Daniel Ortega Made Reagan 'See Red.' He's Still in Power.

This article examines the shifting U.S. public and political attention toward Nicaragua from the 1980s to the present, focusing on the Cold War-era conflict involving the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) and the Contra insurgents. During the 1980s, Nicaragua was a central Cold War "hot spot" due to fears of a Soviet-backed leftist government near the U.S. border, prompting significant U.S. intervention including support for the Contra rebels and the Iran-Contra scandal. After the Cold War ended and the Sandinistas lost power in 1990, American interest waned, even as Daniel Ortega returned to power in 2006 and established a repressive regime marked by anti-American rhetoric and alliances with Russia, China, and Iran. The article highlights how geopolitical priorities shaped U.S. perceptions of Nicaragua, contrasting past intense focus with current relative indifference despite ongoing human rights abuses and political repression under Ortega's government.