The History of Communism in Nicaragua – The first days of my photo essay

I arrived in Granada, Nicaragua, in 2014 to work on my photo essay “Communism in Nicaragua.” With me was my old and beloved Canon EOS 1N, paired with a fantastic 28mm and a 20mm lens. My bag was full of film rolls—and full of the desire to make good photographs. After settling into my lodging, I headed out to wander through the city’s central park. And, as if guided by the streak of luck that so often follows me, I crossed paths with a boatman who offered me a trip to the famous Isletas of Granada. The Isletas of Granada are an archipelago of small volcanic islands scattered across Lake Nicaragua, just off the shores of the city of Granada. There are more than 365 of them, born from the eruption of the mighty Mombacho volcano.

The boat that brought me to one of the Isletas of Granada, Nicaragua, 2014.

I stepped off the boat onto the island, eager to make “the first photograph.” According to a secret Brotherhood of Photographers, that first frame sets the luck for the entire photo essay. And there it was, waiting for me: a group of children rushed out to welcome me to the island— and, in a way, to the essay itself. As so often happens, I found myself nourished by their innocent energy. No matter how difficult life may seem in a place, it’s as if children don’t really care—at some point their natural joy shines through, born from a freedom untouched by “material things.”

And then, the children from the Isletas of Granada show me their “treasures” (shark jaws) amid laughter and play. Isletas de Granada, Nicaragua, 2014.

And so began that adventure in search of the traces of communism in Nicaragua… Why do I pursue communism wherever it tries to hide? To reveal its true face. To expose the great contradiction behind the propaganda that proclaims it as “the perfect society,” when in reality it is nothing more—and nothing less—than a Perfect Lie!

A couple of days later, I found myself in a completely different place—and sadly, there were children there too: the municipal dump “La Joya,” on the eastern edge of Granada. This open-air landfill sprawled across improvised grounds, where both adults and children worked collecting recyclable materials without any proper protection. And once again, I was face to face with a reality that stood in stark contradiction to socialist propaganda. But that, as it turns out, is a story for another blog.

View of La Joya municipal landfill in Granada, Nicaragua, 2014.