Spire.
unknown ex-student revolution, twin-engined Nicaragua. Both rockets missed.
Coordinator of the Honduran border.
But as the counter-revolutionaries, financed and armed grow boIder in their military actions, so their support inside the country diminishes. The Nicaraguan people are on a war-footing and this third anniversary celebration was no passive commemoration. The Slogan appears everywhere: 'We defend the revolution by building socialism'.
The official slogan of the day — 'Without counting the cost we will fulfill our duty to the country' signifies "no retreat' No retreat from the military tasks of defending the country and TaP tion, no retreat from exrenole une over the land they people" work; no retreat from the ambitious economic and ed and begun in health education, housing.
As Corinto was attacked we were boarding a bus to take us ine zu miles the capital.
Managua, Masaya. Over here demonstrarions begin ar ou in ine morning!
The young Condimista militia cuard wor has told ine the he was a maths teacher by tud:: was thoroughly his miliery detes. My pailed his ex-US any insce sub-machine gur pride, sinned, and wished La good day the celebration.
He had to stay behind and finish his guard duty at the hotel; every public building throughout the capital is guarded. By o'clock up to 30,000 had assembled in the plaza in Masaya, mainly local innantanes but alsO contingents and represenJULY is a month of revolution: on 14 July the starving people of France stormed the grim Bastille prison; on 4 July thirteen American states won formal independence from the British emcalled Fidel Castro stormed the Moncada barracks AT 5.30 in the morning, Monday 19 July, the day of the third anniversary of the Nicaraguan plane fired two rockets at a fuel depot at Corinto, northern So reported Commandante Daniel Ortega, Junta of National Reconstruction and member of the directorate FSLN a few hours later to the crowd of 40,000 assembled in Masaya to celebrate three years of the revolution. The plane attack is further reminder, if reminder is needed, of the state of war that exists in Nicaragua today. Armed attacks on Nicaraguan militia and installations occur daily, mainly from across the tatives from all the mass organisations the SanWorkers' Federation, the peasant organisaLOUS. the agricultural workers' union the Sandinista Youth, the national women's organisation and LIC Sandinista Defence Committees - local community organisations that sprang up during the insurrection and now form TInG Dass power' in Nicaragua.
The crowd had swelled the streets of this smal town. bv the time the nine members of the national directorate of the FSLN took their places on the podium, beneath the hand-painted foot mural of Augusto Sandino, Carlos Fonseca Amador and Rogoberto Lopez Perez.
This anniversary celebration was small com. pared to the 600,000 who filled the (CHILIC of Managua this time But this followed a policy decision to locate the alive ball celebrations in different towns each year to honour the different roles they played in the revolutionary war Al our demonstration there were only the local inhabitants plus the contingents from elsewhere.
who had walked al! the casc. the problems transport, especially in the context of the state of war that exists, just does not allow for the mansporting of huge numbers of people any particular place.
The choice of Masaya for this year's celebration has deen signiticance. he founder of the Nicaraguan Sandino, was born in thé region of Masaya.
MOrE recently, the town of Masaya played key role in te July 19/9 daily threat: insurrection and rightly deserves its title of 'heroic city'. It was of the places from where the final assault on Managua was launched; the Masayan Indian community that lit the fuse the insurrection the and the yeal history of this town's mili tant struggle goes back cennes to me resistance against the brutal colNot the Spanish conquistadores.
shows scars. The walls LOWIl of the houses peppered bullet holes, the bombed and gutted houses the final murderous days of Somoza and the young Sandinista war-victims, crippled and limping towards the town centre. There are too many heroes namea rom unis town alone but a short list gle is read out slowly to the crowd.
After each name the demonstration "They're here!' The Ivals niversary honours its dead all not with sorrow but with the promise to complete the struggle to the end.
Guest of honour was the President Venezuela, CHIS Herrara Campins, who received a luke-warm recephon hon the crowd. His speech was continually interrupted slogans of 'Socialism!' from the Sandinista Youth.
But Venezuela has, for opportunistic government fit, provided Nicaragua with desperate. ly needed technology and oil. And with Washington nearing another Vietnam type involvemen! in the *lohn Harrison on •Economic Crisis in Santiago de Cuba. The attack failed, but the movement formed from it the July 26 Movement - inspired and then led the Cuban revolution. And on These revolutions are now our eye-witness report this threat as they celebrate region, the Sandinista government has to maintain good relations with those Latin American governments that are compelled to pay lip service to revoluof tion, whether they Venezuela or Argentina.
But the crowd roared to greet Ortega when he rose speak. At гететелсі made destabilisation campaign of the Reagan administration the US ambassador lett his seat on the podium and walked off in a huff.
The theme of the Commandante's speech was the consolidation of revolution and the need to go forward. Detail detail he went through the different areas of national reconstruction and defence of the need to arm the entire people, need to extend right tenure peasants, of the need to excooperatives into wider areas of the countryside of the need to reach production of staple crops, and of the need to extend the mass organisations that now encompass an incredible one half of the entire population 'Production - Study - Defence' Ortega left no room for anyone to think that Nicaragu: might hold back because of the threat of imperialist intervention.
And when the crowd replied 'No Pasaran' 'They shall not pass' - to each of the tasks that were spelled out, they were replying to Reagan, to the ex-Somozist counter-revolutionaries, nobelo. to the Sandinista renegade Eden Weekend Oose: 10/22 l eatal London eune * Bea Campbell & ya! Contas debate hardt roadom * Men Livingstone, Frances Morrot & Alan Freeman debate 'The New Labour Leti * Ernest Mandet on 'Socialiss Democracy' * John Ross on Break-Up of British Politics" * Bernadette McAliskey & Perry Anderson also invited Tickets: Just f4 for whole wcekend, t2.50 per day. Creche provided.
Write 1o: International 'Dehating Socialism', PO Box 50, London N1 2XP.
Mark the date in your diary now - 23/24 October! are be the the by of the the Pastora, to the reactionary 'La Prensa', and also to all the 'faint-hearts' and 'crypaoles who do love revolution and who will not fight for its successful conclusion.
By a picture of Lenin to our bus tor the return Journey Managua were agair reminded 'We defend the revolution by building socialism' The workers movement throughout the owes to Nicaraguan people to fight to stay the hand of US imperialism and to support ex- wholeheartedly this unfolding revolution. the the still Juiy: August issue now out!
Singer on Poland; freedom; Clara Runco on Argentina; women workers Socialis: Cre • Volume 7 N includes: Andrew Gamble on Thaberism; Danie!
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Since World War II, another two dates have been added to the calendar of revolution. On 26 July 1953, the year of Stalin's death, 120 people led by an
facing their third year of revolution.
19 July 1979 the Nicaraguan revolution deposed the hated president Somoza.
from ANDY DE LA TOUR in Masaya, Nicaragua, tells how the people
nemational 'Debating Socialism'
war at to