WORLD

Attack on Nicaragua escalates
U.S. desperate to halt elections

The wall at the press centre in Man-
agua’s Intercontinental Hotel is choked
with dozens of notices, each one describ-
ing a new violent contra attack against
free Nicaragua. Every day for the past
three weeks the reports have been piling
up as CIA-backed counter-revolution-
aries wage a desperate campaign of
terror and sabotage in an effort to subvert
the democratic process now unfolding in
Nicaragua.

Using sleek ‘‘Pirhanna”’ speedboats,
the contras have been wrecking de-
struction up and down the -country’s
coasts, terrorizing fishermen and seaside
communities, and attempting to disrupt
deliveries of crucial supplies.

After a Mexican freighter, ‘Los
Caribes’’, was nearly sunk two weeks
ago while attempting to dock at Corinto it
became apparent that the enemy have
succeeded in mining the approaches to
at least three Nicaraguan harbors,
including the Atlantic port of Bluefields.

Escalated Attacks

Attacks in the north have escalated
sharply. Young Sandinista troops fre-
quently find themselves outnumbered
and outgunned by the well-armed, well-
fed CIA forces who strike at will across
the frontier, and then retire behind the
protective presence of the Honduran
Army and the U.S. Marines. Although
Nicaragua has no airforce of its own, the
contras, Operating from Honduran air-
fields, make extensive use of light attack

From
Nicaragua

Fred Weir .

planes and rocket-firing helicopters. One
target they have repeatedly tried to bomb
is the huge geothermal electric station
situated in the Mombotombo volcano
near Leon. Most of Nicaragua’s plans for
future development depend upon power
generated by the Mombotombo instal-
lation.

The night before I left Managua, the
contras executed one of their boldest —
and most worrisome — attacks so far.
Creeping up to the coast in boats out-
fitted with mortars, they launched a pro-
longed barrage of an area just a few kilo-
meters from the capital itself.

This recent upsurge in rebel attacks,
which has gone largely unreported in the
North American media, is apparently the
product of a new CIA strategy. The ob-
jective is to stop, at all costs, Nicaragua’s
coming general election.

November 4 Vote

The United States has been presented
with a severe challenge by the de-

Everyone is mobilized in the public health campaign. Here a Canadian volunteer helps
Nicaraguan medical student vaccinate a peasant baby against polio. 6

8 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, MARCH 21, 1984

TRIBUNE PHOTOS — FRED WEIR

claration last month of free, open elec-
tions to be held in Nicaragua this
November 4. Either the Reagan admin-
istration must throw its support behind
the legitimate opposition within
Nicaragua, and then accept the outcome
of the vote — which will almost surely be
a Sandinista victory — or it must find
some way to disrupt or forestall the
democratic process.

Fears are strong inside Nicaragua that
the present campaign of violence may
soon escalate into a direct invasion of the
country. by Honduras and/or the United
States. :

As one member of the Sandinista Na-
tional Liberation Front (FSLN) told me,
“If Ronald Reagan has been unable to
live with a Sandinista-ruled Nicaragua
until now, how will he be able to accept a
democratically-elected FSLN govern-
ment?’’

If the election is allowed to proceed on
schedule, that outcome seems certain.
Everywhere throughout Nicaragua one
sees the evidences of groundswell sup-
port for the FSLN and its policies.

In Managua, I had the opportunity to
speak at length with leading members of
the Socialist Party, the fraternal organ-
ization of the Communist Party of Cana-
da. The Socialist Party is an active parti-
cipant in Nicaragua’s governing coali-
tion, and it is currently proposing — al-
though this is still under discussion — to
run in the elections on a common
“Patriotic Front’’ ticket with the FSLN.

Solid Support

Grassroots support for the FSLN is .

“absolutely solid’’, SP central committee
member Roberto Gusman Baskes told
me, “‘because the revolutionary policies
of the Sandinista Front have affected the
workers and peasants at the most basic
level of their lives’’. The literacy crusade,
public health campaigns, land reform, ex-
tension of welfare services and efforts to
increase and diversify food supplies have
involved the people in simple, practical,
effective programs which have funda-
mentally improved the quality of life.

These FSLN policies have put real
power in the hands of the people, and
generated a “revolutionary momentum
which is permanently altering the struc-
ture of Nicaraguan society, reinforcing
democracy and independence.”

By contrast, the right-wing opposition
is divided and without a program. The old
Somocista bourgeoisie still survives but,
having always been dependent upon U.S.
military and economic power for their
existence, they are an isolated and forlorn
group within Nicaragua today. Their
major preoccupation appears to be
converting their wealth into U.S. dollars,
to be shipped surreptitiously out of the
country, while they wait and hope the
Americans will step in and solve their
problems for them.

There is a large and vigorous private

‘sector — still almost 60 per cent of the

economy — which also tends to be hostile
and suspicious of the popular and
progressive content of the Sandinista rev-
olution. Much of this opposition, how-

,
Militiamen. near the Honduran bordel
Every evidence that they are prepared 0
defend their revolution. |

a ,
gt

ever, -remains patriotic and has bees,
alienated and antagonized by the efforts
of CIA-backed Somicistas to regait\
power by force of arms. wh

‘Right Split 4

The rightist opposition is badly spi
over fundamental questions of policy ane,
whether or not to participate in the elec
tions at all. The only viable and credible,
force in Nicaragua today is the FS
and its democratic allies, such as the SP.

That is not to say that the opposition'§)
without a voice. Indeed, the largest
number of political billboards — expel
sive advertising — is owned by the Social,
Democrats, a right-wing party which has,
already declared its intention to abstall
from the elections.

The opposition also has a powerful
mouthpiece in the newspaper La Prensa,
which takes full advantage of its freedom
to criticize, often employing vicious an
misleading tactics. However, readership’
of La Prensa has stagnated at aroun
55,000 while circulation of the FSLNS
official organ, Barracada, has sky-
rocketed to over 90,000. A third daily
newspaper, the pro-Sandinista E] Neuv0\
Diario has a circulation approaching
50,000.

Real Grassroots

Moreover, the opposition has proven
utterly incapable of mounting any dis
play of public support. By contrast, 02
February 21, the 50th anniversary of
Sandino’s death, the poor and workers of
Managua — 200,000 strong — exploded
out of their barrios and streamed into the
Plaza of the Revolution in a massiv
endorsement of the government.

It is in the face of these realities that
the U.S. has thrown its full weight behind
a renewed campaign of terror against the |
people .of Nicaragua. While hyp0
critically denouncing Nicaragua’s ‘‘slidé
toward totalitarianism’, the Reaga?
administration is, in practice, doing
everything in its power to disrupt and
undermine the country’s genuine
democratic process. |

Although causing considerable ai-
guish and economic dislocation, the neW
upsurge in contra activity is unlikely t0
achieve its goal of sabotaging the,
November election. Nicaragua’s democ
racy is a profound and truly grassroots”
phenomenon. Everywhere one sees
convincing evidence that Nicaragua's
people are prepared and determined t0
defend their revolution. The Sandinista
government — strange ‘‘dictatorship’’—
is held in power by an armed population.

And in Nicaragua today, that may well
be the best guarantee of democracy.

Fred Weir, along with other members
of the Canadian volunteer brigade has
Just returned from Nicaragua. 2