Cinco Décadas: The Rise of the Nicaraguan Cigar by JoyaCigars

CINCO DÃ&#x2030;CADAS THE RISE OF THE NICARAGUAN CIGAR

TO ALL THOSE WHOSE LIVES HAVE BEEN TOUCHED BY JOYA DE NICARAGUA; ALL THOSE WHOSE LIVES WE HAVE YET TO TOUCH. TO ALL OF NICARAGUA - WE ARE PROUD TO CARRY YOUR NAME.

WRITTEN BY

Nick Hammond PUBLISHED BY

Joya de Nicaragua CREATIVE DIRECTION AND PRODUCTION BY

Madre Consulting ART DIRECTION AND EDITORIAL DESIGN BY

Pupila.co PHOTOGRAPHY BY

Otto Mejía Eugenia Carrión EDITED BY

Ximena Cordón Karina Salguero-Moya PRINTED BY

Gráfica Biblos

CONTENT 14

Prologue

Introduction

About Nicaragua and Estelí

History of Tobacco in Nicaragua

Our History

Our People

Drew State...

116

Our Process

155

What Cigar Making Has Brought to Nicaragua

157

Open Letter from Juan Martínez

158

The Evolution of Joya de Nicaragua

ifty years is a milestone for any business, let alone a handmade cigar manufacturer in a developing country. This book takes the reader on the journey of Joya de Nicaragua,

and how it became the first Nicaraguan cigar manufacturer. A journey of trials and tribulations in their poor, often destabilized Central American country. A bitter civil war that pitted brother against brother, the devastation wrought by earthquakes and hurricanes, and endless economic struggles. Unlike others who fled to neighboring nations and abandoned Nicaragua, they did not. Why? Because they are Nicaraguan. For them, the factory was far more than a balance sheet. It was part of their family, their hopes, their ceaseless struggle for a better life â&#x20AC;&#x201C; quite simply, Joya de Nicaragua was and remains part of their soul. My first personal interaction with Dr. Alejandro MartĂnez Cuenca occurred in early 2008. As the former President of Drew Estate, I was tasked with negotiating a US distribution deal between ourselves and his legendary Joya de Nicaragua factory. I have been involved in many business negotiations, but this one was different from the start. Alejandro is a bright man with a razorsharp mind and a wry, impish wit that is contagiously optimistic. Right from the very first back and forth, we stopped negotiating and started problem-solving together.

PROLOGUE

Rather than attempting to get the superior financial deal for each of our sides at the others’ expense, we were very forthright and figured out how we could both meet our respective companies’ needs while establishing a framework for our mutual success. Of all the “deals” I have done, it is by far my favorite, not only because of the historic nature of forming a partnership between the upstart, disruptive Drew Estate and the much heralded, venerable first factory of Nicaragua, but more so because it laid the groundwork for a relationship that would go way beyond the business between us. Please understand that the cigar industry is populated by peacocks; people that will ceaselessly tell you they are the best, their factory is the best, their cigars are the best and they exhale gold with every breath. Often none of those things are true, especially that last one, but I assure you their bragging never stops. Add the fact that we are an industry with a heavy Cuban influence, which has a penchant for extravagance; it is even more difficult to be heard. I don’t blame my Cuban peers; the handmade cigar market is an extremely competitive one. However, often other factories and makers with nowhere near the history, experience or ability to craft the quality of cigars as those handmade at Joya de Nicaragua have received the lion share of attention.

It is partially JDN’s own fault, in addition to them being astoundingly resourceful as a culture; they are also blessed with an overabundance of humility and deference. In short, they are too polite. Well, I am not. And I am going to use the little bit of space afforded to me to tell you without any shame how spectacular the cigars, the people and the story of Joya de Nicaragua are. If you won’t boast in a book written expressly to document and celebrate your 50th Anniversary when exactly are you going to boast? I am known for being a bit of a bull in a china shop, so let’s break some stuff together. For me, it is always about the cigars. Exceptional cigars are the product of great tobaccos, a never tiring adherence to standards and practices and most importantly, a dedication to the art over speed and efficiency. No other factory in Nicaragua embraces these principles to the degree of Joya de Nicaragua. You see it at all levels, from the ceaseless dedication of Leonel and Mario, the craftsmanship of torcedors like Aristo to the iron will, yet always smiling Doña Panchita at the helm of quality control.

PROLOGUE

No one at JDN is ever content with doing their job; rather they are always striving to do better. The result is some of the finest handcrafted cigars ever made. They never attempted to recreate copies of Cuban cigars, always focusing on making the most Nicaraguan cigars. All the factories in Estelí today owe a debt of gratitude for their efforts. Joya de Nicaragua is often referred to as “the school” within Estelí as they have trained so many of the best torcedors in the valley. They also spent decades establishing their Nicaraguan puros on the international market long before other factories’ cigars even worth a glance. They were the factory that created the watershed Antaño 1970 liga in 1999, which introduced consumers to the unbridled power and rich flavors of Nicaraguan tobacco. This brand alone is the origin from which every robust cigar created since can point to as its genesis. When I departed Drew Estate, I had the option of working with any factory, but for me, there was never any doubt. There is no other fábrica that I have as much faith in as Joya de Nicaragua or its people. I knew they would work tirelessly to craft my namesake

cigars to my extremely unforgiving standards and that they would regard my blends with the same pride and dedication as their very own brands. They allow me to be me even when I know it is an unreasonable challenge, and in turn, the exceptional cigars they craft on my behalf could not be made elsewhere. Joya de Nicaragua is truly the “Jewel of Nicaragua”. Not only were they the first factory to craft handmade puros in Estelí, but far more importantly, they are the very soul of cigars in Nicaragua. For decades, everyone in our industry has parlayed their Cuban roots as their calling card of relevance, but not JDN. Ever since the revolution, this has been a company owned and operated at every level by the Nicaraguan people. It is the amalgamation of their experiences from being seized by an oppressive dictator, continuing to operate during a brutal war and to then rebuild from the ruins of their own turmoil. It is the only factory to have stayed during the war, why? Because it is the only truly Nicaraguan cigar factory. While knowing the past is important to understanding and appreciating Joya’s fifty-year history, it is their future that is as important. The blend of new and old with great respect to tradition is the future of the company.

PROLOGUE

Dr. Martínez Cuenca’s equally bright son, Juan Martínez, has taken the helm and is bringing this age-old industry into the 21st-century spotlight. Continuing their excellence in the tobacco and the way in which their superior handcrafted vitolas are made, but now also reaching out to consumers in this digital age to propel Joya de Nicaragua into being recognized as the cornerstone that they are. I want to strongly encourage them to set aside some of their inherent humility and proudly espouse what I know as fact: Joya de Nicaragua is the best cigar factory in the world, bar none.

STEVE SAKA FOUNDER OF DUNBARTON TOBACCO & TRUST

ITS LIFELINE, ITS STRUGGLE, ITS WILL TO FORGE AHEAD AND RENEW, RENEW, RENEW â&#x20AC;&#x201C; IS NICARAGUA ITSELF. 30

INTRODUCTION

These pages commemorate a significant milestone for a company synonymous with its people. Through dark clouds and occasional shafts of sunlight, Joya de Nicaragua has created a future that, despite the pressures facing a tobacco business in the modern world, is exciting. Through these pages, you will learn of the people of Joya de Nicaragua in their own words. How they heard of the country’s first premium cigar manufacturer; came to work for it; fight for it; love it. You will get an idea of what lies behind the logo and the doors of the famous Estelì factory which forms the beating heart of the company. This is a remarkable story of hope, love, family, friendship, resilience and redemption.

THIS IS NICARAGUA. THIS IS JOYA DE NICARAGUA.

CINCO DÉCADAS

NICARAGUA

NICARAGUA IS A NATION OF COASTAL PLAINS ON THE SHOULDERS OF SMOULDERING VOLCANOES; OF ISLANDS AND LAKES, RAINFOREST AND BUSH SCRUB. MAHOGANY, IRONWOOD AND FRUIT-LADEN TREES VIE FOR SPACE WHERE HOWLER MONKEYS ROAM AND SNAKES COIL IN SUNLIT PATCHES ON THE JUNGLE FLOOR. PUMAS STALK THE INKED DARKNESS. CAIMAN GLIDE THROUGH SILTED WATERS.

CINCO DÃ&#x2030;CADAS

NICARAGUA

While Nicaragua is rich in natural resources, it’s a poor country for those thousands who face a daily battle to line their stomachs. For many, education is cut short too early; jobs are oversubscribed.

As a people, Nicaraguans are quick to extend a hand in times of trouble and are welcoming to strangers. Perhaps they recognise a little of themselves in the wandering traveller seeking a new home, for Nicaragua is truly a melting pot of nations. A foreigner residing here for any length of time soon becomes Uncle Chele – a member of the family. And Nicaraguans surely love to sing, to dance, to break bread together and share a celebration. The country currently enjoys around 30 public holidays a year. You’ll struggle to find a dull night in the calendar.

CINCO DÉCADAS

It may be economically poor, but Nicaragua is rich in The Arts. It feels like everyone you meet here is a poet. It’s not deemed unusual that senior ministers, clergymen and business leaders all live double lives as celebrated poets – even the current President has been known to write verse.

NICARAGUA

It’s perhaps understandable then, that Nicaraguans cherish Rubén Darío as their birth-right. The words of the great modernismo poet are celebrated here by his own museum, in paintings, statues – even on the nation’s lottery tickets. Nicaraguan music is loud and joyous or loud and melodramatic. No gathering is complete without it - or without huge helpings of hearty, calorific food. National dishes such as Nacatamal – a weighty parcel of rice, potatoes, maize meal, meat, and vegetables - or Tres Leches – a sponge cake soaked in evaporated milk, condensed milk and cream -

aren’t going to feature on diet regimes any time soon, but they’re delicious. Nicaraguan beef is the match of any Argentinian and Nicaraguans eat a lot of it. Scratch the surface of everyday life in Nicaragua and you’ll detect a subtle undercurrent of loss. The country’s shattering experience of Revolution is still keenly felt. Hardly a family exists that hasn’t been touched by it. Over the centuries, varying degrees of dictatorship have governed in Nicaragua – benevolent dictators, puppet dictators, bad ones and downright tyrannical. And

yet once the tumult is over, everyday Nicaraguan people are adept at picking up the pieces, returning their focus inward and setting about reforming their lives and communities. While the hated regime of the Somoza family was overthrown after brutal bloodshed in the 1979 Revolution, it wasn’t an end to Nicaragua’s woes. USbacked Contras took on the replacement Sandinista ruling party and fighting continued, particularly in the north – Nicaraguan cigar country. Then, as the 21st Century approached, came acts of God, reducing the country to survival

mode. Hurricane Mitch and the resulting floods swept aside town, countryside and tobacco field alike. This apparent ceaseless list of mayhem and misfortune is both misleading and revealing; misleading in that Nicaragua is a delightful, bustling, beautiful, vibrant and safe country to live in. And revealing because this very resistance to adversity – a refusal to accept defeat and a remarkable ability for reinvention - reaches to the very core of what it means to be Nicaraguan.

CINCO DÉCADAS

This Nicaraguan spirit and defiance is best personified in Augusto César Sandino, the country’s omnipresent national figure with his unmistakable wide-brimmed hat, a universally recognised symbol of the working-class fight for freedom.

In time, his name would give rise to the Sandinista revolutionary movement, a derivative of which still forms Nicaragua’s Government today. But the charismatic rebel first rose to fame as a champion of his people, avowed to fight colonialism, tyranny and exploitation of the poor. Sandino raised his ‘El pequeño Ejercito Loco’ – ‘small and crazy army’ - in the Segovia Mountains and waged guerrilla warfare against a Government in thrall to the United States. He was more than a mere thorn in the side too. So successful were his campaigns, that

NICARAGUA

he began a regular correspondence with the President himself and was eventually invited to join sit down talks to discuss the way forward. But it was after one such talk that Sandino, attempting to leave the Presidential compound in Managua, was stopped by the National Guard, taken away and summarily executed. His unmarked grave has never been found. Sandino’s bitter betrayal was planned and carried out by a young Anastasio Somoza García – the first of the Somoza dynasty which would rule Nicaragua as a personal fiefdom for the next 40 years.

And amid all this tumultuous history, a humble plant has played a small, but crucial part of Nicaragua’s story. At first, tobacco was a rough peasant staple; then a cash crop bound for foreign cigarette factories. And finally, with the birth of Joya de Nicaragua, tobacco became a golden ingredient in its own right; a wondrous luxury product that would create a new industry and turn eventually Nicaragua itself into the greatest cigar making country on the planet.

CINCO DÉCADAS

NICARAGUA

It’s easy to see Villa de San Antonio de Pavia de Estelí was once a one-horse town. Drive around the crowded streets today and you’ll still see cowboy hats and boots here, dusty streets and dingy bars – and a few remaining horses, although these days they’re fighting traffic alongside motorbikes, gaudy private buses and the ubiquitous pickup truck that every Nicaraguan man seems to aspire to.

Traffic in Estelí is manic at best, atrocious at its rush-hour worst. It’s symbolic of how this city – population circa 120,000 – has blossomed like the beautiful Sacuanjoche, Nicaragua’s national flower. Workers and their families – both native and foreign – have felt the draw of northern Nicaragua for years. “Germans and English were encouraged to come to the region in the late 19th Century,” says Eddie Kühl. The historian, writer, former Sandinista supporter and now, along with his energyinfused wife, Mausi, co-owner of the aweinspiring Selva Negra eco resort, is sitting by the calming lake in the humid mist-swirled department of Matagalpa. Towering overgrown mountains rear up in front as far as the eye can see. This haven for wildlife is a working farm and a stunning monument to a life’s work. “There were advertisements at the train station in Hamburg back then, extolling the virtues of this wonderful land,” continues Eddy. “In reality, the Nicaraguan President at that time wanted to have a bit more control over the troublesome mountainous regions, so he made

land accessible to foreigners. You could buy land at a price of a dollar per hectare back then.” More Europeans came through on their way to imagined riches in Californian gold mines. Some – many would say the sensible ones – liked what they saw and put down roots. Increasing numbers of Germans came to Matagalpa, met Nicaraguan girls and a new dynasty was born. Kühl himself speaks no German, yet his grandfather came from Kiel, close to the Black Forest (hence Selva Negra, Spanish for the same). In 1974, he and Mausi bought the place and have spent their lives since turning it into an eco-resort and sustainable farm where some of the world’s finest coffee is grown – bright red coffee fruit hangs from spindly bushes high up on mountain slopes around the farm. These are the very same mountain ranges that have harboured rebels for centuries. From these remote, treacherous jungle paths, came the armed resistance that would first tackle and conquer Somoza; and later those that would in turn seek to overthrow them. It’s also close to where Sandino’s ill-fated co-operative commune was founded. When push comes to shove, the people here have proved time and time again they’re willing to fight for what they believe in. Northern Nicaraguans in general are of hardy stock, a heady mixture of cultures and continents fortified by a fierce independence.

“During the wars, a lot of the heavy fighting was in and around Estelí,” explains Francisco “Pancho” Valenzuela, who is a long-term resident of Estelí, and now the city’s Mayor.

CINCO DÉCADAS

Estelí’s infrastructure has, slowly but surely, advanced to meet increased demand. There are hotels here now for tourists, a few well-used restaurants. Tax breaks – originally established to help tobacco growers increase business when the country’s economy was at its lowest point - continue to this day. They’ve encouraged overseas investment and the intense growth of the cigar industry in Estelí; from consisting purely of the likes of Joya de Nicaragua and Padrón, to housing dozens of cigar factories large and small and their ancillary buildings, offices, box manufacture plants and more. Cautiously at first, then with increasing clamour as the desire for Nicaraguan cigars grew, investors have spent their dollars here. They’ve snapped up farmland, prepared it for tobacco crops. New acquisitions, takeovers and mergers continue to this day.

“When people first came to experiment with cigar tobacco, they hoped Nicaragua might become a substitute for Cuba,” says Mayor Valenzuela. “And it did. But more than that, it has since found its own unique place in the market”. “We need to make sure the area doesn’t become over-dependant on one thing, of course; it happened before in Nicaragua when we went from farming 300,000 acres of cotton to nothing in 10 years. But tobacco growers are happy to work with us and in turn we listen to them to see how we can predict and meet future needs.” This symbiotic relationship is refreshing and in direct opposition to what seems to happen in other countries around the world where cigar making is concerned. Increasing legislation and a powerful anti-tobacco lobby in many countries push through changes which bundle machine-made cigarettes in with fine, hand-rolled cigars. In Nicaragua, the cigar’s contribution to the national economy and household budgets is deeply valued.

NICARAGUA

Nestled at the center of Estelí, Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral is one of Estelí’s top landmarks.

CINCO DÉCADAS

“People here are very welcoming and friendly, extremely multi-cultural, good at communicating. But they’re also very independent and they stick together. When war came to Estelí, the whole town was involved.”

Many of Nicaragua’s most iconic war photographs were taken on these streets; Susan Meiselas’ student in jeans preparing to hurl a Molotov cocktail; a mother with her baby cradled in one arm and an AK47 cradled in the other. Estelí became the poster city for revolution.

The Molotov Man, taken in 1979 during the Nicaraguan revolution by Susan Meiselas.

NICARAGUA

“Sandino had a lot of influence here,” Mayor Valenzuela explains from his office in the Town Hall. Judging by the silhouette of the fallen hero’s unmistakeable hat, set into the railings out front, it looks like he still does. “Local people still smoke chilcagre. So, this city has a very real sense of identity and has always had a very close relationship to tobacco. When cigar tobacco came here, that expanded even further.”

CINCO DÉCADAS

NICARAGUA

In the fields away from the city centre, the tobacco plant thrives in the black, mineralladen soil. Its advance as a staple of the economy here has supported the rapid growth of Estelí and seen thousands of homes and businesses spring up in the last couple of decades.

“I remember growing up and watching the Joya de Nicaragua softball team as a kid,” continues Mayor Valenzuela. “We also used to play out near the back of the factory; the Padrón factory was next to my house. So, you can see, these places were part of our everyday lives growing up. It was the same for all of us.” It’s estimated that 40,000 jobs have been created by the cigar industry in Estelí. And while the Nicaraguan Government can’t be seen to be actively promoting cigars, it does do all it can to make growers and manufacturer’s lives as easy as possible. The Government recognises that the industry is responsible for keeping thousands of families. “We facilitate the cigar industry rather than promote it,” says Mayor Valenzuela with a smile. “The fact is, many families rely on the industry and without it, Estelí as we know it just wouldn’t exist. Many generations have been able to live decent lives thanks to cigar jobs. The best factories give them excellent working conditions, paid vacations, medical care for them and their families. They have a social responsibility and are proud to support the community.”

CINCO DÉCADAS

The big time finally came to Estelí in the early 1990s. With the advent of American magazine Cigar Aficionado bringing pizazz and glamour to what had always been a somewhat traditional male-dominated cigar market and major funds being spent in Nicaragua on new farms and factories, a perfect storm presented itself. The US, the world’s largest cigar market – still subject to Kennedy’s Cuban embargo - was starved of premium grade tobacco. The clamour for new, exciting cigars, grew to fever pitch. Nicaragua was the panacea. So many cigars were sold that Estelí began to grow short of good tobacco. Prices went through the roof and a mini ‘gold rush’ of its own came to Nicaragua. “Everyone was running around trying to find cigar tobacco – any cigar tobacco,” reminisces Jonathan Drew, who at the time was in the infancy of his Drew Estate project which would later come to redefine the global cigar scene.

“Some awful cigars were made then, truly awful. Tobacco was under fermented, there was no ageing, there was so much demand that cigars were being rolled and fired out as quickly as possible. A lot of money was made, but when it all came to an end, many of the opportunistic firms fell back out of cigars. Their factories closed. And the best ones, the old ones, the ones that did things right - like Joya de Nicaragua - were still here.”

NICARAGUA

CINCO DÃ&#x2030;CADAS

The cigar boom, as it became known, was already waning when Hurricane Mitch struck in 1998 to firmly draw a line under it. Mitch was another kind of perfect storm – a freak set of circumstances which, like a snaking line of dominoes, led to a chain of events no-one could have foreseen. First the force of the Hurricane hit, then fields of valuable rich soil were washed away in the ensuing floods, leaving nothing but rock underneath. Much of the infrastructure of Estelí itself was damaged or destroyed; the town’s main bridge collapsed and parts of the Pan-American Highway were simply swept away. Across the region, thousands lost their lives in the hurricane, floods, mudslides or avalanches that played out in the disastrous domino show that followed. National emergency measures were announced and once again, amid rubble, mud, mayhem and disaster, Nicaragua found itself with rebuilding work to do. As it has always done – the country and its people rose to the task.

NICARAGUA

Photo taken in 1980 of a woman identified as María Asunción Rodríguez. She like many others, was a tobacco worker in Jalapa.

HISTORY OF TOBACCO IN NICARAGUA CINCO DÉCADAS

HISTORY OF TOBACCO IN NICARAGUA

1764

Tobacco has long been a precious commodity, with varying strains offering varieties of flavours and characteristics. However, the type and quality of tobacco needed for premium long filler cigars has only been grown in Nicaragua since the early 1960s. Columbus ‘discovered’ tobacco in the New World when he and his crew conducted their epic voyage to the Americas in the 1490s. The dried leaves of this verdant, fast-growing, plant were already in use by natives who burned them during spiritual ceremonies and crushed them for medicinal purposes. At least two basic types of tobacco have been harvested in Central America for centuries – Nicotiana rustica, a dark, bitter leaf with high levels of nicotine – and Nicotiana tabacum, the plant we know and love today as the provider of the raw material for premium, hand-rolled cigars. It’s likely these two varietals made their way to Nicaragua at some stage from the Mexican valleys where they were first harvested and utilised. The Spanish were perhaps the greatest influence on the tobacco plant’s inexorable spread across civilisation. They were the first to produce it on a truly commercial scale; by the early 1800s, tobacco factories had been erected in major cities such as Alicante, La Coruña, Madrid, Seville, Gijòn, Valencia, Santander and Cádiz to take advantage of a growing European fondness for the leaf.

Nicaragua’s fertile volcanic soil – rich, dark and packed with the minerals which give good tobacco its signature notes – is perfect for quickly establishing, then constantly nourishing the plant. Early varieties 52

Map that dates back to 1770, that depicted the areas where tobacco was cultivated in what was called the The Captaincy General of Guatemala.

were grown in small patches for the farmer’s use - or for small amounts of trade. A rough black tobacco known as Chilcagre was a rural staple. Its dark leaves were rolled into homemade, rustic cigars with a spicy, bitter taste that seem to appeal to the Nicaraguan palate. In line with its pungent flavours, it needed less tender loving care than more refined varieties. Chilcagre, which in Nahualt or Aztec translates variably as ‘hot stuff, sour and pungent,’ is now listed as an extinct tobacco variety; but in its Nicaraguan prime, was farmed in small subsistence plots and made into long, thin cigars which no doubt rattled the taste buds of those who bought them from farmer’s markets and local convenience stores. With Chilcagre, Nicaraguans had access to an easy-growing native tobacco. Yet, while they were the ones to learn how to work with these early crops - they weren’t those who ultimately benefitted from them.

HISTORY OF TOBACCO IN NICARAGUA

As soon as the value of a bale of dried tobacco was realised by local government, regulation of it began. The Real Renta del Tobaco – the ‘Royal Tobacco Tax’ was created in 1764, when Nicaragua was still a part of the Spanish dominion known as the General Captaincy of Guatemala. This tax introduced stringent laws aimed at those planting, growing and harvesting tobacco within the Captaincy before their independence in 1821. If a ‘unlicensed’ consignment was discovered without the appropriate accompanying paperwork, it was immediately seized by the taxman. What’s more, in a canny piece of local legislation, the person reporting the contraband was given a third of its value; a third was given to the local Judge; and the remainder handed over as taxes. This ensured there was always a pair of eyes on the lookout for a suspicious crop or wagonload in remote areas - and that there was always a willing Judge on hand to look favourably on the side of the tax collector. If an illegal crop was discovered

1786

1821

still in the ground - it was burned to ashes. Eventually, tobacco hybrids with different characteristics were cultivated - 15 different tobaccos were established over five provinces of the Captaincy. Each had significant regional variation – early proof that tobacco is as much a part of its terroir as any wine. Varietals included a Spanish leaf, where the tobacco was known as Simojovel; Gracias in Honduras, where four varieties of the tobacco known as Copán were grown and San Salvador, where Istepeque and Chinameca varieties were known. In Nicaragua, Estelí and Valle del Molino were cultivated and a poor tobacco was grown in Costa Rica, where its consumption was limited to Granada city and the surrounding area. Despite harsh regulations and a close watch on rural areas, plenty of black market tobacco still escaped the net. Taxation of even legitimate plots proved difficult until in 1786 a standard unit of measurement was announced. All leaves were to be weighed in pounds and ounces and each bundle – of whichever variety of tobacco – were to be wrapped in leather or other tobacco leaves of the same kind. These bundles were received at Fielatos – tobacco control stations set up all over the region, where bales could be officially logged in and weighed. In 1787 Nicaraguan tobacco growers were hard hit when a state monopoly on the production and sale of tobacco and liquor was set up granting Costa Rica exclusive licence to supply tobacco to Nicaragua. Costa Rica’s economy at the time was solely dependent on tobacco sales and their deal with Nicaragua saw the Costa Rican leaf delivered to the country via mule trains. Costa Rica’s monopoly ran out in 1792 when Nicaraguan farmers were once again allowed to plant tobacco. In 1821, Central America was freed from Spanish rule. The so-called Period of Anarchy straight after is aptly named, if only because it led to the improbable Presidency of American émigré, William

1857

1893

1897

Walker. Walker – who forged his own private military incursions in Latin America to seek fame, land and bounty – somehow managed to declare himself Nicaraguan President between 1856 and 1857. He and his ‘filibustering’ Army were eventually defeated and he met his eventual demise in front of a Honduran firing squad. When President José Santos Zelaya took power in 1893, he was a man on a mission. He believed an East-West canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans was a real possibility and he began a search for partners who might make help him make the dream a reality. He also set about raising money. And tobacco was an obvious target. In 1897, the first provisions were drawn up for a tobacco tax, with the new law stating individuals could retain up to two kilograms of cut tobacco and the same quantity ‘in-branch’ for their use; retail operations based in the family home could keep up to three kilograms of processed tobacco and the same in raw; factories and cigar stores were able to retain 12 kilograms of each, with a greater amount only allowable with written permission from the province’s Tax Administrator. Stricter guidelines on the transport of tobacco were also brought in which included detailed paperwork per assignment. Despite these burdensome tax stipulations, Zelaya has been credited with actually giving tobacco in Nicaragua a boost. His Tobacco Tax gave tobacco cultivation, processing and sale legitimacy throughout the country; in 1898, farmers received another boon with news that smallholders with less than six thousand cultivated bushes would not be taxed. Zelaya managed a not inconsiderable feat - raising taxes while keeping the workingman happy.

The 20th Century proved – as so many before it – to be one of tumult and conflict in Nicaragua. In the century’s early years, one man came to personify a nation’s continuing struggle against greed and dictatorship. That one man knew the value of Nicaraguan tobacco. His name was Sandino.

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SANDINO AND THE CULTIVATION OF TOBACCO

There are grainy old photographs of Augusto Sandino standing nonchalantly, criss-crossed with bandoliers and bullets and holding a long, thin cigar.

This early confirmation of Sandino’s thoughts and ideas could conceivably have become the blueprint for other such settlements the length and breadth of the land. Tobacco in Nicaragua may have had a different future.

He’s usually caught in a striking pose before the camera; seemingly never without his gun and often with that slender cigar clutched lightly in his right hand. The cigar he prefers is an unusual size - especially for Nicaragua and the time. The thin, lancerostyle is a Cuban speciality. And there were no Nicaraguan factories capable of rolling it at that time.

“I suspect that his cigar is made from Nicaraguan tobacco, but rolled under specific instructions from Sandino himself,” muses Dr. Alejandro Cuenca, owner of Joya de Nicaragua since 1994. “I wonder how he got to liking a lancero style cigar? He spent some years in Mexico and could well have been exposed to Cuban cigars of that size. Maybe he developed a preference for them and brought the size back home to Nicaragua.” In Sandino’s time, Nicaraguan leaf was normally smoked as the quickly rolled sample of black, or chilcagre native tobacco. But whatever his preferences in vitola, a particular size and shape of cigar, we do know is that Sandino was very familiar with tobacco indeed. In fact, it formed a crucial part of his vision for a free Nicaragua.

1933

Sandino took the growing of good tobacco for domestic profit seriously. He spent years drawing up elaborate plans for his co-operative project, which he believed would see Nicaragua’s impoverished working classes free once and for all from financial tyranny – and gainfully employed in a rural industry that was both sustainable and perfectly suited to the Nicaraguan terroir.

As well as sieving the sands of the Coco River for gold and mining the mineralrich Segovian mountains, Sandino staked a major part of his co-operative project’s future success on the cultivation of tobacco. He was close to announcing a major breakthrough in tobacco production when he was cut down by Somoza’s men in 1934. “They are cultivating a magnificent kind of tobacco called Bocay Tobacco or Sandino Tobacco in Bocay,” reported the newspaper La Noticia in its edition of Sunday January 28, 1934 - just three weeks before Sandino was murdered. He had been experimenting for some time with new plots of tobacco in his northern Nicaraguan enclave - and the early results had proved to be spectacular. “It is equal to the Copán Tobacco, not only because of its tanned colour, but also due to its combustibility, exquisite flavour and aroma,” continues the report. “The crop should be encouraged in order to achieve industrialisation.”

HISTORY OF TOBACCO IN NICARAGUA

“He was a visionary and a passionate leader,” says Dr. Cuenca. “He moved his entire life into the struggle over principles of liberty, equality and fraternity. He always had peace in his mind. Cigars, in my humble opinion, helped him find the peace inside, which allowed him to fight for it outside. Cigars were simply part of his routine and enjoyment.” As well as tobacco plantations, Sandino planned to mine gold by washing the silt of the Coco River; and, oddly, to rear pigs. His ideas were simple but well thought out and, more to the point, proactive in helping the country’s poorest help themselves. And as we can see from the tobacco cultivation, his ideas were also on the money.

1934

Just 17 when he first witnessed US troops deployed on Nicaraguan soil, Sandino was 26 when he fell foul of the law and was forced to flee to Honduras. From here, he drifted to Mexico where he embraced the ideology and atmosphere of the Mexican Revolution, eventually returning to Nicaragua buoyed by a belief in Latin America’s struggle for freedom. The idea that his beloved Nicaragua was under the thrall of the mighty United States enraged him. A charismatic and fearless leader, he began rallying support for armed resistance against the ‘Yankee Imperialists’ and soon he was leading a small but committed army in successful surprise attacks on the military. Both Nicaraguan National Guard and US Marines were caught out by his ingenuity and ability to evade capture. He seemed able to vanish like cigar smoke back into the jungle, only to reappear elsewhere soon after to renew his attacks. He is even rumoured to have faked his own funeral on one occasion to throw pursuers off his trail. A Nicaraguan Robin Hood, Sandino’s influence spread like bushfire among a peasantry desperate for a better life. They’d found someone they could believe in. As the La Noticia report showed, before his assassination Sandino had sent samples of his tobacco to Managua, with an attached note: “It is better than the one planted in Masaya,” he said. “To be shown to national producers.” It was clear the tobacco experimentation was heading for success. Walter C. Sandino, Sandino’s grandson, later wrote: “The territory Sandino chose in 1933 started at the agricultural frontier of Nueva Segovia and covered part of the province of Jinotega. Protected by a contingent of 100 armed men and a few families, General Sandino settled in a place called Wiwili on the banks of the Coco River.” “In November 1933, General Sandino told the following to a journalist: ‘What I want

is to serve the thousands and thousands of peasants who have supported our struggle. We are going to deconstruct the mountain and do co-operativised agriculture.” In a few short months, his co-operative was up and running, mining gold from the river in an ecologically sound manner and clearing vast tracts of land for agricultural use.

“Nicaragua imports a number of products that it should not import,” Sandino insisted. “Cereals, fats, even meat via the Atlantic coast. All that can be produced here. For the first time, we will make the river navigable; we will open farmland.” Wiwili, or Güigülí as it was more commonly known, quickly became a bustling river port, with streets and houses and the construction of a hospital, school, barracks and even a landing strip underway. Sandino’s dream was becoming a reality. “General Sandino taught people with fraternal love,” says Walter Sandino, “treating everyone as brothers, gaining respect and love as a patriarch; there was no money between them. The Universal Commune was everyone’s equal.” Having reached an agreement with President Sacasa to establish a mining company co-operative, on February 20 – the night before his murder Sandino was due to set off by plane from Managua to tell his comrades the good news. He never made it home. A late edition of La Noticia offers a brief anecdote of his last hours.

At 7.45pm last night, in the Presidential House, the final conference of the arrangement had just finished,” La Noticia reports. “General Sandino told us, ‘Everything is arranged. I will go to Wiwili tomorrow’. He had a glass of Cognac. General Sandino offered a toast.” Walter Sandino continues the story: “They could not land at the aerodrome of Güigüli and had to drop correspondence so that the commercial and agricultural sectors could start working again.” That was his last flight. “The next day General Sandino was murdered treacherously along with his fellow warriors by orders of the US Government at the hands of a group of shameless Nicaraguan assassins. However, their deaths were not in vain, the following generations could never forget what they did for us. We made sure that General Sandino’s struggle was kept alive for many years and that his ideals and purposes in life, protected by God, finally triumphed on July 19, 1979. This also helped General Sandino’s image transcend national borders, becoming a global symbol for the struggles of the people who fight oppression, exploitation and all kinds of internal or external repression.” The nation was shocked to the core by Sandino’s assassination. Wasting no time, the National Guard moved in from its positions around the Sandino camp in Segovia and destroyed its pitifully small armed guard. Güigüili was swiftly emptied of Sandino’s desolate followers. Would-be dictator and money-loving businessman, Anastasio “Tacho” Somoza García was also ruthlessly ambitious. He progressed from masterminding Sandino’s assassination – which he undertook, he later claimed, with the explicit backing of the United States – to President of Nicaragua in just three short years.

CINCO DÉCADAS

SOMOZA, CUBANS & THE MAKINGS OF AN INDUSTRY It was to mark the beginning of a family dynasty that would rule Nicaragua through fear, corruption and murder for the next four decades and ultimately lead to a cataclysmic uprising. But for now, Tacho was dedicated to shoring up his power base. After a decade of his rule, he stepped down to make way for a nominal other without, in reality, relinquishing his grip on power. By then, the Somozas were thoroughly entrenched in Nicaraguan business, politics and everyday life. Where some saw opportunity for Nicaragua – the Somozas saw profit. Tacho was shot and killed by the poet Rigoberto López Pérez in 1956 in a shocking but familiar twist of history. But by then Somoza had already fulfilled much of his burning ambition; his dynasty controlled everything. His son and eventual heir, Anastasio Somoza Debayle, had learned his father’s lessons well and got busy making a personal fortune. In the early 1960s, the opportunity to grow premium cigar tobacco came to Nicaragua. A ruthless man he may have been; but Somoza also happened to have a good head for business. He began to assess this potentially lucrative new source of income, taking note of an outpouring of tobacco talent from Cuba after Castro’s revolution. Somoza, with the support of a speciallycreated Government initiative known as INFONAC, began a series of trials to explore Nicaragua’s suitability for growing high-grade cigar tobacco. It is ironic – and also wholly Nicaraguan – that something begun by a despot looking to line his own

HISTORY OF TOBACCO IN NICARAGUA

1956

1963

1966

pockets has, in time, been turned into something which benefits thousands of working families. Somoza’s timing was propitious – Fidel Castro’s Cuban revolution had seen thousands of hectares of rich Cuban farmland seized by the Government and their dissenting owners forced from their farms and, ultimately, from the island. Nicaragua was waiting for them.

“I was only young when we moved here, but my father was one of the first to grow wrapper leaf,” says Nestor Plascencia. In time, he would take over his father’s business and make it into one of the world’s biggest tobacco growers. His son, Nestor Jr, is preparing to do the same. “INFONAC helped a lot at first,” says Plascencia Sr. “The Government was closely involved. And the best tobacco growing areas were picked. That was the very start of the industry.” “I’ve been working in Nicaraguan cigar tobacco since the very beginning,” says Franklin López, whose neat desk in a Managua suburb gives no clue that the company that he is part of – ASP – is the largest grower of cigar wrapper leaf in the world. “The idea to grow it was first pitched to Somoza in 1961,” he says. “Somoza even persuaded the Inter-American Development Bank to put up money to explore the idea. I believe the sum was something like $5 million to help develop the programme. Once he had the funds, he began tests all over Nicaragua.”

These painstaking trials – determining quality of soil, precipitation, hours of sunlight, average wind speeds and more – were undertaken to determine Nicaragua’s potential tobacco hotspots and, more specifically, those regions where good tobacco could reliably be cultivated, year upon year.

1966, tobacco was grown – but none was sold. Estelí, Condega and Jalapa emerged as the places where seedlings flourished and unlike in Cuba, where tobacco from different regions tastes largely similar, these regions produced tobacco of very high quality - but remarkably different characteristics.

“The bank recommended Cuban specialists to come and work with the programme,” continues Señor López, sipping from a small cup of strong, inkyblack Nicaraguan coffee. “A group of young agricultural engineers – of which I was one – was formed to assess the different areas and that’s basically how it all started. 1963 was the year of our first harvest.”

“Estelí has a largely clay subsoil,” explains Don Leonel Raudez, Joya de Nicaragua’s General Manager. “The tobacco here has a sweet, earthy flavour with an underlying spice. Condega has more sandy soil and gives great burn without disrupting flavour. Jalapa is also sandy, but is wetter. Tobacco grown here is soft and sweet and again, burns very well. And Ometepe soil is highly volcanic, so it is very rich in nutrients. It burns well with lovely, soft notes to the tobacco.”

The crop trials showed what Sandino had known all those years earlier – Nicaragua was perfect for growing rich, flavourful tobacco to rival anything in the world. Somoza was delighted with the results. He drew a trusted cadre of Cuban advisors to his inner circle and began quietly buying prime farms under the family name. Planting on a commercial level began, with seeds shipped in from the US. From 1962 to

Around this time, a pair of intrepid Cubans were – separate to Somoza’s operation beginning their own foray in Nicaraguan tobacco. They used seeds they had smuggled out of Cuba and the success of their tobacco would lead them to build Nicaragua’s first cigar factory. That same success would also eventually bring them CINCO DÉCADAS

1972

1979

to the attention of a certain Anastasio Somoza Debayle – but more of that later. Once the early trials had established which areas in Nicaragua showed the best potential for growing premium tobacco and the Cuban overseers had begun to pass on some of their undoubted knowledge, truly great cigar tobacco began to emerge. Many claim this ‘virgin’ tobacco – the first

years, the country had one of the world’s finest premium cigar operations, with cigars from its leading manufacturer – the Nicaragua Cigar Company, which would eventually become Joya de Nicaragua – particularly sought after. In the US, Joya quickly established a lucrative market. American cigar lovers had been starved of Cuban cigars by John F. Kennedy’s notorious embargo (famously signed only after getting JD Salinger to buy him 1,200 of his favourite Cuban H Upmann Petit Coronas). And they found the rich, smooth Joya de Nicaragua cigar made by the Nicaragua Cigar Company – for that was originally the name of a popular cigar before it became the name of the company – became a US favourite. But Nicaragua’s road never runs smooth. A colossal earthquake of 1972 brought the country to a shuddering standstill. While the quake was centred on Managua – 80% of the glorious old capital was destroyed and had to be completely rebuilt thereafter – the rest of the country also suffered as resources were channelled first into emergency assistance and later into

of its kind grown in the country - was even superior to its Cuban competition of the time.

“Phenomenal cigars,” reminisces Señor López. “They were something truly special. They were bold but incredibly flavourful and people loved them.” Seeing how well the tobacco was being received, the Government increased incentives to entice more growers and makers to Nicaragua. In a few short

HISTORY OF TOBACCO IN NICARAGUA

reconstruction. And when the Somoza dynasty was finally toppled during the tumultuous 1979 Sandinista revolution - at huge human and economic cost - tobacco was understandably a long way down the list of priorities.

In less than a decade, the Nicaraguan cigar industry had been born; had blossomed; and its future was now uncertain. The ’79 insurrection destroyed the whole tobacco area,” confirms Sénor López. “Production pretty much ceased. The farms and factories were repatriated and I was employed by INFONAC (Instituto de Fomento Nacional) to try and help reorganise a devastated industry. We realised that businesses generating income were vital to the survival of the economy. I was sent to inspect the whole country’s production. And one of the places I visited was Joya de Nicaragua.”

NICARAGUA’S CIVIL WAR

1980

1984

If Nicaraguans thought they’d seen the end to bloodshed now that Somoza had fled in exile, they were wrong. No sooner had the FSLN taken over power and began to try and tackle the myriad major issues left after the struggle to topple Somoza, they almost immediately they began a battle on another front.

The Contra War killed thousands more Nicaraguans, pushed the country into closer ties with Soviet countries and saw a US blockade which would cripple its economy. Somoza, while not necessarily loved, was accepted by the US Government. When he was overthrown by Sandinista rebels and the US Presidency of Ronald Reagan replaced that of Jimmy Carter, attitudes toward Nicaragua changed. An anti-Sandinista movement – or Contrarevolución – consisting of Somoza loyalists and former National Guardsmen, was already building on the Honduran border. The US began lending covert support in the form of men, equipment and troops. Military escalation inevitably followed, with the CIA backing of Contra troops eventually leading to obligatory Nicaraguan military service. Hopes of laying down revolutionary arms were dashed. Families watched their sons go back to war. Incredibly, the Sandinistas still made remarkable strides in redressing the balance from the days of Somoza during these years. In 1984, the first fair and free elections in four decades were held and FSLN leader, Daniel Ortega was voted in as President. He famously handed vast

Photo taken in 1982 at the State Production Unit, “La Mía”, a former property of the dictator Anastasio Somoza. At the time, it was common for the productive activity to be accompanied by the rifle.

acreages of land back to the people, with a certificate of authenticity – and a rifle to defend it with. Businesses, including the Nicaragua Cigar Company, were nationalised. But reconstructing a country while fighting a war on a second front proved impossible. Ordinary Nicaraguans continued to pay the price. As an historic decade drew to a close, Nicaragua was still caught in the grip of claim and counter claim, loss, violence and bloodshed.

The country’s industries – including the relatively young tobacco one – hung in the balance.

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ELECTIONS AND THE CIGAR BOOM

Violeta Barrios de Chamorro won the presidential elections in 1990, becoming the first woman president in Latin America.

President Ortega, leader of the ruling Sandinista party, announced elections in early 1990. It was largely thought a formality that the FSLN would win a comfortable continuation of power.

Violeta Chamorro proved everyone wrong. The wife of Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal, who’s family owned and ran the country’s leading newspaper, La Prensa, Chamorro was well known to Nicaraguans. Her husband, as La Prensa’s Editor, had strongly criticised the Somoza regime and had been detained and harassed for years. In 1978, he was brutally gunned down. Somoza’s henchmen were held responsible and the incident was considered a major catalyst of the eventual Revolution.

Now, Violeta Chamorro was swept to power as leader of a multi-party alliance pledged to bring an end to the war. She was the first female head of state in the Americas. In a significant diversion from history, there was a peaceful handover of power. And over six difficult years, Chamorro abolished military subscription, reduced the size of the army and built bridges with the new US President, George H.W. Bush. Workers were given the opportunity to buy nationalized businesses; there was an amnesty for political crimes and a huge weapon buy-back campaign began. These weapons of war were eventually buried

HISTORY OF TOBACCO IN NICARAGUA

under concrete at the Plaza de la Paz (Peace Square) in Managua.

Nicaragua, while still cripplingly poor, could breathe again. Families turned back to everyday lives and businesses were able to concentrate on commerce. For the cigar industry, luck was about to turn. It was the time of the Cigar Boom.

1990

The advent of American magazine Cigar Aficionado brought pizazz and glamour to what had always been a somewhat traditional male-dominated cigar market. Soon, investors were spending their money on Nicaraguan tobacco and infrastructure, buying up farms and building new factories. A perfect storm was presenting itself. The US was – and is - the world’s largest cigar market. Back then, it was still subject to Kennedy’s Cuban embargo and was subsequently starved of premium grade tobacco. The clamour for new, exciting cigars grew to fever pitch and Nicaragua offered a panacea. In a short time, so many cigars were being made and sold that Estelí began to grow short of good tobacco. Prices went through the roof. Here was Estelí’s very own ‘gold rush.’

“Everyone was running around trying to find cigar tobacco – any cigar tobacco,” reminisces Jonathan Drew, who at the time was in the infancy of his Drew Estate project which would later come to redraw the US cigar scene. The iconic Jack Nicholson Cigar Aficionado cover circa 1995.

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OUR HISTORY 62

First picture of the factory production floor circa 1969.

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OUR FOUNDERS

Simón Camacho, Co-founder of Nicaragua Cigar Co. enjoying a cigar in his office at the factory in 1976.

If Nicaragua had poster boys for its cigar industry pioneers, Simon Camacho and Juan Francisco Bermejo would be first among them. The pair fled their native Cuba like so many others, disillusioned with Castro’s revolution and fearful of retribution if they stayed. They sought opportunities in other lands and Camacho and Bermejo started by planting cigar tobacco seed in Honduras. Later they slipped across the border - into Nicaragua’s northern territories, where the tobacco was to prove magical.

OUR HISTORY

Their advance wasn’t just based on guesswork and crossed fingers. Feasibility work started by Somoza had already proved that the fertile fields in Estelí, Condega and Jalapa carried all the necessary nutrients that fine tobacco needed. It is said that it was Bermejo himself who smuggled enough tobacco seeds for thousands of plants when he left Cuba. So, when they arrived in Nicaragua, the Cubans had all the raw material they required. They had access to fields rich with deep, volcanic soil; they agreed to pay workers to help them grow and harvest. And they found facilities in Central Estelí where they could process the tobacco when it was collected from the curing barns. These were the first days of the Nicaragua Cigar Company, as Joya de Nicaragua was originally called.

“The Nicaragua Cigar Company was successful quickly,” says Franklin López of tobacco growers, ASP. “The tobacco was excellent. And the product got a name for itself very fast.”

1968

Factory Co-founder, Juan Francisco Bermejo (right) next to German journalist in the mid 90’s.

In business as in life, timing is everything. In the early 1960s, the Americans imposed their trade embargo on Cuba. As we’ve already learned, the stogy-loving American market could no longer get their hands on their beloved cigars from Cuba and Nicaraguan cigars came on the scene at just the right time to offer the perfect alternative. “In the mid 1970s, the Joya de Nicaragua factory employed upwards of 600 workers – the most it’s ever had,” says Dr. Alejandro Martínez Cuenca, who as Joya’s current owner has spent years researching the company’s history, searching out documents and instigating discussions with key players to tease out the truth from Joya de Nicaragua’s complicated past.

“Those workers were able to roll an incredible nine million cigars a year back then,” he says. “As a comparison, we have around 330 workers at the factory today and we make around five million cigars a year. It shows how big things had gotten. Business was booming and the Nicaraguan Cigar Company was being recognised as the maker of some of the world’s finest cigars.”

Success of this magnitude wasn’t going to escape the attention of the ruling Somoza family for very long. Somoza Debayle was keen to cash in on the opportunities tobacco provided in Nicaragua - and was known to own farms in Estelí and Jalapa which were already producing viable crops. Now came his chance to own a factory.

CINCO DÉCADAS

JOYA AT THE WHITE HOUSE

On June 2nd, 1971 at 7:30 PM at the Treaty Room of the White House, President Richard Nixon hosted Nicaraguaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s President Anastasio Somoza. 66

OUR HISTORY

1971

“Somoza, just like Richard Nixon was a Westpoint Alumni,” explains Dr. Cuenca, “And the two were old friends. Nixon invited President Somoza to a private dinner at the White House on June 2, 1971. As it happens, my future fatherin-law was one of Somoza’s right hand men back then. He was with him that night when he went to the White House. And he told me exactly what happened.” A picture was taken of Somoza and Nixon that night. The pair of Presidents, dressed in tuxedos, looked relaxed in each other’s company, laughing and smiling at the camera. They enjoyed a leisurely supper and then, as was the custom, they retired to the Green Room where the traditional Cognac and cigars were served. Nixon was an occasional cigar smoker and his was the last Presidency in which cigars were offered to the men after dining. As is polite, Nixon offered Somoza a box of cigars to choose from. As the dictator reached to select one, he paused, hand hovering over the box. He was amazed to see that the cigars snugly packed into the full box all displayed bands from the Nicaragua Cigar Company. Seeing Somoza’s surprise, Nixon reassured him that the cigars were the best money could buy - and that they had been, for some time, the official cigar offered to guests at The White House.

Somoza obviously enjoyed the Joya de Nicaragua he picked out of that box – because as soon as he was alone with his aide – Dr. Cuenca’s future father in law - he quizzed him about the mystery cigar factory which was providing cigars to the President of the United States. Somoza was not used to being caught unawares. Nor did he like not knowing everything of political or commercial interest in his country. Upon his return to Managua, he asked for all the files relating to the Nicaragua Cigar Company to be brought before him. And he studied them at length. Eventually, he sent for Camacho and Bermejo. “If the President called for you, you went,” says Dr. Cuenca. “Apparently a military jeep arrived at the factory, told Camacho and Bermejo they were wanted in Managua and instructed them to bring all papers to do with the business with them. We can only imagine what was going on in their minds as they began the long journey from Estelí to Managua.” Exactly what was said at this meeting was never officially recorded. But we do know that Camacho and Bermejo had been given a substantial loan by the Government to help start their business and had yet to pay it back. Using this loan as barely disguised blackmail, Somoza ‘persuaded’ the pair to part with large chunks of their shares in the business. Within weeks, he was striding around the Joya De Nicaragua factory, taking stock and bringing in his own Cuban business partners to keep an eye on things. Somoza’s interest didn’t end there. Over the coming months, he grew more than pleased with what he had seen and heard (and more importantly, by the profits he’d made) when it came to the Nicaragua Cigar Company. In due course, he acquired all of Camacho and Bermejo’s shares in the business, leaving them, yet again, forced

to move on and start anew elsewhere. Their resilience and perseverance showed and both went on to make their mark in the cigar market in other ways. Camacho launched a Honduran brand of cigars which is still in the market today, now owned by Davidoff. Bermejo was a respected tobacco grower and cigar maker in several countries. Somoza now had free rein at Nicaragua Cigar Company. With his backing, contacts, undisputed business acumen – not to mention his hazy understanding of ethics – the company quickly went from strength to strength. Production soared and staff members – some of whom still work in the factory to this very day – remember Somoza visiting, giving them pep talks, handing out lapel pins at election time - and checking to make sure every last one of them voted for him. It was good to be Somoza’s friend; not at all good to become his enemy. He was brutal with dissidents – a ‘zoo’ was reputedly built at his Managua home where political enemies were incarcerated directly alongside hungry big cats. The insinuation was not subtle. Understandably then, the workers at Joya de Nicaragua weren’t especially keen on their new boss. But practicalities – something which every Nicaraguan has become very well versed in - meant their jobs were crucial to the wellbeing of their families. “At least we had a job,” shrugs Doña Martha González, who at that time was one of the company’s first rollers. She’s now Joya de Nicaragua’s Head of Human Resources and well remembers keeping a low profile when Somoza came to the factory and used the time to give speeches, slap backs and ensure a bastion of support was behind him.

CINCO DÉCADAS

THE RISE OF JOYA

Factory workers showing their support to President Anastasio Somoza outside the then Nicaragua Cigar Co.

“One time they handed out lapel badges with the President’s face on it and drove us all the way to Managua to take part in a big rally,” She laughs. “I quite enjoyed it. I remember all we did one day was sit under a tree all afternoon eating mangoes!” Somoza’s methods were blunt but effective and his shrewdness is illustrated by his next move. With so many business interests – not to mention the small matter of running the country – he simply didn’t have time to keep flying to Estelí to check on his cigar factory investment. So, he

OUR HISTORY

installed his own man at the top instead. His name was Onel Pérez and he was a brilliant young businessman, earmarked by Somoza and handpicked to boost the business of Joya de Nicaragua. He still lives and works in Managua - and this is the first time anyone has spoken to him about those years.

“The first thing I should say is that I knew nothing about cigars!” he says, laughing. He’s a small, unassuming man with a mane of greying hair. “One morning I got a phone call from the President telling me that at 3 pm a plane would be flying me from Managua to Estelí,” he says. “So, I went down that

afternoon and got on the plane. It was only a tiny one and I was very scared, I wasn’t used to flying. We landed in Estelí and I was driven straight to the Nicaraguan Cigar Company. That was the first time I’d ever been in a cigar factory. And the President was there to meet me.” Señor Pérez – now Executive Director of a Nicaraguan beef export agency – was introduced to the workers at the factory and given a tour of the facilities. “Somoza told me, ‘It’s a business of emotions.’ And my only experience back then was in beef! I knew nothing about cigars, had never smoked one. But two or three days after first having a look around, I was back in Estelí and working fulltime at the factory. I had a new job.” To do that job properly, Señor Pérez first had to learn the cigar business. Fast.

1978

Simón Camacho taking off in his SUV at the original Nicaragua Cigar Co. factory in the center of Estelí, in the early 1970’s.

“So, I got around to smoking that first cigar,” he says. “I’m not exaggerating when I say it made me ill for two weeks!” he now laughs. “But I persevered, tried again a few weeks later and enjoyed it. I began to distinguish flavours and understand the different tobaccos. I got someone to buy in some Cuban cigars and I dissected them to find out how they were made. I was determined that we would make only the best - and first I had to understand what the best was.”

“Señor Pérez gave us raises, and we started getting sick pay and holiday allowances,” says ‘Panchita’ González, then a young girl just starting out as a cigar roller. “We all got on well with him. He was a good man.”

Señor Pérez’ studies led him to the conclusion that while tobacco could not be compromised in the search for the best - it was people that were at the heart of making great cigars.

“When I arrived, the sales figures were less than a million dollars a year. When I left, they had risen to $15,000,000,” he reflects proudly. “That wasn’t all down to me of course, but

So, much to the surprise of the staff, he began an overhaul of factory worker’s pay and conditions. Even though Somoza was still in charge, things began to look up for Joya de Nicaragua’s workers.

Onel Pérez worked at the factory for a few short years before being called to his next presidential assignment back in Managua. But his ideas, work ethic and humanity are still remembered by the workers who were there.

it shows the progress we made. The Nicaraguan Cigar Company really made its mark on the cigar world.” So successful were the Nicaragua Cigar Company cigars that soon workers were cramped for space and tobacco storage was overflowing. By 1978, new premises were needed.

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“We moved over the weekend, so there was no disruption to production,” recalls Martha Gutiérrez who was a cigar roller at the time. “The area that the new factory was built in wasn’t as safe as it is now, but the factory itself was really nice. There was so much room that one of the partners would arrive by helicopter.” The new premises were built on an Estate owned lot, then on the outskirts of town. Up until then, the workers had played baseball there. Now – and for the next 40 years and beyond – it would become the home of the most Nicaraguan cigar. But the new factory couldn’t escape the reality the country faced. As the Revolution against Somoza gathered pace, Sandinista Revolutionaries approached the factory one day– and set fire to it. “We were all inside, working as normal,” says Alberto Martínez, who was in the factory at the time.

“The Sandinistas set fire to it as a warning to Somoza. We were trying to salvage what we could, dragging out tables and chairs and the like. And the next day, we came back, set up where we could in the parts of the factory which were undamaged - and continued making cigars.” Doña Martha recalls: “As the factory was being rebuilt after the fire, we were all working on top of each other in the bottom floor. The top floor had been weakened by fire.”

OUR HISTORY

The scene at the production floor in the late 1980’s.

On another occasion, Somoza-loyal planes returning to base dropped bombs on the factory as they passed overhead, believing Sandinistas were using it as a base. Somoza was so keen to retain power that he bombed his own factory. Fortunately, the damage was minor. When Somoza finally fell, the factory, like other businesses, was nationalised and the tobacco industry was thrown together as one entity. This required close collaboration with other factories and was a desperate time for all. While the workers of the Nicaragua Cigar Company knew how to make cigars – they didn’t know a lot about selling them. The US embargo kicked in, cigars piled up, wages failed, Contra hostilities were soon in full swing. And to add to all this, Somoza had taken with him key documents relating to the trademark of the Joya de Nicaragua cigar in the United States. He sold them to the highest bidder and to add insult to injury, a sub-standard cigar made in Honduras – but carrying the Joya de Nicaragua name – was soon being sold in the US in small quantities.

After the end of the revolution, and the end of the communist regime the chance to buy the business was offered to the senior cadre of workers as part of nationwide reparations – but they possessed little business acumen, and no finance to keep it alive. They were, by now, barely scraping together a living, relying on hand-outs and goodwill from friends and neighbours to keep food on their tables and roofs over their head. They continued to make cigars. Initially, as a member of the Government whose duty it was to encourage overseas trade, and then as a guiding hand to the senior cadre of Joya employees, Dr. Cuenca got to know the factory over time, the art of cigars and not least, the people. With Dr. Cuenca’s support, they attempted to woo buyers from around the world, promising fantastic cigars and a hardworking and loyal team. Not many big names were willing to make the trip to an impoverished and war-torn Nicaragua in those days. One big name did, sending several executives over on a fact-finding mission. They were picked up at the airport and driven towards Estelí.

1994

But when they met a roadblock of burning tires and men wielding Kalashnikovs, they ordered the vehicles around, went back to the airport and left on the next plane. The Nicaraguan Cigar Company was no longer a hot property.

The Nicaragua Cigar Company became Tabacos Puros de Nicaragua in 1994. And one of the first things Dr. Cuenca sought back was the rights to the name Joya de Nicaragua .

The senior cadre began making lengthy trips to visit his office in Managua, each time pleading with him to take the business on, to help them keep the factory alive. They pledged their allegiance to their beloved company. And eventually, after securing finance from business colleagues in Spain, Dr. Cuenca finally agreed to an initial 12-month trial rental of the business. He committed to making up the six months back pay the workers were due, and also committed to making no early redundancies. In return, the workers committed to making the best cigars they knew how - and to work to bring prosperity back.

“I knew we needed both that cigar and that name,” he says, simply. It was what the company was all about and what it was known for the world over. The process was long and painful and I went nowhere for a long time, but I worked through what papers we had left and tracked what had happened,” he says.

“Somoza had taken everything of value he could when he left. And he eventually sold the trademark for Joya de Nicaragua in the United States. By the time I tracked it down, it had changed hands again through buy-outs and subsidiary companies. And it took me a long time to reach the man at the top. But to cut a long story short, we did meet, over lunch, in Madrid. Theo Folz, owner of Tabacalera Española was one of the shrewdest men I’ve ever met and I knew I was in a meeting that could change everything. We talked very civilly, had lunch, discussed the issue and the cigar business in general.

“And at the end of the lunch, I agreed to buy back the name Joya de Nicaragua for one million dollars.” CINCO DÉCADAS

THE DEAN JONES STORY

If you’re lucky enough to visit the Joya de Nicaragua factory in Estelí, ask if you can see the special box of Clásicos. It’s special because it’s the oldest box of Clásicos in the factory. And there’s a great story behind it. If you’re really lucky, Dr. Alejandro Cuenca will be in the building – and if you’re really, really lucky, he might have enough time on his hands to tell you the story. In which case, sit back and take note of every word. This is a piece of history, told by a master storyteller.

In 2008, Dr. Cuenca was told that a lady in the United States had an old, unopened box of Joya de Nicaragua cigars she wanted to hand back to the factory. A background check on her name revealed she was the wife of Hollywood actor Dean Jones, the darling of Walt Disney family films of the 70s and 80s. His interest piqued, Dr. Cuenca asked staff to find out what exactly was in the lady’s possession – and how much money she wanted. The reply swiftly came back. “She doesn’t want any money.” She sent pictures of a sealed, unopened box of Clásicos, which had been given as a present to her husband by Norman Tokar, Director of the movie Snowball Express in 1972. The cigar box had been kept, untouched, in Dean Jones’ library ever since. 72

OUR HISTORY

2009

Dr. Cuenca was delighted the lady wanted cigars to be reunited with their maker – but he held little hope they would be in any sort of smokeable condition after the passage of so many un-humidified years. Even so, he made instructions for a $1,000 cheque to be issued to thank her for her efforts in tracking them down and asking her to get Dean Jones to sign a certificate of authenticity as to the provenance of the box. Both were duly collected in Miami later that year.

All went well and the box was eventually brought to back to the factory in 2009. Dr. Cuenca invited Leonel Raudez, the factory General Manager, Mario Pérez, the Sales Director of the factory and Alberto Martínez, longserving Head of Production. Leonel was convinced the cigars inside the cellophane wrapping would be ruined after their 38-year sleep. So convinced was he, he wagered $100 on it. Dr. Cuenca took the bet. Slowly and reverentially, he slipped off the cellophane that wrapped the precious sticks. It was yellow with age and oil. Do you remember how you felt as a child on Christmas morning, opening your first present, heart leaping in excitement at what might lie inside? This was four grown men in that Estelí factory in 2009. The clasp on the box was unclipped and, slowly, like the prising open of an ancient sarcophagus, the lid was lifted.

There sat a row of Clásico cigars, untouched by time since they had been rolled, their Joya de Nicaragua bands proudly stating their heritage. Dr. Cuenca picked and lit one at random. It burned slowly, sharply, with a taste so rich and delicate that he passed it onto Leonel without a word and watched his expression. Leonel’s eyes, upon taking a puff, said all that needed saying. One by one, this team of Joya veterans softly smoked the totemic cigar, subdued in their own thoughts. It continued to burn perfectly, with a clean, white ash and while they were commenting on this, Alberto suddenly turned away, hiding his face. They asked him what was wrong. When he turned back, tears were streaming down his cheeks. “While you were smoking, I went back to the table to look again at the box,” he said.

“I discovered a number on the bottom of it and worked it out. Do you remember that back then we had a number assigned to each roller so that we could track who rolled what?” The room agreed.

“The number on the box was one given to me 38 years ago. I rolled this cigar in 1971.” If you’re lucky enough to hear this story in the Joya de Nicaragua factory in Estelí, you’ll feel a prickle of the history of the place at this point, alongside the humid air and the smell of aging pilones of tobacco. If you’re lucky enough to have Dr. Cuenca tell you the story, his eyes will be shining feverishly now, an amazed smile on his face. If you’re really, really lucky, he will bring out that box and show it proudly to you, revealing just one gap in the sleeping Clasicos, where one of their brethren made Alberto cry. And Dr. Cuenca may well tell you that Leonel still owes him that $100. CINCO DÉCADAS

1994

OUR HISTORY

2004

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OUR HISTORY

2018

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JOYA DE NICARAGUA THROUGH THE STORIES OF OUR PEOPLE, THE PILLARS AND BACKBONE OF WHO WE ARE

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FRANCISCA GONZÁLEZ LA PANCHITA

Francisca González is the matriarch of Joya de Nicaragua. When she speaks of the company, she puts a hand on her heart.

“My life,” she says, simply. “This place is my life. These people are my family.” This bond, this emotional glue, binds Joya de Nicaragua, its cigars and its workers. For 50 years, Francisca – known affectionately to all as Panchita – has worked among the bales and leaves of tobacco. “I was just a girl and my family needed money,” she says. “My sister told me there was a job here. I started work in the deveining area.” It remains the only job she’s ever had; through boom and bust, war and peace. “I had to learn fast, but I did well and I was promoted through the different areas,” she says. “I loved it. It was hard, my superiors were demanding. But it was interesting work. And I made a lot of friends. It felt like home.” Along with several other members of the core Joya de Nicaragua cadre, Panchita has witnessed first-hand her country’s troubles. She remembers being stopped by armed guards on the way to work; seeing bodies in the street; watching planes drop bombs on her city. One lunchtime a rebel gunman opened fire while she queued in the bank.

She speaks of these things as if they were just part of everyday life back then. In true Nicaraguan style, she has never forgotten - but accepted, moved on. Her focus has always been towards a brighter future. Even when there was no money in the company coffers to pay her, she continued to turn up to work. Once, a sales rep from Spain came over to visit the factory. It was a difficult time and there was no-one available to host. So Panchita had the guest stay at her house for a few days. “My home is very humble,” she says, “but there was no-one else to look after her, so she stayed with me.” For years, Panchita learned the ins and outs of working with tobacco. Now that she’s Head of Quality Control, she casts an eagle eye over the entire cigar making process from beginning to end and her knowledge is indispensable to Joya de Nicaragua. Other factories, desperate to capture her years of experience and dedication to perfection, have repeatedly tried to entice her away. But Panchita is not for moving. “Why would I want to go anywhere else?” she frowns. “I never thought about moving. I’m still learning something here every day. When you make cigars, every little detail has a place and a time and you need to get it right. Putting on the ring, the packaging, the stickers – it’s very detailed work. You have to concentrate to get it all done.”

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A little lady with a warm smile, Panchita still gets up at 4.30am each day to tend to her two grandchildren – she’s a mother of three and has no less than nine grandchildren in total. She leaves her house at 6.20am to walk to the bus and won’t be back home for another 12 hours. By 7am she is at the factory, drawing up her work plan for the day. And this is Panchita taking it easy; she used to walk an hour and a half to and from work. When talk gets round to retirement, there is sadness in her eyes. “I won’t be here that much longer,” she says. “Maybe a couple more years. I’ll miss it.”

“Hey Alex,” she calls out, “Remember when your Dad danced the Macarena?” and she laughs out loud, shaking her head at the memory of the boss strutting his stuff at the office party. With that, she’s off back to resume her quality control; back to the leaves of tobacco; back to her factory; back to her Joya family.

How will she fill her time in retirement after a lifetime’s dedication to this old factory and its people? “I’ll stay at home,” she says, simply. “I’ll rest. The young people here are very smart. They’ll use the knowledge they’ve learned. The company is strong.” And in typical Nicaraguan style, melancholy switches to humour in an instant. Panchita catches sight of Alejandro Martínez, eldest son of Dr. Cuenca, and her face lights up. 82

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ALBERTO MARTÍNEZ He’s a bear of a man. Hands waving, cigar smoke trailing, he talks in machine gun Spanish, anxious that every point is understood. As a warm breeze drifts in through the open window of his office just off the rolling gallery, Alberto Martínez recalls – with exacting detail – the years of his life. His thick fingers are gnarled, his hands and arms pockmarked with pinched scars from healed grenade and shrapnel wounds. At one time, as a highly respected Sandinista military figure, he led a team of troops through towns in Northern Nicaragua, systematically liberating them one by one. But Alberto is no warmonger. He has constructed a life of peace here in Estelí – particularly here at Joya de Nicaragua. His dominion, as Head of the Production Floor, is the rolling gallery and tobacco rooms. And he has been here for 46 years. “I went straight into bonchero training,” he booms, selecting another cigar from a fan of multi-colour-wrapped options sitting in his ashtray.

OUR PEOPLE

He was a long-haired, denim-jacketed 13-year-old when he literally knocked on the factory door back then and asked for work. At the time, Cubans effectively ran the factory on behalf of General Somoza, yet despite his appearance, Alberto somehow convinced them to give him a job. He chuckles at the thought of it; and thinks to this day that the lady who interviewed him had mistakenly thought his name was Cuban. He was invited inside.

“They taught me everything, from the ground up. And I was lucky. One of my jobs was to take the senior workers their coffee at 11.30am. They’d let me stay there and have some with them,” he says. “I learned a lot and got noticed.”

It’s hard not to notice Alberto. He was working for Joya de Nicaragua when the factory was moved from its central Estelí location to its current position a little further out. And he remembers General Somoza coming to give a speech, handing out to each worker a mirror, a comb and a lapel pin with his face on it. They were then made to parade from the factory to the polls to vote for him. Unsurprisingly, Alberto became, many of his peers, a revolutionary.

Since those days there have been a few additions to the Joya de Nicaragua family. Alberto’s daughter, three brothers and a nephew all now work in varying roles at the factory. It’s truly a family affair. He shows no signs of slowing down – his phone rings constantly and a stream of young workers enter his office to show him papers, use the safe, ask his advice – but Alberto is now 58.

“You could leave the country or fight,” he says, with a shrug. “After the fighting, I could have continued as a soldier, but I’d seen enough. I wanted to return to Joya de Nicaragua.” Occasional military forays would continue over the years - Alberto recalls the contra days, when there was a bunker built at the back of the factory that workers could run to when bombers were overhead - and he trained for a while in Cuba. But ultimately, a military life was not for him. His focus – his passion – had become once again his beloved cigar factory. Alberto recalls the desperate trips to Managua that the senior factory workers made as they tried to persuade Dr. Cuenca to buy the company in the early 1990s. “I remember we had very little to eat,” he says. “Times were hard. Once, we brought a little cake with us. We rented a car, drove up to Managua and sat down somewhere on the grass to divide it up between six of us. That was our lunch. But we kept going back, week after week.” Whatever they ate, it worked. Dr. Cuenca agreed to buy the factory and as part of the deal, he promised no-one would be unnecessarily fired for five years. For their part, the workers pledged to use their skills to the best of their ability for the same period of time. “After five years, we looked around at each other and said ‘Well, we’re still here,’” remembers Alberto. “And we’re still here today.”

OUR PEOPLE

“When Dr. Cuenca bought the place, it was almost ready to colapse,” he says reflectively, standing at the door of his office and looking out into the glorious hubbub of rolling gallery. “We patched it up for so many years. But when I eventually leave, I want this place to be in perfect condition, ready for the next 50 years. That will be my contribution.” And then he spots something awry and with a wave of his hand is off into the maelstrom, head and shoulders above the rollers and bunchers, putting things right. This is what Alberto does.

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Don Chendo is a shy man. He sits, hands clasped on his stomach, in a side room at Joya de Nicaragua. He is beaming. Every time someone walks past the door, they look in, do a double-take and enter to greet him with a hug, kiss or both. Everyone knows Don Chendo. He’s Nicaragua’s first bonchero.

“That’s what they call me,” he says, eyes twinkling, moustache bristling. “I was the first bonchero (buncher) here – and the first in the Nicaraguan cigar business.” There are pictures of a young Don Chendo, working away in the rolling gallery upstairs. There was a time when he sat apart from other workers and rolled cigars specifically for President Somoza.

Now he’s 75, he retired a few years back. He returned to the factory today as a special request, to talk about old times and how things used to be. But then he’s back pretty often anyway, stealing more kisses and swapping stories with the people who’ve shared his life. “All my youth was left right here,” he sighs with a smile. “This is my home.” These days, he lives a quiet life – reading the bible, watching international newscasts and enjoying an occasional cigar on the porch. “It can get a bit quiet when compared to what it was like here,” says Don Chendo. “When I started, I learned fast and moved through the different stages quickly, beginning with small cigars and moving on to the bigger ones. I was told, over and over again, to focus on quality. It’s a hard job to get right. But this factory has always insisted on the best – the very best – every time.”

DON CHENDO

ROSENDO GONZÁLEZ CINCO DÉCADAS

OUR PEOPLE

Back in the day, Don Chendo – along with his rolling partner – would work exactly as the rollers still do. Around the cigar industry changes abound, but the basic process remains the same. “I was a bonchero all 36 years of my career,” says Don Chendo. “I always got along with people, which helps. At one stage, when times were hard and we couldn’t sell our cigars, one of the factory managers told me we had two more months to go - and then we would have to close. “None of us wanted to go anywhere. We fought tooth and nail so that wouldn’t happen. And when Dr. Cuenca eventually came in, for me, it became the best time in all my years at the factory.” For once, Don Chendo is not cracking a joke. He stares into the distance as he remembers.

“We were all so relieved, because frankly, Dr. Cuenca is a great person. He threw all his work and support behind the people here. And we were able to do the jobs we were good at. Which is why Joya de Nicaragua is doing so well today.” It’s lunchtime now at the factory and old friends continue to stop and welcome Don Chendo with genuine warmth. “And now I’m the only one left of my time,” he says. “It’s nice to come back somewhere that was such a huge part of my life. I know I’m always welcome here.” And Don Chendo will stay a bit longer, hoping to see some more familiar faces. For while Nicaragua’s first bonchero may have hung up his work apron – he’s still very much a part of the family.

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Don Leo tells a story about when – just a few months into the new ownership of the Joya de Nicaragua factory in the ‘90s – he didn’t turn up for work. For days. “I was drunk,” he says, with an impenetrable stare. “I used to drink rum. Too much rum. I was an alcoholic.” “It was not that long after the factory had been bought by its new owner, Dr. Cuenca, and I was under enormous pressure. I just couldn’t face going into work. So, I started to drink. Someone eventually found me and told me Dr. Cuenca wanted to see me. I thought I was about to be fired.” “The next day – with an awful hangover – I rented a car and drove to Managua. I went into Dr. Cuenca’s office, sat down and waited to be told. Then he turned to me and said: ‘Leonel - don’t leave me to do this alone.’”

LEONEL RAUDEZ DON LEO

“He told me we were on this journey together; that he couldn’t do it without me. He said I didn’t need to go into the factory every day if I didn’t want to - that he trusted me. And I felt so ashamed of letting him down that my whole life changed in that moment.” CINCO DÉCADAS

“I haven’t touched a drink since that day.” There is silence in Don Leo’s office as he recounts his story, and no-one speaks for some time after. It’s an emotional moment.

cigars would taste like. But he handed them round and when those gathered around the table lit them up and smoke began to gather under the ceiling, the room fell silent.

More than a quarter of a century later, he’s a teetotaler, Yoga-practising Vegan; quick to smile, a fierce friend and - one suspects - a formidable enemy. And boy, does he know cigar tobacco.

“They were incredibly strong,” Don Leo remembers, shaking his head. “People started sweating, one or two were turning a little pale. I thought I had made them all ill. I didn’t know what I’d done.”

Leonel Raudez is a legend in the Nicaraguan tobacco industry. He’s been working with the leaf since the early 1970s and arrived at Joya de Nicaragua just in time to help lay down foundations for the crazy years of the cigar boom.

He got straight on the phone to Alberto Martínez, Head of Production at the factory.

He tells a great story of the conception of the Antaño 1970 - the very stick that singlehandedly kick-started Joya de Nicaragua’s resurgence in America and the craze for bold, ever-more-powerful cigars. Don Leo had travelled to Miami with a host of blends in his suitcase in an attempt to find something new to appeal to the US market, where sales of Joya de Nicaragua were disappointing. None of the blends he took seemed to tick the right boxes with the tasting panel until, in desperation, Don Leo reached for a bundle of personal cigars the factory had rolled for him before he left. He had no clue what the dark, oily

OUR PEOPLE

“I asked him what on earth he had given me. He said ‘Man, we made those as a joke. We made them to mess you up.’ “Except,” says Don Leo, his face now creased with laughter at the memory, “he used stonger language than that!” Don Leo’s ‘secret’ bomb of a cigar was the one they’d been looking for all along. It was pungently strong – but blended beautifully and that trial blend was to become the Antaño 1970; an homage to the powerful, ligero-laden cigars of Nicaragua’s rich cigar making past. The Antaño became a smash hit that year at the RTDA (the annual cigar manufacturers and retailers gathering in the US) and it went on to garner a cult following among cigar smokers. It remains Joya de Nicaragua’s best-selling cigar in the US to this day.

Just don’t ask Don Leo for the recipe.

“I can’t tell you that,” he says, the smile slipping away from his face. “Many companies have tried to copy it. It’s all natural tobaccos, but other factories don’t follow the rules to create the finished cigar. Because they don’t know how.” This morning following our interview, Don Leo has an appointment to assess growing tobacco on the nearby Joya de Nicaragua farm. When we’ve finished telling stories of tobacco past, he politely excuses himself, climbs aboard his motorbike and roars through the factory gates into the manic Estelí traffic. There, in a cloud of smoke and the rasp of the engine, goes one of the industry’s most respected leaders; a non-drinking, Yogapractising, Vegan tobacco man. And quite possibly the coolest General Manager in the tobacco business.

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The rolling gallery here is an assault on the senses. Music plays, wooden chairs scrape, the shaped chaveta cigar knives cut and the smell of nothing but the finest tobacco is everywhere. Sunshine splashes through the gallery windows onto the pale yellow walls. But it doesn’t outshine Aristo’s smile.

moulds to be gently pressed. After a few minutes, they’ll be ready for the attentions of Chepita - who will envelop them in an oily wrapper and add a cap to finish the cigarmaking process. All the while, Aristo’s deep, growling voice lays a bass note under the overlapping conversations from other rollers and bunchers.

He’s Joya de Niacaragua’s pin-up boy; the baseball cap, flashing teeth and infectious laugh means this bonchero – who’s worked at the factory for 34 years – symbolizes the beating heart of the Joya de Nicaragua engine room. He even leads the factory softball team.

“I’ve only ever worked with four rollers,” he says, in a rare excursion away from the rolling room. Being interviewed is not really his thing, and he’s a little reticent at first, although it doesn’t take long for the real Aristo to shine through.

Aristo sits on the front bench with his roller, Josefa ‘Chepita’ Pérez – as he’s entitled to do as the company’s most senior bonchero. It’ll be unusual if you see him without his trademark big cigar and it’s here that Aristo bunches blends together and places them in specially made wooden

“One of them was my wife. We worked together for 22 years until she left to take care of her mother.”

ARISTO TORRES BRIONES CINCO DÉCADAS

This pairing of ‘real-life’ couples - roller and buncher – is unique to Joya de Nicaragua. And quite apart from the long-term working relationship with his wife, Aristo says his rolling companions over the years have been among his closest confidantes.

“It’s about respect,” he says earnestly. “After my family, Chepita comes next. She’s a person I trust, I can tell her anything. We ask each other’s advice. When I get to the factory, I try to put whatever troubles I may have to one side,” he says, “and focus on the work. I feel much better for it. You shouldn’t keep too much inside.”

Each day Aristo is up at 5.30am and on the road by 6.45am. Between 8.30am and 5.15pm, he and Chepita will make between 350 and 400 cigars of the very highest quality. And at the end of the day, they stack their wooden chairs, tidy their bench and stroll out into the sunshine together - still chatting. During the troubles, Aristo was conscripted and got shot during combat. He was eventually given a medical discharge and returned to Estelí. Like most Nicaraguans, he refuses to dwell on the negative. Instead, he switches the conversation back to his time at the factory - and how he has enjoyed his decades as a cigar-making maestro. “I love this place,” he says. “It’s the best thing that has happened to my life. It lives in my heart. I can’t imagine not working here, I’m not going anywhere, I still feel like a little boy inside. Being old is in your head - I’m in great condition.” And with that, he laughs and his famous smile is finally unleashed; now all at Joya de Nicaragua is just as it should be.

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MARTHA GUTIÉRREZ DOÑA MARTHA

You can’t help but notice Doña Martha’s fingernails. They’re decorated in purple Technicolor; glittering, catching the light in their mini, jewel-encrusted glory. And she’s proud of them, because there was a time she wasn’t allowed long, beautifully painted nails.

“I was always being scolded for having them too long,” she laughs. “If you’re not careful, you can damage the tobacco leaves and make an expensive mistake. So, my bosses were always on at me to cut them short.”

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Doña Martha was once a cigar roller, you see. She doesn’t worry any more about delicate wrappers; she rolled her last cigar in the 1980s. The bubbly, approachable mother of two is now the Joya de Nicaragua Head of Human Resources. “I was one of those who started here at 12 years old,” she says, sitting behind her immaculate desk on the ground floor, below the rolling gallery where it all began for her in 1969. She takes a meticulous approach to her work.

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“I was trained right from the beginning as a roller. I didn’t know what one of those was at the time, but I soon found out. And I started to learn the trade.” Leaf by leaf, cigar by cigar, Doña Martha learned to listen to tobacco. And after working her way to the top of the ladder (or in Joya de Nicaragua’s case, the front of rolling gallery, where the most senior bunchers and rollers work) she rolled her last cigar and headed into the administrative side of the business. “Admin had always appealed to me, to be honest,” says Doña Martha. “I am an organised person. And by that time, I’d seen a lot of the problems and how best to deal with them. I know every face here - I hired most of them. The challenge now is to find new people who will continue what we’ve built.” Doña Martha’s personal trip down memory lane could be made into a movie. There is tragedy and triumph, good guys and bad guys. And every story is somehow connected with Joya de Nicaragua. She recalls the factory being gutted by fire during the war after fierce fighting, staff were initially told they had lost their jobs. But the next day they were back, picking through the wreckage, trying to restore a little order. Soon they were working again out of a small warehouse in the factory’s back lot. She remembers going months without pay.

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“It was seven or eight months at one stage,” she says. “We had someone helping us with basic necessities. I never thought about going for another job, though - I’ve never even left on sick leave! The only times I haven’t been here since 1969 was when I was having my two sons. I haven’t even thought much about retiring.” She keeps busy in her office from morning to early evening. It’s rarely empty, bustling with people, questions and paperwork. “My whole life has been here,” she says simply. “I’m proud at what we’ve managed to do. Everyone has a pension plan now, holidays, sick pay, bonuses. When I started there was none of that; no job security, much harder conditions. We’ve come a long way and I’m proud of all the friends I still work with. Even now, I still come to work looking forward to the day ahead. I have no idea when I’ll stop though. Only God knows that.” She smiles, then there’s another knock at the door and it’s back to business as usual. There are 300 people here she needs to look out for, after all.

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MARIO PÉREZ Mario has a thousand-yard stare. He’s a no-nonsense sort of guy. He also has the voice of an angel, according to his workmates at Joya de Nicaragua. He admits that he was in a band, although he knows he wouldn’t do that for a living. And fatefully, back in the mid 1990’s, he was singing one night in an Estelí bar when Don Leonel Raudez’ sister came over to congratulate him on the rousing rendition of the Eagles’ Hotel California he’d just performed. She also happened to mention there was a job going at Joya de Nicaragua. “I had only been back in Nicaragua a short time,” says Mario. “I was benefited with a student scholarship from the Soviet cooperation Nicaragua received in the 80’s, and I went to study in Moscow. At the age of 17 I narrowly missed being conscripted into the army which was a great thing for my mother who suffered a lot the two years my elder brother served in it.”

“My father came to pick me up from the airport and as he drove me home, I remember looking out of the window at the devastation. I’ll never forget it. I saw my city in poverty. Every family had suffered loss, it was so depressing. I went home to share a room with my younger brothers and wondered if I’d done the right thing to come back at all.”

Mario went away for six long years. And when he came back, Estelí was a very different place.

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They were desperate times. The Government was prepared to introduce desperate measures. To help kickstart the crippled economy, cigarmakers in Estelí were offered the lifeline of a free trade zone, where they would pay no import duties and no income tax.

‘Children of the Revolution’ like Mario would have to make a great effort to put the country back on its feet - for as well as having the rare experience of having studied abroad, he speaks no less than no less than 3 languages: English, Russian and Spanish. The cigar boom had started to gather pace by the time Mario sang Hotel California in the bar that night and a lengthy interview with Dr. Cuenca followed his job application. Soon he was on the Joya de Nicaragua payroll.

investment. We’re proud of that. We’re also proud of the relationships we’ve forged with distributors around the world. That’s one of our key strengths. We help them in whatever way we can – they’re the ones that know their markets best.”

“It was a special time to get into cigars,” he says. “The market was very demanding. People started investing. Banks were giving money to plant tobacco. Dr. Cuenca wanted to hire someone who could come in on the sales side and be in daily contact with our clients around the world. He knew that was crucial.”

And he’s learned about cigars along the way too.

When the boom was finally brought to a close coinciding with the devastation of Hurricane Mitch in 1998, this hard work building relationships overseas would be decisive to overcome the crisis. From the old days of faxing and phoning foreign distributors to dropping them an email or chatting face to face online today, Mario has worked tirelessly to create a network that is the envy of other cigar brands. It means that Joya de Nicaragua is a well-known cigar maker in USA, Germany, Holland and many more. “Our goal has always been to retain that global reach,” says Mario, now Commercial Manager of Joya de Nicaragua. “We are very different. For a start, we are a truly Nicaraguan company without any foreign

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“I had to learn pretty much from scratch as Don Leo’s assistant at first. But funnily enough, one of my earliest memories is playing in the streets as a kid and seeing the famous Don Chendo out on his porch, smoking a cigar. I lived around the corner from him – I still do - and I can remember the smell of that cigar to this day.” This is Mario Pérez; Child of the Revolution, man of many languages, possessor of a steely gaze. And at certain Joya de Nicaragua gatherings, all these years later, he can still occasionally be persuaded to dust off that golden voice.

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Rudy’s a young gun; one of the new breed. He’s got mischief written all over his face. Rudy’s is the face of Joya de Nicaragua on the road. He’s usually smiling, with a large, dark cigar plugged into his mouth. You might find him and his rolling table at events around Nicaragua, live online or way across in Europe. And the charismatic cigar dude they call El Macizo – ‘the solid one’ – will happily talk to you for hours about his favourite topic.

“What are you smoking?” he says as he comes in, sniffing the air appreciatively. “Antaño? Man, I love that cigar.” Like someone who’s just been reminded that he’s hungry and it’s lunchtime, he looks around, feels in his pockets, disappears and comes back with a cigar of his own and a new smile. “I go to exhibitions, tours, I sometimes roll at the Joya de Nicaragua shop at the airport at Managua,” he says, puffing his cigar alight. “But I love going abroad to do events and meet overseas cigar lovers. That’s a real eye-opener for me, seeing all those new places.” For a kid from Estelí, travelling across the globe is a real experience. Except that Rudy’s not really a kid; he’s 34 and has a wife and two children.

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“I first heard about Joya de Nicaragua because when I was little, my grandma worked here,” he explains. “Then when I was about 14, my brother and I came along and we got work. “I loved it right from the start. All the tobacco, the cool rolling gallery. And I’d heard a lot about how well staff are treated here, good wages, bonuses, paid holidays. A lot of places didn’t offer that at the so working here was a big deal.” He was keen if nothing else. His cigar education began. “When I was ready, I spent about a week smoking different cigars,” he laughs, “trying to figure out what was what. And I remember when it hit me – the real ‘boom’ moment, the realisation of why people like cigars – was with a Celebracion. There was just an explosion of flavours. I stopped working for about half an hour in my excitement! I was in shock.”

Rudy’s travelled throughout Germany and beyond, finding time to satisfy his sweet tooth with lashings of mysterious desserts. And he was surprised and delighted by the passion that overseas cigar lovers had for their sticks. “At first it was a shock,” he says. “They were so passionate, telling me what they like and don’t like, being very demanding about strength when I rolled cigars for them. But I actually love that now – I love the fact they know their cigars and want them just how they like them.” Young at heart, fanatical about his work, a travelling Rudy marvels at overseas architecture and welcomes the acclaim that his cigar rolling fame attracts. But home is still where the heart is. The latest generation of Joya de Nicaragua cigar makers is happiest in the heart of his hometown factory; quick with a joke, a smoke - and a mischievous smile.

That current of electricity – the sheer joy a handrolled cigar can bring – has never left him. You can see it in his smile. Which is why Rudy is the perfect man to preach the word of Joya de Nicaragua to the world.

“I was beyond excited when they offered me the job,” he says, shaking his head. “I started going out around Nicaragua, which was amazing. And then I had an international trip to El Salvador. All my life it was my dream to go to Europe. And one day I was told I was going there, too. I nearly passed out. I have been blessed.”

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DR. ALEJANDRO MARTÍNEZ CUENCA He is not a loud man. Rather, he studies, assesses, observes. He embodies – body and soul – everything that Joya de Nicaragua represents. His lifetime of quiet analysis, combined with a compassion for his fellow man and a desire to push boundaries, has brought him business success and Government office. His determination is demonstrated by his Ph.D. in Economics – which he was in the middle of studying for in the late 1960’s when be felt compelled to join Nicaragua’s revolutionary struggle. It wasn’t until some 30 years later in 1999 that he returned to his studies at the University

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of Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee and finally completed his dissertation; mission accomplished. A well-known and respected figure in Nicaraguan society, Dr. Cuenca runs several businesses and in 2003, sought to become the Sandinista party’s candidate in forthcoming Presidential elections. Ultimately, he did not win that battle; but he was one of those from within the country’s best-known political party who chose to try and change it from within. Perhaps the most significant series of events, though, has been that which led Dr. Cuenca to a cigar factory in Estelí – and a tightknit group of people who changed his life.

“There were a few others interested in buying Joya de Nicaragua in the early 1990s, but not many,” he says from the tropical garden of his home in Managua nearly a quarter of a century later. “It was not in good health.”

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That’s an understatement. What Dr. Cuenca found at Joya de Nicaragua was a business on its knees; a tiny team of workers – who, incidentally, hadn’t been paid for months - and a very short list of clients buying cigars. They were still making outstanding cigars. But the overall picture was not exactly a compelling argument to reach for the checkbook. Dr. Cuenca could see something else.

“Potential,” he says, emphasizing the point with his smoldering cigar. “Most people took one look at the factory and washed their hands of the whole idea. But I knew the background, I knew I had the right sort of contacts in other markets. And I believed in those people. They had always made the best cigars. I believed I could make Joya de Nicaragua a profitable business once again.” Slowly, gradually, over a period of many months, Dr. Cuenca and the workers of Joya de Nicaragua grew together. They didn’t know it at the time, but they were making a blood pact. They’ve worked together, through thick and thin, ever since. Dr. Cuenca raised finance to buy the business. The early years were tough; there was a scrap for every square inch of the world cigar market, where at the time, others were better placed. And then serendipity struck. In the US, what’s since become known as the cigar boom cranked into gear. Soon, Joya de Nicaragua couldn’t make cigars fast enough.

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“That boom changed everything,” recalls Dr. Cuenca. “We made good profits and we were sensible with them. We built reserves.” Dr. Cuenca likes to tell stories. He has plenty of them and he recounts his favorites with an impish gleam in his eye. Such as describing how he arrived in London in 1967 as a non-English speaking student and got a job in a ladies’ clothes shop on Oxford Street. Or how he first became aware of Joya De Nicaragua as a Government Minister, tasked with finding international buyers for the ailing company. Or perhaps of his time smuggling weapons to Sandinista freedom fighters. An hour in his company flies by. He’s also modest and reluctant to accept praise. It’s a family trait. But those at the factory are keen to express their feelings about the man who altered the course of their lives. “I can’t really find the words to describe how I feel about him,” says bonchero Aristo de Jesus Torres Briones. “This place – it means as much to him as it does to us. You can tell. When he comes to the factory, he gives everyone a hug, he has time for everyone. What can I say about that family?”. Panchita González speaks softly and looks down into her lap: “He’s my guardian angel.” Alberto Martínez is typically straightforward. “Dr. Cuenca saved this company and the people in it,” he says. “I wouldn’t like to think where some of us would be without him.” Joya de Nicaragua’s rise and fall mirror its people unerringly. Dr. Cuenca became one of its people when he first discovered the factory as a Government minister and he was drawn, inexorably, to buy and resurrect this most Nicaraguan of institutions. This salvaging of Joya de Nicaragua from potential extinction gave its people new hope; something to live and work for. This will be Dr. Alejandro Martínez Cuenca’s lasting legacy.

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JUAN MARTÍNEZ He’s inherited his father’s charisma. Also that Martínez Cuenca twinkle in the eye. Juan Ignacío Martínez took the reins at Joya de Nicaragua in 2013, when his father took a step back; and ever since then, he’s been focussed on modernising Joya de Nicaragua while keeping one eye on tradition, history and expertise. It’s not what he thought he’d be doing.

“I studied economics,” he says, “I was interested in other businesses. Cigars were the last thing on my mind. I had no intention of getting involved in my father’s cigar business. I remember him always loving cigars – he kept them in a ziplock bag in the fridge when I was a kid.

Later on, I went with him to the factory and learned to enjoy them myself. But I didn’t consider that I would be taking over”. “Things have a strange way of working out.”

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Sometimes those things happen for a reason. Juan Martínez is a natural leader. He’s quiet, faultlessly polite, and possesses both authority and empathy. People want to go the extra mile for him. But don’t mistake the serenity for weakness; there is steel there too, a desire to get things done – the right way.

Juan has become a more visible Joya de Nicaragua presence through regular social media events – online chats, interviews, live broadcasts from the rolling gallery itself. While it’s something he’s good at, he doesn’t particularly like it and he’s had to learn on the job. Like he did about making cigars.

Under Juan’s direction, Joya de Nicaragua has introduced new IT solutions to drag an essentially traditional business into the 21st Century. Workers now clock on by video camera; a bespoke, prototype database of all tobaccos, blends and ’recipes’ has been tried, tested, tweaked and launched. The factory – which hasn’t effectively had much more than a lick of paint since the day Dr. Cuenca took over – has been given a facelift.

“Things were looking a little tired and more and more people want to come and look around the factory these days so it’s important we create the right impression,” says Juan. “And we need to make sure the factory is fit for purpose for another 50 years. The bespoke database, the technology – these are the things we need to be do if we are to continue to compete in today’s market.”

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“I don’t need to know everything about cigars; these guys already know it,” he says, pointing to a picture of some of the factory’s senior production team hanging on the wall. “But I’ve learned a lot; and with all the experience available here, all I have to do is pick up the phone or go into the office next door to speak to some of the world’s most knowledgeable cigar people.” His face crinkles in a trademark smile. “So, I’ve picked up a few things here and there.” Juan fears complacency and stagnation. He pursues innovation. “There’s nothing intrinsically great about being the oldest in the room,” he says with passion. “We can’t just say ‘we’re the oldest so we’re the best.’ Now we have the youngest senior management team in the business working with the most experienced production team in the business. And that translates into the ability to be wiser, smarter and hopefully quicker to spot opportunities as well as pitfalls. That gives me great reassurance and confidence in our future.” A future with Juan Martínez at the helm will pay due respect to history - but will never be in thrall to it. And his reign will not be dull. The father’s son will make his own mark.

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“I JUMPED OUT OF MY CHAIR, I WAS FIST PUMPING AND SO EXCITED BY THE IDEA.” 121

That’s Jonathan Drew, co-founder of Drew Estate. He came to Nicaragua with nothing - and built a revolution in the cigar industry. And he’s talking about the time Dr. Alejandro Cuenca – owner of Joya de Nicaragua - called him to a meeting and asked him if Drew Estate would be interested in distributing Joya de Nicaragua cigars in America. “It’s hard to describe what that moment meant to me personally,” Jonathan says thoughtfully. “Joya de Nicaragua was like the Holy Grail to me. Don’t forget, when I first came to Nicaragua, it was at the end of the cigar boom. So, I was moving in as everyone else was moving out. And right from the beginning, I could see what Joya de Nicaragua meant in Estelí. It was on everyone’s lips. I dreamed of working with those guys. I was sleeping on floors, running round trying to find tobacco, talking to anyone I could find. And all the time, in the background, was this grand old cigar factory of Nicaragua, like a shadow.” Jon Drew is not your average cigar maker. Instead of a permatan and a Panama, he sports orange glasses, lots of bling, a straggly beard and a pair of shorts. He speaks fast – he’s a New Yorker after all. And as his ideas and imagery pass you by like a sports car on the highway, you begin to understand how he’s created - from scratch - a business which boasts the largest rolling gallery in the world and has garnered a rags-to-riches story that is truly the embodiment of the American dream.

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“Jonathan intrigued me,” smiles Dr. Cuenca as recalls their first introductions. “I’d seen him at a couple of events and I made a point of going over and introducing myself one day. He was very courteous, very gracious about Joya de Nicaragua. And we just sort of kept an eye on each other for a while.” THEY ARE THE ORIGINAL ODD COUPLE Drew is loud, flamboyant, determined to upset the status quo and disrupt the market. Dr. Cuenca is old-school; sophisticated, conservative, quiet. It is to the credit of both that at a crucial period in 2008 they saw in each other a kindred spirit. “He was like a breath of fresh air in the industry,” says Dr. Cuenca. “They called him El Gringo Loco – The Crazy Gringo – but they knew he meant business. He was willing to do what it took to make his firm a success and he suffered countless setbacks. But he always believed, without question, in looking after the Nicaraguan people and once people saw that, they realised he was a good person and he was here to stay. “I could see he was going places and if truth be told, Joya de Nicaragua needed a new direction. We couldn’t keep doing the same thing we had always done, the world was changing. I thought Jonathan might be able to open up some new possibilities for us, while respecting our traditions. People here accepted him and his business over time. He lived here, day in, day out.”

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“I’m practically half-Nicaraguan, man,” Drew says. “You’re talking to a man who lived in Estelí for 10 years one stretch without leaving. 15 years in total I lived there. Every day I was in the factory. I slept in the factory. I married a Nicaraguan girl. I have homes in Nicaragua. So, I know Nicaraguan people. Without them, Drew Estate is nothing.” How could two firms, seemingly exact opposites, fit together so well that a decade has passed and their relationship still blossoms?. “Alejandro is very different to me,” says Drew. “He’s a well-known man in Managuan society. He’s an intellectual, he mixes in prominent circles. And he has a huge heart. There was a time when the financial crisis hit and we were all out of options. I thought that Drew Estate was finished. And Alejandro came to me and told me not to worry, it would work out. He lent us money. And he saw us through. “While you might think that we’re wildly different on the outside, it’s under the surface where similarities can be found. We share the same story – we both want to be a part of the deep heritage and culture of Nicaragua. Its pain, its struggle; I believe Nicaragua had to go through that and Drew Estate has become involved culturally by bringing hip hop music here, engaging with graffiti artists. We call Drew Estate the Rebirth of Cigars. And Joya is already an accepted part of this heritage, part of the fabric of life here. It’s a fabulous collaboration.

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“Joining with Joya de Nicaragua was one of the biggest gamechanging moments of my professional career. I like to think we have had as much positive influence on them. There is now a brotherhood between the two companies and the two families are deeply intertwined. And it’s led to the one of the best friendships I have had in my life.” Dr. Cuenca is touched. “It was a fateful time when we got together. The time was right for both of us. We now have taken advantage of our position and esteem to lead the way instead of protecting our market share. A lot of the credit for that must go to Jonathan and his team. I don’t believe there are many other industries where such a close relationship such as ours could work. Only in tobacco do you see these things.” Both companies – Drew Estate now with the financial backing of giants Swisher International and Joya, with a solid stable of premium cigars and a talent for innovation – are good on their own. But they are better together.

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OUR PROCESS

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THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO MAKE A PREMIUM CIGAR. IN THE FOLLOWING PAGES YOU WILL LEARN HOW WE WORK WITH TOBACCO AT JOYA, AND WHAT MAKES THIS PROCESS SO UNIQUE AND SPECIAL

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TO MAKE GREAT C GREAT TOBACCO. B DE NICARAGUA CIG IT WILL HAVE PASSE THAN 300 PAIRS O TOBACCO USED TO AT LEAST FOUR YE HOW JOYA DE N GREAT TOBACCO – ‘THE MOST NICARAG 128

OUR PROCESS

CIGARS, YOU NEED BY THE TIME A JOYA GAR REACHES YOU, ED THROUGH MORE OF HANDS AND THE MAKE IT WILL BE EARS OLD. THIS IS NICARAGUA MAKES AND ULTIMATELY, GUAN CIGARS’. CINCO DÉCADAS

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GERMINATION

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OUR PROCESS

Specially coated seeds from chosen tobacco strains are sown in trays filled with compost. After eight days, the strongest new seedlings are separated and transplanted to their own pots for maximum nutrition. Some 30 days later - and the seedlings are ready to go out into the big, wide world. They are planted in rows and reach for the sky.

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PRIMING

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Seco, Viso and Ligero leaves are taken from bottom to top of the plant.

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CURING BARN

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Green leaves are strung together and hung on poles hoisted into the rafters of the curing barn, right there in the tobacco fields. They will be left to cure for 45 to 60 days.

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The leaves – now a deep chocolate brown – are carefully taken down and packed, ready for transportation to the factory.

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PILONES

The weight of the pilones together with some added moisture (water) generates heat, that produces a natural transformation of the chemical components of the leaf through oxidation and liberation of natural compounds, in what we call the fermentation process. This process transforms the flavors and aromas of the leaf.

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MOJA DE CAPA 142

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The wrapper leaves are moistened as to separate the leaves that were stuck together due to the pressure of the weight in the pilones process. A moist leaf is more workable and easier to roll and wrap around the cigar.

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DEVEINING

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Once itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been decided that the ageing process has reached its peak, the leaves are deveined, removing the tough wooden central stem by hand, a practice unique to Joya de Nicaragua. After the leaves are deveined, they are then sent to the rollers.

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BUNCHING & ROLLING

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OUR PROCESS

Joya de Nicaragua’s rolling teams, often men and women and in several instances, man and wife, work in a bright, friendly atmosphere. They chat while they work, listen to the radio. Some – like the ever-smiling Aristo – enjoy a smoke.

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Every single cigar will be inspected and draw tested before being passed along to the next stage.

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Rolling is done completely by hand, the Roller or Rolera adding the finished wrapper and cap to each cigar.

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AGING ROOM

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The Escaparates, or Ageing Room, is another milestone in the cigarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. Here, it will rest after the rigours of farm and factory, allowing the blends to mellow and mingle and the tobacco leaves to marry. This can take from 90 days to several years, depending on the strength and blending of the cigars. Joya de Nicaragua considers the Escarapates as one of the most crucial stages of cigar making.

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PACKAGING

Once the cigars are sorted by colour, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re packed in a box from dark to light, left to right. Each is given a ring, fed into protective cellophane wrappers and placed in the box. These are sealed with a Joya de Nicaragua origin sticker â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a guarantee of their Nicaraguan authenticity. Joya de Nicaragua cigars then depart by land, air and sea to distant shores. The Most Nicaraguan Cigars of all.

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What Cigar Making Has Brought to Nicaragua

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In recent years, the US demand for Nicaraguan cigars has increased dramatically – up by 10% in 2017 alone, scooping up no less than 80% of Nicaragua’s premium cigar production. This massive and relatively local market has meant for the first time in several generations, tobacco men and women are able to plan ahead. “Tobacco and cigars are the number one economic activity for Estelí,” says Juan Martínez. “The city has basically grown up around cigar production.” Around 150 companies of varying sizes undertake work related to the tobacco industry in the city. 51 of these concentrate on premium, hand rolled cigars. Most of these are relatively small businesses with less than 50 employees; only four are monsters with more than 700. The rest are the medium-sized operations that form the bedrock of the industry. These companies – and others like them in Jalapa, Ocotal and Condega – currently generate in the region of 40,000 full-time jobs. In a country where kids don’t often stay in school beyond the age of 14 or so due to economic pressures on their families – that’s a big deal. It also means Estelí has the highest employment rate of any city in Nicaragua outside of the capital, Managua.

“It’s also important to note that the cigar industry employs – and frankly, therefore empowers – a lot of women,” says Martínez. “I think it’s important to note that in Nicaragua, mothers – including of course, The Virgin Mary – are revered; but in many poorer communities, there is still a heavy macho culture. Women are expected to run the home, look after the kids and go to work and earn money to pay the bills. It’s something that is changing, but it’s changing slowly. Giving women jobs in the factories – important, management jobs, not just manual jobs – is playing a big part in this.”

Six out of 10 cigar workers in Nicaragua are now women. It’s interesting to note that tobacco fields and factories have done more for equality here than any amount of lobbying. Quite simply, the cigar industry relies on female workers to survive. The influx of ‘gringos’ – foreign and especially American businessmen – has also played a part in raising employment and equality standards in Nicaragua. With them, they have brought greater expectations of employee benefits.

“It’s about making lives easier,” says Jon Drew of Drew Estate. “We noticed that when we first started up, if people had to take time off to go to the doctor, they were losing pay. So maybe they wouldn’t go. That’s not a good thing.” “At the same time, we didn’t want them to lose time either – so we brought the doctor to them.” The Drew Estate factory in Estelí now has its own on-site clinic. Workers and their families can be seen here by qualified medical practitioners for minor ailments or referred to specialist centres elsewhere if they need. Regular scans and health checks at this clinic have already saved lives. It’s a powerful incentive to join the cigar trade. Drew Estate also uses donations from cigar smokers to help build new homes in the Óscar Gámez area of Estelí where the factory is based; supports local baseball and soccer teams; offers small loans to workers; donates beds to the elderly and operates a social fund for all workers. Joya de Nicaragua is the only major cigar maker in the country still owned by Nicaraguans. It realises the value of its cigar family and its commitment to the wider community.

“Looking after our people is crucial to our business,” says Juan Martínez. “But we feel our responsibility runs to more than that.” It’s not widely publicised, but Joya de Nicaragua provides Primary School Scholarships to around 90 Estelí youngsters through the Fe y Alegría charity. The Christian organisation – which translates as Faith and Happiness – runs an Estelí school for some of the area’s poorest families. And it’s where Sasja van Horssen of Holland’s Longfiller Company had an epiphany during a visit to the country. “I had no idea I was going to launch Pro Nica until I got there,” he says from the smoking lounge of Cigaragua in Amsterdam. It’s the world’s first – and currently the only, although van Horssen plans to change that soon enough – cigar shop selling only premium, hand rolled cigars from Nicaragua. “The more I learned about Nicaragua and its people, the more I tasted the cigars, the more I was convinced in every fibre of my being that this place was the future of cigars,” he continues.

“But even so, you’d have to be blind not to see that alongside the jobs and security the industry has brought here, there is still an awful lot of poverty. A lot of kids have it hard. And then I visited the Fe y Alegría School. And it became obvious what I should do.” Belén is an ordinary school in downtown Estelí. But it’s run by the charity, formed in Latin America in 1960, and is spearheaded by the remarkable headmaster of the school Sor Purificacíon Gutiérrez. She’s tiny, but formidable. Under her

leadership, Belén pupils are doing remarkable things. Like José Hernández. His father is a cattle rancher. Every day, José gets up and works in the fields with his father until around noon when he walks the mile or so to school, where he’ll study until 5.30pm. His family can’t afford to pay someone to work on the farm and they need José’s help. In the not so distant past, he would have given up school to concentrate on providing for his family. With the help of Joya de Nicaragua and Fe y Alegría, he is able to do both. It means his future holds a promise of a life beyond a hand to mouth existence. “I went there and saw these kids, heard what was happening and how people were trying to stop the flow of children away from education, and I realised that as we benefited from Nicaraguans working in the cigar industry, we should be the ones to help them,” says van Horssen. “As soon as I got back, I began setting up Pro Nica.” The charity set up by van Horssen donates 0.10 US cents for every Nicaraguan stick he sells. It doesn’t sound a lot – but it adds up. Last year, Pro Nica handed over an incredible $40,000 to Fe y Alegría. “It’s not about me, or about us as a company or even the cigar smoking community that buys these cigars - it’s about those children,” says van Horssen. “It’s about them and we’re honoured and delighted to be able to help.” Fe y Alegría exists to help the poorest in society get an education and a chance of a better future. But is there an ethical dilemma raised by a tobacco company actively fundraising for children? “At first glance it can seem incorrect,” says Sor Purificiación Gutiérrez, openly. “But by analysing it, you can justify it and have another perception.” Sor Gutiérrez is funny, cheerful – and takes no nonsense. The children at Belén adore her.

“Every company has a social responsibility to the wellbeing of society,” she says. “Education is the first pillar to achieve a fairer society, working to better the life of a human being. We have to manage and create alliances to solve our expenses. In this alliance with Joya de Nicaragua, the company collaborates directly to provide an education for boys and girls – for

them not to give up on education and prepare them for a better future.” Joya de Nicaragua began working with Fe y Alegría in 2014, on the advice of Father Fernando Cardenal, a well-known Nicaraguan Jesuit priest who was Director of the charity before his death in 2016.

As well as a close collaboration with Fe y AlegrĂa, Joya de Nicaragua supports other local cause; financial aid for children with special needs; funding towards emergency housing for the poorest in the community and a variety of benefits for Joya de Nicaragua workers. These range from â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;new momâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; packages for female

workers having children, to potential university scholarships for their offspring or grandchildren. There is subsidised eyecare, a savings and loans co-operative, lifelong training and a scheme for eligible retirees that supplies a monthly essential groceries parcel for life.

“The Nicaraguan Chamber of Tobacco also supports a wide range of socio-economic programs,” says Martínez. “More than 13,000 trees have been planted on tobacco farms in the last two years; there is a Trust Fund in place to protect and preserve the Estelí River Basin; child daycare facilities are provided at many convenient locations so that mothers can continue to work; factories such as Padrón are involved in building schools and other facilities to support their workers and their families.

“This is something that, as Nicaraguans, we take very seriously. As a people, we have known what it is like to suffer, to be deprived, to learn how to count from books picturing hand grenades and Kalashnikovs instead of apples and oranges. It is our responsibility to get this right for the future generations. Our children deserve better.”

If you would like to contribute to Fe y AlegrĂa, please visit

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TO THE NEXT 50 YEARS As I write these words in mid-May 2018, Nicaragua has begun a new cycle of political, social and economic uncertainty as part of a new cycle of change. Its history is being re-written with each keystroke I make, and our society is reinventing itself once more. The intention of this book is to shed light on the collective evolution of our people, of our country, and our company through the lens of one singular product: the most Nicaraguan cigar, a product that has become a means to share that evolution with the world and has transformed the lives of thousands of Nicaraguans and millions of cigar lovers around the world. These pages are a testament to the people that, filled with courage and hope, helped build this unparalleled institution. These pages are also a tribute to those pioneers, women and men who have been champions and leaders in Nicaragua and around the world, and have guided and inspired us through the peaks and valleys of time. Because of them, Joya de Nicaragua has been appropriately dubbed ”the quintessential Nicaraguan cigar”. It is responsible for the emergence of one of the most outstanding success stories of hard work, competitiveness and resilience in the modern history of our region: The Nicaragua Cigar Industry. But more than just another case study, our cigars continue to be the experience through which the ever-changing story of our nation is told. A few months ago, I would have boasted about the great potential of our country; our decade- long uninterrupted prosperity; the security in our streets and the excitement around our country brand. I would have written about the achievements of our industry and our brand, and of all the conditions that have allowed our industry to thrive. I would have bragged of our international presence in over 50 countries and the list of awards and accolades being received by our newest cigars. And although most of it continues to hold true today, this is not enough to envision our road ahead. As we close the chapter of our first 50 years, we begin to write the story of the next five decades hand in hand with the story of our whole nation. We’ve begun a hard process of rebuilding our spirit and our identity and as we do this, we see ourselves today encountering a bright and hopeful future: we uncover the values that have always made Nicaraguans an example of courage, resilience, solidarity, and kindness. We’ve unceasingly come together, united, to help those that need us the most; we are lifting ourselves up, covered and protected by our white and blue, our national flag. We are building, creating, solving problems and planning for the future—a better, brighter, more just and equitable future. As Joya de Nicaragua embarks on its next half a century, we invite you to be part of this journey with us, as we are inspired collectively to build this new and better Nicaragua, and with it, a better version of ourselves. From now on, each Nicaraguan cigar you light up and enjoy will carry in its essence a little bit of this struggle, a little bit of this hope and a whole lot of passion for life. We hope that this experience becomes to you as enriching and powerful as it is for us!

JUAN IGNACIO MARTÍNEZ EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT JOYA DE NICARAGUA

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IN HINDSIGHT, IT’S OFTEN ONE’S DARKEST HOURS WHICH OFFER THE KEY TO A BRIGHTER FUTURE. 182

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When Joya de Nicaragua was in peril; when cigars sales were hit and when a desperate attempt to reach out beyond the ‘Holy Grail’ of the United States were made, foundations were laid which would pave the way for future prosperity.

“With the US embargo was put in place, we had to think outside the box,” says Mario Pérez, Joya de Nicaragua Factory Manager. “We started utilising those few contacts we had abroad – and began working on new ones. We were one of the very first Nicaraguan cigar makers to have representation in markets all around the world. We’re talking many years ago. People in Italy, in the UK, in Czechoslovakia – cigar smokers there knew our brand and we’ve built on that.” Joya de Nicaragua’s rise in prominence in worldwide markets has been a culmination of hard work from Dr. Cuenca and his contacts, the team at Joya de Nicaragua and expanding on ‘footprints ‘ first made when former Soviet countries received Joya de Nicaragua cigars as part of Nicaragua’s ties with the former USSR. Ivan Gutiérrez is former Marketing Manager for Joya de Nicaragua: “We realised that on an international level – where sales of Joya de Nicaragua have always been strong – each of these markets was very different. Each country had their own specific way of doing things, their own way of requesting new products, their own way of interpreting the brand. We realised we had to find a way of getting all these different messages into one coherent strategy. We took forward those global brands which we wanted to be everywhere - but left space for market specific needs. That’s how the new Joya de Nicaragua strategy took shape.” And that new strategy has chimed with the rise and rise of cigars made outside Cuba – sometimes known as ‘New World’ cigars.

“It wasn’t that long ago that in many markets, traditional markets like England, France, Spain – that Cuban cigars held a massive majority of the market,” says Juan Martínez.

“And while in many cases, Cubans still outsell cigars from Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominican Republic and elsewhere, there has been a massive shift on the whole. Young smokers, new smokers, even formerly die-hard Cuban loyalist smokers have tried our blends, realised their quality – and value, in comparison – and started to make a switch.” It might be only an occasional switch for some, but for others, so-called ‘New World’ cigars are what they smoke all day, every day. None more so than in the US. The cigar manufacturing world is, on the whole, a collaborative, helpful and friendly one; that’s one of the many reasons it’s such a joy to work in the industry and why so many fight hard to remain in it. Key brands, friends and players have combined over the years to help each other sell more cigars in the US. Friends like Nestor Plascencia, the Olivas, Drew Estate, the Padrons. They are all popular in the huge US market – and they’ve worked incredibly hard to gain a foothold. “Obviously we had some expertise in that area and it would have been a massive job for Joya to start from scratch in the United States,” says Jon Drew, who signed that milestone US distribution agreement with Dr. Cuenca in 2008. By then, Tabacos Puros de Nicaragua had become Joya de Nicaragua. The trademark was back in Dr. Cuenca’s hands and all was ready for a new assault on the familiar old hunting ground of US soil. CINCO DÉCADAS

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“Jon’s right; it would have been a massive job,” concurs Juan Martínez. “I don’t doubt we could have done it, but it would have cost a lot of money and it would have demanded our total focus. And we had other plans for the brand that we wanted to focus on during that time.” Joya hadn’t produced new lines often in the past. Until the year 2000, only one brand was produced and from then one new brand every 3 years. So it was decided that some new horses were needed for the stables. A new team – mixing fresh ideas and old know-how – was built to help find them. Juan Martínez began to pull together the creative management team which is the youngest in the cigar industry; respectful of tradition, not afraid to innovate. They shape the brand, the looks of its cigars, its campaign messages and contact with modern-day cigar lovers through social media. And they are planning a future that’s every bit as remarkable as Joya de Nicaragua’s illustrious past. “Juan came to me with an idea of how he wanted to move forward,” says Ivan Gutiérrez. “He wanted to create a new strategy, questioning everything; the portfolio, communications, everything. It was to be a new era – he had different ideas to his father. That’s what you’d expect.” Joya had fundamentally changed very little since Dr. Cuenca bought it in 1994. But the world had moved on; to stay relevant, Joya de Nicaragua needed to move on as well, while respecting how – and why – it had succeeded in the first place.

Carlos Zuñiga is another of the ‘young guns’ leading Joya de Nicaragua’s strategy.

“We realised there was a need to rationalise the portfolio,” says the Creative Director. “And we also wanted to leave room for us to bring new things to market. Juan has lived in three different countries. He wanted to surround himself with Nicaraguans – but make sure we were a truly international company. The first cigar I was involved with was totally new, created for the 45th anniversary of the company and with a new design, look and feel. That was the Cuatro Cinco.”

The overall design for that cigar reached the final of prestigious bi-annual awards held in Madrid and the stick itself – premium leaf, aged in old rum barrels was a hit on the international market. Both the cigar and its design and marketing – ‘Superb Milestones’ – demonstrated that Joya’s new team were bringing something fresh to an old story. “We’ve been able to take projects and then test them in key markets,” explains Ivan Gutiérrez. “We know our core strengths, values and our standing in the industry. We have the greatest accumulated knowledge in that industry within our walls. It’s our job to distill that knowledge and let the rest of the world know about it in an accessible way, while our experts can continue doing what they do best – and that is making amazing cigars.” Joya brands have now been brought together seamlessly, each occupying key strategic places within the portfolio and each appealing to subtly different cigar smokers.

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There’s nothing to stop you trying out and enjoying the whole range – in fact, it’s positively encouraged, especially if you take the trouble to make the trip to Estelí to visit the factory. There’s simply no better place to enjoy a Joya de Nicaragua cigar. The brands have been grouped into the traditional Nicaraguan Heritage cigars, authentic Nicaraguan puros, which are known worldwide; the Clasíco and the Antaño; the ‘Antaño Grand Reserva, Antaño Dark Corojo and the Cuatro Cinco. The modern Joya line up are those cigars developed by the new young executive team – together, of course, with the master blenders and tobacco experts that Joya has long retained. These lines include Joya Cabinetta; Joya Red and Joya Black. Finally, there are the Regional Editions, specially crafted for their chosen market. The Rosalones and the Rosalones Reserva have been carefully blended based on consumer feedback.

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JOYA DE NICARAGUA CLÁSICO This was the first all-Nicaraguan cigar exported from the country. For more than 30 years, it remained the only one in the portfolio. It’s the best-selling Joya de Nicaragua cigar in Europe and to mark the 50th anniversary, the line has been given a revamp and relaunched in America. Delicate with woody notes, the Clásico wears an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper and is a well-blended, straightforward and mild smoke. The Clásico comes housed in the only box to feature the Joya de Nicaragua coat of arms and this generous smoke is available in 10 sizes or vitolas across 50 international markets. In 2018, the campaign Stay Clásico was launched as a reminder that some things need to change, other simply don’t.

STAY CLÁSICO The very first cigar Nicaraguan cigar brand. The one that started it all!

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KEEP DARING

Our Nicaraguan Heritage line, proudly carrying the legacy of the authentic Nicaraguan “Puro”. 188

ANTAÑO If you’ve read the section on Our People, you’ll already know Don Leonel Raudez’ story of the mighty Antaño. It’s a powerhouse of a cigar, dark as night, strong as a bull. Don’t try it until you’ve eaten – and certainly not if you’re a novice. Antaño means ‘yesteryear’ and this cigar recreates some of the pungent, in-yourface, beautifully blended sticks that Nicaragua was once famous for. Spicy and robust, with a Nicaraguan Habano and all Nicaraguan fillers, Antaño was released in the early 2000’s and remains Joya de Nicaragua’s best-selling cigar in the United States. Antaño consists of 12 vitolas.

ANTAÑO GRAN RESERVA The same great body and flavour of the Antaño – with aged fillers. That’s the short story of the incredibly smooth Antaño Gran Reserva, which comes in three vitolas and is a refined and mature cigar of medium to full strength. It features a Nicaraguan Corojo Oscuro wrapper with all Nicaraguan filler leaves. A very smooth, classy smoke.

ANTAÑO DARK COROJO If you thought Antaño was strong, think again. The Dark Corojo is a smoke for connoisseurs alone. Dark and oily, sweet and spicy, Dark Corojo has a swirl of black ligero running through it, and an even deeper abyss of pungent strength. You may not recognise it as strength, mind you; so smooth is this blend, it simply comes across as incredibly rich. Rich, chewy, fruity and full of Estelí goodness, Dark Corojo has seven vitolas and once again includes Nicaraguan Corojo Oscuro wrapper with Nicaraguan fillers. CINCO DÉCADAS

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JOYA CABINETTA The first of the new kids on the block, the Cabinetta is an instant modern classic. Blended for the 21st Century smoker, it offers a creamy, mild smoke with just a crack of pepper to add a little warmth. It is robed in an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade Wrapper and contains Habana Criollo leaf and Nicaraguan binder and fillers. Cabinetta comes in five traditional vitolas.

JOYA RED Once again, with a young, fun crowd in mind, the Joya Red is an approachable, mild to medium, satisfying cigar - wherever you are, whatever you’re doing. There’s a dusting of spice, a trace of nuts and a little sweetness to warm up the palate in this immensely satisfying smoke. Joya Red comes in five sizes to suit all occasions and utilises a lower priming of Nicaraguan Habana leaf, plus Nicaraguan binders. Joya Red is available in five vitolas.

JOYA BLACK As stylish as the Red – with a little more in the tank. Joya Black hits on the upper side of medium strength, and the dark Mexican wrapper gives a richer flavour to the blend. It’s designed as a step up in body, strength and complexity from the Joya Red and comes in four vitolas.

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Our modern line up of smokes, developed by the youngest executive team in the industry, together with the most senior master blenders of Nicaragua.

REDISCOVER JOYA 191

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JOYA SILVER Joya Silver shines on the Joya family. It comes with an added punch, thanks to the perfect union of an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, a San Andres México binder and Nicaraguan fillers. A smoke that shines, a medium to full body smoke that achieves an indulging matching of flavors.

A SMOKE THAT SHINES The latest way to Rediscover Joya!

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ROSALONES Flavourful and earthy, Rosalones has a rich character with a medium body. First discontinued in 1990, it was resurrected 20 years later and is now a favourite of the Spanish market. Rosalones comes in seven vitolas.

ROSALONES RESERVA An upgrade to its sister with more refined leaves used in the blend. Still medium-bodied and with woody, refined notes, Rosalones Reserva comes in four vitolas.

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AUTÃ&#x2030;NTICOS

Regional editions crafted based on consumer feedback.

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CUATRO CINCO Cuatro Cinco was released five years ago to commemorate the Joya de Nicaragua’s 45th anniversary. This is a unique cigar, using fillers aged in vintage rum casks of American Oak. It’s spicy and full-bodied and its depth and character won admirers worldwide on release. So instead of producing it in small quantities as a Limited Edition, as was originally envisaged, the cigar became a regular member of the Joya de Nicaragua stable. Its strapline is ‘A Superb Milestone,’ which it most certainly is. Cuatro Cinco runs to four vitolas.

A SUPERB MILESTONE Ultra-premium blends created as a tribute to superb achievements and special occasions.

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RISE TO THE OCCASION Being first, being the best, or just being. Cinco Decadas is a cigar of unparalleled elegance. It is a testament of the ultra premium quality that characterises the JDN family, made exclusively with prime extra-vintage leaves. It carries an immaculate balance accompanied by sweet and spicy notes. Its silky smooth smoke delivers a rich and fulfilling experience.

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ADITIONAL PHOTO CREDITS

ONLINE BIBLIOGRAPHY

Instituto de Historia Nicaragüense y Centroamericana - UCA/ Colección Barricada La Prensa Roberto Zúñiga Susan Meiselas Biblioteca Violeta Barrios de Chamorro La Estrella de Nicaragua, Nicolás López Maltez

Eddy Kühl Arauz, (2011). Nicaragua: historia de inmigrantes. De dónde eran y por qué emigraron. Recuperado de Revista Vinculando: http://vinculando.org/articulos/sociedad_america_latina/nicaraguahistoria-de-inmigrantes-de-donde-eran-y-porque-emigraron.html http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/1931%20 Convenio%20sobre%20Inmigraci%C3%B3n%20China.pdf

INTERVIEWS Néstor Plasencia, Tobacco grower and cigar maker, owner of Plasencia cigars Onel Pérez, Executive Director of Canicarne Franklin López, ASP General Manager Aldo Díaz, Historian Dion Giolito, Founder of Illusione cigars Steve Saka, Founder of Dunbarton and Trust Tobacco Jonathan Drew, Founder and President of Drew Estate

http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/CCBA_-_SERIE_ HISTORICA_-_02_-_Los_Alemanes_en_Nicaragua_2_de_3.pdf http://www.elnuevodiario.com.ni/especiales/236318-70-anosingreso-nica-segunda-guerra-mundial/ Eddy Kühl Arauz (2010) Revista de temas nicaragüenses. Número 21, enero 2010. Alemanes internados en Campos de prisioneros durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial: http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/ RevistaTemasNicaraguenses21enero2010.pdf

RESEARCH María Haydée Brenes Flores

BOOKS AND REFERENCES Oscar Lewis, Sea Routes to the Gold Fields, the Migration by Water to California in 1849 - 1852 (Nueva York; Alfred A Knopf, 1949 pp. 22 - 37). Escobedo Romero, Rafael, (2007) “Los empleados de la renta del tabaco durante los siglos XVII y XVIII: el imán del privilegio” en Hispania, Revista Española de Historia. Vol. LXVII, núm. 227, septiembre-diciembre, pp. 1025-1040: http://hispania.revistas.csic.es/index.php/hispania/article/ view/70/71

Bolaños, Geyer Alejandro. (2001). El Iluminado: http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/El%20Iluminado%20 FSLN%202da% Fabián Medina (2008, 1 de febrero) “Plasmaféresis fue un favor de Somoza”: http://www.nicaragua-actual.info/plasma.html Producción y Comercio de Tabaco en Centroamérica: http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_ arttext&pid=S1665-80272014000200013 Burocracia, sociedad y relaciones de poder en la Audiencia de Guatemala: https://web.archive.org/web/20151208182130/http://dialnet. unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/3276929.pdf Costa Rica antes del café: https://es.slideshare.net/miconed/costa-rica-antes-del-caf Tratado Velasco-Montealegre: http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/1_TRATADO__ VELASCO_MONTEALEGRE.pdf Historia Militar de Nicaragua: http://www.ejercito.mil.ni/contenido/ejercito/historia/docs/ historia_militar_19-31.pdf Nicaragua en los documentos. Esgueva, Antonio: http://www.ihnca.edu.ni/files/doc/TallerHistoria10.pdf

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Decreto prohibiendo introducir tabaco de Costa Rica: http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/CLAD%20-%20 CR%20-%201851-52%20-%20135.pdf Tratado Clayton Bulwer: http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/11_TRATADO__ clayton-bulwer.pdf http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/CCBASERIETESISDOCTORALES-01-LaRepublicaconservadoraNicaragua.pdf Decreto mandando a publicar decomisos de agua ardiente: http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/Codigos%20 Legislacion%20-%20Jesus%20de%20la%20Rocha%20-%20L%20 8%20-%20207.pdf Decreto prohibiendo la confección de chica fuerte: http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/Codigos%20 Legislacion%20-%20Jesus%20de%20la%20Rocha%20-%20L%20 8%20-%20213.pdf

Prohibición de ingreso de puros y cigarros hechos: http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/Codigos%20 Legislacion%20-%20Jesus%20de%20la%20Rocha%20-%20L%20 8%20-%20480.pdf Disposición de cantidad de matas de tabaco a cultivarse en Ometepe y Masaya: http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/Codigos%20 Legislacion%20-%20Jesus%20de%20la%20Rocha%20-%20L%20 8%20-%20427.pdf Disposición de matas de tabaco a cultivarse en Matagalpa: http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/Codigos%20 Legislacion%20-%20Jesus%20de%20la%20Rocha%20-%20L%20 8%20-%20433.pdf Reglamento para los contratos de siembra de tabaco: http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/Codigos%20 Legislacion%20-%20Jesus%20de%20la%20Rocha%20-%20L%20 8%20-%20439.pdf

Acuerdo asignando honorarios a receptores de tabaco: http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/Codigos%20 Legislacion%20-%20Jesus%20de%20la%20Rocha%20-%20L%20 8%20-%20343.pdf

Destinando dinero proveniente de tabaco a instrucción pública: http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/CLAD%20-%20 1862%20-%20031.pdf

Reducción de la matrícula de cinco a dos pesos: http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/Codigos%20 Legislacion%20-%20Jesus%20de%20la%20Rocha%20-%20L%20 8%20-%20405.pdf

Convenio de abastecimiento de don Vicente Quadra: http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/Codigos%20 Legislacion%20-%20Jesus%20de%20la%20Rocha%20-%20L%20 8%20-%20358.pdf

Facultando a los administradores de tabaco para que contraten tabaco de particulares: http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/Codigos%20 Legislacion%20-%20Jesus%20de%20la%20Rocha%20-%20L%20 8%20-%20400.pdf

Campesinos nicaragüenses dan un giro a la reforma agraria: http://www.envio.org.ni/articulo/466

Declarando contrabando el tabaco en poder de particulares: http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/Codigos%20 Legislacion%20-%20Jesus%20de%20la%20Rocha%20-%20L%20 8%20-%20401.pdf Estableciendo inspección general de tabaco y pólvora: http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/Codigos%20 Legislacion%20-%20Jesus%20de%20la%20Rocha%20-%20L%20 8%20-%20403.pdf Acuerdo permitiendo la introducción de tabaco andullo: http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/Codigos%20 Legislacion%20-%20Jesus%20de%20la%20Rocha%20-%20L%20 8%20-%20481.pdf

Logros de la Revolución: https://www.lahaine.org/internacional/historia/logrossandinistas. htm#tierraprod Disposiciones para la renta de tabaco: http://legislacion.asamblea.gob.ni/Normaweb. nsf/b92aaea87dac762406257265005d 21f7/9c20b500d9d6a9060625775300707d0f?OpenDocument Reglamentación de la renta de tabaco: http://legislacion.asamblea.gob.ni/normaweb. nsf/9e314815a08d4a6206257265005d21f9/ 3d269903733718dc062575ad005b56b5?OpenDocument Revista de Comercio Exterior, Banco Central de Nicaragua: http://www.bcn.gob.ni/publicaciones/periodicidad/historico/ sinopsis/3.pdf

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Revista Estrategia y Negocios, Joya de Nicaragua el arte de la reinvención: http://www.estrategiaynegocios.net/especiales/lovemarks2017/ marcas/nicaragua/1061993-442/joya-de-nicaragua-el-arte-de-lareinvenci%C3%B3n Informe del Centro de Información de Desastres y Salud. Informe Huracán Mitch en Nicaragua 199: http://cidbimena.desastres.hn/ri-hn/pdf/spa/doc12141/doc12141contenido.pdf La Constabularia: https://www.laprensa.com.ni/2005/05/12/nacionales/1381264-lacon Banco Central de Nicaragua 50 años de estadísticas: http://www.bcn.gob.ni/publicaciones/periodicidad/eventual/50_ anios/informe_50_anios.pdf Knüt, Walter: El régimen de Anastasio Somoza, 1936-1956. Managua: IHNCAUCA, 2004 La Gaceta diario oficial. Decreto Cubanica S.A.: http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/G-1974-01-07.pdf Monitoring Trends in Global Combat: A New Dataset of Battle Deaths. Documentation of Coding Decisions I: Uppsala/PRIO Data. Página 311.

http://sajurin.enriquebolanos.org/vega/docs/71_TRATADO_ chamorro-bryan.pdf Augusto C. Sandino. El Pensamiento Vivo, (1984) selección y notas de Sergio Ramírez Mercado: https://memoriasdelaluchasandinista.org/media/textos/85.textos.pdf Jorge Eduardo Arellano. (2004) AGHN: http://www.manfut.org/cronologia/sandinokill.html Jorge Eduardo Arellano (2004) AGHN Sandino a 70 años de su magnicidio: http://www.manfut.org/cronologia/sandinokill.html Anastasio Somoza Garcia (2004) Cronología: http://www.manfut.org/cronologia/p1y.html Jorge Eduardo Arellano, Barricada, compilación Aldo Díaz Lacayo: http://www.manfut.org/cronologia/p1y.html Pedro Joaquín Chamorro. (1959) Estirpe sangrienta: Los Somoza. https://www.laprensa.com.ni/2015/05/08/cultura/1828200-reneschick-fue-asesinado Chuno Blandón. (Fragua 2015) Ocaso del amor y el poder (¿usted mató al presidente? https://www.biografiasyvidas.com/biografia/s/somoza_debayle_ anastasio.htm

http://www.envio.org.ni/articulo/4639 La Prensa 11 de Enero 1991. Plan Gobierno República de Nicaragua. 1990-1996.

Mónica Baltodano. (2014) “Memorias de la lucha sandinista”: https://memoriasdelaluchasandinista.org/view_stories.php?id=114 Edgar Hernández, Pedro Talavera (1979) Ofensiva Final: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8gKuzL04F4

http://enriquebolanos.org/context.php?item=desarrollo-nicavanza http://caminoverde.ciet.org/es/nicaragua/camino-verde/power/

https://www.laprensa.com.ni/2017/06/18/suplemento/la-prensadomingo/2248756-bill-stewart-el-trago-amargo-de-somoza

«Se penaliza en Nicaragua el aborto terapéutico»: www.mujeresenred.net. Consultado el 14 de julio de 2017.

https://www.clarin.com/opinion/guerra-fria-centroamerica_0_ BkabeUeJL3g.html

http://hknd-group.com/portal.php?mod=list&catid=3

http://www.enriquebolanos.org/data/media/book/ABG%20-%20 1984%20En%20Managua,%20Las%20Elecciones%20Sandinistas. pdf

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