Nicaraguan exceptionalism (Spanish: ''Excepcionalismo Nicaragüense'') is a belief that

Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

is an exceptional nation, different from its

Central American Central America is a Subregion#North America, subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Ce ...

neighbors, despite shared history in the

Federal Republic of Central America The Federal Republic of Central America (), initially known as the United Provinces of Central America (), was a sovereign state in Central America that existed between 1823 and 1839/1841. The republic was composed of five states (Costa Rica ...

and regional integration in the

Central American Integration System The Central American Integration System (, or SICA) has been the economic and political organization of Central American states since 1 February 1993. On 13 December 1991, the ODECA countries (Spanish: ''Organización de Estados Centroamericano ...

. This concept differs from the exceptionalism of other nations primarily as its basis rests solely upon the actions and institutions implemented since the Sandanista government took power in the 1979 revolution, and again in 2006 after passing power to the National Opposition Union. The difference here is, most nationalist claims to

exceptionalism Exceptionalism is the perception or belief that a species, country, society, institution, movement, individual, or time period is "wiktionary:exceptional, exceptional" (i.e., unusual or extraordinary). The term carries the implication, whether or ...

originate from the founding of nations and/or the development of their cultures due to long histories. The widely regarded exception within the current panorama of dystopian violence afflicting contemporary Central America, Nicaragua is often hailed as "the safest (sano) country in Latin America (despite also being the poorest)". Other exceptionalism claims include the concept that Nicaragua is highly resistant to

drug trafficking A drug is any chemical substance other than a nutrient or an essential dietary ingredient, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalation, injection, smoking, ingestion, ...

as compared even to richer neighbors like

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

and

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

. Even Western media have drawn on this notion in reporting on why Nicaraguan children are not migrating to the United States in the 2014 American immigration crisis to flee drug trafficking violence (despite that there is heavy Nicaraguan immigration to neighboring Costa Rica).

References

Crime in Nicaragua Ethnocentrism {{Nicaragua-stub