The first black person elected toย the Nicaraguan National Assembly, Loria Raquel Dixon Brautigam was electedย to represent the North Atlantic Autonomous Region of Nicaragua in 2006. Beforeย entering politics, Brautigam worked as a nurse in Bilwiskana, Rรญo Coco and servedย as director of the Unidad Policlรญnica de Puerto Cabeza y Enfermera from 1978 to 1990. In 1996, she received her bachelor’s degree in business administrationย from Universidad Centroamericana in San Salvador,ย the capital of El Salvador.ย After receiving her degree, she assumed responsibility for the marketingย division of her family’s business, operating gas stations in an around Bluefields, Nicaragua.
Brautigam joined Frenteย Sandinista de Liberaciรณn Nacional (FSLN) in 1983. FSLN, whose members are knownย as Sandinistas, is a socialist political party formed in 1961. They became aย guerrilla revolutionary organization in the late 1960s and succeeded inย overthrowing the Nicaraguan government and assuming power in 1979.ย In 1984, the Sandinistas held nationalย elections, and the leader of FSLN, Daniel Ortega, was elected president. Inย 1990, he lost the election, but was reelected in 2006.
Brautigam gained prominenceย within the party in 1987.ย By serving asย part of the Sandinistas’ departmental leadership team, she gained both politicalย experience and national exposure.ย ย Sheย was also a member of Mor de Mujeres in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region ofย Nicaragua.ย In 2006, Brautigam was electedย to the National Assembly along with many other Sandinistas.ย Their election coincided with Daniel Ortega’sย return to power.
Besides holding an assembly seat,ย Brautigam currently serves in the Nicaraguan government as First Vice Presidentย for the Ethnic Affairs, Autonomy Regimes, and Indigenous Communities Commissionย and Second Vice President for the Health and Social Security Commission.
