UK Cigar Scene Magazine September Issue 9 | Page 30

La Joya De Nicaragua
Interview with Juan Martínez
Part 2
Before the London La Joya De Nicaragua launch we met Juan
Martinez in London. After the interview Juan met Derek Harris who
was the first Britain to import the company’s cigars in the 1970s. In
the second part of the interview we discuss the period of Derek’s
visit, the turmoil of the revolution and the company’s rebuilding to
become a major producer again.
During the evening Juan spent time with Derek
and spoke at length about the heritage of the
company which is so highly valued. Derek also
revealed an amazing book of photographs from
March 1976. The photographs were taken by a
German distributor of Derek’s and are extremely
rare as all the company’s records were lost when
the factory was burned during the revolution.
In the first part of our interview with Juan we
reached the stage in the country’s history where
President Somoza took total control of the
company.
The President sent boxes of cigars all over the
world as diplomatic gifts. Every delegation which
visited the country and every visiting delegation
heading to other countries gave a gift of Joya
de Nicaragua cigars. This is a tradition which
continues to this day with the cigars personalised
to the receiving diplomat.
President Samoza put his own people in charge
and the factory expanded. By 1968 the factory
was producing nine million cigars each year
and employing 200 people. . (Today the whole
Nicaraguan industry produces over 200 million
cigars annually) Three smaller factories had been
consolidated into one new factory which is still
used today
In 1972 the revolutionary movement started
and there was fighting in many areas. Much of
the fighting took place around the main tobacco
production area near Esteli. This was the period
29

when Derek Harris’s distributors visited the
factory and took the photographs. The album was
scanned and sent to Nicaragua to add to their
historic record.
Then in 1979 the dictatorship was overthrown.
During the whole period of the revolution the
factory continued to produce cigars. Even when it
was burned down, by the Samoza forces. During
this period the factory was used as a base for
snipers as it was the tallest building in Esteli.
When the factory was burned down, the rollers
continued to roll cigars out in the open in
the yards around the factory and the workers
gradually rebuilt the factory. Today the factory still
has the marks of the war and the fire which is kept
as a reminder,
From 1979 the Sandinista government was
supported by the Russia and the Cubans meant
that all Nicaraguan products were banned from
the US market. The Contra scandal was in full flow
at this time which financed the war in Nicaragua
financing the anti revolutionary forces; again the
fighting took part in the northern tobacco growing
area. Many of the tobacco fields were mined.
The men fought and the factory was run by
women, a tradition which continues today. The
company looked for foreign markets. Cigars
were traded to Russia in exchange for food, oil
and weapons. At this time Juan’s father was the
minister of trade in the Samoza government.