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By Rodolfo Jose Bendana Castrillo

September 25, 2005

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William Walker the Filibuster and 'President' of Nicaragua

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We know that the filibuster, William Walker, was a foreigner who trampled upon our sacred homeland, and who came accompanied by mercenary soldiers to conquer this badly-beaten country. It is also known and historically documented that the filibuster William Walker was financed by foreign interests, and that in addition to providing funds for provisioning and transporting them across the ocean to our Central American coast, he counted on support from politicians from the nation that gave rise to these adventures [the United States], to recruit, organize, arm and to let these demonic troops loose on foreign soil.

[Editor's Note: President of Lower California, Emperor of Nicaragua, doctor, lawyer, writer - these were some of the titles claimed by William Walker, the greatest American filibuster. In the mid-nineteenth century, adventurers known as 'filibusters' participated in military actions to take control of Latin American nations for annexation by the United States. This was an expression of Manifest Destiny, the idea that the U.S. was destined to control the continent. Had he been successful, he might have brought several Central American countries into the United States as pro-southern states, altering the balance in Congress and postponing The Civil War]. [READ MORE ABOUT THE FILIBUSTERS].

The scheme of these foreigners, including William Walker, his deputy Byron Cole and rest of his damned troops, surpassed the conquest of our native land Nicaragua, since they expected to subjugate the greater mother country: Central America.

Patriots from around Central America, including Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica fought these invaders in bloody, heartrending, bloodthirsty battles. They came out bravely and heroically to stop and annihilate this plague, that in its eagerness for conquest and subjugation set fire to cities, abandoned orphans and widows, stained women, pillaged ranches and assaulted the sovereignty of every one of our isthmatic brothers. [Nations around the Central American Isthmus. See Map].

Invasions Led By 'filibuster' William Walker, a U.S. Citizen Who Ravaged Latin America.

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Of this battle in defense of life, dignity, honor and sovereignty, men and women were revealed in of all of their majestic stature: heroic, immortal and patriotic. People like Jose Dolores Estrada and Andres Castro, who preferred to die before seeing the land that gave shelter to their ancestors - that gave life to their children and gave hope to future generations - trampled upon, insulted, and exploited by foreign mercenaries, who on that occasion were called filibusters.

Then, how can it be that today and for approximately three years, we have seen in newspapers, displayed between our presidents, this cruel and vile conqueror, who implanted slavery to sell our compatriots as chattle to supply the cotton plantations, and maintain a slave-based economy in the south of his country of origin [The United States].

This demonically-born man of Anglo-Saxon origin was imposed by foreign mercenaries and force of arms, and never legally occupied the presidential chair of our country, with the freely expressed sovereign will of the Nicaraguan people. On the contrary, he was untiringly fought against throughout. With a never-ending libertarian effort ignited in the patriotic hearts of Central Americans in general, and Nicaraguans in particular, and all the resources provided by the choice of freedom and sovereignty, Walker was opposed. When the patriots lacked ammunition, stones filled the gap; when they lacked enough troops, their heroism was exceptional. Those troops from hell were finally defeated, expelled and annihilated, giving rise to the growth of our constellation of patriotic heroes.

Nevertheless, today the memory of these parents of our country is soiled. These illustrious people, our heroes, would tremble with indignation at those of us who are  convinced that yes, we are the children of a Mother country called Nicaragua , from which we want our dignity, freedom and sovereignty.

This Stone in Honduras Marks the Spot Where William Walker was Executed.

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Nowadays we rub up against the soul of the stench and indignity of a defeated and pro-slavery invader, presenting him as if he had reached the high office of the presidency through the legitimate expression of the popular will during constitutional elections. He is presented as though he had been a hero, a Nicaraguan that preferred to die before a firing squad before renouncing his nationality.

In the face of such an offense and disgrace, the following questions naturally arise: Who today is promoting this historical, offensive aberration against our national honor? Who has been bought-off to allow the expression of such shameful suggestions and to denigrate the seat of honor of our sacred and illustrious heroes?

Doesn't the Ministry of the Interior have an interest in investigating this matter? Does it not have Nicaraguan Army counterintelligence units that could find out who is doing this and prevent it? Doesn't our Education Ministry have ways of counteracting the damage to our national conscience and to the younger generation? Doesn't the Presidency of the Republic have anything to declare? Doesn't the National Assembly have a role to play in following through on this case? We, the nation's patriots, have a single answer.

*The author is a civil engineer