Sandinismo was fundamentally a movement of the poorest of the poor, many of whom did not even have jobs, much less labor unions. It was born out of landlessness, exploitative agro-export capitalism, and urban squalor. Although most Sandinistas were the lowest-income members of one of the poorest Latin American nations, Sandinismo was also a movement that joined together like-minded opponents of dictatorship who themselves came from many different walks of life. It was a movement deeply grounded in and aware of mainstream currents of political thinking and economic interdependence worldwide. Its leaders and thinkers exhibited profound awareness of the causes and consequences of wealth and poverty, even as many of its followers knew they were excluded from wealth and participation in the global economy.

Although Nicaragua is a poor nation lacking extensive natural resources, a vast market, or a strong economy, it benefits from its geographical location near the United States and at the heart of Latin America.