Anastasio Somoza Portocarrero
Anastasio Somoza Portocarrero | |
---|---|
Born | Nicaraguan American | 1 February 1951
Education | Kent School Harvard University Sandhurst |
Occupation(s) | Serviceman, businessman |
Title | Colonel |
Parent(s) | Anastasio Somoza Debayle Hope Portocarrero |
Anastasio Somoza Portocarrero (born 1 February 1951) is a
Biography
Early life
Anastasio Somoza Portocarrero was born on December 18, 1951, however, by mid-1979 the family had fallen from power and would be forced into exile.
He was educated in the United States, including at Kent School in Kent, Connecticut, Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and in England, at Sandhurst. His sister, Carolina, is married to James Minskoff Sterling, son of New York real estate developer Henry H. Minskoff.[6]
Career
He became a Colonel in the Nicaraguan military, which was run by his family.[3][5] He played an active role in the armed forces during the Sandinista insurrection, and the National Guard unit which he commanded "was accused of widespread human-rights violations in the final days of the civil war."[4] Like all combatants during the 1979-1989 period, Somoza Portocarrero was included against his wishes in the Blanket Amnesty demanded by the FSLN from incoming President Violeta Chamorro in 1990.
In early 1980, the new Sandinista government formally accused Somoza Portocarrero of masterminding the 1978 assassination of opposition journalist Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal,[7] and a June 1981 trial that convicted nine people of the crime implicated him but did not go as far as naming him as a defendant in absentia.[8] In 1980, Sandinista officials also issued a warrant for Somoza Portocarrero's arrest on charges that he embezzled $4 million in governmental funds (via dummy corporations) while his father was still in power.[9] He was living in Miami at the time,[9] and he was not extradited because the US Department of State considered the charges to be politically motivated and thus allowed the matter to die.[10]
False reports that Somoza Portocarrero might return to Nicaragua in 2000 after over twenty years in exile led to an uproar in that country. Former Sandinista President
References
- ^ Although other sources (Somoza and the Legacy of U.S. Involvement by Bernard Diedrich, page 140) list December 18, 1951, as his birthdate.
- ^ 'Somoza and the Legacy of U.S. Involvement, Bernard Diedrich, 140
- ^ a b c Aleman, Filadelfo (2000-03-30). "Report of possible visit by son of former dictator causes uproar in Nicaragua". Associated Press Worldstream.
- ^ a b c Garvin, Glenn (2000-05-07). "Somoza family seeking to regain seized Nicaragua property". Miami Herald. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
- ^ a b Riding, Alan (1978-02-19). "Untitled". The New York Times.
- ^ New York Times: "Miss Somoza Wed to Dr. J. M. Sterling" October 16, 1984
- ^ "Young Somoza accused in Chamorro killing". Associated Press. 1980-01-15.
- ^ "Jury in Nicaragua Convicts Nine in Publisher's Slaying". The New York Times. 1981-06-11. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
- ^ a b Bonilla, Oswaldo (1980-10-14). "Issue arrest warrants for Somoza's son". United Press International.
- ^ Molinski, Michael (1990-08-17). "President Chamorro seeks pardon for killers of husband". United Press International.
See also
- Contras
- Nicaraguan revolution
- National Guard (Nicaragua)