Daniel Ortega

Managua, Dec 24 (RHC) Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega highlighted the aid offered by Cuba after the earthquake that devastated this capital in 1972.

During a ceremony in tribute to the victims of the fateful natural event that mourned thousands of families in this Central American nation 50 years ago, Ortega highlighted the solidarity of the Cuban people and that of the historic leader of the Revolution, Fidel Castro.

He recalled that at that time Nicaragua had no relations with Cuba and for then President Anastasio Somoza, it was difficult not to let in a medical brigade in the destructive conditions of the country.

In this sense, he alluded to the gesture of solidarity of the Caribbean Island as a manifestation that transcended humanity and brotherhood, in the face of the ideological and political antagonism that existed with the Somoza dictatorship.

The earthquake that destroyed the city of Managua measured 6.2 on the Richter scale, occurred at 00:35 local time on December 23, 1972, and caused more than 10 thousand deaths.

According to post-earthquake studies, the destruction occurred, in part, due to the poor construction of the buildings, most of them made of taquezal (combination of structures of organic elements with earth) and wood with little resistance to withstand an earth tremor. (Source: PL)