THIS WEEKEND phoney elections are taking place in El Salvador, a country in which 30,000 people have been killed in the past year.
The war in El Salvador has become the pivot of a huge upsurge in the whole of Central America.
most of the America United States is supporting regimes which miserable oppression.
dominated families, while the mass of ordinary people live in dire poverty.
Every socialist, everyone concerned with basic democratic rights should support the people of El Salvador.
In 1979 the neighbouring Nicaragua was overthrown by a led by guerrillas. The Nicaraguan revolution spurred on the struggle in El Salvador and neighbouring Guatemala.
What is now at stake is the whole future of Central America, and the outcome or tne present struggle will have tremendous implications for Latin America as a whole.
The only reason regime of Duarte has survived in El is that millions of dollars worth of US military aid, together with dozens of military advisors.
who make up 10 per cent of the officer corps, have been poured in.
Reagan ana responsible for El Salvador's agony.
Reagan is coming to Britain on 7 June. On 6 June tens of thousands dreds of thousands on the demonstration called by CND.
But it is no accident that Reagan, the maniac, is also Salvador.
The nuclear missiles and the arms sent to the El Salvadorean junta are part of the same process of arming the United States to keep the free for 'democracy' - in other words to keep it free for the profits of the American multinational corporations.
That's why Socialist Challenge says that on 6 June the fight against missile madness and solidarity with El Salvador should be linked together in the fight to stop Reagan.
HUACHAPAN Lo., Tena /Santa-Tecla LA LIBERTAD Zones held by the guerillas 0U Km If you would like to be put in touch with Socialist Challenge supporters in your area or would like more information fill in the form below Name.....
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Socats: Chalenge 25 Marit countries of Central and in many more besides - the VIGOUS TOnt" defend the most The economy of by fourteen SUOL and social justice Somoza dictatorship in the sandinista the right-wing Salvador This buddies are probably hun- will march against him the butcher of El Western-dominated =age 2 representative of the FDR. Phil Hearse spoke to him last week. Q. Who do you think assassinated the four Dutch journalists killed last week and why the death squads or the army? differentiate between I don't think you can the government and the death squads. The death squads operate as part oi tne arm• ed forces in El Salvador. The death squads do the dirty jobs the army doesn't want to do openly.
The Dutch journalists were assassinated because there are 300 journalists in cover the so-called 'election' which everyone knows is a fraud.
The right wing sectors in the army, the death squads have decided to terrorise the journalists sO they don't report what is happening. So that there are no witnesses. Q. It seems likely that among those few peo ple who will vote, President defeated by deathsquads' D' Abuisson. do won't it you think that cause big pro- is, and blems for Ine United States?
HONDURAS Sarancisco.
A. As a result of the war and the position the DR/FMLN, there will br a high level of abstentions.
leaves voung the middle sectors in the cities, and the upper middle class and the oligarchy.
Some of those people call Duarte a 'communist'!
They don't want even tiny reforms; they would love to have as president someI don't think it will be very embarrassing for the United States D'Abuisson wins. Whoever wins in will be all right United States. If Duarte wins, they would prefer that because it will preserve the tacade, it will allow them to intensify the counterwal But if D'Abuisson wins he might pressurise the United States to call upon Latin American force •to help them fight 'communism' The United States have also considered this possibility but would prefer to implement it in their own time rather thar being pressurised by the Salvadorean right.
Q. In January 1981 the FMLN launched its 'fina After failure to overthrow the junta, the regime went on a counter-offensive. But now the regime is in How do you account for the military turn-around?
A. The offensive of 1981 was never called a 'final offensive' by the FMLN that name was given to FMLN called it a 'general time the FMLN army was only an army in formation, at a very early stage. It happened at the time when the political organisations were turnins into real political-military organisations.
We never thought this was a war which would be won in big Since the general offensive of 1981 the guerrilla army has developed into a real army, well organised and trained, led by people witł dedication and great ex perience.
So the FMLN is more effective, despite the fact that there has been a great difficulty obtaining arms and ammunition which are badly needed As far as determination, morale and discipline are concerned, that has changed qualitative. At the same time the Salvadorean army has been falling to pieces, its morale is a very low ebb. Mr Reagan can send the Salvadorean Army al• maments training helicopters, etc. but the one thing he can't send them is morale!
Q. Is it possible that the first major attack that the US will make will be on Nicaragua and not El A. The danger of an attack on Nicaragua is a very real one. The Nicaraguan government had to bring in a state of emergency because they are being constantly attacked from the Honauran borae • [WO 1• portant bridges destroyed a week ago.
The Nicaraguan meeting of the United Nations Security Council in which they But whether it might happen after or combined with an attack on El Salvador is difficult to say. I'm sure the US government is discussing the moment the different possibilities.
Q. How do you assess the attitude of the British government? A. John Pilger demonstrated in the Guardian that the United Kingdom had contributed over million pounds to an IMF loan to El Salvador.
Britain the stely only Europe sending observers country to the election, the only country in NATO doing so, and one of only eight countries out of sixty-eight which were asked to send ooservers alulle other 'democracies like Uruguay, and so on!
Denis Healey in Labour Weekly that Britain has agreed to ment in the negotiations I think that in general Britain hasn't got a policy towards the region cept aligning itself with the Q. What are the main points of the pro.
FDR/ gramme of the what kind of society are you fighting for?
A. democratic society, from outside intervention. We work for the majority the peasants, Lae workers, the intellectuals. the middle classer and against the tiny oligarchy who run the country.
We are going to blish an agrarian reform, develop a mixed economy with a privat and a shall carry out a literacy campaign. We are a revolution against imperialism and against the oligarchy which run the country. Q. So what kind of international solidarit d: A. International solidarity trom lne peoples ol in world has been very im portant. understood that from the very beginn ing If the people of the world didn't know wha vor happening in l dor killing, LOTLUE anc I the rest would probably be a hundred times worse. International support has helped to restrict the war of aggression the Salvadorean people. We would also like material support as well.
Task people _ in Western Europe and espe cially Britain put pressure on their governments not to support the in anothe misadventure of the Vietnam type demand People The should of Margaret Thatcher Britain is sending observers to the elections, Britain is participating in NATO manoeuvres in the Caribbean and tell her to stop supporting Reagan's
By Jean-Pierre Beauvais in El Salvador Night fell a few minutes ago. The darkness is almost complete, barely moonlight and the fluttering modest candles.
In the organisation for life in the zones controlled by the revolutionists, discussion'.
Arturo, the discussion leader. comments Ul1 the given by the FMLN radio actions that took place the previous day throughout failure of the that involved more than two thousand government soldiers in the key area Ille Guazapa volcano, reactions to Reagan's speech the Organisation of American Washington, international solidarity, and so on.
The radio station decisive. In sucn a remore place, which can only be reached ov owe lord tuous road and then continuing on toot for several the radio keeps everybody aware every day that they are part of something bigger than an isolated nucleus, that their might is part or a growing nationwide struggle, that they have the support of a vast movement of internatonal soldarity.
Radio touched by dim flames of two 'encampment', the centre of the it is the time for 'political Nicaraguans, or Russians that inspire the hopes that flash in otherwise timid eyes that contrast CVES with the marks left forever on these people's faces by years of hunger, sickness, and resignation. The simple language spoken here reflects a conviction borne our or a dally experience oi superexploitation thè old conviction society cannot be endured any longer, a conviction that there be revolution.
Remote These liberated zones today cover a good third of the territory of El Salvador. generally these are also the most Temole the LUSI backward, and the least 'usetul economicallv this country, which is nu larger krench departments (or a couple of American, Irish counties).
existence this gave rise to a lot o
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one like D'Abuisson, who openly represents their in-
Salvador Moncada, preparing to intervene.
send observers to curry representative of the FDR