.

You could hear official Washington’s harumph all the way to Managua when Nicaragua’s President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro said she would keep Sandinista Defense Minister Humberto Ortega in her government as head of the army.

Only time will tell if that was an astute move or a blunder. But it was unseemly and arrogant for some Bush Administration officials to rush to criticize the decision when it was first revealed. Assistant Secretary of State Bernard Aronson, who oversees relations with Latin America, has since taken the right position: that, while Washington doesn’t approve of Ortega, his selection is Chamorro’s call and not our business.

Aronson’s clarification hasn’t stopped some self-styled saviors of Nicaragua in Congress, or in the private organizations that aided the Contra rebels, from wailing about Ortega’s appointment. But if they understood Nicaragua, or the Chamorro family, they wouldn’t be surprised. For all the suffering that nation endured since a popular rebellion toppled dictator Anastasio Somoza in 1979, Nicaragua has never been polarized like neighboring El Salvador. That’s why Chamorro’s campaign against the Sandinistas wisely stressed reconciliation.

Of course, nobody thinks reconciliation in Nicaragua will be easy, especially with so many guns still in the hands of both Sandinistas and the Contras. But Chamorro calculates that an army dominated by Sandinista officers is more likely to stay loyal if it’s headed up by a Sandinista general. She also hopes this will keep Ortega and other Sandinista veterans from heading back for the hills to stir up trouble.

Among Chamorro’s own children are former Contras and loyal Sandinistas. She knows a few things about keeping family peace despite political differences. She’s trying to do it now on a national level, and deserves a chance to make it work without second-guessing from Washington.