Nicaraguans prepare to defend their revolution positioned themselves in ritorial waters off government extended tion was attacked from a new direction.
Adding fuel to the imperialists' fire, former overna commarucr cucu Pastora ('Commander Zero') who describes himself as the 'most loved of all the commanders, but who is currently busy reopening the business interests he nela in Costa Rica before the revolution chose week publicly declare his Socialist Challenge 6. May 1982 WHILE WASHINGTON is talking about opening negotiations on relations with the government in Nicaragua, four US destroyers have Nicaragua's the Atlantic Coast.
Nicaraguans are wondering if this new act of aggression is a step toward a naval blockade.
On 15 April, the very day the Nicaraguan the current state of emergency for 30 days, the Nicaraguan revoludegree turn to the right. betrayal the revolution. he delivered an anticommunist tirade, declaring that the time had come to straighten things out' in Nicaragua 'by driving. the government out with bullets' Ten months ago, Pastora left telling friends he was headGuatemala to continue Che Guevara's internationalist heritage.
Yet on 15 April, he personally invited some Journalso lo alcws Lon ference in a luxury hotel outskirts San LICI José, Costa Rica, with the opposite goal in mind. At the press conference Pastora read a two-hour long statement.
He accused the nine commanders Ine revolution of betraying inel OCODIC 'alienating' US imDeals l He said this could the United states to attack and 'could cost the lives of 200,000 people Making no reference to the complete military encirclement OT revolutionary forces, Pastora argued that Nicaragua was engaged in dangerous military buildup.
He complained of the alleged Cuban and Soviet "military presence Nicaragua, calling on the Nicaraguan people to 're main on a war footing' long as a single foreign soldier remains in the country.
Pastora threatened 'military action' to change the course of the revolution. He complained about land and factories being confiscated.
Nobody would deny that Edén Pastora played a significant role the Nicaraguan revolution He narticipated in the armed opposition actions of the 1950s. In the 1960s he helped in recruitment and carried out logistical work for Sandinista guerrilla operations.
He lived in exile until he returned 'ComAugust, 1978, attack on the National malay imprisoned through which many Sandinista leaders were freed. During the final offensive he became the military commander of the Southern Front.
After the revolution Pastora was assigned to be vice-Minister of Defense and was placed in charge of the Sandinista People's Militias. Indeed, Pastora was very popular. that getting rid of Somoza also meant getting rid of a whole system of rule propStates for more than a cen the United tury, which denied peasants access to the land they worked and kept the vast majority the population submerged in iliteracy, hunger, disease, and other ills. These social evils exist throughout Latin America — except in Cuba. They cannot eliminated without challenging the capitalist Pastora, businessman who comes from a landowning family.
willing to break was lul with his class and go all the way with the revolutionary process. become its open enemy.
When he lett year, allelutionaries fighting in allegedly Guatemala, every effort made maintain friendly relations him, 'despite increasingly disturbing reports received about the type of persons of dubious moral standing, and forces hostle to ine nicaraguan people and our revolution that he was surrounding himself with' Commander Ana Maria of Salvador's FMLN issued a statement expressing confidence that Pastora's betrayal would • in no way undermine the Nicaraguan revolution.
'When a leader betrays his people', she said and goes television cameras and reporters lo declare his treason, this does not divide the revolution from the people, but instead carns the traitor the hatred of those who formerly believed in him Her words were borne out throughour the country their militia cards which still bear Pastoras signature In demonstration downtown Managua April, hundreds of militia members showed their support for the govern ment by burning their old membership don't want a militia card signed by a traitor!' the! chanted PUBLIC RALLY Film Pre niere DECISION TO WIN (The First Fruits GUATEMALA CUBA THE BRITISH LABOUR MOVEMENT includin Dr. SALVADOF MONCADA of El Salvad‹ 7.00 pm Saturday May 15th Conway Hal Red Lion Square (Holborn e Perhaps the welcome response Pastora's betrayal cam Commander Jaim Wheelock, Minister of Agricultur Development and Agr rian Retorm. The da ollowing Pastora's pr conference, Wheelock i nounced that 28,000 mo manzanas of land (1 ma zana = 1.73 acres) wou be distributed to peasan around the country, as it revolution continued fulfill the pledge that campesino be From Intercontinental Press