[1932—the MATANZA ("massacre"). Peasant uprising inspired by Farabundo…]

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1932—the MATANZA ("massacre"). Peasant uprising inspired by Farabundo Marti is 1972—military steals election victory from Duarte and Ungo's moderate National Oppo10/15/79—Army deposes General Romero in response to massive strikes and land seizures. New U.S.-engineered junta formed. Wave of military and death-squad terror ensues despite presence of moderates in government, including Ungo and Salvadoran Communist 1/10/81—Guerrillas launch "final offensive." Three days later a "general strike" fails to 1/14/81—Military aid, briefly suspended after murder of four U.S. churchwomen, resumed 1/84—FMLN/FDR proposes new, more moderate platform. "Government of Broad Participation" (GAP) calls for negotiations to end war, respect for human rights, and coalition 10/84—Duarte and FMLN leaders meet at La Palma for unsuccessful peace negotiations. 1984-86— Economic hardship and disappointed hopes, combined with downswing in level 1986—Formation of UNTS, which leads series of mass campaigns. 10/10/86—Earthquake strikes San Salvador. 12,000 dead; 150,000 left homeless.

7/88—Zamora and Ungo return to El Salvador to campaign for CD.

8 SOCIALIST ACTION MARCH 1989 make wis a lvoica snow elecaon Why is ARENA almost assured of a victory in this climate? The answer lies in he impotency of the PDC Duarte won the presidency with the sun. port or much of the peasantry and working class. They believed that, with U.S. support, he would end the war and begin rebuilding the country's economy But nearly 20 percent of all Salvadorar Tamilies nave been displaced and uprooted by the war. Half the workers are unemployed or marginally employed. Shantytowns are common around the cities. Many people survive only Wrouch money they receive from relatives who have fled to the United States or Canada.

Duarte's promise to bring to justice those in the military violations has not brought a single successful prosecution during his tenure.

Even Duarte's supporters in the ruling class are having a bad time. In a recent article ir The Nation, Rubén Zamora outlined just how ago. We onces are way cown on the word market o Tie ihree main exnorto that were once the motor force of our economy are now significantly depressed."

virtually dried up. Exaly for up. it replace cave been worknlacec have heen closed in response to labor protests. International banks are imposing austerity crushed. Military massacres 30,000 peasants.

sition Union (UNO). Armed opposition builds in response.

7/19/79—Sandinistas overthrow Somoza in Nicaragua.

Party. 1/5/80-Government collapses when Ungo and others resign. new government. 3/9/80Duarte joins new government. 3/24/80—Archbishop Romero assassinated while saying mass. on National Guard soldiers not to fire on peasants. 10/10/80 FMLN established.

take off. By January 16 offensive is halted.

9/81—ARENA established.

government "in which no single force predominates." 5/84—Duarte elected president on peace and reform platform.

of terror, revives labor movement.

ment fails to organize relief. collapses, the Armed Forces, with Vides Casanova's threat of a coup, are clearly looking elsewhere.

The PDC collapse is particularly disturbing to the U.S. government. They saw it as their avenue for "legitimizing" U.S. intervention. Through Duarte's sham democracy, they have the line that democracy is toumshino while continuing to fund and arm the very forces responsible for the death-squad terror. So, with the PDC rendered ineffective, Salvadorans are faced with a choice between the left-liberal CD alliance and the far right ARENA. The CD is given little possibility of electoral victory, particularly in the current climate where their candidates have appeared on death-squad hit lists.

An FMLN military offensive The FMILN proposal comes in the wake of the center's collapse and in the seemingly contradictory context of their call for an all-out offensive against the government. Yet, the offensive is designed to move Duarte, the Armed Forces, and the Bush administration into a negotiating posture.

FMLN Commander Fermán Cienfuegos described this goal: "This is an integrated offensive. It's not exclusively military. It's an offensive aimed at negotiation. It seeks to change the correlation of forces. Why not say it, we seek to gain the advantage in order to negotiate." (Christian Science Monitor, Dec. 5, 1989)

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trillion times in a single day. Less than an ounce of deadly tularemia bacteria produces a cloud 325 feet high, covering 0.62' square miles.

Again, there are calls to put the genie back in the bottle. Last July, 500 biomedical researchers signed a pledge "not to engage knowingly in research and teaching that will further the development of chemical and biological warfare agents."

Is it too late? Chemical weapons have been embraced by some Third World countries, who look on them as the poor person's nuclear bomb. Over 20 Third World countries are now capable of producing biological weapons.

The imperialist countries, meanwhile, see biological warfare as an effective means of controlling "restless natives." People are killed but no property is destroyed.

There is even research on an "ethnic toxin," which would be deadly to only one ethnic group. It would be like spreading sickle cell anemia virus among a mixed crowd, and wiping out only Black people!

A heavy responsibility Negotiators have been meeting for 20 years to agree on ways to end this new arms race. It has to be done soon; it's easier to set up a

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shown the world some "progress" toward andress natuman races, They have pushed