In the crackling radio conversations he had with his followers, Pastora advised them to do political work among the peasants if they could not fight.
This year, Pastora acknowledged after some prodding, only 2,000 men are involved in the war, and each of these has only a handful of ammunition. With the CIA money and $600,000 he said he received when Francisco Fiallos defected as Nicaragua's ambassador to Washington in January 1983 with the embassy bank account, Pastora claimed to have built a guerrilla force of 7,000 men who ambushed the Popular Sandinista Army from the Costa Rican border as far north as the Escondido River and the strategic Rama Road leading to Bluefields on the Atlantic Coast.īut that was last year. The CIA indirectly funneled between $300,000 and $400,000 a month to his forces from October 1983 to February 1984, he said, but since then has cut off the funding and gone out of its way to hinder his actions. "Now that we are struggling against another dictatorship - the same ones who struggled against the first one - the left and the right again agree to call us erratic, mercurial, incoherent and picturesque."īecause of decisions in Washington, this is a difficult moment in Pastora's lonely fight. "We say no to gringo imperialism, but also to Russian imperialism," he fumed, standing legs apart and chest thrust forward. But for Eden Pastora, who at 47 has made irregular warfare into a personal mystique, the struggle has never changed, only the enemy and the allies. In another time, another war, it was Commander Zero.
With the aid of bifocals to shift frequencies in the dark, the gray-bearded commander was making contact with guerrillas he said are scattered in redoubts across 12,000 square miles of southern Nicaragua's swamps and rain forests. Thank you for visiting us and helping to better the lives of artisans through fair trade practices.Aqui Macombo, he radioed off into the night. We hope that when you see these items in your home, you’re transported to my beautiful hometown of Barranquilla. We also donate 10 percent of our profits to local charities to assist with various projects. Using fair trade practices, we buy products directly from artisans in Colombia, always ensuring that we are compensating them adequately for their hard work. You can feel the care, attention, and strong cultural appreciation that has gone into each and every piece. You’ll notice the pieces we offer have a trademark look of eye-catching patterns and intricate hand-woven details. We’ve curated a unique collection of tabletop décor and accessories that will add a distinctive touch to your home. a taste of the magical realism famously portrayed in Marquez’s novel.Īt Macondo Forever, we believe that the most special, one-of-a-kind items come straight from artisans’ hands. Through offering beautiful crafts from the Colombian Caribbean, we hope to give the U.S. Our store’s name was inspired by the fictional town, Macondo, in Gabriel Garcia Marquez's renowned novel, 100 Years of Solitude. My fascination with their creations never waned and now, as an adult, my goal is to help indigenous people preserve their art and culture by making their handmade crafts available to people in the United States. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been drawn to the intricate and unique beauty of crafts created by the indigenous people of my country. I’m Marifer Vergara, the founder, and I’m originally from Barranquilla, a bustling seaport city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Welcome to Macondo Forever-an online store dedicated to bettering the lives of indigenous artisans while helping you elevate your home with beautiful, handmade tabletop décor and accessories.