U.S.- Mexico conference to plan Nicaragua solidarity work
1988 1988-02Read it in the scan (PDF at ETOL), page 12 →
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The following is an interview with Miguel Gastelum, a leader of the Nicaragua Solidarity Committee in Mexicali, Mexico. Gastelum is one of the coordinators of the Mexico-U.S. Conference in Solidarity with Nicaragua that will take place Feb. 20-21 in Mexicali.
Socialist Action: What are the main goals of the conference?
Miguel Gastelum: The three main slogans of the event are "Oil, Peace, and Solidarity for Nicaragua." We want to focus attention on the fact that Nicaragua vitally needs fuel oil. The Nicaraguan government has repeatedly called upon countries like Mexico and Venezuela to renew their shipments of oil to Nicaragua.
S.A.: Why have these countries discontinued shipments, and what is your committee's specific on the Mexican government?
Gastelum: Mexico's policy toward Nicaragua has been totally demagogic. Mexico, which claims to stand for peace and justice in Central America, has refused to renew its oil shipments, arguing that Nicaragua owes it approximately $500 million for previous shipments.
But Nicaragua has been unable to pay its debts because its resources and foreign-currency reserves have been depleted by the U.S.-contra war. So, the position of our committee is that Mexico should send oil to Nicaragua at their oil demand once-and at no charge. We are for free oil for Nicaragua.
S.A.: What about the other two slogans of the conference: peace and solidarity? These concepts can mean different things to different people...
Gastelum: We will propose that the conference resolution call for an end to U.S. intervention in Nicaragua and the rest of Central America. We think that peace can only be attained if the right to self-determination of the people of Nicaragua and the rest of Central America is respected. The people of this region must be free to forge their own destiny-free from U.S. intervention and pressures.
S.A.: How is the conference going to be organized?
Gastelum: The conference will take place here in Mexicali at the main auditorium of the Autonomous University of Baja California on Feb. 20-21. The first day will be devoted to a political discussion of the draft resolution which we would like to approve at the conference. On the second day, we will have a political/cultural rally.
It is a bi-national (Mexico-U.S.) conference. Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador solidarity committees from various cities in the U.S. Southwest have already accepted our invitation. We invite all your readers to come to our conference, to help clarify our political discussion, and to help chart a course of action not only for Mexico but for the United States as well.
PETROLEO JOLIDARI Y PAZ ENCUENTRO REGIONAL MEXICO-ESTADOS UNIDOS Febrero 20 y 21 de 1988 • Teatro Universitario VABC • Mexicali, B.C.
ctura UABC • Comité de Solidaridad con Nicaraqua, Centroamérica, El Caribe y por la Pal "Oil, Solidarity, and Peace for Nicaragua"
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PARA NICARAGUA