U.S. Citizens in Nicaragua are Being Compensated for Confiscated Land

The Nicaraguan government announced that it has made "important advances" in resolving long-standing property claims by U.S. citizens. During the 1980s, the revolutionary Sandinistas confiscated thousands of properties, which were mostly given back to the original owners or compensated with government bonds after President Daniel Ortega was voted out of office in 1990.

The U.S. Embassy in Managua said that there were nearly 300 Americans still awaiting payment for confiscated land at the start of 2007. Most of the property claims are by former Nicaraguans who became U.S. citizens after fleeing the revolution.

Since returning to office six months ago, the re-fashioned Ortega administration has resolved 85 cases, valued at nearly $6 million dollars. The outgoing government of Enrique Bolanos resolved 81 cases during its last year in office, according to the U.S. Embassy.

All told, nearly 800 American citizens have now been compensated for losing their land, helping drive a new influx of retirees to Nicaragua. In addition to the beach town of San Juan del Sur and the colonial city of Granada, Managua is now seeing a housing boom as many naturalized citizens return to the country where they were born and raised. Despite some disagreements with Ortega, there's no place like home.

Your Latin America Insider,

Suzan Haskins
for International Living

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