U.S. called reason behind failure

Re “Nicaragua’s curse,” Opinion, July 12

I appreciate Stephen Kinzer’s efforts to set the record straight about the U.S. government’s efforts to undermine democracy in developing countries. However, in this column about a seemingly inexplicable curse hanging over Nicaragua, I am struck by his failure to positively identify that curse as the U.S. government. After correctly citing the early 20th century U.S. intervention and occupation in Nicaragua, Kinzer then attributes the failure of the Sandinista revolution solely to the Sandinistas’ “immaturity, arrogance and incompetence.”

Although the Sandinistas were undoubtedly a flawed movement, I don’t understand why Kinzer would totally fail to cite the well-documented history of U.S. efforts to destroy any chance of success for the new Sandinista government by turning the Contras loose on the Nicaraguan countryside. One would expect a historian of Kinzer’s caliber at least to acknowledge this country’s role in undermining the Sandinistas’ ability to bring about any semblance of prosperity to their country.

BRIAN KAMMER

Atlanta