Moisés Hassan M. papers, 1930-2007

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Summary

Creators:
Hassan M., Moisés
Abstract:
The Moisés Hassan M. papers contain materials relating to Nicaragua during and after the Sandinista revolution of 1979. Moisés Hassan Morales was a prominent figure in the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) and participated in the armed struggle against the Somoza dictatorship. He occupied a number of posts in the Sandinista government formed after the overthrow of Anastasio Somoza, and subsequently served as mayor of Managua. Hassan Morales later broke with the FSLN and its leader Daniel Ortega over what Hassan Morales perceived to be the increasingly authoritarian and corrupt tendencies of the Sandinista government. His collection consists of personal correspondence; speeches and writings; correspondence and other documents relating to his time in government; and photographs.
Extent:
5 manuscript boxes (2.0 Linear Feet)
Language:
Spanish; Castilian
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Moisés Hassan M. papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Background

Scope and content:

The Moisés Hassan M. papers contain materials relating to Nicaragua during and after the Sandinista revolution of 1979. Moisés Hassan Morales was a prominent figure in the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) and participated in the armed struggle against the Somoza dictatorship. He occupied a number of posts in the Sandinista government formed after the overthrow of Anastasio Somoza, and subsequently served as mayor of Managua. Hassan Morales later broke with the FSLN and its leader Daniel Ortega over what Hassan Morales perceived to be the increasingly authoritarian and corrupt tendencies of the Sandinista government. His collection consists of personal correspondence; speeches and writings; correspondence and other documents relating to his time in government; and photographs.

The small correspondence series includes a 1985 letter addressed to the Sandinista commander and minister of the interior, Tomás Borge, in which Hassan Morales enumerates his criticisms of the Sandinistas for fostering what he describes as an atmosphere of "opportunism and servility." The disillusionment of Hassan Morales with the Sandinistas is described in more detail in his memoirs, drafts of which can be found in the Speeches and Writings series of the papers. They also provide a broader account of the role played Hassan Morales in the uprising against Somoza, his participation in the post-revolutionary Junta of National Reconstruction, and his time as mayor of Managua. The memoirs were published in book form in 2009 as La maldición de Güegüense.

Materials relating to the period in which Hassan Morales participated in the Sandinista government are collected in the Government of Nicaragua file. These are arranged in a general file, as well as by governmental department, and include routine correspondence, reports, and a small number of Ministry of the Interior case files. There are also a few country dossiers produced by the Department of International Relations. Documents pertaining specifically to the FSLN are grouped in the Sandinista National Liberation Front file and include correspondence, instructions, reports, and organizational plans.

The prints in the Photographs series of the papers record a number of foreign visits made by Hassan Morales in his capacity as a Sandinista official. There are also numerous prints that depict the final stages of the Sandinista revolution, including scenes of FSLN fighters entering the town of Léon and the capital Managua.

Biographical / historical:
Date Event
1942
Born
1968
Receives doctorate in physics from the University of North Carolina at Raleigh
1979
Fights as a Sandinista commander in the uprising against the rule of Anastasio Somoza
1979-1985
Holds various posts in the Nicaraguan government. Makes official visits to Czechoslovakia, East Germany, and the Soviet Union
1985-1988
Serves as mayor of Managua
1988
Resigns from the Sandinista National Liberation Front
2009
Author, La maldición de Güegüense
Acquisition information:
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 2002, with some materials added subsequently.
Arrangement:

The collection is arranged in six series: Correspondence; Speeches and Writings; Government of Nicaragua file; Sandinista National Liberation Front file; Subject file; and Photographs

Physical location:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Terms of access:

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Moisés Hassan M. papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Location of this collection:
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-6003, US
Contact:
(650) 723-3563
hooverarchives@stanford.edu
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