Augusto César Sandino

Augusto César Sandino (1893-1934), Nicaraguan guerrilla leader, known for his tenacious resistance to foreign occupation and intervention. One of the liberal leaders in the Nicaraguan civil war of 1926-27, he refused to accept a negotiated end to the war until all U.S. Marines, who had occupied the country since 1912, were withdrawn. His resistance led to the introduction of still more marines, but they were not able to dislodge Sandino from his support in the countryside, and in 1933 they were finally withdrawn. This left the pacification of the country to the National Guard under Anastasio Somoza. The marines gone, Sandino was negotiating an end to the hostilities with President Juan Bautista Sacasa, when he was assassinated by Somoza's guard. See also Sandinistas; Somoza, Anastasio.