US. Hands Off Nicaragua

% 4, An invasion of Nicaragua by United States backed rightwing forces has long been expected. After many months of border skirmishing and sabotage attacks, a full scale invasion by ‘contras’ belonging to the so-called Nicaraguan Democratic Front took place at the end of March. The FDN claims that a 5,000 strong - force entered Nicaragua from Honduras and is both well-armed and being supplied by air from Honduras.

The Sandinista government while confident that it will defeat the ‘contras’ is more concerned that this invasion is part of a pretext for a declaration of war by Honduras who would then call publicly for ‘Participate in the revolution, increase production.’ (DR) U.S. backing. These fears are well grounded, Last December the U.S. magazine ‘Newsweek’ published evidence that attacks on Nicaragua are co-ordinated from the United States Embassy in Honduras.

BIG LIE Naturally, the Reagan administration denies these charges. Jeanne Kirkpatrick, the American Ambassador to the U.N. claims that Nicaragua is ‘suffering from an obsession concerning the hostility of the U.S.’ But both the ‘New York Times’ and ‘Time’ magazine have alleged that the latest invasion was co-ordinated by John Negroponte, the U.S, ambassador to Honduras.

THREATS Reagan’s administration has also recently been threatening the revolutionary government of the Caribbean island, Grenada. In 1979 the New Jewel Movement led a revolution to oust the right-wing Gairy regime and during the last four years the revolution has brought many gains to the Nicaragua. people of Grenada. Fidel Castro coined it ‘a b/g revolution in asmall country’and it is fee the fear that the advances of Nicaragua and Grenada will prove attractive to other countries in the region that lies behind the U.S. aggression RESPONSIBILITY Irish socialists have a responsibility to prevent the U.S imperialists from committing further crimes against the people of Central America and the Caribbean. A start would be setting up a broad based committee to oppose the latest invasion of **Rejected the claims of Nicaraguan capitalists and given a decisive majority to the organisations of the workers and peasants in the Council of State, a key advisory body to the government.

And this list is by no means complete! These gains have been made in a country with a population of 2.9 million. (Nicaragua is also the 2nd poorest country in the region) And they have been made against the opposition of the Nicaraguan capitalists who have organised widespread sabotage and decapitalisation of enterprises to say nothing of the support they have given to the ex-members of Somozas National Guard holed up in Honduras who have made armed attacks inside Nicaragua for at least 2 years.

Above all, the Nicaraguan workers and peasants have been opposed by the United Sterling - 6 months £9 (95FF), | year £16 (1; Punts -6 months £10, / year £18 PEC and mail to: 1V, 2 rue Richard Lenoir, 93/08, Montreuil, France.

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