You are watching a scene from a Hollywood film (albeit a VERY good film). The reprter who dies here is Gene Hackman, and this scene is memorable! No real effort to TOTALY re-enact the death was made... why should it be?
Remember watching a video of the shooting on the evening news, I was horrified and it was nothing like shown here, Bill was lying face down on the street when shot by the Nicaraguan soldier..
yeah actually that soldier was a simple soldier with no education who only knew was shoot a rifle. Stories say here that after that happened , somoza himself send it to kill the soldier.. Nobody knows exactly what happened with the soldier who kill bill stewart and the Nicaraguan translator. National guard was stressed after batling with the FSLN and that happened with the soldier.
What seems to be more reasonable to believe is that Castro, whose arch-rival was Somoza, payed him back for the US invasion at the Bay of Pigs in 1961 where Nicaragua and the Somoza dynasty were in favor of the US and offer considerable logistical support. Another possibility is that an international network of communists, with connections in the US, organized it. When will we ever know anything for sure ? But we are all statistical by nature.. exactly the opposite to PC's..
..They also shoot the cameraman filming from close distance, but they do not smash his camera. Further, the film gets processed and ends up on the TV networks in the US ! There were no pinhole cameras those days, there were no satellite uplinks and live feeds. Every military in the world for the last 100 years knows to smash a camera and get the film out in the light to be destroyed. This has been an obsession for every military personnel around the entire world.
However, there is no precise reason for the shooting other than manufacturing this video outrage. The true video, although played repeatedly on all networks at the time, is no longer available. My suspicion is the guys there were exactly murdered for the only reason of making the movie, putting it on TV and creating outrage. There are too many discrepancies in the story. The US was practically the only support for Somoza yet his soldiers shoot two reporters with complete papers. They also shoot.
That's a movie, "Under Fire" in 1983 four years after the incident. The video apparently ended up being played repeatedly in the US and in the rest of the world and effectively caused the US to give up supporting the Somoza regime in Nicaragua. Previously, US was arguing Somoza may be a dictator but at least he is anticommunist. After the outrage the political support for Somoza could no longer be sustained.
I remember watching this on the news in 1979. Yes, this movie is inaccurate. Bill Stewart was forced to lie facedown prior to being shot point blank in the head. His body convulsed from the shock. It was gruesome and horrific to watch. I was a 19 year old college student at the time and was filled with horror for him and his family.
Thousands of Nicaraguans died due to the somoza dinasty and Usa was ok with Somoza. One american had to die and Usa said that somoza is a murder and dictator. No offense but thats the typical occidental hypocrisy.
knocked that stupid smile right off his face. I guess the soldiers can't hit a thing unless the muzzle is inches away from the victim cause they shot at the guy 100 times and didn't get hit once. Stupid movies.
Bill Stewart was shot behind the right ear while laying down with his hands up; his translator was standing with him and was also shot; they were in a van, not a car; and two other people were with them who remained in the van, and secretely videotaped (not took pictures of) the whole incident.
The real account is in The Death of Ben Linder: The Story of a North American in Sandinista Nicaragua. by Joan Kruckewitt, page 55-6.
@therebelwaltz I don't think it's supposed to be a historical reenactment, so complete accuracy isn't really a requirement. The filmmakers have certainly conveyed the shock and horror of the incident accurately, though.
You are watching a scene from a Hollywood film (albeit a VERY good film). The reprter who dies here is Gene Hackman, and this scene is memorable! No real effort to TOTALY re-enact the death was made... why should it be?
andreaprodan 4 months ago
Remember watching a video of the shooting on the evening news, I was horrified and it was nothing like shown here, Bill was lying face down on the street when shot by the Nicaraguan soldier..
varbren 4 months ago
Sadly what happend to BILL happend to MANY Nicaraguans during the somozas Dictatorship!
donaldflores96 6 months ago
in the words of George Carlin "we'll bomb the shit out of some brown people"
RonnieRambin 6 months ago
yeah actually that soldier was a simple soldier with no education who only knew was shoot a rifle. Stories say here that after that happened , somoza himself send it to kill the soldier.. Nobody knows exactly what happened with the soldier who kill bill stewart and the Nicaraguan translator. National guard was stressed after batling with the FSLN and that happened with the soldier.
SanNicaragua 8 months ago
Those ''Jungle monkeys'' were trained and armed by your white goverment so what do you say to that
SanNicaragua 8 months ago
Rest in Peace Bill Stewart +20 6 79
SanNicaragua 8 months ago
What seems to be more reasonable to believe is that Castro, whose arch-rival was Somoza, payed him back for the US invasion at the Bay of Pigs in 1961 where Nicaragua and the Somoza dynasty were in favor of the US and offer considerable logistical support. Another possibility is that an international network of communists, with connections in the US, organized it. When will we ever know anything for sure ? But we are all statistical by nature.. exactly the opposite to PC's..
IuriMedved 9 months ago
..They also shoot the cameraman filming from close distance, but they do not smash his camera. Further, the film gets processed and ends up on the TV networks in the US ! There were no pinhole cameras those days, there were no satellite uplinks and live feeds. Every military in the world for the last 100 years knows to smash a camera and get the film out in the light to be destroyed. This has been an obsession for every military personnel around the entire world.
IuriMedved 9 months ago
However, there is no precise reason for the shooting other than manufacturing this video outrage. The true video, although played repeatedly on all networks at the time, is no longer available. My suspicion is the guys there were exactly murdered for the only reason of making the movie, putting it on TV and creating outrage. There are too many discrepancies in the story. The US was practically the only support for Somoza yet his soldiers shoot two reporters with complete papers. They also shoot.
IuriMedved 9 months ago
That's a movie, "Under Fire" in 1983 four years after the incident. The video apparently ended up being played repeatedly in the US and in the rest of the world and effectively caused the US to give up supporting the Somoza regime in Nicaragua. Previously, US was arguing Somoza may be a dictator but at least he is anticommunist. After the outrage the political support for Somoza could no longer be sustained.
IuriMedved 9 months ago
I remember watching this on the news in 1979. Yes, this movie is inaccurate. Bill Stewart was forced to lie facedown prior to being shot point blank in the head. His body convulsed from the shock. It was gruesome and horrific to watch. I was a 19 year old college student at the time and was filled with horror for him and his family.
jwalters38 11 months ago
Thousands of Nicaraguans died due to the somoza dinasty and Usa was ok with Somoza. One american had to die and Usa said that somoza is a murder and dictator. No offense but thats the typical occidental hypocrisy.
SanNicaragua 8 months ago
knocked that stupid smile right off his face. I guess the soldiers can't hit a thing unless the muzzle is inches away from the victim cause they shot at the guy 100 times and didn't get hit once. Stupid movies.
ObamaTheRealLoser 1 year ago
those jungle monkeys were the result of the bosses of you in Washington.
harryged 2 years ago
there was a video of the real footage a year ago. Why was it taken off. it was a bit graphic but not that merited taking it off.
harryged 2 years ago
esa es una pelicula sobre la guerra en nicaragua somoza los fsln
mangelmem 2 years ago
This is completely inaccurate.
Bill Stewart was shot behind the right ear while laying down with his hands up; his translator was standing with him and was also shot; they were in a van, not a car; and two other people were with them who remained in the van, and secretely videotaped (not took pictures of) the whole incident.
The real account is in The Death of Ben Linder: The Story of a North American in Sandinista Nicaragua. by Joan Kruckewitt, page 55-6.
therebelwaltz 2 years ago
@therebelwaltz I don't think it's supposed to be a historical reenactment, so complete accuracy isn't really a requirement. The filmmakers have certainly conveyed the shock and horror of the incident accurately, though.
faville 1 year ago