Augusto César Sandino

Augusto Nicolás Calderón Sandino
Augusto César Sandino
Born	Augusto Nicolás Sandino (1895-05-18)18 May 1895 Niquinohomo, Masaya Department, Nicaragua
Died	21 February 1934(1934-02-21) (aged 38) Larreynaga, Managua, Nicaragua
Cause of death	Assassination
Resting place	Unknown
Nationality	Nicaragua
Citizenship	Nicaragua
Years active	1927–1934
Known for	Nicaraguan revolutionary leader
Movement	Army in Defense of the National Sovereignty of Nicaragua (Ejército Defensor de la Soberanía Nacional de Nicaragua, or EDSN)
Opponent(s)	Somoza family, United States
Spouse(s)	Blanca Arauz
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Augusto Nicolás Sandino (May 18, 1895 – February 21, 1934), also known as Augusto César Sandino, (Spanish pronunciation: [auˈgusto ˈsesar sanˈdino]), was a Nicaraguan revolutionary and leader of a rebellion between 1927 and 1933 against the U.S. military occupation of Nicaragua. He was referred to as a "bandit" by the United States government; his exploits made him a hero throughout much of Latin America, where he became a symbol of resistance to United States' domination. He drew units of the United States Marine Corps into an undeclared guerrilla war. The United States troops withdrew from the country in 1933 after overseeing the election and inauguration of President Juan Bautista Sacasa, who had returned from exile. The re-call of the Marines was largely due to the Great Depression.

Sandino was assassinated in 1934 by National Guard forces of Gen. Anastasio Somoza García, who went on to seize power in a coup d'état two years later. After being elected by an overwhelming vote as president in 1936, Somoza Garcia resumed control of the National Guard and established a dictatorship and family dynasty that would rule Nicaragua for more than 40 years. Sandino's political legacy was claimed by the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), which finally overthrew the Somoza government in 1979.

Sandino is revered in Nicaragua, and in 2010 was unanimously named a "national hero" by the nation's congress. Sandino's political descendants, along with the icons of his wide-brimmed hat and boots, and influence of his writings from the years of warfare against the U.S. Marines, continue to help shape the national identity of Nicaragua.