Violeta Chamorro was the first female president in Latin America. In 1990, she defeated Daniel Ortega after a bloody civil war that left more than 50,000 dead in Nicaragua. Her most symbolic act as president was in September 1990, when thousands of weapons were buried in Managua's Parc de la Pau. She is also recognized for her work in democratizing the Central American country, which experienced almost 10 years of civil war following the triumph of the Sandinista Revolution in 1979.