ple of the Caribbean island onialism offered by the Photo: JERRY HUNNICUTT (IP/I)
Grenada, 13 March 1980 What was Ilfe like in Grenada under the regime of Eric Gairy?
When Gairy came to power in 1951 he captured the imagination of the workers; they expected him to eliminate the old administrative system. It turned out that Gairy had no such intention. He saw himself as taking over the position of the old colonial master.
He surrounded himself Grenada Defence Force (GDF) as a vigilante group to protect private property. He became very close to Chile with General Pinochet as his military advisor.
On the economic front there had been no development. In 78 only three people received scholarships for higher education, and they happened to be children of government ministers. Although the Tourist Board existed, there was no planned development and we had to import most of the food to feed the tourists.
Decisions were taken on a very ad-hoc basis. Those First Anniversary of Revolution Celebration in Could you describe the revolution itself?
Every time that Gairy decided to leave the island there would be all sorts of searches of the leadership of the NJM. In March '79, Gairy decided that he was going to attend the United Nations We received information that the NJM leaders were to be assassinated. Their homes were searched by officers of the GDF and police, but the NJM leaders had gone into hiding. It was clear thai either there would have to be a vlove to change the government or the entire leadership of the NJM would be murdered.
Having taken the decision to change the government, our leadership mobilised the NJM. place attacked was the headquarters of the GDF. One person died in the revolution, a police inspector who had been trained in Chile.
Then we seized the radio station and the leadership called the people to arms All the police stations on the island surrendered when they found that they had no supEric Gairy.
The shock time The first years.
The revolution was so medical certificates, other public clinic.
amounts to $40-50 a month.
has also doubled.
27 September 30.
our society is in a socialist direction.
Since 13 March we have moved decisively in that direction, on the basis that in building a sovereign coun try we do not wish to interfere in any other coun DOCTORS in Grenada have agreed jointly with the Provisional Revolutionary Government to stop all private practice in hospitals and other public health centres.
From the beginning of October thousands of poor Grenadians no longer had to pay for basic care or for prescriptions, government hospital, visiting station, health centre, or An average Grenadian family of seven makes approximately three visits a month to a doctor, so the saving The number of doctors working in the country has almost doubled, from 19 to 35. The number of specialists From the Free West Indian, published in Grenada, try's internal affairs; and we expect that they will not inof Grenada.
Can you outline some of the measures taken by the PRG? to reject the road of coland governments. Instead they are following the revolutionary road of Cuba and the New Jewel Movement, American
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ON 13 March 1979 the peo- of Grenada overthrew the brutal colonial regime of revolution waves throughout the Caribbean; for the first black, speaking island had decided
sent English- Now it's free health care