Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann
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| President of the United Nations General Assembly | |
| In office September 16, 2008 – September 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Srgjan Asan Kerim |
| Succeeded by | Ali Abdussalam Treki |
| Ambassador of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to the United Nations | |
| In office 29 March 2011 – 20 October 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Abdel Rahman Shalgham |
| Succeeded by | Post Abolished |
| Foreign Minister of Nicaragua | |
| In office 19 July 1979 – 25 April 1990 |
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| Preceded by | Harry Bodán Shields |
| Succeeded by | Enrique Dreyfus |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 5, 1933 Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Died | June 8, 2017 (aged 84) Managua, Nicaragua |
| Nationality | Nicaragua |
Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann M.M. (born February 5, 1933 – died June 8, 2017) was an important figure from Nicaragua. He was born in the United States. He was a diplomat, a politician, and a Catholic priest.
Miguel d'Escoto was a member of the Maryknoll Missionary Society. He served as the President of the United Nations General Assembly from 2008 to 2009. He also worked as Foreign Minister for Nicaragua for many years.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Miguel d'Escoto was born in Los Angeles, California, on February 5, 1933. His father, Miguel Escoto Muñoz, was a diplomat from Nicaragua. His mother was Margarita Brockmann Meléndez.
Miguel was raised in Nicaragua. In 1947, he moved back to the United States for high school.
Becoming a Priest
In 1953, d'Escoto decided to become a priest. He joined the seminary of the Maryknoll Missionary Society. He became a priest in 1961.
The next year, he earned a Master of Science degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He helped start Orbis Books, a publishing house, in 1970. He also worked for the World Council of Churches.
D'Escoto believed in a religious idea called liberation theology. This idea combines faith with helping people who are poor or treated unfairly. He secretly joined the Sandinistas, a political group in Nicaragua.
In 1973, he started a group called FUNDECI. This group helped people after a big earthquake in Managua in 1972. He led FUNDECI until he died in 2017.
In 2014, Pope Francis allowed d'Escoto to be a priest again. He had been stopped from celebrating Mass for 30 years. This was because he held a political job in the Sandinista government. Pope John Paul II had banned priests from holding political office. D'Escoto was happy about the news. He felt his earlier punishment was unfair.
Role in Nicaraguan Politics
D'Escoto publicly supported the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) in 1977. After the Sandinistas won in 1979, he became Nicaragua's foreign minister. He held this job from 1979 to 1990.
During this time, Pope John Paul II spoke to him about his political work. In 1985, the Pope criticized d'Escoto and two other priests. They were serving in the Nicaraguan government. This went against church law. The Holy See suspended them, meaning they could not perform their duties as priests. This suspension lasted until 2014, when Pope Francis lifted it.
D'Escoto received the Lenin Peace Prize in 1985 and 1986. He also received the Thomas Merton Award in 1987.
After the Sandinistas lost the 1990 election, d'Escoto led the Communal Movement. He later resigned from this role.
Working with the United Nations
Leading the General Assembly
The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean chose d'Escoto to be their candidate. On June 4, 2008, he was elected to lead the 63rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly. He served from September 2008 to September 2009.
D'Escoto said his main goals were to deal with rising energy and food prices. He also wanted to focus on hunger, poverty, climate change, and human rights. He believed in disarmament and protecting biodiversity.
In 2010, d'Escoto was also chosen for the Council Advisory Committee. This committee works with the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Ideas for UN Changes
D'Escoto spoke about making the United Nations more democratic. He criticized the veto power. This power allows some countries to block decisions in the United Nations Security Council. He promised to support efforts to make the General Assembly stronger.
Views on the United States
D'Escoto was known for criticizing the foreign relations of the United States. He once called Ronald Reagan "the butcher of my people." He believed that the actions of some countries made the world less safe.
After being elected to lead the UN General Assembly, he said: "The behavior of some member states has caused the United Nations to lose credibility." He spoke against actions like those in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, he also said he loved the United States as a country. He did not want his role to be a place to attack the U.S.
U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said they hoped d'Escoto understood his new responsibilities.
Libyan Ambassador Role
In March 2011, during the 2011 Libyan civil war, d'Escoto was nominated to be Libya’s new ambassador to the UN. However, the U.S. ambassador, Susan Rice, said he did not have the right diplomatic visa.
Later Life and Death
Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann passed away on June 8, 2017. He was 84 years old. He had suffered a stroke a few months before. He was buried in the Cementerio General in Managua, Nicaragua.
See also
In Spanish: Miguel d'Escoto para niños
