Edgar Chamorro
Encyclopedia
Edgar Chamorro Coronel is an ousted leader of the Nicaragua
n rebel Contras
who later became a critic of the rebels and their Central Intelligence Agency
sponsors, even cooperating with the Sandinista government in their World Court case, Nicaragua v. United States. He is a member of the prominent Chamorro family
that provided four of Nicaragua's past presidents.
. In 1950, 19-year-old Chamorro began studying for the Jesuit priesthood, earning degrees from Ecuador's Catholic University
, Saint Louis University
, and Marquette University
. Chamorro joined the faculty of the Jesuit-run University of Central America, before leaving the priesthood in 1969. He got another degree from Harvard University
in 1972 and founded a public relations and marketing firm, Creative Publicity, in Managua
. In 1977, Anastasio Somoza Debayle
appointed him to a figurehead post as a special ambassador to the United Nations General Assembly
for a year.
from the National Guard
. But as the civil war's climax brought fierce fighting to the capital itself, fears for his family's safety led him to leave for Miami, Florida
on June 17, 1979. Somoza fell a month later, but after visiting Nicaragua in September, Chamorro decided to remain in Miami.
By late 1979, Chamorro had become involved in the anti-Sandinista activities of the Miami exile community. He joined the Nicaraguan Democratic Union
(UDN), formed the next year by José Francisco Cardenal
, which merged into the Nicaraguan Democratic Force
(FDN) in August 1981. He served on the FDN's political executive committee, which decided to replace Cardenal with a new political directorate. Chamorro was tapped to be a member of the directorate, unveiled at a December 8, 1982 press conference. With his public relations experience, he took on a spokesman role for the FDN, and based himself in Tegucigalpa
, Honduras to liaison with journalists covering the war.
Chamorro was miffed when the FDN directorate, at the CIA's prompting, appointed Adolfo Calero
as its president in October 1983. His not-so-private grumblings that his Chamorro lineage was more illustrious than Calero's did not help their deteriorating relations. Chamorro was forced out in November 1984, in the fallout from the furor over the CIA's Psychological Operations in Guerrilla Warfare
, labeled by the press a "murder manual." He turned against the rebel movement, even submitting an affidavit for the Sandinista government before the International Court of Justice
in Nicaragua v. United States.
, Latin and Latin American Studies at Bard College at Simon's Rock since 1990 (full time to 2003), and the John Dewey Academy
in Great Barrington, Massachusetts
since 2005.
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
n rebel Contras
Contras
The contras is a label given to the various rebel groups opposing Nicaragua's FSLN Sandinista Junta of National Reconstruction government following the July 1979 overthrow of Anastasio Somoza Debayle's dictatorship...
who later became a critic of the rebels and their Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
sponsors, even cooperating with the Sandinista government in their World Court case, Nicaragua v. United States. He is a member of the prominent Chamorro family
Chamorro (family)
The Chamorro family has its origin in Spain. A branch of the family became prominent in Nicaragua in the 18th century and its influence continues to the present. Historically, the Chamorros have been closely associated with the Conservatives, but the Sandinista Revolution has divided their...
that provided four of Nicaragua's past presidents.
Early life
Edgar Chamorro is the son of Julio Chamorro Benard and wife Dolores "Lola" Coronel Urtecho, paternal grandson of Filadelfo Chamorro Bolaños and wife Bertha Benard Vivas and great-grandson of Pedro Joaquín Chamorro y Alfaro, 39th President of Nicaragua, and wife María de la Luz Bolaños Bendaña. He has six brothers and four sisters, and is the nephew of intellectual José Coronel UrtechoJosé Coronel Urtecho
José Coronel Urtecho was a Nicaraguan poet, translator, essayist, critic, narrator, playwright, diplomat and historian. He has been described as "the most influential Nicaraguan thinker of the twentieth century"...
. In 1950, 19-year-old Chamorro began studying for the Jesuit priesthood, earning degrees from Ecuador's Catholic University
Catholic University
A Catholic University is a private university run by the Catholic Church or by Catholic organizations like religious institutes. Those with closer ties to the Holy See are called pontifical universities....
, Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
, and Marquette University
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
. Chamorro joined the faculty of the Jesuit-run University of Central America, before leaving the priesthood in 1969. He got another degree from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1972 and founded a public relations and marketing firm, Creative Publicity, in Managua
Managua
Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua as well as the department and municipality by the same name. It is the largest city in Nicaragua in terms of population and geographic size. Located on the southwestern shore of Lake Xolotlán or Lake Managua, the city was declared the national capital in...
. In 1977, Anastasio Somoza Debayle
Anastasio Somoza Debayle
Anastasio Somoza Debayle was a Nicaraguan leader and officially the 73rd and 76th President of Nicaragua from 1 May 1967 to 1 May 1972 and from 1 December 1974 to 17 July 1979. As head of the National Guard, he was de facto ruler of the country from 1967 to 1979...
appointed him to a figurehead post as a special ambassador to the United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
for a year.
Activities during Nicaraguan civil war
During the Sandinista Revolution, Chamorro sympathized with the rebels, at one point hiding Sergio RamírezSergio Ramírez
Sergio Ramírez Mercado is a Nicaraguan writer and intellectual who served in the leftist Government Junta of National Reconstruction and as Vice President of the country 1985-1990 under the presidency of Daniel Ortega.Born in Masatepe in 1942, he published his first book, Cuentos, in 1963...
from the National Guard
National Guard (Nicaragua)
In Nicaragua, the National Guard was a militia and a gendarmerie created during the occupation of that country by the United States from 1909 to 1933. It became notorious for human rights abuses and corruption under the regime of the Somoza family.-Creation:...
. But as the civil war's climax brought fierce fighting to the capital itself, fears for his family's safety led him to leave for Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
on June 17, 1979. Somoza fell a month later, but after visiting Nicaragua in September, Chamorro decided to remain in Miami.
By late 1979, Chamorro had become involved in the anti-Sandinista activities of the Miami exile community. He joined the Nicaraguan Democratic Union
Nicaraguan Democratic Union
The Nicaraguan Democratic Union was founded in late 1980 by José Francisco Cardenal, an early leader of the anti-Sandinista rebel movement that became known as the Nicaraguan Contras. The UDN was based in Miami, Florida, among its growing community of exiles from Nicaragua's middle class...
(UDN), formed the next year by José Francisco Cardenal
José Francisco Cardenal
José Francisco Cardenal was a Nicaraguan businessman who became known as one of the most pugnacious opponents of the Somoza and then the Sandinista regimes of Nicaragua, and played an important role in the early days of the Contra rebellion....
, which merged into the Nicaraguan Democratic Force
Nicaraguan Democratic Force
The Nicaraguan Democratic Force was one of the earliest Contra groups, formed on August 11, 1981 in Guatemala City. It was formed to oppose Nicaragua's revolutionary Sandinista government following the 1979 overthrow of Anastasio Somoza Debayle...
(FDN) in August 1981. He served on the FDN's political executive committee, which decided to replace Cardenal with a new political directorate. Chamorro was tapped to be a member of the directorate, unveiled at a December 8, 1982 press conference. With his public relations experience, he took on a spokesman role for the FDN, and based himself in Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa , and commonly referred as Tegus , is the capital of Honduras and seat of government of the Republic, along with its twin sister Comayagüela. Founded on September 29, 1578 by the Spanish, it became the country's capital on October 30, 1880 under President Marco Aurelio Soto...
, Honduras to liaison with journalists covering the war.
Chamorro was miffed when the FDN directorate, at the CIA's prompting, appointed Adolfo Calero
Adolfo Calero
Adolfo Calero Portocarrero was a Nicaraguan businessman, and leader of the Nicaraguan Democratic Force, which was the largest contra rebel group opposing the Sandinista government. In the contra leadership, Calero was responsible for managing the bank accounts into which money was deposited and...
as its president in October 1983. His not-so-private grumblings that his Chamorro lineage was more illustrious than Calero's did not help their deteriorating relations. Chamorro was forced out in November 1984, in the fallout from the furor over the CIA's Psychological Operations in Guerrilla Warfare
Psychological Operations in Guerrilla Warfare
On October 15, 1984, Associated Press reported that the Central Intelligence Agency had written a manual for the Nicaraguan Contras , entitled Psychological Operations in Guerrilla Warfare...
, labeled by the press a "murder manual." He turned against the rebel movement, even submitting an affidavit for the Sandinista government before the International Court of Justice
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
in Nicaragua v. United States.
After the war
Chamorro is author of Packaging the Contras: A Case of C.I.A. Disinformation (1987). He has served as a teacher of SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Latin and Latin American Studies at Bard College at Simon's Rock since 1990 (full time to 2003), and the John Dewey Academy
John Dewey Academy
The John Dewey Academy is a therapeutic college preparatory boarding school in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, housed in Searles Castle.It is coeducational and enrolls about 25 high school students, ages 15 to 21, typically in grades 10 to postgraduate...
in Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Great Barrington, Massachusetts
Great Barrington is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,104 at the 2010 census. Both a summer resort and home to Ski Butternut, Great Barrington includes the villages of Van...
since 2005.