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Statement of Moisés Pérez, coffee
dealer, charged with supplying Sandinistas with clothing
-PedroBlandon.jpg)
In this report, coffee dealer Moisés
Pérez describes his encounter with Sandinista
General Pedro Blandón. According to Pérez,
General Blandón
accused him of being on the side of the Yankees
(a "Yankista"), killed his dog with a
machete and threatened to kill him and his
wife and burn their house down. He also demanded that
Pérez provide his band with clothing.
He
complied, traveling to Estelí,
purchasing the shirts and trousers, and
delivering them to Blandón.
Soon after the Guardia arrested and charged him
with supplying the "bandits" with clothing.
Perhaps by such means Blandón
acquired the garb for the only known photograph
(right), taken nearly two years after the events
described here.
The episode
illustrates several larger themes
—
most obviously, the difficult position of many
Segovianos, especially those owning some
property, when faced with Sandinista demands for
money or goods, as well as the chasm separating
propertyless rebels from their propertied
neighbors. This was as much a war between
social classes as a war of national liberation
against foreign invasion
The first time
Pedro Blandón's
name appears in Marine-Guardia documents is
September 1928, when he was listed as a captain
in Sandino's roster and orders. In July
1930, Sandino named him expeditionary chief and
colonel; and in August 1930, general. By
all accounts he was a bold, audacious, and
exceptionally effective military leader.
General Blandón was killed by US airplanes
during a raid on Logtown near Puerto Cabezas on
the East Coast in May 1931
—
two years after the events described here.
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GUARDIA NACIONAL DE NICARAGUA
OFFICE OF THE DEPARTMENT COMMANDER, ESTELI
20 MAY, 1929
STATEMENT OF PRISONER MOISES PEREZ, CHARGED WITH
SUPPLYING PEDRO BLANDON WITH CLOTHING AT
SANTULE, 15 MAY, 1929.
I live at Santule, Department of Esteli. On 13
May 1929, Pedro Blandon came to my home and told
me that I was a "Yankista" and demanded twenty
five suits of clothing. Blandon had about twenty
five other bandits with him who were all armed
with rifles or pistols, with a plentiful supply
of ammunition, and quite a few of them were
armed with automatic pistols and carried large
bombs. Pedro Blandon placed his Colt forty-five
automatic pistol at my head and drew his machete
with which he cut my dog in two pieces and told
me that unless I procured the clothing that he
would do the same thing to me and kill my wife
and burn my house.
On 13 May 1929 I went to Esteli and bought
eleven shirts and 24 twenty four pairs of
trousers which I purchased at the store of Juan
Molina, Esteli, on credit. I did not report this
matter to Captain McDonald as I was afraid that
some of the bandit spies were watching me and I
knew that they would kill me if they discovered
that I had reported the matter to him.
I took the clothing back to my farm at San Tule
on 15 May 1929 and on 16 May 1929 at about 11:00
a.m. two bandits came to get the clothing which
they carried away in a sack and a pair of saddle
bags.
On 18 May 1929 the Guardia Nacional arrested me
while I was enroute to Esteli with a train of
coffee which I purchased at San Juan de
Telpaneca from Rosa Rugama on 4 May 1929 and for
which I paid $12.00 per hundred pounds. I
purchase coffee in large or small lots from
whoever has coffee to sell. The coffee is mine
and bought with my money.
Juan Molina stated that he did not want coffee
but that he wanted cash in return for the goods
furnished. Pedro Blandon has no permanent camps
but ranges around Zapote, Concordia, Las Vegas,
Colon, Taberatas, San Lorenzo, Ojoche but goes
to Chipoteall and Chipote. Blandon asked me
where the Guardia usually passed and which
trails they used and which was the best place to
set an ambush for them. I stated that there was
no suitable place nearby for an ambush. When the
bandits had received their clothing they left in
the direction of the Miraflores mountains. I do
not know where they went to or where they
procure their ammunition. Blandon asked me how
many marines were stationed at Condega. I told
him that I did not know.
Testigos: /s/ R. Zapata /s/ D. McDonald, Jefe de
Policia
Signed /s/ Moises Perez.
M29.05.20.
RG127/212/Patrol Reports
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