evidence: WASHINGTON — In October 1985, a few months after Bernie Sanders traveled to Nicaragua to celebrate the sixth anniversary of that country's socialist revolution, the Soviet-backed government suspended the civil liberties of its citizens, including the rights to free speech, free assembly and labor strikes. [...] Perhaps Sanders' biggest move outside the political mainstream was his embrace of Nicaragua's Sandinista revolution, well after most Democrats — and regional experts — had labeled the country an authoritarian Soviet client that was violating human rights. [...] Sanders acknowledged Nicaragua and Cuba were not liberal democracies, but "it's not an issue that he dwells on," said William LeoGrande, a professor of government at American University and a specialist on U.S. foreign policy toward Latin America. "He emphasizes the positive things they've done. "