| Formation | 16 June 1979[1] |
|---|---|
| Extinction | 10 January 1985 |
| Jurisdiction | Nicaragua |
| Legislative branch | |
| Legislature | InterimCouncil of State (1980–1984) |
| Executive branch | |
| Leader | Coordinator of the Junta |
TheJunta of National Reconstruction (Spanish:Junta de Gobierno de Reconstrucción Nacional) was theprovisional government ofNicaragua from the fall of the President Somoza in July 1979[2] until January 1985, with the election ofDaniel Ortega (FSLN) aspresident of Nicaragua.[3][4]
The Sandinista rebels announced the Junta as its provisional government on June 16, 1979,[1] as the civil war againstAnastasio Somoza Debayle entered its final phase. It was composed of five members: a member of theFSLN directorate,Daniel Ortega, twoleft-wing activists,Sergio Ramírez andMoisés Hassan Morales, and tworight-wing representatives,Alfonso Robelo andVioleta Barrios de Chamorro.[5][6]
In the first half of July,United States government envoyWilliam Bowdler pressured the Sandinistas to broaden the junta by adding more members, such asAdolfo Calero,Ismael Reyes, andMariano Fiallos.[7]
After the fall of Somoza, it quickly became apparent to Robelo and Chamorro that they did not have any real power and Chamorro resigned on April 19, 1980,[8] followed by Robelo three days later.[9] On May 18, they were replaced byArturo Cruz andRafael Córdova Rivas. Cruz would resign in March 1981, though he agreed for a time to be ambassador to theUnited States.[10]
On March 4, Cruz's appointment to Washington was announced,[11] together with Hassan's departure for theCouncil of State[12] and Ortega's promotion to Coordinator of the now three-member junta. While the junta may have offered little authority to its non-Sandinista members, the public role did help to solidify Ortega's primacy within the FSLN directorate and enhance Ramírez's prominence.
On November 4, 1984, apresidential election was held,[13] which was won by leading junta member and revolutionary Daniel Ortega and his running mate, Sergio Ramírez as vice president.[4] However, some opposition parties boycotted it, claiming unfair conditions.[14][15] While theReagan administration and many mainstreamUnited States media outlets alleged the election would be neither free nor fair,[16] numerous electoral watchers affiliated withWestern European governments, as well as United Statesnon-governmental organizations, declared the results legitimate.[17][18] Ortega took office on January 10, 1985, and the junta was dissolved.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Presidency of Nicaragua July 18, 1979 – January 10, 1985 | Succeeded by |
