183 MILLION doliars lost; 39 bridges destroyed or seriously damaged; 25 towns and villages cut off; sixty thousand people without roofs over their heads; 71 dead. These are the immediate results devastating floods that hit Nicaragua between 21 and 26 May.
The effects on Nicaraguan agriculture are more serious over the longer term. 60 per cent of the maize crop has been 300 hectares of vegetables; sh too anand percent in banana crop Chinandega (an important region for the crop), anc 0 per cent of the cotton of the same region.
In the industrial sector enterprises (41 Ila' tionalised and 21 privately owned) have been badly hit. This particularly effects the chemical, food and textile sectors.
This is a bitter blow to the revoluAnd, the Sandinista leadership expected, out of human misery and devastation the new imerialist campaign agains Nicaragua is taking shape Eden Pastora, an old leader of the Sandinistas, Ma in Costa Rica since CIA in Costa since earlier this year. But the period has seen the flight of several leaders of the bosses' organisation COSEP out of the country. These include capitalist Ilke Robelo and Dreyfus.
imperialists making big efforts to coordinate the forces of the counter revolution. It is no mystery where Robelo and Dreyfus move is designed to aid the line Their latest project of the imperialists - the creation of a government in exile. It is destruction hoped this way to give the enormously increased scale of Nicaragua's borders.
took place at Los Planes frontier post WIll GOIduras, on April 26. Four guards killed. eve-witness commented, and didn't know why they savage beasts were fighting. They kill ple and toneure them. Theple and torture them. fight only to kill; we fight for the workers and peasants revolution, TOT our Nicaragua. Story These counter revolutionary bands (the 'contras') are also active inside Te story. is tell the whole story. May was Popular Health day, which a tainted childrer vacanted against polio. On the same 'brigadist' health team was slaughtered in Matagalpe region. On that occasion the 'contras' disguised themselves as members of plain the extension of the These conditions They also explain behind the official slogan May day celebrations 'defend the revolution for the construction of socialism'.
There has been a huge mobilisation to deal devastation of the floods the disaster. And foreign journalists estimate tens of thousands have participated in rescue operations. Everywhere the contrast is drawn between the reaction of the Sandinista OI Somoza after the 1972 earthquake. Aid Somoza let the Nicaraguan people rot and pocketed the international aid. The Sandinistas have mobilised the Illass organisations, the defence Commotees. the Sandinista youth organisation, the national women's organisation and the trade unions. The response the people themselves, after their revolutionary expeniences was aeschocu by Miriam Laslo from the Council National The Sandinistas have mobilised the people to combat the Emergency.
The aid brigades, by the people themselves have medicines to come to the aid of the distressed.
Again, completely the opposite to the Somoza the Sandinistas have hit hard at those who try to use the emergency to jack up prices. Two hundred recently sentenced by the government their ploitation of 'prevailing market forces'.
Allies On 19 July 1979 the revolution, led the Sandinistas toppled • Somoza. years into the revolution, not a day has passed when not attempted to reverse the pro. cess toward socialism unleashed by that event.
The revolution was born in the destruction of the earthquake although its political traditions have its roots in the sandino movement and the Cuban revolution The conflict the capitalist class internally and the imperialists externally is reaching its breaking point around the effects of the May floods.
In this struggle for the survival of their revolution, the Sandinistas and people look to their allies and friends. The trade union and labour movement of this country must not be deaf to their call.
Send aid c/o Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign, Compton Terrace, London N1.