Sandino, Augusto

(1895–1934), leader of a rebellion between 1927 and 1933 against the US military occupation of Nicaragua. He was referred to as a ‘bandit’ by the US government, but his exploits made him a hero throughout much of Latin America, where he became a symbol of resistance against US domination. Sandino was assassinated in 1934 by the National Guard forces of Somoza García, who two years later established a dictatorship and family dynasty that would rule Nicaragua for more than 40 years.