IN A SPEECH last Wednesday Reagan made a savage attack on Nicaragua and appealed for more financial aid to the El Salvador regime from the Senate Reagan's appeal coincided with the results of the rerun of Salvador by the United States.
In fact, Duarte's elecioral victory was not near• as accisive as commentators had expected.
gave Duarte Haresuis 56 per cent of the vote, and his ultra-right wing oppoRoberto son 44 per cent of the vote.
D AUDUISSOn, reknowned of Salvador's Header right wing death squads, produced at a press conference evidence ot large. scale US funding of the D'Aubuisson's largerthan-expected vote was a result of the huge political swing to the right among the Salvadorean middle classes, petrified by the military victories oi ine revolutionary forces of the FMLN. On the other night, Ronald which he duly got.
presidential election; he was obhand, since voting in El Salvador is compulsory, a large number of workers peasants will have voted for Duarte, who while a supporter of the dictatorship at least is not the organiser of the death squads.
The sending of more military aid at precisely the time that Duarte has won the elections is symbolic. In the run-up to the election Duarte made much of his promise open dialogue with the left wing opposition, the FDR-FMLN. But Keagan ana the US administration nave ollie plans During his last term as presiden Duarte bresidea over one of the most intense periods of activity by the death squads and a major escalation of the war. No one expects him to behave any differently this time around.
The main thrust of Reagan's Wednesday speech Nicaragua. Reagan claimed that since 1979 the Sandinistas had carried out a 'reign of terror including the killing of Miskito Indians, persecution of Jews and Roman Catholics, burning of crops and churches subversion neighbouring states.
ADVOIC with the slightest familiarity of the real situation in Nicaragua knows these accusations to be pure flights of fantasy Reagan's conclusion could have been more explici: lel us snow lilat we want no hostile Communist colonies here in the Americas: South, Central North'. effect, was spelling out that the United States in tends to bring down the Sandinista government ir Salvadorean soldiers fight on with US dollars The continued military conflict on the Nicaraguan was vividly shown DOTCCI by last week's shooting down of a helicopter over Nicaraguan territory by Sandinista troops, killing eight people. The Hon duran government claimed the helicopter as one of its whereas FSLN sources helicopter had painted on its tail! 'US Army commander HH JILY 1101)'. It is not conested that the helicopte came from Tiger Island of the Honduran Coast. where the US has Whether anyone in the helicopter was fact American not known. One possiblity is that the helicopter was taking part Ullali nounced round of exeron the NicaraguanCISCS Honduran border.
campaign against Nicaragua suffered a maior propaganda blow last week when the World ruled COUl that the United States should stop any attempt to mine blockade Nicaragua's ports.
By a vote of 14-1 the Court also ruled that Nicaragua's political independence 'should be ful respected ShOuld not be jeopardised by 1 any paramilitary millary or activities'.
Although the World Court has no powers to impose its juagements, is authority is derived from who sit on the court pane have to be ratified by both the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations. VERY FEW people will take seriously the handwringing sorrow of Ronald Reagan and friends over the Soviet Union 'playing politics' by pulling out of the Los Angeles Olympics. When the United States, strongly backed by Margaret Thatcher, attempted to wreck the Moscow Olympies over the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, they opened up the Los Angeles games to retaliation. every one of the Soviet Union's accusations are true.
Take for example the commercialism of the Line olympics die being sponsored by thirty LaOH corporations.
Mars Inc. (manufacturers of what helps you to work, rest play) viding which enables their best-selling US bar ('Snickers") to be the 'official snack of the they must have known that And the truth of the matter is that virtually ly international competi tion national selfaggrandisement. The number of medals won by each competing country I infinitely more important than the spirit of Olympic Rick :Gruneau, writing In lne Ven Socialist, explains that while the present da!
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viously cashing in on the apparent victory of the 'moderate' candidate Duarte, who had been backed