Portland observer., March 05, 1981, Image 5

assistance, to justify Christian Democrat participation
in the 3rd Junta; to strengthen the government’ s image.
The agrarian reform was instituted on March 6th, and
on March 7th military law was proclaimed.
3rd Junta
On March 10th, four day» after the Agrarian Reform
was began, the progressive civilian members o f the 2nd
Junta resigned in protest o f the violence perpetrated on
the peasants by the m ilitary. The Christian Democrat
Party split, with 2000 right wing members remaining
with the government and the liberal wing joining the
Revolutionary Democratic F ront, a co alition o f 1 $0
organizations o f workers, peasants, students, business
people, professionals, church groups, etc.
By this time the power o f the right-wing military was
consolidated under Colonel Gutierrez and all pretense
o f liberal reform gone.
A rchbishop
Romero, who supported the
revolutionary cause as just, was assassinated in his
church in March.
W ith the election o f President Reagan and the
promise that human rights would no longer be a major
concern, repression increased.
On Thanksgiving Day seven leaders o f the FDR were
dragged from a catholic school where they had met to
plan a press conference by 25 agents in civilian dress
while the school was surrounded by troops. They were
to rtu re d and kille d . S hortly a fte r, fo u r Am erican
religious women were murdered.
4th Junta
In the afterm ath the Junta was again reorganized.
The one m ilita ry man considered to be progressive,
Colonel Majano, was pushed out. Duarte was named
president and Gutierrez as vice-president and Comman­
der In ch ie f o f the Arm ed Forces. M ajaro said the
reorganization “ symbolizes a process o f moving to the
right by certain civilian or military opportunists.”
A Latin American diplomat said: “ M r. Duarte has
made an expensive compromise to realize his dream o f
becoming President. If the President is not Commander
in Chief, then is is not in command.”
The U.S. suspended m ilitary aid while investigating
the murder o f the American Nuns, but prior to leaving
office, in spite o f indications o f government involve­
ment, Jimmy Carter resumed aid.
Since his inaguration on January 20th, President
Reagan has offered ever increasing m ilitary aid - this
week sending a d d itio n a l m ilita ry advisors and
promising military aid.
“ A ll the reforms we fought for have been Isot. The
great problem is on the right. Terrorist operate with im­
punity and the government does nothing to stop them.
El Salvador’ s problems do not come from Cuba or El
Salvador. The problem is that this country is caught in a
process o f self-destruction unleashed by those who use
the banner o f anti-communism to preserve and expand
repression and in ju s tic e .” Those are the words o f
Colonel M ajaro, who led the 1979 coup, served in the
Junta, narrowly escaped assassination in October, was
arrested on February 21st, and is being held on un­
verified charges.
El Salvador
American's next war?
M urder and to rtu re are com m on.
Representative Gerry E. Studds of Massachusetts
has introduced a bill into the House of Represen­
tatives that would prohibit all military sales, training
and assistance to the government of El Salvador.
Congressmen Les Aucoin and Jim Weaver are
among the thirty-seven co-sponsors of this bill.
A jo in t Senate Memorial calling fo r an end to
economic and military aid to the government of El
Salvador is going to be introduced to the Oregon
Legislative Assembly. It is presently in the Trade and
Economic Development Committee. Members are
Senator Bullock, Jernstedt, Heard, Kitzhaber, Smith
McCoy.
LEGISLATIVE BRUNCH
Meet your representatives
Discuss the issues
Representative Hardy Myers
Speaker of the House of Representatives
Bourbon Street Restaurant
NE Weidler and Grand
Saturday, March 7th, 9:30
Coffee, rolls
$1.50
COMING:
March 21 - Senator Frank Roberts
Rep. Barbara Roberts
Rep. Wally Priestly
April 4 - Senator Fred Heard
Sponsored by: The Portland Observer
El Salvador is a small nation - 4.5 million peole in an
area smaller than Vermont - the poorest and most over-
populated in the Western Hemisphere.
Until the 19th century, the people o f El Salvador lived
on trib a l lands or on large plantations farmed com-
munaly. After independence from Spain in 1812 and in­
troduction in 1850, all o f that changed. Because labor
was needed for the coffee plantations, the Indians were
forced o ff the land to become highly exploited workers.
As the economy became centered on coffee, the land
and the economy came under the control o f fourteen
families - the Oligarchy.
The Massacre of 1931
The depression o f 1931 brought a drop in coffee
prices, higher unemployment, lower wages and common
mistreatment o f workers. In 1930, Agustin Farabundo
Marti, organizer o f the Central American Socialist Par­
ty, returned from Nicaragua where he had fought again­
st U.S. Marine occupation, to consolidate the union
movement. Demonstrations and strikes led to a mass
uprising in 1932 which was destroyed with the murder of
30,000 peasants by the military.
The Oligarchy reasserted its economic control over
the country and put the m ilitary in political control. In
1932, the m ilitary dictatorship that was to last for 50
years began.
A fte r W orld War II, cotton production expanded,
forcing peasants o f f their small plots o f land and in ­
creasing hunger and malnutrition.
Alliance fo r Progress
Following the Cuban Revolution and its successful
land reform, the United States launched the Alliance for
Progress in Latin America. When even minimal land
reforms in El Salvador were blocked by the Oligarchy,
the U.S. decided to arm El Salvador as a guard against
“ communism".
The U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador wrote: “ There
was a time when the republic made great social progress,
back in the early 1960s, but fearful o f Castroism, we
(the US) began to build up the security forces.”
U rban grow th was encouraged by the U.S.
established Central American Common Market, but the
social reforms that often accompany urbanization were
absent. Unemployment and the numbers o f landless
GULFPORT
peasants increased; p o litic a l and union organizing
progressed.
I he U.S. responded by funding the American In ­
stitute for Free Labor Development (A IF L D ), an anti­
com m unist labor tra in in g agency o f the A F L -C IO .
Funding came trom U.S. A ID and the purpose was to
seek m inim al economic improvements and to direct
peasants and workers away from organizing their won
progressive organizations.
Elections of 1972
By 1972 the Christian Democratic Party had become
strong enough to run Napolean Duarte for president. In
order to win they had to join in a united front with the
Social Democrats and the outlawed Communist Party.
Durarte won but the Army moved in and deprived him
o f the election and delcared Colonel A rtu ro M olina
president.
A number o f moderate reforms were instigated and
funded by the U.S. but none were successful. Reaction
by the Oligarchy included repression o f the Church and
universities and assassination o f peasants. M olino was
replaced in 1977 by Carlos H um berto Romero, in
another fraudulant election.
In 1977 the Carter Administration cut o ff military aid
because o f mass terrorism perpetrated by the m ilitary
government. In 1979, in the face o f a successful
revo lu tio n in Nicaragua, the U.S. suggested that
Romero resign. W ith absolute power, and no threat to
his control, except the U.S., he stepped down.
The October Coupe
W ith U.S. support, a group o f younger and more
liberal army officers, led by Colonel Majano, staged a
"palace coup." Although Romero was out, the Oligar­
chy and the military remained very much in control.
First Junta
The young officers hoped that a co a litio n o f the
liberal m ilitary and the “ centrist” civilians could bring
about reform. The U.S. insisted that the military named
to the Junta be conservatives Colonel Jose Garcia and
Colonel Jaime Gutierrez. The U.S. strategy was to resist
any concrete reforms until its people were in control.
Rather than work with the "centrists” to develop a new
democratic government, the U.S. supported the military
rig h t-w in g . The U.S. goal was to prevent another
Nicaragua by re-directing the Oligarchy from the land
I
Government soldier stands guard near body of
young man shot in the back.
and into modern urban capitalism; and using agrarian
reform “ P acification” developed in Vietnam to take
over the large plantations, turn them into m ilita ry en­
claves, and populate them with pro-government peas­
ants. A IF L D was to be the clearing house to determine
whch peasants qualified.
On January 3rd, the progressive civilians in the Junta
- including Enrique Alvarez (who became president o f
U.S. MILITARY INSTALLATIONS
the FDR and was tortured and murdered in November
IN THE CARIBBEAN AREA
1980 by government troops) and G u ille rm o Ungo
(currently president o f the FDR) determined that they
could institute reform over m ilita ry opposition and
resigned.
Second Junta
The second Junta contained C hristian Democrats
who joined the government in a last attempt to work
? PUERTO RICO i U S i „
through it fo r reform s. The U.S. distrusted th e ir
— ___SAN JUAN
T3
liberalism and preferred to support the right wing ele­
ments o f the m ilita ry. The U.S. instituted training in
“ clean counter-insurgency” , instituted military aid, and
trained 300 officers and technicians.
Aarre/ A F 6
By this time the country was divided into two fac­
Aooseve ! Aoaas I
tions, the m ilita ry -o lig a rc h y and the popular-
re vo lu tio na ry forces. B ru ta lity by the m ilita ry in ­
Ft B u ch a n a n
creased; revolutionary organization continued.
F t A len
The m ilitary was ready for a coupe on February 26th,
Ft 9 'o o k e
but were warned by U.S. Ambassador James Cheek that
it would be contrary to U.S. aims and would result in a
loss o f aid. A IF L D presence strenghtened; repression o f
peasants increased.
The U.S. decided it was time to institute the agrarian
reform - against the wishes o f the Junta and the Oligar­
chy - but with the aid o f the military. The benefits w iu ld
be: to control the countryside by imposing a state o f
seige; to u n ify the arm y; to ju s tify U.S. m ilita ry