Events concerning U.S. policy against
Nicaragua moved swiftly last week. In
an unprecedented 84-12 vote, the U.S.
senate passed a resolution demanding
no U.S. money be used to mine Nica-

raguan ports. On April 15 Democratic ©

Senator Daniel Moynihan resigned from
the Senate. Intelligence Committee
protesting the CIA had not disclosed its
anti-Nicaraguan mining operations.

Protests over the mining came from
Britain and France and the U.S. told the
World Court in The Hague it will not
recognize that body’s ruling on Central
American questions for the next two
years.

U.S.-backed contra attacks escalated
with reports that the town of San Juan
del Norte had been captured. As Reagan
continued his pressure against Nicara-
gua and world public opinion hardened
against U.S. policy, the Tribune spoke
with Pastor Valle-Garay, consul-general
of Nicaragua in Toronto:

2: * * *

Q. How do you regard the public
statements made by Canada’s External
Affairs Minister MacEachen following his
recent tour of four Latin American na-
tions, including Nicaragua?

A: MacEachen’s statement is very
supportive of self-determination for
Central America. It’s encouraging to us
that the Canadian government is taking
an independent view of the issues in the
region. We knew that if an official at the

_level of MacEachen visited Nicaragua he
would be able to form his own opinion of
events. He’s supportive of the Contra-
dora Groups efforts, which are also sup-
ported by Nicaragua, despite of what
Washington claims.

Q: Would you comment on recent
events in Washington, the Moynihan
resignation and other signs of frustration
with Reagan’s policy?

' -A: We are happy that the questions
concerning CIA operations against Nica-
Tagua are coming to a head; that the U.S.
public, through their Congressmen can
see the criminal acts that are being car-
ried out by their government against us.
We hope that when Congress recon-

venes after the Easter holiday, every- ~

thing won’t be forgotten, allowing Rea-
gan to continue doing the same things.

The fact that people like Senator
Goldwater complain of not being in-
formed by the CIA of the mining opera-
tions can be interpreted as: ‘‘Mining
Nicaraguan ports, would have been
satisfactory if they had informed Con-
gress.’” The point isn’t whether Gold-
water knew, the point is to stop the

. terrorism.

Q: There are reports that CIA-trained
Chileans and Argentinians are carrying
out the mining operations, using U.S.
mines and working from a CIA mother
ship stationed off the coast. Is this the case,
or is the mining being carried out by the
contras?

A: This is the information we have ds
well. The contras are incapable of handl-
ing such equipment. The mining is being
done directly by the CIA. We understand
also that they are actively looking for
help from Israel which originally aided
Somoza during the civil war.

Q: The contras claim they’ve received
U.S. sea support in their attack on San
Juan del Norte, the U.S. denies it. What is
your view? ‘

A: Our information is that both the
attacks from the south and the north by
the contras are being done with CIA help
which was approved by Reagan and also
denied by Reagan. ~

Only four weeks ago Reagan flatly de-
nied the mining of Nicaraguan ports was
taking place. Later he claimed the mines
were home-made. On top of being im-
moral, he turns out to be a liar.

He says the mines are to prevent Nica-
raguan weapons from being shipped to El
Salvador. Nicaragua doesn’t even have a

NICARAGUA

‘They have mined our
ports; an undeclared
U.S. war is underway’

CONSUL VALLE-GARAY: “For Nicara-
guans being killed daily, what the U.S. is
conducting against us is war, pure and
simple. . .”’

coast guard for such an operation. Rea-
gan again is caught in a blatant lie.

The ships damaged by U.S. mines are
from Japan, Holland, USSR, Panama.
They were carrying medicines, school
supplies and other vitally-needed sup-
plies — not weapons. In fact, a Canadian
ship arrived April 12 with 13,000 tons of
fertilizers, escorted through the mines by
Nicaraguan fishing boats equipped with
nets.

The U.S. administration is lying to the
American people and to the world when
it claims the mining is to prevent the
movement of weapons.

Q: What is your response to the U.S.
refusal to recognize the World Court opin-
ion on Central American matters?

A: Nicaragua will proceed with its ac-
tions before the World Court and present
its case. The reasons given by U.S.
ambassador to the UN, Jean Kirkpatrick
over television that World Court judges
are incapable of dealing with such mat-

‘ters, that they are from Third World

countries, etc., are ludicrous. The same
day as she spoke, the United States took
Canada to the World Court in the
Georges’ Bank dispute.

Q: What is your response to the state-

‘ment by the U.S. administration that it

‘thas not considered, nor developed plans
to use U.S. forces to invade Nicara-

Qua... 2
A: That’s opposite to what the Kis-

singer Report says: that if required, the _

U.S. should use all means at its disposal
in Central America. Reagan supports the
report. Reagan has pledged to ‘‘stop
communism’’. They have armed 12,000
contras. who are now fighting on two
fronts. They have mined our ports. They

’ have bombed our oil depots and airport.

There is a de facto war against

Nicaragua under way. It’s unbelievable.
It is a practice of this administration to

veny everything. Their denials are more
ies. 5

They have funnelled millions to the -

contras, Nicaraguan boats have been
sunk and sailors killed. Their cynicism
knows no bounds. While expressing
some concern that the mining may pro-
voke an international incident, they
don’t give a damn that their mines are
killing Nicaraguans.

_Over 100,000 Central Americans have
died in the past five years. F ifty thousand
died in Nicaragua to overthrow Somoza.
Another 50,000 Salvadoreans have died
as a direct result of the policies of two
U.S. administrations. Almost one mil-
lion people are in forced exile.

-Q: Washington has been critical of
Nicaragua’s plan to hold a general election
November 4, charging it will not be a
democratic vote. How do you respond?

A: I can understand their frustration.
They have to attack our coming election
because they have known from the’mo-
ment of the triumph of the revolution that
when elections are held the Sandinistas
will win by a vast majority.

Traditionally Nicaragua does not have
a history of political parties. Somoza al-
lowed only one “‘opposition party’’ so he
could justify to the outside world his
holding power for 50 years. Today we
have what amounts to nine political par-
ties, many of them very small.

Now the U.S. is touting Alfonso
Robelo, and his group COSET, as the
‘opposition party’. COSET (Superior
Council of Private Enterprise) is the elite
of the exploiters of Nicaragua. Robelo
lived hand in hand with Somoza, turning
in favor of the Sandinistas when he knew
we were winning, and, as a representa-

Toronto demonstrators at the U.S. consu- .

late April 16, in support.

Us. ¢-T4-ne

tive of COSET became a member of the
new government. is
- But when he realized the new sil
applied equally to him, he became dis ;
lusioned. The workers in his hee
plantations and mills who lived in U
exploitation denounced him. When
saw there would be no exceptions 10 ©
laws of the new Nicaragua, he broke ae
the government charging it had ©
braced communism.”’

Now he’s the leader of COSET wines
never was a political party. It was only
group of the former elite, so elite ™
even Somoza was not a member.

Obviously the U.S. will attack a
elections. They will try and discredit ™
election charging it won't be ‘fre
They may try to stop our elections
through the mining of ports, throught

destruction of our economy, by coma

_ attacks. Then Washington will 54

‘See, they weren’t going to hold them
anyway.” ‘

We are not going to create a strone
opposition to please the U.S. If the OP
position wants to create a strong
that’s their business. But they’re not that
strong. @

In fact the people most opposed »
ele¢tions — from 1979 until today — a
the’opposition. They know they w0®
obtain enough votes to win one seat
Congress. 2

We have sent people around the world
to examine electoral systems, includiNg
to the U.S. We will have a democratit
election, a free election and we will invil®
impartial observers from around ¢
world to come to Nicaragua.

That’s what Reagan fears, and he feals
it to the point where a direct invasion bY
the U.S. cannot be discounted.

Q: Reagan signed a new “anti-terror

' ist’? law April 3 and this week approy'

plans for U.S. ‘‘countermeasures’’.
you find this ironic?

A: The president is the first person
break his own law. He is committing ac
of wanton terrorism against Cent
America daily. eg

The American people have a resp’ —
sibility to put'a stop to the immoral,
legal and criminal wars such as that —
against Grenada and the one being plat- —
ned for Central America. They should
ask if the Reagans, Caseys, Shultzs and
Kirkpatricks are exempt from the laws 0
international conduct. |

Military attacks by contras, bombings:
minings are acts of terrorism, acts of wal.

We’re not interested in the Orwelliat
rhetoric the U.S. uses to describe wal.
They called the Korean war a “‘policé
action’’. They called the Vietnam wal
the Vietnam ‘‘conflict’’. The war against
Grenada was called ‘‘a rescue opera-
tion’’. ;

For Nicaraguans who are being killed
daily, for our people who. are suffering
attacks from all sides, what the U.S. 1s
conducting against us is war, pure and
simple. <

' 8 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, APRIL 25, 1984