Cahiers des Amériques Latines (Sep 2018)

Les « sandalistes » recyclés : de la révolution aux stations balnéaires dans le nouveau Nicaragua

  • Florence E. Babb

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4000/cal.8490
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 87
pp. 37 – 67

Abstract

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In the post-Sandinista period, Nicaragua has adjusted to the new terms of a neoliberal economy by turning to tourism development as a leading industry. As the nation is refashioned as a safe and desirable tourist destination, efforts have been made to conceal evidence of the recent revolutionary past that might discourage visitors from traveling to the country. Nevertheless, there are indications that selected images and memories of revolution are making a reappearance and may prove marketable for tourism. This article argues that the twin projects of neoliberalism and nationalism may be served by this seemingly contradictory process. The Nicaraguan case offers an example of how the past figures in the remaking of postrevolutionary nations for tourism in the era of globalization.

Keywords