WORLD U.S. boycott of Nicaragua ‘idiotic’ “The U.S. boycott is an illegal action against Nic- aragua,’’ charged that country’s consul in Toronto, Pas- _ tor Valle-Garay. ‘‘The reasons given by President Reagan for this act are absolutely idiotic.” Valle-Garay was reacting to Washington’s embargo which began May 8 blocking all trade between Nicaragua and the U.S. At present Nicaragua exports $57-million to the U.S. and imports $111.5-million. : “The boycott is bound to fail’’, Valle-Garay said. “Most of Latin America, all of the European community — in fact all Washington’s allies have either protested the boycott or have indicated they will not join it. “The embargo hurts more directly than anyone else Nicaragua’s private sector — the people who produce coffee, cotton, beef, bananas, lobster and shrimp, etc. They control between 70 and 85 per cent of this pro- duction, and have already opposed the boycott. ; “Of course it will hurt the people of Nicaragua in the short run. But we have already been making headway in foreign markets as part of our program to diversify our exports and imports. We have found new markets in Canada, Europe, Asia and in the socialist communities. “So while it will hurt us in the immediate future, in the long run it may prove to be a blessing in disguise, forcing us to be less dependent on the U.S. market,”’ Valle- Garay explained. He likened Reagan’s embargo to ‘“‘the irrational reac- tions of a bully who has been defeated by his own Con- gress, in the World Court and in every international forum in his efforts to destroy the government of Nic- aragua.’’ Valle-Garay explained that the boycott is also opposed by members of the U.S. House and Senate, and even Secretary of State Shultz is quoted as saying it will be ineffective. “‘This move could well backfire on Reagan. The Italian and Spanish governments have publicly opposed the embargo as we have seen during Reagan’s European trip. And the fact that he was soundly booed during his speech May 8 to the European Parliament shows how isolated his action is. **What is happening is that, lacking any political, mor- al, diplomatic, legal or popular support in this embargo, the Reagan administration is showing the world what it really represents — a state which tries to rule the world by military force or by trying to starve small nations into submission.”’ HAVANA — “While our people are marching, the rest of the Peoples of Latin America will be demonstrating against the Inter- national Monetary Fund because of the economic crisis sweeping the Continent. Those workers are protesting the foreign debt crush- ing the region.” These words were said by Robert Veiga, General Secretary of the Cuban Trade Cuban Revolution celebrates May Day Union Confederation, during this year’s May Day Celebration in Havana. Over a half million people marched through the Plaza of the Revolution in Havana, including 2,500 foreign guests, parts of the diplomatic corps, International Communist Parties, represen- tatives from the national liberation movements and trade unionists from Latin and Central America. TRIBUNE PHOTO — MAXINE ORRIS tole The economic summit meeting in the Federal Re- public of Germany showed that only the U.S. itself sup- ports the boycott, Valle-Garay said. ‘‘Insofar as Canada is concerned, we are encouraged by the independent policy being adopted. They have demonstrated a com- passion and understanding toward the people of Nic- aragua.”” He explained that all nations have been supporting the efforts by the Contadora group to achieve a solution to the problems in the region — with the exception of the U.S. “By using economic blackmail as it is doing, the U.S. is trying both to starve the Nicaraguan people and sabotage the Contadora process toward a peaceful poli- tical and diplomatic solution to the crisis in Central America.” Responding to new moves in the United States Con- gress to reopen the issue of funding for contras based on Nicaraguan President Ortega’s recent visit to the USSR, Valle-Garay said, “‘It is not our first visit to the Soviet Union and it won’t be our last. As a sovereign nation, we have the right to do business with any nation. “*President Ortega’s visit had been planned long be- fore the April 22 vote in Congress on contra funding, and long before the embargo. Our visits to the USSR, to Spain and other European nations says we will not allow our people to starve to death. These countries have offered us the hand of friendship without any strings attached — which is a hell of a lot more than the U.S. is doing. ‘‘We will never apologize for the fact that Mr. Gor- bachev has seen fit to receive President Ortega — we’re proud of it, as we are proud of the fact that the Spanish Prime Minister will meet with us and the Italian govern- ment has said it will continue its economic support of Nicaragua.” Valle-Garay again emphasized that his government is encouraged by Canada’s position vis-a-vis the U.S. boycott. He said that this is an extension of a policy of working for further trade between our two countries. * * * On the diplomatic front, Nicaragua has called for an emergency debate in the UN Security Council on the trade embargo and Venezuela’s Foreign Minister, call- ing for renewed talks between Nicaragua and the U.S., described the boycott a threat to the Contadora peace initiatives and to Nicaragua’s economic reconstruction. This call was also made by Uruguay’s newly-elected government. Tom Morris | International Focus There’s Falwell, and there’s Lewis When Canada’s UN ambas- sador Stephen Lewis “‘abhors apartheid’, yet stoutly de- fends Canada’s policy of trade, diplomatic and investment contacts with South Africa, he should check and see whose company he’s in. Reagan’s guru, right-wing bible thumper Jerry Falwell, writing in the Fundamentalist Journal says that apartheid is wrong, but opposes sanctions to topple the regime. South Africa, Falwell argues, is the west’s strongest ally against “communist expansion” in Africa. The ‘‘Who’s the Real Stephen Lewis?’ guessing game will probably keep going — some arguing Lewis be- lieves what he’s saying, others claiming he is simply guarding a cushy job — but that’s not the point. Lewis’ motives are his prob- lem. Canada’s problem is far more serious when Lewis speaks for Mulroney who speaks for Reagan on the apartheid issue. Reagan’s ‘‘constructive engagement” hoax has ex- posed U.S. policy in the region for what it is, and Falwell’s defence should make this clear. Mulroney can at least be understood for the Reagan groupie he actually is. But what’s Stephen Lewis’ excuse? Apartheid’s priorities Nelson Mandela, ANC leader, has been in an apart- heid jail for 20 years. His “‘crime’’ was to fight for the freedom of his people. Mandela sits in prison serv- ing a life sentence along with other liberation fighters and the regime appears hell-bent to keep them there. Other anti- apartheid people are today charged with high treason — charges not spelled out, but that seems a detail to the racist state. Millions of South African Blacks live in giant concentra- tion camps called ‘*homelands”’ where life is harsh; countless others live -— INVESTIN WHITE SOUTHAFRICA: BLACKS BLEED R TIN ~ ED To KEEp Yo, under banning orders, unable to communicate, write, meet, travel or be quoted. But ‘Mad Mike’’ Hoar, convicted in 1982 for hijacking an Air India jet following an abortive coup attempt in the Seychelles, is today a free man. Hoar was sentenced to 10 years, his 41 fellow mer- cenaries to various terms. Mandela is Black and a foe of apartheid. He has served 20 years with no freedom in sight. Hoar is white, a mercenary soldier and pro-apartheid. He served three years of a 10-year term and has been granted am- nesty. ‘Evolution’ of information Here’s how it’s done. Among documents seized by U.S. troops in Grenada is this PRG government memoran- dum quoting Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko speaking to a delegation led by Prime Minister Bishop to Moscow on April 15, 1983: “It makes it incumbent on them (the Grenadians) to exercise great care and flexibility. so as not to provoke the imperialist forces to smash the progressive forces. Of PACIFIC TRIBUNE, MAY 15, 1985 e 9 course there is no force in the world that can crush the class struggle. But you have to be flex- ible so imperialism is not agitated to attack you.”” Introducing a draft white paper on Feb. 9, 1984, U.S. Defence Secretary Casper Weinberger said: “Inan April 15, 1983, meeting with Grenadian Prime Minister Maurice Bishop, Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko ... warned the Grenadians to move carefully in their revolutionary expansionism so as to not signal their plans to the imperialists.”’ The New York Times, Feb. 10, front-paged this story on the memorandum: “A new Administration white Paper says the Soviet Union, using Cuba, is trying to turn all of ‘Central America into a satellite of the Eastern bloc. An. introduction by Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger, citing papers seized in Grenada, quotes Foreign Minister Andrei A. Gromyko as saying that the re- gion is . . . ripe for ‘revolutionary expansionism.””’ Can you imagine what hor- rendous plot would have been uncovered had the paragraph proceeded to stage four?