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Nicaragua: Rosario Murillo’s Strategy of Dehumanization

The dehumanizing images in Rosario Murillo’s insults are neither a coincidence nor the product of an attack of rage – it’s a strategy for power.

By Thelma Brenes Muñoz (Confidencial)

HAVANA TIMES – Over the past few weeks, there’s been an uptick in the offensive and dehumanizing language in Rosario Murillo’s daily discourses, directed at anyone who criticizes the regime or emits any opinion contrary to its interests. “Bacteria”, “fungi”, “termites”, “scoundrels”, “sicko’s”, “little nothing people”” are only some of the terms she uses – the list appears endless.

Her language brings to mind the Nazi propaganda posters I saw during a visit to the German Historical Museum in Berlin. Jews are depicted with exaggerated noses, caricatured expressions, and an appearance designed to evoke revulsion. The intention was clear: to make the population stop seeing Jews as human beings and start viewing them as dangerous and a threat.

When I first arrived in Germany, I had a hard time understanding how a segment of the population could remain unaware of what was happening during the Nazi era. Later, I came to understand that the propaganda machine was a key factor in dehumanizing the “other.” The goal of propaganda wasn’t just to persuade; it also sought to make people stop empathizing with others and to foster indifference.

In the same way, the dehumanizing images in Rosario Murillo’s insults are neither a coincidence nor a fit of anger. The language of dehumanization serves a well-known political function. Totalitarian regimes use dehumanization to strip opponents and minorities of their humanity. The goal is to generate hatred toward those who think differently, to eliminate empathy, and thereby to normalize exclusion and justify persecution and violence.

The Historical Legacy of Hate

History is full of examples. Nazi propaganda systematically resorted to medical and biological terms when referring to Jews. Their propaganda machine described them as........

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