major Throughout 1982, the Keagan administration planned to militarily exhaust the El Salvador rebel forces of the Farabundo Marți National Liberation Front (FMLN) and isolate, by intensified repression, шс рорша icaacrsnp oi SERC Democratic Revolutionary Front (FDR) from Military and economic aid to the regime of President Alvaro Magana, the tune of $230 million was vital for this.
Essential too was the destabilisation in Nicaragua, which gives inspiration and contidence to the liberation struggle of the El Salvador people.
Meanwhile, the US had to defuse international disquiet and domestic opposition stimulating superficial reforms and numan rignts improvements - starting witn the phoney El Salvador elections last March. PRESIDENT Reagan woke up to 1983 with a Central American headache. The first few weeks of January have aggravated it. CELIA PUGH looks at recent developments in and driven FMLN-FDR SUDDOLL LUCETOUnCE the towns. In November a wave of strikes turned this all employees on bee 8,000 employees Agriculture went on strike. To circumvent a ban on strikes, they went to their workplaces perform their duties.
Similar Was taken in solidarity by 1,300 CHISIUYCCOUE the public works and tourism ministeries. There strikes against Wage bUll trols at the El Leon spinn ing mul, te castalan saca factory and the Montagi construction company San Salvador, as well western city of Santa Ana.
The Sandinista government of Nicaragua successfully rebuffed CIA backed attacks from the Honduras - DOTECE These still continue there have OCCI 12 Incidents since Christmas -but on a far smaller scale, reactionary Somacista bands lick their wounds, following a major defeat at the end of They had sent in three TIES armed Sigifredo Ochoa establish a 'liberated zone' and alternative Somacista capital in Jalapa. They hoped to spark insurrection in an area, where support for the big rICe The reactionaries sucCCCUCe Oily CONYHICHE more of the Jalapa people the Sandinista organisations and were forced back over the border by Sandinista troophile the FDR-FMLN gained in strength, the torces of the E Salvador regime fell into disaray.
partial reforms demanded by . imperialism, to placate opposition at and abroad, met sharp resistance from the poweras ful coffee controlling oligarchy and from the extreme right wing butchers of d'Aubuisson's ARENA party, who were March "ballot of fear"
Divisions over military tactics, aCCUSaLOEs counter-accusations corruption have deepened rifts. shattered ¡'Aubuisson's coalition government driven the ruling parties.
Backed by the US ambassador Deane Hinton, President Magana and Right wing rebel commander Lieutenant-Colonel Defence Minister, general Garcia moved to isolate d'Aubuisson's supporters, removing key military posts challenging them the Constituent Assembly.
Resistance from the extreme right was swift, with LIC headline grabbing takeover of the Cananas parison on 8 January by commander Ochoa Perez in protest at his proposed removal to the embassy in Uruguay. stirred demoralisation in the army ranks. The wil to fight to the death has been policy of the FMEN turiner sapped the release prisoners to the Red Cross. January Sunday Times quotes an American expert *It still remains an unfulfilled promise Of the large farms, 328 have been turned into cooperatives but only -22 have been given full title to the land. On small farms 38,837 tenants have so far their land but only 408 have been given full title f the 1984 elections.
FDR president Dr Guillermo ungo comments.
•We do not believe in the kind of elections tha Salvador for the past fifty nad years and waico we are to have once again. We do стосгасу of the fascists We think that democratic elections nave to be part o a broader political solution to the Salvadorean and that egin with an dialogue without any conardons, which should led to negotiations that would include ceasing hostilities This call for negotiations has been taken up in many Central American and European countries where Reagan allies This further isolates SIOOKS the El Salvador regime and undermines US plans to smash the DR-FIN United States backing for Thatcher's Malvinas war did little to help. In protest withdrew its army persone the CIA backed forces on the Hondurasborder. On 9 January, foreign Panama.
Venezuela. Colombia and Mexico issued a statement FMLN FOR ZONES OF CONTRO condemning outside intervention in the region and favouring negotiations.
Luis was rollowca D an 87 delegate meeting of the Non-Aligned Nations January, ranich condemned US policy in the region No doubt Reagan and Deane will drive certification through Congress later this month. But the going 1 getting tougher.
Their old project is in tat ters. They now have only OPENS CE make substantial concesSIONS Cane forces and negotiate, or to play their linal card. out and open military in tervention of US troops.
Direct military Intervention EI and would stir up major and damaging opposition th me an abroad, Vien at home and abroad. nam has taught US imperialism that always assure of nory the option negotiations and major concessions to the liberaLabour Movement Conference on El Salvador County Hall. London 14 Mav 198' For information write to:
Campaign, 29 Islington Park St., London N1.
An Evening for Nicaragua JUNE Shaftesbury Theatre, Shaftesbury Ave. Londor Tickets from NSC HONDURAS PACIFIC OCEAN tion forces will meet with fierce resistance from US imperialism's props in the El Salvador oligarchy. will greatly increase the expectation of El Salvador workers and peasants that control over their lives 1s on the agenda.
Whatever the US manoeuvres, is clear that will he the aged on i the Salvador perialism will go to an engths to stop i The vigilance of the FDR-FMLN and their determination to extend the liberation struggle should be echoed by the solidarity movement world-wide.
Saivado Solidarity Campaign, labour movement ference in London on MaTrade union Labour Party and LPYS branches should be discussions and that British Labour Movement can consider is ooposito! to US intervention in Central America the grovelling backing of the Thatcher Government El Salvador Solidarity Rik Mayal, Alexei Sayle 50, 15.50, 14.50 Terrace, London