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TV —
suppor
El Salvador

Actor Ed Asner (Lou
Grant series) headed a group
of actors and producers Feb.
17 at a press conference out-
side the State Department at
which they presented a
$25,000 cheque for the
health care system of E] Sal-
vador’s Democratic Revolu-
tionary Front. The cheque
represented the first install-
ment of $1-million the group
has pledged. Joining Asner
are Ralph Waite (The Wal-
tons), Howard Hesseman
(WKRP Cincinnati) and
producer Bert Schneider.

A Toronto peace meeting
called for support messages
to Asner at 7800 Beverley
Bivd., Los Angeles, Ca.

Palestine representative
on cross-Canada IWD tour

In-An Abu-Shrar, from the
General Union of Palestine
Women Executive in Lebanon, is
visiting Canada during March as
the guest of the Congress of
Canadian Women. Her visit will
include Ottawa, Toronto, Win-
nipeg, Calgary and Vancouver,
where both the Palestinian-Cana-
dian community and women
celebrating International Wom-
en’s Day are welcoming her.

In-An has a unique story to tell,
of her sisters who have been re-
fugees from their homeland for 30
years, since their farms were
confiscated by Israel. Her special
responsibility in her adopted
home in Lebanon’s capital city,
Beirut, is the ‘‘House of Stead-
fastness’’, the lovely big home for
children orphaned by war. Her
personal tragedy, the loss of her
husband who was assassinated in
Rome last October, makes all the
more urgent her message for ajust

settlement in the Middle East, for

a nuclear-free zone in the’

Mediterranean and Red Seas.

In-An-Shrar’s tour has been |
planned since last fall when CCW

Ontario vice-president Hazel

Wigdor visited Lebanon to attend”

an international solidarity con-
ference with the Lebanese and
Palestinian people. During her

10-day stay, Wigdor met with |

leaders of Palestinian women’s

organizations and saw first hand

the destruction caused by Israeli
bombing raids against Lebanon.
‘At least we can give In-An-
Shrar a chance to speak to Cana-
dians_ herself,’ Wigdor com-
mented.

Tour dates are: Winnipeg, |
March 8-9; Calgary, March 10-11;

Vancouver, March 11-13 and Ot-
tawa, March 13-14. She was in
Toronto March 5-7 and Quebec,
March 3-4.

—

TRIBUNE SPEAKS TO DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER

Nicaragua ts rebuilding

By NORMAN FARIA

Victor Tinoco, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of
the Nicaraguan government, headed a four-man delega-
tion on a three country tour of the English-speaking
Caribbean and Surinam in preparation for the setting up
of a diplomatic mission to serve the Caricom region
which groups 13 English-speaking states in the region.
He granted the following interview, Feb. 11, to the Tri-
bune Caribbean correspondent Norman Faria while in
Barbados.

cS * oe

Tribune: It is now almost three years since the triumph
of the Nicaraguan people over the Somoza dictatorship.
We have heard of attempts by bandits and terrorists to
destabilize your government.

Tinoco: The government and people of Nicaragua are
at present engaged in an effort to reactivate our economy
that was practically paralyzed during the war. During the
civil war, the main cities in our country were destroyed
by the bombings of the Somoza airforce. This is just one
example.

In the process of reactivating our economy, all the
social groups and sectors are engaged in that effort. Even
some sectors of private enterprise, especially the small
and medium producers, are involved in the efforts.

We have some problems, however, especially on our
northern border. As you know, there are approximately
60,000 ex-members of the Somoza army organized in
armed bands along the northern border which is quite
long — over 900 kilometres — and crosses jungle areas.
These bandits have made raids against small villages and
military posts in the region. They kill mostly civilians.

Tribune: Is this the border with Honduras?

Tinoco: Yes, this is our northern border with Hon-
duras. I would like to say that we have been continuously
in contact with the Honduran government emphasizing
that it is necessary for them to take concrete measures to
stop the training camps of the bandits and the raids they
make against Nicaragua. The Honduran government
have officially said that they do not support these ac-
tivities by the bandits and add that because of the terrain
they (the Honduran government) don’t have the re-
sources to police the area.

What we think is that there are some tendencies in the

Nicaragua, May Day, 1981.

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PACIFIC TRIBUNE—MARCH 12, 1982—Page 10

Honduran army that support the counter-revolution-
aries. Recently, for example, there was an airplane acci-
dent in which two high ranking members of the Hondu-
ran Army were found to be travelling with well known
counter-revolutionary leaders. We presented this evi-
dence to the Honduran government. Of course, they still
officially deny their participation.

Tribune: In recent months, the civil war in El Sal-
vador, which is close to Nicaragua, has intensified. How
does your government view developments there and
especially the call by the ruling Salvadorean regime and
the U.S. government for general elections in March?

Tinoco: Clearly, there is a civil war taking place in El
Salvador. There are two main sectors. On the one hand
there is the government and the army backed by the U.S.
government and on the other side is the opposition forces
represented by the Farabundo Marti Liberation Front
(FMLN) and the Revolutionary Democratic Front
(FDR). We believe that under the conditions that exists
in El Salvador, it is impossible to have free and fair
elections there.

There is some concrete data that can help understand
why we say that it is impossible to have fair elections in
El Salvador: Firstly, because over 40,000 people have
been killed in the last year. In a small country like this it
means that a complete disruption of the social structure
has taken place. Secondly, approximately 500,000
people have moved from their normal places of resi-
dence and are now living in neighboring countries like
Honduras, Nicaragua and even in Guatemala. Thirdly,
about another 500,000 have been shifted around inside
the country itself.

We believe that the only solution for El Salvador is a
political solution. In this respect, Nicaragua has sup-
ported the proposals of the guerrilla movement which
calls for peace talks as the only way to stop the war, to
stop the bloodshed.

Another characteristic, that we should note is the
conditions under which the proposed elections are to be
held. Only rightist political parties will take part. Not
even centrist partiest will participate.

Our view is that Washington is against a just political
solution and is doing all to destroy the guerrilla move-
ment. However, they will not succeed because the
movement has the support of the people. It is a popular
movement. What we hope is that within the next few
weeks, in the months after the ‘‘elections’’, there will be
efforts to work for a peaceful solution.

Tribune: You've come to the English-speaking East-
em Caribbean region — you’re now in Barbados — to
feel out and speak with regional governments about the
future relationships between Nicaragua and these coun-
tries. How does your government see these relationships
developing?

_ Tinoco: We think that the English-speaking Caribbean
is a very important region that has similar characteristics
as Nicaragua, we have similar economic problems as
developing countries. With the exception of Grenada,
with whom we already have diplomatic relations, we
have had no continuous or active relations with these
countries. On this trip we are visiting Barbados, Trini-

"

:
}

Tribune correspondent Norman Faria (r) talking to Minis
ter Tinoco in Barbados.

dad and Tobago, Guyana and Surinam to establish mol
ties. We think that we can find different areas of coope!®
tion among our countries. In the future; more missio®
will visit the area to discuss ways of trading and so 0!
Our intention is to establish an Embassy, a diplomat
mission, in the area but we have as yet not decided
what island or country this mission will be set up.
Tribune: You mention that Grenada already has clos
links with Nicaragua, of course Grenadian Prime Mit
ister Maurice Bishop has visited your country. Sever
young Grenadians have also visited Nicaragua to hel?

out in your country’s educational system. How do?

your government look on this type of assistance 4
Nicaragua? :
Tinoco: As you may know, we in Nicaragua have #
east coastline, on the Atlantic side, where the populatio®
speaks English and is historically closely linked to
wider Caribbean. One of the main objectives of
Revolution was to increase the cultural level of all
people. Previously, our Atlantic population had a v7
low level of literacy, about 20%. When we started oul
relations with the People’s Revolutionary Governme?
(PRG) in Grenada we asked them for English-speakis®
teachers. Admittedly, there were only a few teachers
these were very useful. In the future, maybe m? a
teachers will come from Grenada and they will be W°
come by the Nicaraguan people. |
Tribune: Recently, there have been moves by El s
vador, Costa Rica and Honduras to set up a right wish
axis, to put pressure on Nicaragua. Both the Venezuel# |
and U.S. governments have subsequently come out |
open support for this axis. Against this background, |
you see similarities between Washington’s campaig® |

stop the construction of Grenada’s new internatio” |
|

airport and the efforts to stop the building of democ
and progress in Nicaragua? | {
Tinoco: Clearly, Washington is always trying to 2
pressure on Latin American governments, trying |
bring them into a plan to isolate governments (in Latit |
America) which oppose Washington’s rule in the reg!® ‘
We have seen that the U.S. has made different moves ® |
isolate Grenada from the rest of the Caribbean. Sim"
ly, it has tried to make different moves to isolate Nica |
gua from the rest of Latin America. The main goal of the
axis you mention is to build up support for U.S. polic®

in El Salvador and to isolate Nicaragua. The U.S. |
clearly taking advantage of the economic problems 12 "9d |
area to push its plans on the governments concerned

try to win public support for them.

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