pages in the week to come to anyone in the labour movement, no matter what their positions other who wishes to call for support to be built for the Nicaraguan revolution and opposes the assault of the United States on that country.
We urge our supporters to contact build the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign. the Nicaraguans will be through their advantage with similar approaches to the World Court, GATT (General Agreement on Trade Tariffs) the Secretariat for Latin America.
So has the tiger been tamed? Obviously not. The fact is the Nicaraguan already under pressure from the contra-war and an informal blockade which Britain and other US allies have long been promoting through their covert intervention against loans from the EEC and other multilateral bodies. The peans have their own reasons for not coming out openly in favour of a formal trade boycott, bargo, even if partial, will take a real economic toll in Nicaragua. More importantly, when you look at the kind of toll, you begin to see the political and military objectives that lie behind the economic measures.
Firstly there exports. revolution has made great progress in reducing Nicaragua's dependence US $214 worth of exports in 1980 to $58 million in 1984. But nobody can transform 400 years of colonial servitude overnight. Those exports still represent 17 per cent precious change earnings, mostly in perishable following to Economic found grave iously torn Eurobut Reagan's em- ings will aggravate serious problem The other VIl milton forelen JOB HUMA No goods like bananas, shrimps and meat.
week it seemed Nicaragua had customers Belgium, France and Holland, but the price will be lower, the transport costs higher, ther and in the long run Nicaragua will still have to contend with a trading system dominated by US and British multinationals like United Brands and Fytles. (Meanwhile West Germany and Britain were dithering on the sidelines, anxbetween respect tor big brother and capitalist excitement at the prospect of some cheap bananas.)
This loss of foreign currency earnNicaragua's more of LUIDULL $109 million worth of which still came from the US. Several key sectors will be hit. A lack of pesticides will hit agricultural production both for export and home consumption. A lack of chemicals and intermediate inputs will affect factories producing medecines and consumer goods like soap and toothpaste. Finally, the dependence on Americanspare-parts places a potential stranglehold on three absolutely basic sectors of the country's infrastructure: the telephone system and energy plants, both reliant on American technology, and the only oil refinery, run by Esso. OC 37 AFSCA 76c-610 As mart c • increase in military assistance to Nicaragua's neighbours; • activation of the mechanisms of censure in the Org anisation of American States, aim ed at the application of the 'collec tive self-defence provisions of the Rio Treaty; • fabrication of an incident of some provocation that would serve as a pretext for attacks (surgical strikes) strategic targets in • intensification of Washington's pressures against the Contadora that they include points in the negotiation process unacceptable to Nicaragua, which would then be blamed for the even tual defeat of the peace efforts; • an international pressure camadvocating "dialogue' bet ween the Sandinista government and the contras, and the holding ol new elections.
Socialist Action 17 May 1985 Trade Union Friends of Palestine
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