Arturo Cruz
Arturo José Cruz Porras | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Jinotepe, Nicaragua |
| Died | July 9, 2013 (aged 89) |
| Occupation(s) | Banker, technocrat, diplomat, politician |
| Known for | Head of Central Bank of Nicaragua, Ambassador to the United States, involvement in Nicaraguan politics during Sandinista period |
Arturo José Cruz Porras (December 18, 1923 – July 9, 2013), occasionally referred to as Arturo Cruz Sr. to differentiate him from his son, was a prominent Nicaraguan banker and technocrat during the period dominated by the Sandinista (FSLN) movement. His multiple resignations from government roles have fueled discussions regarding whether he should be viewed as a man of principle or an ineffective political actor.
Opponent of Somoza
Born and raised in Jinotepe, Nicaragua, Cruz came from a family with Liberal affiliations, although his father stood against the dictatorship of Anastasio Somoza García. After completing his military academy training in 1944, Cruz declined to serve under Somoza’s regime and subsequently pursued studies at Georgetown University. He was involved in a failed coup attempt against Somoza in 1947, which led to a four-month incarceration. Later, following the 1954 April Rebellion, he was imprisoned again alongside his brother-in-law Adolfo Báez Bone, who was executed. Following counsel from his wife, Cruz refrained from participating in rebel activities for nearly twenty years.
In 1969, Cruz began working for the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) based in Washington, D.C. By 1977, he had been recruited by the FSLN and became part of Los Doce, a group of twelve prominent establishment figures who endorsed the Sandinista cause. Their backing expanded the FSLN’s appeal beyond its communist origins and played a role in facilitating the 1979 toppling of Somoza.
Opponent of the Sandinistas
After Somoza’s fall, Cruz was appointed as head of the Central Bank of Nicaragua. When non-communist moderates resigned from the Junta of National Reconstruction in April 1980 due to FSLN control, Cruz took their place on May 18 but soon became disillusioned with his limited authority. He accepted an ambassadorship to the United States announced in March 1981 but stepped down in November because of disagreements over policy and returned to his position at the IADB.
Though connected with opposition groups, Cruz authored a significant speech for Sandinista figure Edén Pastora in April 1982, marking Pastora’s split from FSLN leadership. This development also influenced his son, Arturo Cruz Jr., to withdraw support for the Sandinistas.
In January 1984, the right-wing opposition coalition Coordinadora Democrática Nicaragüense selected Cruz as their unified candidate for the November elections. Nevertheless, he boycotted the election citing unfair conditions; years later he admitted this decision was mistaken and acknowledged involvement by the CIA.
Subsequently, Cruz became deeply engaged with rebel Contras politics. He contributed to drafting the San José Declaration in March 1985, which led to establishing the rebel coalition United Nicaraguan Opposition (UNO) alongside Alfonso Robelo and Adolfo Calero of the Nicaraguan Democratic Force. With Calero’s faction dominating UNO, Cruz largely served as a symbolic leader and frequently threatened resignation unless given genuine authority. Even after Calero resigned in February 1987, Cruz himself resigned on March 9.
In 1999, Cruz publicly urged U.S. and Honduran authorities to disclose information concerning the death of his nephew David Arturo Báez Cruz—a naturalized American and former Green Beret who died while advising Honduran guerrillas and was connected to Sandinista military intelligence.
References
- Chamorro, Violeta Barrios de. Dreams of the Heart: The Autobiography of President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro of Nicaragua. Simon & Schuster.
- Christian, Shirley. Nicaragua: Revolution in the Family. Vintage.
- Cruz, Arturo Jr. Memoirs of a Counter-Revolutionary: Life With the Contras, the Sandinistas, and the CIA. Doubleday.
- Kinzer, Stephen. Blood of Brothers: Life and War in Nicaragua. Putnam.