since 20 July, 1979 when the Somoza dictatorship was overthrown have been over 400 military attacks on Nicaragua: acts of sabotage, terror, physical attacks on people, buildings and military installations.
These have been carried out by the Somoza. There are 5-6,000 along the Honduran border. These along with Honduran army personne oreanised by the us ambassador to Honduras John Negroponte who is in military CHICLE -LIC chief.
They've been working with $19m destabilisation of the Sandinista destabilisation government. They've been working weld revolutionary army which in the past few months has been transformed into a large mintary um poisca lot a full scale invasion of Nicaragua.
month to coincide with Honduran military which wete to be carried out along the Nicaraguan-Honduran border.
The army manoeuvres postponed partly because Newsweek article which has caused a big furore in America.
The Us has learned something in the past few years. That is, if they're going to overturow revoranonary progressive governments it is difficult to do it in one tell swooD.
This has been a slow war: in fact, the US administration has called it a 'slow motion Bay of Pigs'. It's meant to nave the same ellect but not to arouse the wrath of the American peo The border is now a military zone and that's where the Sandinista army and the popular militia are.
What does this state of emergenmean for the I suppose we think of a emergency other countries as sme ror ue ocopie. nere It's more or a political measure which support Nicaraguan people.
When we were there this summer the first thing that hit you is the level mobilisation oliticisation of the people at larg there are many are constantly meetings, demonstrations, and discussions talking about what's happening in the revolution, how to take l forward, how against the counter-revolution, how economic front as well as the military front Nicaragua, of course, is still a very poor country. There is poverty there didn't seem to be any food shortage, the markets and food stalls were full. Certainly there was no malnutriLion.
Most of the people except in some he master and secy. fo running water and electricity. material gains of the revolution have been relatively very big.
are Sandinista counterexpected this joint USwere people of immediate hard.
the and pickets armed with up organise public toilets. thing going on?
Oh yes.
time army, but revolutionary by milicianos.
ding the entrance. The two women illustrate the changing position of women: the traditional role of mother and the more recent one of soldier When I was in Cuba in the early days of the revolution, milicianos machine guns went with you and in the FSLN.
Is there that sort of ween Through the popular Sandinista militia, which is not the full everyone takes part in weekend and evening military training in order to defend the revolution.
All places which are prone to counter-attack roads, tiny footpaths — are guarded At the hotel we stayed there were these two of tnice young mincianes guarA lot of people have guns. There's been no attempt to disarm the people, who have still got weapons from the revolutionary war.
The main thing is teaderse pp, the absolutely trust their leadership, When government measures are taken this is after a dialogue betthe FSLN through the mass organisations. Together, they arrive at what are the primary tasks facing Nicaraguan revolution At every stage when the government issues decrees such as the state of emergency, or all the 101 decrees such as the formation of peasant cooperatives. nationalisation of certai sectors of DrIVaLC manufacturing, measures are only taken after this dialogue' The thing that is realised is that the laws are meaningless unless they're and institutionalised by the people.
people when things have to be done. For inYCAL flooded and thousands were made homeless and within snort space or ume. three weeks, they were all rehoused - rumive nousing yes and walls instantly dinista vouth and defence tees. them have a revolutionary government and by and large a revolutionary people but you still have a largely privately owned economy. and is still privately owned, some 70 percent of manufacturing is as well.
when manufacturing its very small industry.
overwhelmingly and peasant country. This is obviously an unstable situation What is happening economy? Is there any attempts diversify, industry?
In 1979 at the end of the war years it would be fair to say there was no Nicaraguan economy. Literally there was S3m in the bank, all the factories Photos: Carlos Anaueto Currita had been destroyed, all the transport wrecked. Homes were wrecked, herds of cattle even had been taken over the border into Honduras by the land owners getting out as could. It was devastation So they had to start from scratch Reconstruction started from zilch. In three years given the objective pro blems - the imperialist blockade, the The EVer the et bonie strides for ward have been very big.
Nicaragua is now situation sufficient in basic been a resusitation in coffee and cotton which were main export crops There have financed by material aid from Eastern Europe, Spain, France and Canada. people saw new granaries, new chemical fertilising plants. It's all still directed at the sufficiency When you go about Britain show ng your slides and talking abou Nicaragua what things are people interested in?
They're interested in the role of the Catholic Church, women's rights and the achievements of the revolution.
war years and now plays a dual and Because this relationship exists the Lake Managua revolutionary an incredibly identify something like tionary, - but a roof built by the Sancommit- nave an They just went out and built These are very critical times. You -WICI ty towards it 50 percent of the militant of YOU LaIK agricultural hierarchy place. response. the @DOUL It.
basic is a tense one.
roads and so on had been tion.
tionary quickly as they having somewhere me cconomic strides TOrrevolution approaching a children virtually self. would stalls there has adulthood been new the Soviet Union but also export and selfcelebrate in the For 6747.
UTICSSOC
because they were so close to the op pression they played a very strong role in the actual war. There are very many ULICSIS with whom the people very strongly although plays diplomatic role depending on how it sees the balance of forces. The people church hierarchy. As long as it percelebrating the mass then that's fine interfering politics then there is unbridled hostiliWhen we were there there was a very good example of this. There was revolutionary area in Managua called Santa Rosa where the local priest had a good reputation from the fight against Somoza.
He was transferred by the church to some out-of-the-way There was immediate Within hours of learning church with meetings and demonstrations inside the church. And a wave of sympathy church occupations took place in other neighbourhoods. relationship between the Sandinista government and the church hierarchy The government sup ports religious freedom but will not tolerate actions against the revolu Women were part of the revoluwar and comprise an active part of the mass organisations and are part of the Sandinista government.
Women leaders explained to us that the big emphasis right now is on the right to choose and this means children who will live Das! Somethere to live ee an live, resolution been had to the women had lots because they knew many die without reaching While the right to contraception and abortion is in the Sandinista programme and there is a formal right to them the objective situation doesn't put these things up front.
about solidarity It's obvious that an elementary duty of working people is to help defend this revolution against the US military machine and against our own Tory government as well. But more than this we have a lot to learn from and Nicaraguan revoluJurther information the Solidarity 20-21 Compron Terrace, London NI. Tel 01-226 Socialist Challenge 17 December 1982