In the 1950s and 1960s there was significant related to the establishment Central American Common Market. This slowed down considerably in the late 1960s.
The economy still revolves around the export of coffee, sugar cane, which together account for 60 per cent of foreign earnings. Industry and services remainder.
Most industry is foreign-owned, with US investors predominating.
The result has been the growth of suolg based on an urban as well as rural working class. •LOW make uD 8 Der Salvador's labour force.
There are more than 80,000 trade union members. Many smaller unions have tended unity consciousness has risen.
The power of these workers was impressively demonstrated in March 1979, whèn a co-ordinated strike was called by several thiohs in different By pulling IOT 40 HOUTS.
was no development, electricity is needed to of a colton, and masses' standard consequence make up the mass organisations, workers cent of EI conrontations as class me olner, • for political prisoners. electrical workers cut off the flow of electrical energy to the whole country Not a single factory ran. There transportation, because operate the petrol pumps. Lifts in office buildings didn't work. The government had to give in to the workers' demands - a back. big blow to the ruling oligarchy.
Struggles have multiplied in the context of a constant lowering of the living, of the world-wide capitalist economic crisis which began to take hold in the mid-1970s, and of repression against the workers and popular movements.
This led to the rise of new militant and to armed struggle in the cities and countryside.
In the recent period, El Salvador has gone through tremendous class Strikes and factory takeovers to demand a rise in wages and a hat to repression against the workers' movement occur one after Mao street demonstra. tions, occupations of churches, and other actions in support of democratic rights - in particular freedom activities of right-wing bands hired by the landowners and aided and abetted by the government.
Throughout El Salvador
repressive forces on one side and popular mobilisations on the other have brought the country to the brink of civil war. Despite the repression, the masses show no sign of drawing The Salvadoran workers peasants organisations, unions, and peasant federations — have been standing up to the unofficial and official armed forces in the service of the landowners and US and drawing revolutionary conclusions about what is needed to change their country Massacres and brutal repression are meeting a combative, organised response on the part of the masses.
Unity on the Left There is an increasingly united response the left. revolutionary organisations moved towards fusing their forces; inspired by and understanding the General Romero, have pressure. of supported the junta which replaced and its members even joined the cabinet. But the rising mass struggle, the repression, and the revolutionary, organisations led the CP to withdraw brutal Salvador.
AIl:
list Challenge 17
A photo-report from the streets of San Salvador