Nicaragua – Perspectives on a Revolution

In conjunction with the exhibition Susan Meiselas – Nicaragua, History, Memory at the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, the “Transatlantic Cultures” project is organizing a conference on November 6, 2026 at the Maison de l’Amérique latine in Paris.

This conference will offer multifaceted perspectives on the 1979 Sandinista Revolution. Sometimes described as the last revolution of the 20th century, it was betrayed by some of its key figures. While Nicaragua once dominated the headlines, the country is now largely forgotten. It had sparked an extraordinary wave of international solidarity; today, however, many of its key historical actors live in exile, stripped of their nationality and thus dispossessed of their own history.

Historians specializing in Latin America, photography experts, and key figures from the revolution will engage in reflection and dialogue throughout the day. They will analyze the role of Nicaragua and the Sandinista Revolution within the Cold War, examine how the revolution was portrayed by press photographers, and discuss how those perspectives contributed to its iconic status – highlighted by the personal testimony of Susan Meiselas.

Former revolutionaries now living in exile in Spain – Dora María Téllez, Carlos Fernando Chamorro, and Gioconda Belli – will join journalists who covered Nicaragua to share their perspectives on their past and present commitments, thereby reviving Nicaragua’s history and carrying the memory of the revolution into the future.

Speakers: Didier Aubert, Gioconda Belli, Clément Chéroux, Olivier Compagnon, Carlos Fernando Chamorro, Marion Gautreau, Susan Meiselas, Caroline Moine, Ileana L. Selejan. et Dora Maria Tellez