Intercontinental Press on Bloomington, Indiana, conference of the the Augus general in Salvador. have received TO VItO the rather aimed at further, How have the been terms popular and preparation for sharper the As you the main was a political-military one. 1 lal is, to lake a look al unit level of preparation and development of the people's militias.
As a result of the strike, we can point out the most important aspects of struggle. In the first place, the deve opment of the people's ¿ militias: extended further. have been They had their test of fire in the strike, and have continued to grow quite substantially:
Secondly, in terms of the confrontations are becoming generalised and there al C more every day. this our important to point because the so-called serious media either covering it ur or else is publicising only the statements of the repressive salve this that the The truth THE following interview with Ruben Zamora, during a •national going Daltie confronting the army, and SCCUTELY paramilitary bands of military/Christian Democratic dictatorship on a of the country.
What we have seen since August is an upturn in the armed Salvador, through actions in which up to 120 members of the security forces and the ally nave fallen. confrontations have five or seven hours shown its superiority in terms of the morale and quality of its combatants. This contrasts tremendously the morale of the regular forces of the government, despite all the military apparatus and despite the supplies the United States has providing.
So it could be said that the revolutonary war has already begun in El Salvador?
Certainiv. We see the war process as a long one, various stages. in this sense. the revolutionary war already began quite some time ago. w nal monster pointed now is that we have entered a new stage in the the stage harassment the forces.
We might say that the obthe enemy, to immobilise the regular army and the securit! forces by means systematic harassment in and the the the EI lasted army has low been 4/1 the people's army is carrying Vul.
What is the situation of the economyr In fact, situation of struggle and war, the economy. of El Salvador is through crisis in parable only to the crisis ot 1930. generalised Private investment has not regular only come to a halt this year there vestments have out of the country. tober of last vear foreign in the vestment has dropped by that This, of devastating because of the factory harvests, and so on: possibility the worst As history, comyear's figures there has even been Earlier 1111 been taken per Since Oceconomic since ine about deposited disinvestment, capital. been 'agrarian Salvador.
crete TOOTHS famine harvested, The majority population. has make effect on the whole: cessioe unemployment has risen by 15 per cent this year because of carrying out tavos (1 for government revenues through taxation, if we compare what the regime has taken in this year with last see ina been a drop of 20.6 or a percent so ne cent. situation is really banking sources have calculated that beginning 1979 $1.5bn the country. This has taken place in we was on one land.m come from exports does not in banks in the United States or in Europe On the other hand, there is what we pointed to earlier removal Even machinery has taken dustrial plants of the country.
Much is being made in the US news media of the reform in EI But I have also seen reports that the coneffects OT these could mean this year - that. are being.. What can you tell us about military/Christian Democratic junta's supposed agrarian reform is certainly having some negative effects on production. The country is going to suffer a severe shortage of beans this year.
Along corn, beans make up the basic diet of the peasantry.- that is, of the Salvadoran The price of beans has reached levels that them practically inacyear a pound of beans cost between 70 and 81 centavos; this year they have reached 2 colones and 40 cen16p). there has been a tremendous drop in bean production with a corresponding shortage. and price inflation As for corn, the situation is not so serious.
terms of agricultural export products which provide the bulk of the country's foreign currency income, cotton production has dropped by around 30 per cent.
don't yet have the
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secretary of the External Commission of the Revolutionary Democratic Front (FDR) of El Salvador, was conducted by Fred Murphy of
Latin American Studies people's a into Earsal and