Nicaragua’s growing links among Caribbean nations BRIDGETOWN, Barbados — A Nicaraguan delega- | ee = | Let there be | no doubt... tion led by that country’s ambassador to Cuba, Luis Figueroa Aguilar, and Huges Menenses of the Depart- From the ment of International Relations in Managua, recently Caribbean a travelled to Guyana to have informal discussions with "a officials of the 13-member CARICOM group of Anglo- phone Caribbean countries who were meeting in George- Norman Faria town at their regular Summit earlier this month. While in transit through Barbados, Mr. Aguilar was interviewed by Tribune Caribbean correspondent Nor- man Faria. Q: Does Nicaragua’s interest in the Summit indicate your government’s desire to develop closer ties with the Anglophone Caribbean? A: Yes. We want closer ties at diplomatic and other levels such as cultural. We consider the Caribbean part of Latin America and visa versa. Indeed, part of our territory — the Bluefields region on the Atlantic coast — has the same characteristics as the English-speaking Caribbean. We already have diplomatic ties with Guyana and Jamaica and hope to extend such ties to other countries in the Caribbean. Q: Last year, the CARICOM Foreign Ministers’ meet- ing in St. Kitts came out against the economic embargo of Nicaraguan exports to the U.S. market. Also, in the Final Communique of the just-concluded Georgetown Summit, revolution, which we are obliged to do. That sté there was an expression of support for the efforts cf the forced on us. Contadora group to bring peace to Central America. How : : Iu do you view CARICOM’s stand? Ifthe U.S. ends its pressure against us, more P A: We consider it very important that such decisions and more freedoms will result. The aim of the ie are taken. The Summit declaration reflects the senti- guan people is to build a broad, democratic S0°™ ments of the Caribbean. It doesn’t explicitly support should be noted, however, that today there are ~ Nicaragua, but supports the peace initiatives. CARI- dozen radio stations and other media in priv COM’s positions on Contadora coincide with stands __ that haven't been closed. U.S. publications like 74 taken by international organizations such as the United _ Still sold as well. Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organiza- tion of American States. Q: Washington has accused Nicaragua of permitting Cuban military forces onto its territory. What is your government’s position on this? A: We have advisers from many countries, not just This aid is extremely important and we are grate" it. We should remind our critics that the U.S. sto aid, including military aid. Since 1979 we hee reorganize our armed forces, and it is logical We ask for help and support from other countries: Q: Recently the Sandinista government has P number of restrictions on the media, the closin’ newspaper La Prensa for example. How do beet those who say these actions are undemocratic 2 your government.is becoming more repressive? ‘, . 1 A: La Prensa was openly backing U.S. policy w approving U.S. funding to the contras in their Wat* _our country. It is unfortunate we had to close @ Prensa, but the measure was the only way to defen The death that we suffer in the course of the struggle is a sacrifice we are ready to make. We ask for no pity. We ask for support from those who, we believe, in our position would feel compelled to do what we are doing to end the pain of apartheid ... As each day passes and no action is taken, so an extra day is added to the perpetuation of this crime against humanity. What we are calling for, and have been calling for for decades, are comprehensive and mandatory sanctions now! Q: Internationalist brigades from many lands, ing Barbados and Canada have travelled to Nicat are in the process of going there to work in Pp How important are these acts of solidarity? A: Very important. They not only help econom tions like the UN. Assistance is in the form of teachers and doctors, not only military. Their expressions of solidarity and actual assiS something we appreciate greatly. Oliver Tambo, Cuba — although the largest group is from Cuba. We but help show brigade members the new socie) e President, African National Congress have North American and European advisers, those building in our country. We will continue to welcom June 23 1986 from socialist countries and from international organiza- sisters and brothers from the Caribbean and Be INTERNATIONAL FOCUS Tom Morris ‘Mystery’ is no mystery ’ Writing from Moscow last week, the Toronto Globe & Mail's correspondent Lawr- ence Martin mused about the proliferation of Soviet peace proposals and speculation by Western diplomats as to whether they are real oppor- » tunities or ‘‘just propaganda.”’ It’s not easy to be a Soviet ‘leader if pleasing Western dip- lomats is the task. For four de- cades the West has challenged the USSR to show its peaceful intent — and for years, every Soviet offer has been met with the sceptical and_ insulting comment, “pure propagan- dar A scan of the USSR’s peace plans at the UN alone will show any sceptic who has been interested in peace and who has been leading this idiotic, expensive and frighteningly dangerous arms race. Since taking office only a short few months ago, Soviet leader Gorbachev has dazzled the world with one proposal after another. And Reagan’s advisers have been working overtime to brief the President on how to avoid, evade, tor- 6 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, AUGUST 6, 1986 pedo and sabotage every Soviet offer. Gorbachev proposes a 15- year, three stage plan to rid the world of nuclear and chemical arms. Reagan quadruples U.S. arms spending, rupturing the economy for guns. Gorbachev urges the United Nations to adopt a policy of keeping outer space free of weapons —a policy to be hon- ored by all nations. Reagan un- ilaterally barges ahead with his outrageously expensive and destabilizing Star Wars pro- gram. Gorbachev urges, as a vital first step, that a test ban on nuclear arms be adopted by all nations. The USSR for one full year unilaterally stops testing. Reagan tests 18 times, snub- bing the Soviet offer irrespon- sibly and openly trying for mili- tary superiority over the USSR. Reagan says a test ban is im- possible because the USSR might cheat. Gorbachev in- A mystery? Could it just be that the USSR wants peace so badly because it has tasted war? Photo: 1945 Soviet troops casting nazi army standards to the ground at the Kremlin wall. vites on-site inspection as well as arguing what everyone knows: nuclear tests cannot any longer be carried out secretly. The Globe’s Martin need not look too far for the answer to his self-imposed riddle. The reason the USSR keeps mak- ing peace proposals is because it is concerned about the war danger and seeks peace. The reason Reagan and the U.S. ultra-right rejects these propo- sals is because they want con- frontation and find arms spend- ing profitable beyond their wildest dreams. The ‘‘mystery’’ turns out to be no mystery. _ How’s this for intentions? The exact same day poor Martin was agonizing over Gorbachev’s intentions, the White House announced that it had given the go-ahead to pro- duce a new generation of chemical weapons. The pro-. gram is to start in late 1988 or early 1989. What Reagan can’t blow up he intends to poison. The President’s horrid little press secretary, Larry Speakes, told reporters the new binary weapons, designed for use by NATO forces in Ee rope (not the District © Columbia, take note) 4 “‘safer’’ than the old variety. Earlier Reagan had told Congress he seeks a verifiable ban on chemical weapons, @ claim even his friends mus! view as just another Pre dential misspeak. oe Six years down, two more 0” £07... Racism Thatcher-style Incredible Maggie Thatche! presses on in her stout defen of apartheid despite just seel!? her Foreign Secretary, Geoffrey Howe get his fac® slapped by South Africa® Botha and be snubbed DY everyone else. at | Nothing, but nothing will move this woman — not boY ~ cotts of her Commonwealth | Games, urgings of her oW? #f people and displeasure of th’ J Queen. Certainly not Briat Mulroney. 4 Next test is the Commo” wealth mini-summit whet Thatcher can continue her 1 cism in person instead of send ing poor Sir Geoffrey.