WORLD

Contras: Reagan's
terrorism waged
against Nicaragua

By LOIS SHELTON
: As Reagan sets the scene for intervention
in Nicaragua by developing elaborate com-
plaints about terrorism in Central America,
the U.S. Congress continues to finance the
real terrorists.
On July 23 a boat travelling to the Carib-
ean coast of Nicaragua with 170 civilians,
(including two Canadians) came under
Tocket fire that almost sunk the boat and
lled two passengers. Seventeen were
wounded, three under the age of nine.
_ Three days later, eight women were killed
in an ambush on their truck going to visit

Provincial
peace meet
next month

_ The growth of the peace movement

i recent years has seen peace groups

_ Organized in every area of the province
and now those groups are gearing up
for their first conference to co-ordinate
and plan peace campaigns on a
province-wide basis.

_ Hosted by the Vancouver-based coa-
lition, End the Arms Race, the confer-
ence is set for Sept. 21-22 at th
auditorium of the.-Students Union;
ee University. of British Colum-|

ia.

. The conference is also planned as a
preliminary discussion prior to a meet-

_ing set for November of peace groups
from across the country where the for-
mation of a national peace alliance will
be initiated.

The proposed agenda for the B.C.
conference includes plenary sessions
and workshops on each day. On the
first day discussion will centre on plan-
ning campaigns and themes for the
peace movement, to be followed the
next day with discussion on implemen-
tation of the campaigns and workshops
designed to bring together participants
from common sector organizations.

The conference is open to all peace
and peace-supporting organizations.
Registration will cost $40 for the first
Tepresentative from an organization
and $20 each for any further represen-
tatives sent by that same organization.

Because representation from all
Tegions of the province is necessary for
the Success of the conference, the regis-
tration fee has been set to provide travel
Subsidies. It is hoped that all partici-
pants from outside the Lower Main-
land area will be eligible for reimburse-
ment of travel expenses which will be
based on the cost of the most practical,
least expensive transportation to the
conference.

End the Arms Race is also planning
to provide billets for participants who
are unable to make other arrange-
ments. Anyone in the Vancouver area
who would be able to provide a billet
for an out-of-town guest is urged to
contact End the Arms Race with
details,

To register for the conference send
names of representatives and the spon-
Soring organization together with the
appropriate fee to End the Arms Race,
1708 West 16th Avenue, Vancouver,

V6J 2M1 or for fi i i l
736-2366, or further information cal

their sons at military bases in northern
Nicaragua. Two of these women were
burned alive. Recently, 29 unarmed Ameri-
can civilians were kidnapped as they tra-
velled as ““Witnesses for Peace.”

Civilian targets are the favorite of the
attacks. A report published by Nicaragua’s
National Emergency committee in late 1984
documented the social costs of contra
aggression in social security, education,
health care and various productive sectors.
At the time of the report 14 schools had
been totally destroyed while 359 others had
been forced to close: almost 100 teachers
had been killed and another 200 were kid-
napped.

The cost of child care centres destroyed
was U.S. $1 million. The health infrastruc-
ture in this country that is trying to provide
basic services to everyone, suffered a total of
U.S. $2.5 million in damages by the end of
1984. Eighteen health workers were assassi-
nated while another 31 were wounded or
kidnapped.

Seventy farms were attacked or des-
troyed and at least 10 co-operatives were
attacked every month up to the time of the
report. ai

The report concludes that total damage
to the Nicaraguan economy ‘inflicted by
four years of foreign aggression is U.S.
$206.4 million. Civilian casualties estimated

_ at 7,300 by the nd of 1984 have sadly risen

to almost 9,000 so far as the seale of contra
attacks and Reagan’s funding of their activi-

SLA ties escalates.

US. involvement in counter-revolution-

“ary activity continues to grow and _ has

become more overt.

Since 1981, over U.S. $100 million has
been funnelled through Congress for covert
activities and non-military aid. Many of the
contras benefitting from these funds were
members of former dictator Anastasia
Somoza’s National Guard, which has been
financed by Washington since 1927.

Others are mercenaries such as those that
mined Nicaraguan harbors under the direc-
tion of the CIA. Direct U.S. military invol-
vement is evidenced by the more than 1,500
U.S. troops that are now in Honduras sup-
porting contra activity.

In addition to documented military aid
the U.S. support contra activities in other
ways. Some funds for activities such as the
mining of Nicaraguan ports by CIA backed
mercenaries were not even approved by
Congress. So called “economic aid” is often
used to pay for infrastructures that support
military activities.

Other services, such as the training and
supervision of Central American troops, are
not included in official figures on military
aid in the region.

The big lie of American foreign policy is
glaring when the above information is con-
trasted with one of Reagan’s statements on
Feb. 16: “The freedom fighters are led by
those who oppose the Sandinistas and their

NICARAGUA _ -
ee

MANAGUA RALLY. . .Sandinistas popular, despite Reagan rhetoric.

soldiers are peasants, farmers, shop keepers
and students... These brave men and
women deserve our help. They do not ask
for troops but for our technical and finan-
cial support and supplies.”

Nicaraguan response to the contra terror
is strong. Along with the active force of
60,000 there are various organizations that
involve civilians in the defence of their coun-
try.
The SMP (Patriotic Military Service)
supports the standing army. On a neigh-
borhood level the CDS (Sandinista Defence
Committees)involves civilians in night time
vigilance work within their own community
and of course the enthusiastic response of
half a million people to Daniel Ortega’s
denunciations of U.S. imperialism at the
Independence Day celebrations in Mana-
gua on July 19 indicates the widespread
popular opposition to foreign intervention
in the Nicaraguan revolution.

International solidarity with the Nicara-
guan revolution is great. Within the country
non-governmental solidarity groups from
all over Europe and North America are in
work brigades, special projects and solidar-
ity tours. Government aid in health, educa-
tion and various technical projects continues
from many countries — Cuba, some Euro-
pean governments, and socialist bloc coun-
tries.

Nicarauga also has strong diplomatic
support throughout most of Latin America.
Governments recognize that U.S. interven-
tion in Nicaragua threatens their own sov-
ereignty and safety.

The newly elected president of Peru very
clearly stated on the day of his visit that
Latin American people have a common

‘enemy that has “penetrated our history and

our borders with misery, domination and
injustice.”

Solidarity groups continue to visit Nica-
ragua from Canada. The Tools for Peace
campaign is also continuing in many cities
as groups work to send material aid to
Nicaragua. Of course, continued loud
opposition to U.S. intervention in Nicara-
gua is another necessary part of solidarity
work in Nicaragua.

Lois Shelton recently returned to Canada
from a visit to Nicaragua.

—— .——

Support the Tools for Peace Project — Material Aid for Nicaragua
ee

A 16 Month Calendar of Information
and Colour Photos about Nicaragua.

$1 0 + $1.00
PRICE w POSTAGE & HANDLING

| would like Calendars
@ $11.00 total each

NAME

ADDRESS

city PROV. CODE

Please mail cheque or

money order payable to:

Coalition for Aid to Nicaragua,
2524 Cypress Street,

Vancouver, B.C. V6J 3N2. =<

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PACIFIC TRIBUNE, AUGUST 21, 1985 e 7

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