THE following don by ALEXANDRO BENDANA the Nicaraguan foreign ministry.
ty Campaign.
ALMOST eight years ago a small country in Central America backdrop of one of the greatest military powers on earth independence would be possible. That dream began to materialise in 1979 with the victory of the Nicaraguan people and the insurrection by the Sandinista National Liberation Front.
The dream not merely to turn out the dictatorship, and was not merely to establish a new course for the Nicaraguan people. bul also to lake lito account the frustrated avil allulls peoples everywhere Latin America, who also had a dream and were struggling for their freedom and for We dreamed that it was LO LIC eradication of the illiteracy rate of 52 per cent, of the malnutrition that claimed the lives of 2 out of every 5 children before they reached the age of 3. And yet tramework of commitment and the principles of pluralism, and of a foreign policy or non-angument.
The administration from the time of its own Republican Parplatform proclaimed that the Nicaraguan revolution had reversed. And it gave the Contras a job to go about executing the obiectives of American foreign policy to destroy the Sandinista revolution, march into the streets of We too re hat Piney report today that have not marched through the streets of Managua, that they will not march through the streets of Managua; that they are be ing beaten, first foremost not only because Washington, not because the crisis of the decomposition the contra leadership, but on account one ance struggle of the people of That battle is still being waged, the war has not stopped. may be entering its most dangerous stage, oCcause the Reagan Adminstration are extracts of a speech delivered in Lon.
general secretary of He was speaking at a 'Blood Money' rally organised by the Nicaraguan Solidaridared to dream, to dream that in the is not convinced that it cannot overturn the Sandinistas. Notwithstanding seven years of struggle, the Nicaraguan people be because we happen to believe in the people as we believe in people everywhere.
Why have the Contras failed? Could it be that the steady stream of atrocities would not find the sympathy of the Nicaraguan people?
We would hope that the Reagan Adminstration will think twice; will listen to the voice of the Latin Americans bargain supporters which say thạt there is a way out. which 1s called negotiation. That it possible reach political solution in order to end the bloodshed.
would hone that thil heed the orders on heed orders the World Court, 27 June 1986, when in effect it convicted the United States of state tell ulis against ordered it to desist in that cease-firen, ordered it to OUC CU cease-fire, pay reparations.
would ask the United States to listen to which are demanding that Latin Americans be giver a chance to solve their own problems, that the ciples of the United Nations Charter be allowed to apply in Central America, because the peoples Central America will not accept second class citizenship, feel that those principles will apply to all of us or theyhe will apply to none.
principles ICS DECI for the self-determination of the peothe internal affairs of slate, or non-resort to the use of force in international relations, the peaceful disputes. We believe that these must be allowed they must, they must apply the crisis in Central America Those voices I'm sad to not being heard.
Every indication is that the Reagan administration remains obsessively committed to its objective of overthrowing government. We need only to listen to Reagan and his speeches. The policy and of GENUIN destroy responsible in great part in getting this administration into the morass that it has The implications that the voice of reason will not be heeded; the administration continues military build-up. At this very LICe over 5,000 American troops in Honduras. . There boe or ohip pts. Hardly warships parked a day goes by without spy overflights and now hear that largest military exercise there's been in Central Americar history is about to take place: 50,000 men aircraft carriers practice invasion landing - for what?
What we denounce todav are the actual preparations for direct military intervention in Nicaragua. If Nicaraguan people demonstrate their determination to survive the Reagan administration does and he the cobea have failed complishing theirs, then Ineres ov one rodel! and that is the road of direct intervention.
The pretext would be a simple border incident which wouldn't even ap pear on the Honduran Nicaragtorces. as there ClaN been or an appeal by Honduras, or an appeal by Costa Rica, its great neighbour the north, against Sandinista communist invasion'. American military troops, American military advisers with the consent of Conmiles our border.
They have already begun to prepare the Contras in American piloted helicopters. What happens if one of those helicopters with American personnel strays over our border. will not hesitate to defend our national territory anc our sovereignty. And if these get killed, we could have a 'Gulf of Tonkin'.
Nicaraguan government will spare abaccommodation. We will back Contadora, we have backed it, and we will back the new initiatives that are being forward all name of avoiding an impending disaster. defence and on the basis or will the defence OI the Nicaraguan people's right setdetermination; we will whatever the general interests that other parties might have, including United States - bụt they Call be considered. or allowed to be considered legitimate, legitimate interests of any the death wally. widespread destruction of the Sandinista revolution, because simply unacceptable and we will nizut to tue cue.
Nicaragua will survive. It may take further walll. further suffering, but we will survive because we believe that this battle w are waging is not simply tor the future of our own people, of our own children; we know that there is a beacon in Central America that is being watched by cher, and that that light that that light cannot be allowea to go out, because it represents the lght of hope the ligh of freedom, the light of the possibility self-determination small nations.
We have the historical need, we have a historical duty to people everywhere which gives us the strength to continue.