capitalist world have been staggering. All this has had severe implications for us in the developing These countries, western industrialised countries, have been buying less of our goods and, when they buy them, buying them more cheaply.
For example, in Grenada, at one point we had 10 million pounds of nutmeg in storage in a situation where annual production is around 6 million pounds. We have seen cocoa. prices fall by 65 per cent in the last two years and, because of the fall in the value of the pound, we have felt Ins even anore At the same time the capitalist countries have beet selling goods to us more expensively and so the vicious circle has continued. Such countries have erected more and more barriers to trade with us: their protectionist policies have meant that even when we produce goods the tariff barriers erected around their countries have made it virtually impossible for us to have access to their markets.
So we now have a situation in the developing world unparalleled in the history of mankind. At the end of last year, the developing world. was leit owing debts of over $600 billion and had to pay over $130 billion by way of interest alone.
Over the last three vears. as a result of loss of credits, as a result of low prices and high interest rates, we have lost over $85 billion in purchasing power.
And if this were not bad enough, ine cabianst coumines Have begun Wo create among themselves a huge trade in raw materials, which developing countries try to export. Thus the exports of developing countries have fallen from 40 per cent of the world total in the 1960s down to 25 per cent in 1979. At the same time, the share of exports from non-oil exporting countries from 25 per cent to 11 per cent. The the developing difficult for Monetary diture But the their higher were United States threat ON TOP of all this suffering, on top of the world capitalist crisis, on top of the crisis in the developing countries engendered by the crisis, there is another even worse phenomenon facing the world. This new crisis is called Ronald Reagan the greatest disaster to hit mankind also invest back the gains of the world socialist Fund. since Hitler. He believes he can roll movement, that he can roll back the struggles of the national liberation movements. He wants to establish a new Pax Americana — or maybe I He is a man who believes it is possible to win a nuclear war with a first nuclear strike. Instead of asking scientists to develop ways of overcoming world hunger, he asks them to develop a neutron bomb - a bomb that will kill people but leave property intact. And now he's talking about But his contempt for humanity extends beyond the developing world to his friends and allies in the west. He tells Mitterrand and the French people that they are not entitled to put communists in the cabinet; he tells the countries of the European Economic Community (EEC) that they should not give humanitarian aid through the Salvador; he tells the EEC not to repeline deal from the Soviet Union.
So now we face not just the usual amount of imperialist destablisation and pressure which popular and progressive movements have always faced, but increased pressure and aggression. We face propaganda destabilisaCuba, the first successful revolution in the western hemisphere. Stands as a beacon for the people of Latin America and the Caribbean. But the strength of the Cuban people means that Reagan will have to use nuclear weapons if he wants to defeat them revolution. This tas Grenada, much younger revolutions, processes which are still being consolidated, he believes that a combination of propaganda destabilisation, economic aggression and the use of mercenaries and counter-revolutionaries will be enouch to achieve theil and daughters of Sandino have to face invasion. The counter-revoluttrained by the United States been sent there by the United States as directly as if they had sent their own Liberation Front (FSLN) are on top In El Salvador, the oligarchs in power are allied to the United States, which is doing everything possible to keep them in power. Reagan tells Congress every week that human rights are improving, that there is nothing really wrong with the government, that if the guerrillas would just lay down their arms then everything would be all right. But nothing can stop the forof the people of El ONE of the reasons that Ronald Reagan is so blue mad at Grenada is that not only has he seen us resist all anterpts al destabilisation. but be has seen our masir? go forsard. Lev growth rae of see ce the last four years there has been sa tors. Every morning they go jogging «own tie new runway SUCL works; then sophisticated soviet-style What AT THE present time there are 77 warships and over 300 aircraft making manoeuvres off We have to alert international public opinion to this threat, just as we have to mobilise internally. All the facts have been provided to our people who have been organised into militia to guard strategic points and factories in the face of this threat.
warships have invaded our territorial waters, one ignoring coastguards stretch of coast for 3½ hours. In the face of this we have to build a strong economy and maintain our defences if we are to earn the name of revolu importance of total solidarity with the revolutionary people of Nicaragua. In Grenada we have held a Nicaragua held rallies, we have made statements of bees designated day of Peace and Solidarity with Nicaragua. one revolution! If you touch Cuba you touch Grenada! If you tosch Nicaragua, you touch Grenada: Whe also recognise that the fighters of the Faribundo Marti National Liberacio Front in El Salvador are in the fr
Pachic Ocear Rrayan nil yuard. -, back for the rest'.
: tie • falling. le Americas Despite the grovelling response to Reagan in the Congress, the biggest cheers were for hi promise that IS combattroops would not no ent to C'entral America. The volume of •heering for that particular point caught - in his given Reagan half of agnes de house the Salvadorean a hali full' vaid the President he dramatic more from the salvadorean regime is y. the lighring in .. lates we publish belon Fi guide to the conflict. carbosan sol Main cotton.
Economic per under Popelation: 5 million I products: Coffee ¡third largest producer in the world), sugar, structure: El Salvador is dominated by the "fourteen families' ine top two DC. cent 01 the population who own Poverty among the workers and peasants is acute. of the population earned . cent of children sive undernourished. The _per capila calone consumption is the lowest in the Western hemisphere Unemployment underem dioyment permanent 45 per cent.
Over 40 ner cent of the an Assembly, Roberto D'Aubuisson -head of the death squads and the fascist ARENA The Magana, is an right wing Army leaders like Jaime Guttierez and Jose Garcia play a crucial role in Repression: carried by the death fascist ORDEN, the National Guard and the ar40,000 civilian dead my. at the hands of these butchers in three years. Political opposition: led fionary Front (FDR NaFarabundo tional Liberation (FMLN) -of revolutionary guerrilla led by FAPU, Social president, extreme Nalulalist.
Includes Green insurgency out squads, the weapolis Revolu- Militar Marti Front the alliance Central American Revolutionar! Workers Party, MNF democrats), Christian Party, Lac tillis US intervention: 60-100 US military 'advisors' operational personnel countel experts, provided by United States, including Huey helicopters. Total aid to government from US (open and disguised) over $300m per year.
situation:
FMLN ha military offensive since January. Large areas the countryside are controlled zones
hunger tragically right For this 'crime' hounded tivities Secretary, ed to accept. BOBBY SANDS died on the 5 May 1981 after 66 days of He was years old. He had spent nearIy the last nine years of his short life in because of his support for the of the Irish people to determine their own destiny.
The by the government. His political acwere "criminal' by Labour's Home Roy Mason charge that Bobby Sands and his fellow Republicans refusBobby Sands and his colleagues showed that it was the British army and the secthese bonk, jail uS was British labelled ten comrades fight tarian bigots who policed the corridors of Long Kesh who were the real criminals.
excerpts from a new Bobby Day in My Life (published by Pluto Press, £2.75), about the and brutality for a Republican in one of her Majesty's jails.
It is an inspiring story of dignity and courage.
When the Whitelaws and the Masons are long forgotBobby will he ered by all those pledged 1o exploitation and In Sands:
The tells humiliations of prison life Sands and his remembin-
----- pull-quotes -----
Bur as the Siles Times pointed out last :. litha promic nas in contradiction to * hi do that Reagan said If the thread • Pride real i so great, argued the *a tup would have to be used all