On April 25, 1990, Violetta CHAMORRO assumed Nicaragua's presidency. After 10 years of US hostility toward the Sandinistas, including financing the contra war and effecting an economic stranglehold on the country, CHAMORRO took the oath of office before a divided crowd of about 20,000. In her inaugural speech, CHAMORRO, a conservative elected in February, declared a political amnesty and ended the military draft. She also said that General Humberto ORTEGA would head the armed forces, but that she would be the defense minister. The retention of General ORTEGA has set off a furor in the fragile 14 party coalition behind CHAMORRO and has caused the contra leadership to balk at the newly signed disarmament agreement.