We Met Leila Khaled in Nicaragua

During our trip to Nicaragua, we never thought we would meet Leila Khaled. However, her visit during this time in July is actually no surprise to those familiar with the details of her life and the parallels between the Palestinian and Nicaraguan liberation struggles.

Palestinian revolutionary, socialist, and guerrilla fighter Leila Khaled is famous for her plane hijacking. Few people know that her comrade in the operation was revolutionary Nicaraguan fighter Patrick Arguello. Patrick connected with members of the PLFP like George Habash for guerrilla training to support the Sandinista cause. During the 1970 plane hijacking with Leila, he was martyred. His legacy lives, as the bond between Palestine and Nicaragua remains strong.

Because of their shared fight against Western imperialism, the people of Nicaragua have an intuitive understanding of the Palestinian struggle and the necessary means for national liberation. Just as the zionist project worked at the behest of U.S. capital, so did the brutal dictatorship of Somoza, trampling on the dignity of Nicaraguans through the use of the U.S.-built Guardia Nacional. After a series of striking blows to the Somoza regime, the people’s insurrection against U.S. imperialism through guerilla tactics was solidified when Managua was liberated in July 19th, 1979.

On the 45th anniversary of the victorious revolution, Leila Khaled spoke along side Daniel Ortega and other international anti-imperialist figures. In her speech on the evening of July 19, Leila spoke about the Palestinian struggle as one waged against zionism, fascism, and nazism. She also mentioned the essential role women hold in the revolution as the preservers of life. We see this truth in the Sandinista revolution, as women made up 30% of the guerrilla fighters.

We honor Leila Khaled by learning from her life-long dedication to liberation. We call on folks to escalate in their sacrifice and struggle for liberation, to dedicate themselves to study and political education, and to observe the Thawabit.

Palestine will be free from the River to The Sea.

Long live international solidarity!