THE FMLN guerillas in El Salvador celebrated the new year with two north of San Salvador. During the attack at least 41 government soldiers, including two army colonels were killed by the insurgents.
Fighting for the army post lasted for 14 hours, and the FMIN captured assault rifles and larger weapons, perore Bernd. FolloWing to the burning base the tack the rebels destroyed the important half-mile long Cascatlan bridge. thus effectively cutting the Pan American highway, isolating hundreds square miles of the coun try.
Since the late summer the FMLN in El Salvador Won tories which have seriously the army. A huge corridor of free movement for the guerrillas has been opened in the north of the country The FMLN military offensive follows lapse of the US planned pactication proiect in san Vincente province, designed to out the guerrillas. The San Vicente DIOICCI WaN designed to once and for all demonstrate 'what the army do'. The failure of the operation, FMLN millary victories, have created severe crisis in both the argovernment leadership. spectacular military victories.
Right wing officers sympathetic the semi-fascist ARENA party have isolated the pro-American chief of staff Casanova. The army itself has responded with a series horrifying massacres against the civilian populaHon, and taere has been a new upsurge of activity by right wing death squads. Rumours abound Salvador of the possibility of a right wing COUl Magana government.
The United States is now faced with a serious lemma in el salvador. Short of direct military inthat the United States can do preventee collapse FMILN/FDR on the othe The hand have their own dilemma — the possibility that a generalised offensive would provoke direct US intervention.
Meanwhile the &main Us ettort the region continues to be concentrated throw the Sandinistas in Nicaragua. The plan of the US-backed 'contras' well known — to capture a major town in Nicaragua create anti'provisional government'. In the face the Sandinistas have responded with a series of moves to strengthen millary, while the same time strengthening their own pollicai position conseription has been introduced the popular militias strengthened. mittees for the Defence of Revolution (CDRS) have been preparing civilian defence against air attacks. In addition FSLN leadership has made a number of concessions to the internal oppositon, for example releasing prisoners CUIVICICU counter-revolutionary acts and announcing an amnesfor counter-revolutionaries abroad.
As the US presidential campaign gathers pace, it becomes more difficult for the Reagan team to contemplate an invasion of Nicaragua - the FSLN designed LUVES precisely to gain time to make that invasion more difficult.
1984 looks like being a crucial year for Central Whatever hap. pens in El Salvador, crucial question whether the Sandinistas will retain
Socialist Action 6 January 1984
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First they overran the headquarters of the US- trained 45th Infantry brigade at El Paraiso, 36 miles