Population: 5 million Main products: Coffee (unira largest produce in the world), sugar, Economic COLLUL. structure: El Salvador is dominated by the 'fourteen families the top two per cent of the population who own the plantations. Poverty among the workers and peasants is acute.
In 19/3 of the population earned "10 a month per . cent of children five are undernourished. The _per capita calorie consumption is the lowest in the Western hemisphere.
Unemployment
underemployment is permanent 45 per cent.
Over 40 per cent of the population is illiterate.
structure: disguised military dictatorship. Last year's phoney elections elected installed themselves in power.
The army is waging a Indians, believing them the of subversion.
The political 'centre of the country has been virtually destroyed by assassinations of leaders of the Christian Democratic Party the Social Democratic Party. The death squad:
fascist Mano (White Hand) who work together with the army.
Montt is waging
campaign to win over r the Catholic peasants to Profearing that the Catholic Church supports revolution. an Assembly, led by Roberto D'Aubuisson. and toe fascist ARENA head of the death Dall The president, Magana, is an extreme right wing Nationalist. Army leaders like Jaime Guttierez and Jose Garcia play a crucial role in the government.
Repression: carried by the death fascist : ORDEN , the National Guard and the ar40,000 civilian dead at the hands of these butchers in three years. Political opposition: led by Democrate RevoluFarabundo tional Liberation Front (FMLN) - the allance of revolutionary guerrilla armies.
FDR includes Commass organisa- revolutionary mass (LP-28. BPR, DONS Opposition: The legal opposition has been terrorised into quiesence. The revolutionary op. position is tne URNC (Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity) an alliance of four guerrilla organisations which the Guatemalan Workers (PGT)
the Guerrilla Army of the Poor (EGP) are the strongest liberated zones in the countryside are less than 1n Salvador, but the guerrillas are active in over half the country Besides the revolutionary left, the Democratic Front against RepressIot (FDCR) co-ordinates 150 FAPU, Central American Revolutionary Workers MNR (social democrats), Social Christian trace unous US intervention: 60-100 US Illlars 'advisors' Includes operational planning Green Beret counterinsurgency CAOCIEs. at the US emins military embassy. weapons provided United States, including Huey helicopters. aid to government from US (open and disguised) over $300m per year.
situation:
FMLN has military offensive sinc January. Large areas of the countryside are controlled zones'.
Without substantia.
US military collapse government within months is possible.
organisations. , legal parties and church organisa. LUIS American intervention: During the Carter era US aid to Guatemala was banned because of human rights violations.
sales have now resumed to Montt. Although the US is increasingly worried that his regime is isolated.
the crucial country in the region the United States is concerned. If US intervention is at a relatively low level. this could change rapidly if the guerrillas more powerful. Israel makes miltary aid that the US