Pro-Government Militias

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Sandinista Popular/People's Militias (Nicaragua)

Basic Group Information

Name assigned by coder: no
PGM ID Number: 358
Country: Nicaragua
Date formed: Jan. 1, 1980
    Accuracy of date formed: year
Details of Formation: The Sandinista Popular/People’s Militia was formed in early 1980 and had developed out of the Sandinista insurrection.
Date dissolved: April 25, 1990
    Accuracy of date dissolved: day
Details of Termination: The army and militia were drastically reduced as part of a peace deal signed after a new administration took office under Mrs Violeta Barrios de Chamorro as President and Minister of Defence. The group did not disappear altogether, though, but gradually diminished in size.
Termination Type(s): change in government

Former and Successor Group Information

Predecessor group(s): none
Successor group(s): none
Private Military Company? no
Former Group? yes
    Former Armed Group? yes
Former Rebel Group? yes
    Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: 758
PGM Becomes Rebel Group? no
    Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: none

Government Relation, Support, and Training

Government Relation: semi-official (type 2)
Created by the Government?: no
    Main Creating Government Institution: no information
Government Link(s): political party
    If link to party, name of party: FSLN
Training and Equipment: yes
Shared Information and Joint Operations: yes
Shared Personnel: no information
Type(s) of Material Support: domestic government
State Sponsor(s): none
Other Connection(s):

Group Characteristics

Membership: village/rural; urban; adolescents; party activists; workers; students; peasants
Primary Membership: political
Alternative Primary Membership: no information
Location: Nationwide
Force Strength: [50000, 300000]
Target(s): rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; foreigners
Purpose(s): protect state, national or religious institutions; protect national borders and integrity; protect property and investment; self-defense and security; intelligence gathering

Ethnic Characteristics

Ethnic Target(s): none
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: not applicable
Ethnic Membership: none
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: not applicable
Ethnic Purpose: none
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: not applicable

Other Information

Other Information:

New Variables from Meta-Analysis

Purpose

Purpose: The militia served a wide arrange of purposes. Initially its role was mainly to be an auxiliary police force and provide public security. With time, its prevailing purpose became to protect national integrity by fighting against Contra rebels.
Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use local presence

Treatment of Civilians

Treatment of Civilians:
Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: unknown

Reasons for Membership

PGM Members Coerced? no
PGM Members Paid? no information
Reasons for Membership: Members were supporters of President Ortega. Many had already fought for the Sandinists in the final stages of the 1979 revolution.
PGM Members Killed? sometimes

PGM Size

Size: The estimates vary significantly. News sources reported for 1982 70,000 militia members, for 1983 100,000 and for 1984 at least 50,000. In 1987, a news source mentions that Ortega handed out weapons to more than 300,000 citizens, in a move resembling the building of the militia.

Weapons and Training

Weapons and Training: In 1981, there were 100 training centres organised by the government. Militia members were encouraged to join the training several afternoons a month; members with outstanding performances receive additional training and join reserve battalions. The training was led by the military. In 1985, the government supplied the militia with 200,000 rifles, submachine guns and machine pistols. In 1987 again, it distributed rifles to 300,000 Nicaraguans. The militia’s weapons included Soviet AK-47 rifles.

Organisation

Organisation: The militia is linked to the Sandinist party and organized into territorial units.

Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis

Information was taken from news sources listed in the PGMD.

Evidence