Herty Lewites
Encyclopedia
Herty Lewites Rodríguez (December 24, 1939 – July 2, 2006) was a Nicaraguan
politician
of Jewish descent.
Lewites was born in the San Felipe barrio of Jinotepe
, the son of a Jewish immigrant from Poland
. He joined the struggle against the Somoza
dictatorship in 1958 and went into exile in Brazil
in 1960. Herty's brother, Israel Lewites, died in the attack on the Masaya barracks in October 1977 by the Tercerista Sandinista Front. Instead of fighting, Herty was apparently involved in financial matters and arms smuggling for the revolutionary movement.
During the period of Sandinista rule in the 1980s, Lewites was an ally of the powerful Ortega brothers. As Minister of Tourism, he promoted state development projects, such as the Montelimar
beach resort in 1986 and the Olof Palme
Convention Center in Managua
. After leaving government, he built the "Hertylandia" private amusement park.
Lewites was elected to Congress
on the FSLN ticket in 1990, the year Daniel Ortega
lost the presidency. He aligned himself with Sergio Ramírez
's Sandinista Renewal Movement (Movimiento Renovador Sandinista or "MRS") against the faction of Secretary General Ortega in 1994. He ran for mayor of Managua
, the capital, in 1996 on his own "Sol" ticket, splitting the Sandinista vote to throw the election to the Liberal candidate. With the support of the FSLN "Business Bloc" led by Bayardo Arce, Lewites rejoined the mainline FSLN in 1998 and, with Ortega's blessing, won the Managua
mayorship as a Sandinista in 2000.
Lewites opened Nicaragua's only amusement park, Hertylandia (named after himself), between Jinotepe and San Marcos.
Following Ortega's third successive election defeat in 2001, Lewites advocated FSLN cooperation with President Enrique Bolaños
in his struggle to hold ex-President Arnoldo Alemán
accountable for corruption. Ortega, however, eventually concluded a pact with Alemán. Meanwhile, Lewites removed corrupt members of the Ortega and Arce factions from positions in the Managua municipality. By appealing to both leftists and rightists fed-up with corruption, Lewites was for a while the most popular politician in Nicaragua and attracted the support of many historically prominent Sandinistas. He attempted to challenge Daniel Ortega
for the 2006 FSLN presidential nomination, but was expelled from the FSLN (Sandinista Party) in February 2005.
Lewites joined forces with the dissident MRS Party
as their Presidential candidate for the 2006 election. He chose Edmundo Jarquín
as his running mate for the vice presidency.
On July 2, 2006, it was reported that Lewites died of a massive heart attack
at the Hospital Metropolitano "Vivian Pellas" in Managua, aged 66, four months prior to the 2006 national elections. Some of Lewites supporters suspected he was poisoned by his rival, Daniel Ortega, because it is very rare to die of a heart attack for average Nicaraguan due to its low-risk diet. His wife didn't ask the doctor for autopsy to identify the cause of Lewites' death, and later remained silent to the press. Lewites was polling in third place before passing away, trailing very closely behind Ortega and Eduardo Montealegre
.
He was laid to rest in his native city of Jinotepe
three days after he expired. His burial counted with the presence of: the president of the republic, cabinet members, diplomatic representatives, artists, politicians and entrepreneurs. It is calculated that more than 20,000 people were in attendance in the small cemetery of Jinotepe.
Nicaraguan
Nicaraguans are people inhabiting in, originating or having significant heritage from Nicaragua. Most Nicaraguans live in Nicaragua, although there is also a significant Nicaraguan diaspora, particularly in Costa Rica and the United States with smaller communities in other countries around the world...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
of Jewish descent.
Lewites was born in the San Felipe barrio of Jinotepe
Jinotepe
Jinotepe is a city in Nicaragua, located in Department of Carazo in the South Pacific region of Nicaragua at the municipality of Jinotepe. It borders with Managua, Masaya, Granada, and Rivas.It is a sister city of Santa Cruz, California, United States....
, the son of a Jewish immigrant from Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. He joined the struggle against the Somoza
Somoza
The Somoza family was an influential political dynasty who ruled Nicaragua as an hereditary dictatorship. Their influence exceeded their combined 43 years in the de facto presidency, as they were the power behind the other presidents of the time through their control of the National Guard...
dictatorship in 1958 and went into exile in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
in 1960. Herty's brother, Israel Lewites, died in the attack on the Masaya barracks in October 1977 by the Tercerista Sandinista Front. Instead of fighting, Herty was apparently involved in financial matters and arms smuggling for the revolutionary movement.
During the period of Sandinista rule in the 1980s, Lewites was an ally of the powerful Ortega brothers. As Minister of Tourism, he promoted state development projects, such as the Montelimar
Montelimar Beach
Montelimar is a beach located on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua in the department of Managua. Montelimar consists of 3 km of white sand beach. The main tourist attraction is the Barcelo Hotel and Resort...
beach resort in 1986 and the Olof Palme
Olof Palme
Sven Olof Joachim Palme was a Swedish politician. A long-time protegé of Prime Minister Tage Erlander, Palme led the Swedish Social Democratic Party from 1969 to his assassination, and was a two-term Prime Minister of Sweden, heading a Privy Council Government from 1969 to 1976 and a cabinet...
Convention Center in Managua
Managua
Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua as well as the department and municipality by the same name. It is the largest city in Nicaragua in terms of population and geographic size. Located on the southwestern shore of Lake Xolotlán or Lake Managua, the city was declared the national capital in...
. After leaving government, he built the "Hertylandia" private amusement park.
Lewites was elected to Congress
National Assembly of Nicaragua
The National Assembly is the legislative branch of the government of Nicaragua.-Composition:The Nicaraguan legislature is a unicameral body....
on the FSLN ticket in 1990, the year Daniel Ortega
Daniel Ortega
José Daniel Ortega Saavedra is a Nicaraguan politician and revolutionary, currently serving as the 83rd President of Nicaragua, a position that he has held since 2007. He previously served as the 79th President, between 1985 and 1990, and for much of his life, has been a leader in the Sandinista...
lost the presidency. He aligned himself with Sergio Ramírez
Sergio Ramírez
Sergio Ramírez Mercado is a Nicaraguan writer and intellectual who served in the leftist Government Junta of National Reconstruction and as Vice President of the country 1985-1990 under the presidency of Daniel Ortega.Born in Masatepe in 1942, he published his first book, Cuentos, in 1963...
's Sandinista Renewal Movement (Movimiento Renovador Sandinista or "MRS") against the faction of Secretary General Ortega in 1994. He ran for mayor of Managua
Managua
Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua as well as the department and municipality by the same name. It is the largest city in Nicaragua in terms of population and geographic size. Located on the southwestern shore of Lake Xolotlán or Lake Managua, the city was declared the national capital in...
, the capital, in 1996 on his own "Sol" ticket, splitting the Sandinista vote to throw the election to the Liberal candidate. With the support of the FSLN "Business Bloc" led by Bayardo Arce, Lewites rejoined the mainline FSLN in 1998 and, with Ortega's blessing, won the Managua
Managua
Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua as well as the department and municipality by the same name. It is the largest city in Nicaragua in terms of population and geographic size. Located on the southwestern shore of Lake Xolotlán or Lake Managua, the city was declared the national capital in...
mayorship as a Sandinista in 2000.
Lewites opened Nicaragua's only amusement park, Hertylandia (named after himself), between Jinotepe and San Marcos.
Following Ortega's third successive election defeat in 2001, Lewites advocated FSLN cooperation with President Enrique Bolaños
Enrique Bolaños
Enrique José Bolaños Geyer was the President of Nicaragua from 10 January 2002 to 10 January 2007. President Bolaños is of Spanish and German heritage and was born in Masaya ....
in his struggle to hold ex-President Arnoldo Alemán
Arnoldo Alemán
José Arnoldo Alemán Lacayo was the 81st President of Nicaragua from 10 January 1997 to 10 January 2002.-Biography:Alemán was born in Managua and received his early education at the La Salle institute in Managua...
accountable for corruption. Ortega, however, eventually concluded a pact with Alemán. Meanwhile, Lewites removed corrupt members of the Ortega and Arce factions from positions in the Managua municipality. By appealing to both leftists and rightists fed-up with corruption, Lewites was for a while the most popular politician in Nicaragua and attracted the support of many historically prominent Sandinistas. He attempted to challenge Daniel Ortega
Daniel Ortega
José Daniel Ortega Saavedra is a Nicaraguan politician and revolutionary, currently serving as the 83rd President of Nicaragua, a position that he has held since 2007. He previously served as the 79th President, between 1985 and 1990, and for much of his life, has been a leader in the Sandinista...
for the 2006 FSLN presidential nomination, but was expelled from the FSLN (Sandinista Party) in February 2005.
Lewites joined forces with the dissident MRS Party
Sandinista Renovation Movement
The Sandinista Renovation Movement is a Nicaraguan political party founded by dissidents of the Sandinista National Liberation Front on May 18, 1995, on Augusto César Sandino's 100th anniversary...
as their Presidential candidate for the 2006 election. He chose Edmundo Jarquín
Edmundo Jarquín
Edmundo Jarquín is a Nicaraguan politician. He was the vice presidential running-mate of Herty Lewites, who was the presidential candidate for the MRS Sandinista Renovation Movement in the 2006 elections until his death on July 2, 2006. Edmundo Jarquín became the presidential candidate for the...
as his running mate for the vice presidency.
On July 2, 2006, it was reported that Lewites died of a massive heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at the Hospital Metropolitano "Vivian Pellas" in Managua, aged 66, four months prior to the 2006 national elections. Some of Lewites supporters suspected he was poisoned by his rival, Daniel Ortega, because it is very rare to die of a heart attack for average Nicaraguan due to its low-risk diet. His wife didn't ask the doctor for autopsy to identify the cause of Lewites' death, and later remained silent to the press. Lewites was polling in third place before passing away, trailing very closely behind Ortega and Eduardo Montealegre
Eduardo Montealegre
Eduardo Montealegre is a Nicaraguan politician. He ran for president in the 2006 general election as the candidate of the Nicaraguan Liberal Alliance a spin-off of the Constitutional Liberal Party in alliance with other liberal parties and the Conservative Party...
.
He was laid to rest in his native city of Jinotepe
Jinotepe
Jinotepe is a city in Nicaragua, located in Department of Carazo in the South Pacific region of Nicaragua at the municipality of Jinotepe. It borders with Managua, Masaya, Granada, and Rivas.It is a sister city of Santa Cruz, California, United States....
three days after he expired. His burial counted with the presence of: the president of the republic, cabinet members, diplomatic representatives, artists, politicians and entrepreneurs. It is calculated that more than 20,000 people were in attendance in the small cemetery of Jinotepe.