The war involved the nations of Miskito and other Indians, such as Sumo, and Rama. The communities were involved in domestic and global power struggle, and they fought for their cultural survival. There was tension between nations of Miskito and the Sandinista state, which escalated into violent confrontations in 1979. Misurasata organization grew out of Alpromisu with the aim of linking the Sandinista government and the Atlantic Coast population.
In fact, the situation worsened in 1981 when Sandinista state army attempted to arrest Miskito Misurasata member in a church in Prinzapolka. The indigenous Miskito activists who were studying during revolution became concerned with the future of their people as well as Nicaraguan Mosquitia. It is crucial to state that Miskito unrest rose after the Sandinista victory. Large-scale commercial exploitation of the land for cattle-ranching and cotton growing displaced some peasants. After the Managua earthquake, economic prospects disappeared, and armed struggle became inevitable. The Miskito communal land was put under pressure, something that made them resent.
Most of the activities done by other nations, such as Somoza interfered with the cultural and economic activities of Miskito people. Miskitos were also left out in the economic development. Notably, the formation of alliances between the warring sides contributed significantly to the Nicaragua War. Besides, a lack of Sandinista understanding of the Indian rights resulted in mistakes on the practical level. Separatism was widely applied during the Nicaragua War. Evidently, the Miskito focused on struggling to have control over their homeland, while the Sandinista state wanted to have full control at the same time.
Although the leader of the Miskito said that they did not want to overthrow the government, their actions proved so. There is evidence of brown colonialism in the war. The Sandinistas, as well as the Contras, acted like European colonial powers by imposing their authority to the Miskito Indians. In fact, the Sandinista government violated the rights of other Indians, making them fight for self-determination.
