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National Opposition Union (Spanish: Unión Nacional Opositora, UNO) was a Nicaraguan wide-range coalition of opposition parties formed to oppose president Daniel Ortega's Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) in the 1990 election. Its candidate Violeta Chamorro eventually won the race. UNO traced its origins back to the Nicaraguan Democratic Coordinating Group (Coordinadora Democrática Nicaragüense—CDN), which was formed in 1982 by different opposition groups. At the time of the election, of the UNO coalition's fourteen political parties, four were considered conservative, seven could be characterised as centrist parties, and three – including Nicaragua's Communists – had traditionally been on the far left of the political spectrum.

Despite the internal struggle, the UNO coalition under Violeta Chamorro succeeded in its campaign centered on the economic downfall and promises of peace. Chamorro promised to end the military draft, initiate democratic reconciliation, and restore economic growth. Many Nicaraguans felt that the contra war and bad economy would continue if the FSLN remained in power, because of the strong United States opposition to the FSLN (in November 1989, the White House had announced that the economic embargo against Nicaragua would end if Violeta Chamorro won.).

Meanwhile, resources and organisational help were given to the UNO by the United States government's National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which in June 1989 had received $2 million from U.S. Congress, which had also approved in April 1989 a package of $49.75 million in 'nonlethal' aid to the Contras, which funded their pro-UNO propaganda campaign. Some villages reported threats of murder from the Contras if they voted for the FSLN in the elections.

In the presidential election held on 25 February 1990, Violeta Barrios de Chamorro won 55% of the popular vote against Daniel Ortega's 41%.

The UNO disbanded in the mid-1990s, after a very fractious rule during which little progress was made. The most positive consequence of their electoral victory was the end of the Contra War and the US economic embargo.

Member parties

The APC, PANC, and PCN announced in 1992 that they would merge as the National Conservative Party (Partido Conservador Nationalista—PCN) for the 1996 elections.

References

1. "Nicaragua / Tables".
2. "Bush Vows to End Embargo if Chamorro Wins", The Washington Post, 9 November 1989
3. "Nicaragua – The UNO Electoral Victory". countrystudies.us. Retrieved 9 January 2022.

External links

• http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-9286.html
• https://web.archive.org/web/20061110115230/http://www.nicaraguasc.org.uk/aboutnicaragua/from1979.htm
• https://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/01/world/turnover-in-nicaragua-the-parties-that-beat-the-sandinistas.html

v t e Political parties in Nicaragua
Parliamentary parties	Sandinista National Liberation Front (71) Constitutionalist Liberal Party (14) Independent Liberal Party (2) Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance (2) Alliance for the Republic (1) Conservative Party (1) YATAMA (1)
Extra-parliamentary parties	Alternative for Change Authentic Costeño Autonomy Movement Central American Unionist Party Communist Party of Nicaragua Christian Unity Movement Citizens' Action Party Civic Association of Potosí Coast Peoples' Party Conservative Alliance Costeño Democratic Alliance Democratic Conservative Party Ecologist Green Party of Nicaragua Grand Liberal Union Independent Liberal Party for National Unity Marxist–Leninist Popular Action Movement Multiethnic Indigenist Party Multiethnic Party for Coast Unity National Action Party National Unity Movement Neoliberal Party Nicaraguan Christian Democratic Union Nicaraguan Democratic Movement Nicaraguan Party of the Christian Path Nicaraguan Resistance Party Nicaraguan Socialist Party Popular Conservative Alliance Revolutionary Unity Movement Sandinista Renovation Movement Social Christian Party Social Conservative Party Social Democratic Party Up with the Republic Workers' Revolutionary Party
Defunct parties	Coast Alliance Coordinadora Democrática Nicaragüense Democratic Party Democratic Party of National Confidence Legitimist Party National Conservative Action National Convergence National Opposition Union (1966) National Opposition Union (1990) National Project Nationalist Liberal Party Popular Social Christian Party Revolutionary Party of Central American Workers Traditional Conservative Party Unity Alliance UNO-96 Alliance
Portal:Politics List of political parties Politics of Nicaragua

• Defunct political party alliances in Nicaragua
• Organizations of the Nicaraguan Revolution
• Political history of Nicaragua
• Political opposition alliances
• Political parties established in 1990