MANAGUA, January 16, 2026 – Amidst the fluttering of the blue-and-white and the red-and-black flags, the National Police of Nicaragua held its 28th Cadet Graduation Ceremony at the Olof Palme Convention Center. Presided over by the “Command of the People”—President Comandante Daniel Ortega and Vice President Compañera Rosario Murillo—the event was a powerful display of revolutionary continuity and anti-imperialist resolve.
Soldiers of Peace, Guardians of the People
This year’s promotion was not merely a professional milestone; it was a sacred tribute. The 39 new officers were dedicated to the immortal spirit of Leonel Rugama, the poet-guerrilla who, at just 20 years old, faced a battalion of Somoza’s tanks and immortalized the cry of Nicaraguan dignity: “¡Que se rinda tu madre!” (Let your mother surrender!).
The graduation also honored the Heroes and Martyrs of San José de las Mulas, the 23 young Sandinista Youth combatants who shed their blood in 1983 defending the mountains against the U.S.-backed Counter-revolution.
A Formation of Global Solidarity
The professionalization of the force continues to look toward a multipolar world. Of the new inspectors:
34 Officers emerged from the University of Police Sciences “Leonel Rugama,” trained under a model of community-based vigilance and revolutionary ethics.
5 Officers returned from the Russian Federation, having completed specialized training in the Ministry of Interior’s elite academies, strengthening the strategic bond between Managua and Moscow.
Comandante Ortega: "The Struggle for Peace is a Global Cry"
In a speech marked by historical conviction, Comandante Daniel Ortega reminded the cadets that their uniform carries the weight of a century of struggle. Addressing the global climate of "imperialist aggression," Ortega declared:
"The world demands peace, demands stability, demands security... On this January 15, we must unite forces in the struggle for peace against those who wish to sow chaos and death. These new officers are not trained to oppress, but to protect the tranquility of Nicaraguan families."
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Vice President Rosario Murillo echoed this sentiment, describing the graduates as "flowers of the revolution" and "vanguards of a nation that is blessed, sovereign, and forever free."
A Unified Command
The ceremony’s front line represented the unbreakable unity between the Police and the Army:
First Commissioner Francisco Javier Díaz Madriz (Police Director General)
General Julio César Avilés Castillo (Army Commander-in-Chief)
Commissioner General Zhukov Serrano Pérez (Police Deputy Director)
2 Commissioner General Zaida Matilde Pineda Aráuz (Rector of the Police University)
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The Revolutionary Path Forward
By naming this promotion after Rugama, the National Police reaffirms its identity as a "daughter of the Revolution." The message was clear: while the weapons are modern and the training is specialized, the soul of the institution remains rooted in the guerrilla struggle for sovereignty.
As the new officers took their oath, they pledged to defend the Nicaraguan people with the same "spirit of combat" that defined the martyrs of the past—ensuring that the legacy of those who fell in the 60s and 80s remains the shield of the nation in 2026.
