ding their country.
Nicaraguan catalogued just some of the destruction and loss oI ne inflicted as the result of the US-backed war speech on 19 July celebrating seven years of the Sandinista revolution. Of the victims ot the contras were children under twelve y Cals old. Two thousand houses have been destroyed, 31 health cure centres did stadoos. 291 vehicles, 11 day-care COLLICO >8 schools. over 500 other buildings.
The facts give the lie to the claims of Ronald that what's stake in US involvement in Nicaragua is stooping so. called 'Soviet expansionism' - or his obscene comparison the contras and the Founding mauser LNe United States or the 'brave men and women of the French Restistance'.
Earlier this year Sister Sandra Price, US nun working Not an example of what Reagan's 'freedom fighters' get up to 'On 25 March a group of contras LOOK one of our Catholic catechists, Donato Mendoza. his home' she reported. "Two kilometres further on they castrated him, gouged his eyes, pulled out his fingernails cut the his legs, broke every bone In body, and shot him A Special Report issued by the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign quotes an a idavit to the World Cour forleader of the Nicaragua contra organisation, 'Nicaraguan UCHcratic Force' (FDN). Chamorro stated that the atrocities he had heard about were not isolated inTenected pallell LAST WEEK the United States government stepped up its sanctions against Nicaragua — banning even charity aid from the US. JON SILBERMAN reports on the stepping up of the US war against Nicaragua. The US government calls it 'low intensity operabehaviour by our troops. There unit commanacis who opelly Drag ged about their murders, mutilations. When questioned them about the DIVULICLY doing these things they told me it was the only way to win Inis war that the best way to win the loyalty of the civilian population was to intimidate it make it teartul of us.
In the first six months or unis year 750 people have been kidnapped, whilst have been assassinated. Contra land mines killed 35 civilians in norduring this Spring alone.
particularly revealing episode in the terror paign took nace on 3 uv when US-backed mercenaries blew up a truck fillwith peasants. Twelve children, twelve women, men were murdered. All were civilians. wighteen of the victims were from a single family.
Sandinista paper Barricada reports such terrorist activities are on the increase because the millary effectiveness the contras is declining. During the first five months of this year the Sandinista army dealt significant blows to the contra cing more than forces, killing 0I 2,500 WOUL 850 clashes.
But war is taking a heavy toll on the Nicaraguan revolution. Recently Victor Tirado, member of the FSLN National Directorate, reported that all the Sanefforts directed, basically, defeating, the foreign agwhich 'has forces, material human CAhausting us in human and US-backed contras are stepping up their attacks It's against this background that Keagan won the US Congress to provide further $100 Lest there be any mistake Talentons Reagan clarified in a Mexican newspaper Excélsior that he SUDDELCO the overthrow of the Sandinista He said that if the Sandinistas did not move toward what Called tion' in Nicaragua, 'then the only alternative Is to the freedom fighters have their way and take over.
The Sandinistas have declared that the US aggression nas entered a new and more dangerous stage with the ot the $100 million aid. Their view has been confirmed recent York Times report that amongst other things the contra aid will be used to finance the haling or tae contra ter rorists by US soldiers from known as Green second priority allocating supply mercenary can these Nicaraguan government responded the contra aid they would change some defend country. Amongst measures suspension which rorists.
Large demonstrations have taken place In the Congress vote. Writing from Nicaragua Cindy Jaquith reports, in the American socialist weekly, The Militant, that 65,000 rallied in Managua in support of the revolution. In addition 10,000 demonstrated the town Jinotepe and 20,000 in the Such support continues to exist despite all hardships precisely cause the Sandinista government continues defend the interests of the workers and peasants. June the government took over temporary control 01 six companies in response demands workers who had faced a three year union-busting drive The government declared that the company was carrying out an 'employers' strike that affected the national economy and was damaging to the interests of the workers.
Land distribution has been accelerated because of 'pressure brought bear by movements landless peasants' according Barricada. Region V, major agricultural area in southcentral Nicaragua, 31,000 were distributed landless peasants June and July alone the end of the year 150,000 acres will have been Ins arca where previously land reform had been limited In what has been a mainitiative government has embarked on the autonomy process in regard to the Atlantic coast region. This is an attempt to overcome discrimination, economic isolation to this region of the countri where a majority of the population Indians black people each with their history VWI. language, traditions. The autonomy DOes tested u major increase in support the government from the area.
Contrary to Reagan's claims nothing Chile the and barricades in the poorer areas of By alone in the week after the strike.
since 1973.
South Pacific the the no special message except to pass on the territory of the Republic possessions to the United Nations. be Chile's 90 day state seige and spate of mass arrests following last Sunday's commando attack on Pinochet is the culmination of a long period in which mass opposition has been growing. In May a two-day general strike saw large scale power cuts, transport stoppages, Terror is the government's only answer. Over 15,000 people were arrested in Santiago suburbs An Amnesty International report released on the 3 September says Pinochet's terror has reached levels not seen French prime minister Jacques Chirac's recent promise of a war against terrorism' casts an interesting light on comments made during his recent tour of France's South Pacific territories. Interviewed in Papeete about two secret service agents, Major Mafart and Captain Prieur, recently transferred to the French Atoll of Hao after New Zealand jailed them for blowing up the Rainbow Warrior he said: 'I have consideration and friendship and above all confirm my joy to know they are today free on He later explained that the two French state terrorists were on Hao for a 'regular military posting'. He went on to denounce Australia's prime minister Bob Hawke as 'very stupid' for voting to refer France's South Pacific colonial
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tions', or 'covert operations'. But this hides the real scale of the war it is waging. In the last five years,