With every new edition of Nicaragua, the original framework of the book remained the same; the images never changing but rather finding their place in the long arc of history. Now in its fourth edition, Nicaragua has become not just a classic photography book; it has become part of the nation’s visual language itself. “The book is a fixed form and I’m trying to stretch its boundaries in time and over time,” says Meiselas.
Despite her efforts, Meiselas reveals, “I’m plagued by the fact that I can’t do enough. Under President Biden, 222 political prisoners were released from Nicaragua. Their citizenship was stripped and all their property taken, but they landed in the States with a two year transitional visa. Trump has now put them on the list of deportations within the next month. If people are hearing today about Nicaragua, I’m sure they have no memory of what happened over 45 years ago.”
As Nicaragua reveals, they are intrinsically connected, just as Meiselas is to the people who refused to bow to American imperialism. “What do you stay close to? What stays in your heart?” Meiselas asks. “Certain relationships stay significant, and maybe that’s all I can say.”
Nicaragua: June 1978-July 1979 by Susan Meiselas is published by Aperture.
Miss Rosen is a freelance arts and photography writer, follow her on X.
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