List of Nicaraguans

This is a list of Nicaraguans and people of Nicaraguan ethnicity:

Republic of Nicaragua

(Flag of Nicaragua) (Coat of Arms)

Entertainment

Cristiana Frixione; Miss Nicaragua 2006.

• Pedro Miguel Arce (1976), actor, notable roles include Land of the Dead and Get Rich or Die Tryin'.
• Maurice Benard (1963), actor on American soap operas All My Children and General Hospital.
• Barbara Carrera (1951), film, TV actress, former model.
• Oswaldo Castillo, actor, most notable role includes the one in The Hammer.
• Edward'O, notable astroanalyst and co-host of Telemundo's dating show, 12 Corazones.
• Jade Jagger (1971), model
• Mari Ramos, weather anchor for CNN.
• Gabriel Traversari, actor, director, writer, singer, songwriter and painter.
• Omar D'Leon, Modern Painter

Beauty queens and models

• Xiomara Blandino (1984), Miss Nicaragua 2007, model
• Cristiana Frixione (1984), Miss Nicaragua 2006, model
• Iva Grijalva Pashova
• Thelma Rodríguez, Miss Nicaragua 2008

Businesspeople

• José Cardenal (1940), businessman
• Michael Cordúa (1961), restaurateur, entrepreneur, businessman, award winning self-taught chef.
• Carlos Reynaldo Lacayo, businessman
• Alfonso Robelo (1939), businessman, politician, diplomat who served as ambassador to Costa Rica.

Music

DJ Craze at a rave in 2002.

• Lya Barrioz, singer and actress
• Katia Cardenal, singer/song writer from Duo Guardabarranco.
• Dimension Costeña, musicians
• Luis Enrique (1962), salsa singer and music composer.
• Carlos Mejia Godoy (1943), musician, composer, singer.
• T-Bone, rapper.
• Tony Melendez (1962), guitar player, singer and Christian rock songwriter who was born without arms.
• Maria Mena. Norwegian/Nicaraguan Pop Singer.
• Torombolo (1985), reggaeton and hip hop singer.
• J Smooth, bilingual Hip Hop and Reggaeton singer.
• José Areas, percussionist, former drummer for Santana.
• Erwin Krüger (1915–1973), singer and Nicaraguan folklore poet.
• Donald Vega, jazz musician and composer.
• Hernaldo Zúñiga (1955), singer and music composer.

DJs

• DJ Craze, only DJ in history to win 3 consecutive World DMC Champion titles.

Government, military and politics

See also: List of Nicaraguan presidents

• Jorge Salazar Argüello-(1939–1980), a Nicaraguan coffee grower and popular leader of UPANIC (Union of Agricultural Producers of Nicaragua – Unión de Productores Agropecuarios de Nicaragua), seemed poised to become the leader of the opposition to the Sandinista government, until his death at the hands of State Security forces.
• Reinaldo Aguado Montealegre, President of the International Society for Human Rights in Nicaragua.
• Arnoldo Alemán (1946), former President of Nicaragua from 1997–2002. Mr. Aleman has been one of the most corrupt Presidents Nicaragua ever had. He stole more than US $200,000,000 from the Nicaraguan Treasury
• Leonardo Arguello Barreto (1895–1947), former President of Nicaragua (1947)
• Fernando Agüero (1920), politician
• Juan Bautista Sacasa (1874–1946) , former President of Nicaragua from 1933–1936
• Claudia Bermúdez, Nicaragua-American politician and entrepreneur; first Nicaraguan American to be the nominee of a major party for a seat in the United States Congress.
• Enrique Bermúdez (1932–1991), military and political leader of the Nicaraguan contras from 1979–1991.
• Enrique Bolaños (1928), former President of Nicaragua from 2002 to 2007. Enrique Bolaños was a very ineffective President, he was not able to accomplish anything during his Presidency
• Róger Calero (1969), Nicaraguan American who ran for U.S. President in the 2004 elections.
• Adolfo Calero (1931), leader of the Contra-Revolutionary Movement
• Emiliano Chamorro (1871–1966), former President of Nicaragua from 1917–1920 and part of 1926
• Fernando Chamorro Alfaro (1824–1863), General and member of the governing junta of Nicaragua (1860–1863).
• Fruto Chamorro (1804–1855), first President of Nicaragua 1854–1855
• Manuel Coronel Kautz, vice minister of foreign relations.
• Arturo Cruz (1923), politician and diplomat
• Pedro Chamorro (1875–1879), former President of Nicaragua from 1875–1879.
• Violeta Chamorro (1929), first female president in Latin America, second in North America and 48th President of Nicaragua
• Adolfo Díaz (1875–1964), President of Nicaragua in 1911–1917 and 1926–1929
• Aminta Granera, Sandinista and Police chief of Nicaragua
• George William Albert Hendy (1879–1888), Hereditary Chief of Miskito Nation.
• Edmundo Jarquín (1946), politician, candidate for president of Nicaragua in 2006.
• Máximo Jerez (1818), politician, lawyer, and military leader in 19th century Nicaragua.
• Herty Lewites (1939–2006), politician
• Eduardo Montealegre (1955), politician, businessman
• Oldman (?-1687), King of the Miskito Nation from 1625–1687
• Daniel Ortega (1945), current President of Nicaragua, leader of the FSLN
• Edén Pastora (1937), politician
• Mariano Prado, lawyer and a four-time, liberal chief of state of El Salvador.
• Sergio Ramírez (1943), Vice President of Nicaragua during the Junta, writer, intellectual
• José Santos Zelaya (1853–1919), former President of Nicaragua from 1893–1909
• Hilda Solis, U.S. congresswoman.
• Anastasio Somoza García (1896–1956), dictator, 34th and 39th President of Nicaragua
• Anastasio Somoza Debayle (1925–1980), 44th and 45th Dictator of Nicaragua from 1967 to 1972 and from 1974 to 1979. Member of the Somoza Dictatorial Family
• Luis Somoza Debayle (1922–1967), 40th President of Nicaragua from 1956–1963, but was effectively dictator from 1956 until his death.
• Anastasio Somoza Portocarrero (1951), former commander of the National Guard. His Dictatorial regime lasted many years, until he was executed for Crimes Against Humanity by Mr. Rigoberto Lopez Perez

Revolutionaries, Heroes and Martyrs

Bianca Jagger; Political activist.

• Patrick Argüello (1943–1970), considered a martyr of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine PFLP
• Nora Astorga (1948–1988), Sandinista revolutionary, lawyer, politician, judge and Nicaraguan ambassador to the UN
• Antonio Cardenal Caldera (1951–1991), also known by the nom de guerre Jesus Rojas, major leader of the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front.
• Arturo Cruz, Jr. (1954), revolutionary, writer, professor and diplomat
• Rigoberto Cruz, one of the founder of the FSLN
• Ajax Delgado, martyr of the Sandinista revolution
• José Dolores Estrada (1792–1869), national hero, famed for his part in the battle Hacienda San Jacinto in 1856
• Idania Fernandez (1952–1979), Martyr of the Sandinista Revolution.
• Carlos Fonseca (1936–1976), teacher, founder of FSLN
• Augusto César Sandino (1895–1934), revolutionary, symbol of the FSLN
• Arlen Siu (1952–1972), martyr of the Sandinista revolution
• Dora María Téllez (1947), Comandante during the Sandinista revolution, founded the MRS, historian

Political activists

• Bianca Jagger (1945), social and political activist, former wife of Mick Jagger

Sports

José "Quiebra Jícara" Alfaro, boxer; world champion

Eve Torres; Professional wrestler, winner of the 2007 WWE Diva Search.

Boxing

• José Alfaro, boxer, world champion.
• Rosendo Alvarez (1970), boxer, former world champion, only person to hold the undefeated flyweight champion to a draw.
• Alexis Argüello (1952), boxer, former world champion.
• Julio Gamboa, lightweight boxer.
• Eddie Gazo, super welterweight boxer.
• Ricardo Mayorga (1973), boxer, former WBA/WBC Welterweight champion and WBC Junior Middleweight world champion.
• David Obregon (1978), professional boxer.
• Juan Palacios, professional boxer, reigning WBC Interim Minimumweight World Champion.
• Luis Alberto Pérez (1978), boxer, current IBF world junior-bantamweight champion.
• Adonis Rivas (1972), boxer, former world champion.

Baseball

• Porfi Altamirano (1952), former Major League Baseball player.
• Marvin Benard (1970), former Major League Baseball player.
• Tony Chévez, Major League Baseball player.
• David Green (1960), former Major League Baseball player.
• Devern Hansack (1978), current Major League Baseball player.
• Oswaldo Mairena, Major League Baseball player.
• Dennis Martínez (1955), first Nicaraguan to play in Major League Baseball, pitched the 13th perfect game in major league history.
• Vicente Padilla (1977), current Major League Baseball player.

Football (Soccer)

• Armando Collado (1985), professional soccer player.
• Denis Espinoza (1983), professional soccer player.
• Shawn Hasani Martin (1987), professional soccer player.
• Lester Meléndez (1981), professional soccer player for the University of Miami.
• Emilio Palacios, professional soccer player, Nicaraguan to score a hat-trick in an international competition.
• Wilber Sanchez, professional soccer player.
• Samuel Wilson (1983), professional soccer player who currently plays for Atletico Olanchano.

Other

• Jessica Aguilera (1985), a track and field sprint athlete, competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
• Diana López, Olympic bronze medalist in the sport of taekwondo.
• Mark López, Olympic silver medalist in the sport of taekwondo.
• Steven López (1978), first official Olympic gold medalist in the sport of taekwondo.
• Karla Moreno (1988), weightlifter, competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
• Claudia Poll (1972), swimmer, won the Gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
• Silvia Poll (1970), swimmer, won the silver medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
• Eve Torres (1984), professional wrestler, dancer, model and actress.

Literature

Main article: List of Nicaraguan writers

Gioconda Belli, designated amongst the 100 most important poets during the 20th century.

Christianne Meneses Jacobs, publisher of Iguana, the United States's only Spanish-language magazine for children.

Ernesto Cardenal is a poet, Roman Catholic priest and was one of the most famous liberation theologians of the Sandinista Regime.

• Claribel Alegría (1924), poet, she received the Neustadt International Prize for Literature in 2006.
• Emilio Álvarez Lejarza (1884–1969), writer
• Emilio Álvarez Montalván (1919), political writer
• Eugenio Batres Garcia (1941) noted newscaster and journalist, writer, author and poet.
• Gioconda Belli (1948), poet
• Yolanda Blanco (1954), poet and translator.
• Tomás Borge (1930), writer, poet, and essayist.
• Omar Cabezas (1950), writer
• Ernesto Cardenal (1925), poet
• Blanca Castellón (1958), poet
• Xavier Chamorro Cardenal, co-founder, director and editor of El Nuevo Diario.
• José Coronel Urtecho (1906–1994), poet, translator, essayist, critic, narrator, playwright and historian.
• Alfonso Cortés (1893–1969), poet
• Arturo Cruz (1954), writer
• Pablo Antonio Cuadra (1912–2002), poet
• Rubén Darío (1867–1916), poet, referred to as The Father of Modernism
• Salomón Ibarra Mayorga (1887–1985), poet and lyricist of "Salve a ti, Nicaragua", the Nicaraguan national anthem
• Erwin Krüger (1915–1973), poet and composer.
• Danilo López (1954), poet
• Rigoberto López Pérez (1929–1936), poet and writer
• Francisco Mayorga (1949), writer
• Christianne Meneses Jacobs (1971), writer, editor, and publisher
• Rosario Murillo (1951), poet
• Daniel Ortega (1945), poet
• Azarías H. Pallais (1884–1954), poet
• Rafael Pallais (1952), writer
• Joaquín Pasos (1914–1947), poet
• Horacio Peña (1946), writer and poet
• Sergio Ramírez (1942), writer
• Mariana Sansón Argüello (1918), poet
• Arlen Siu (?-1972), essayist
• Julio Valle Castillo (1952), poet, novelist, essayist, literary critic and art critic
• Daisy Zamora (1950), poet

Arts

• Omar D'Leon, a painter and poet.
• Franck de Las Mercedes, painter
• Armando Morales, painter
• Hugo Palma-Ibarra, artist
• Julio Valle Castillo, poet, novelist, painter, essayist, and a critic of literature and art

Religion

• Miguel D'Escoto, Roman Catholic priest, former foreign minister of Nicaragua, received the Lenin Peace Prize, in 1985.
• Uriel Molina, ordained as a Franciscan.
• Pablo Antonio Vega Mantilla (1919–2007), Roman Catholic Bishop and Bishop Emeritus.
• Maria Romero Meneses (1902–1977), Roman Catholic nun.
• Miguel Obando y Bravo (1926) Former Cardinal of Central America and voted for popeship

Other categories

• Lila T. Abaunza First Lady of Nicaragua (2002–2007).
• Harry Brautigam (1948), an economist, banker and academic.
• Aubry Campbell Ingram, former Baseball player who helped found the Asociación de Scouts de Nicaragua.
• Ajax Delgado
• Joseph A. Harrison (1883–1964), Moravian Pastor who helped him start the first scout troop in Nicaragua.
• Jorge Salazar, coffee grower and popular leader of UPANIC.
• Aristides Sánchez, key figure among the Contras.
• Reinaldo Aguado Montealegre, President of the International Society for Human Rights in Nicaragua.
• Clodomiro Picado Twight (1887–1944), scientist