Coalition calls for national antiwar actions on March 24

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SALVADOR On Jan. 20, over 2500 antiwar protestors demonstrated in San Francisco: against U.S. intervention in Central America and, specifically, against the U.S. invasion of Panama. The action is seen as a building tool for March 24 demonstrations.

Led by the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES), 70 antiwar activists representing a number of solidarity and peace organizations set March 24 for national demonstrations in Washington, D.C.; San Francisco; Los Angeles; and Austin, Texas.

The call for nationally coordinated mass demonstrations against the mounting threat of U.S. intervention in Central America will be welcomed by antiwar activists from coast to coast. The actions will take place on the 10th anniversary of the assassination of Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero.

Meeting in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 15, representatives of Quest for Peace, Sane/Freeze, the Nicaraguan and Guatemalan Networks, Pax Christi, the Rainbow Coalition, Jobs with Peace, and others formally issued the call which was first approved a few days earlier at the 3rd National CISPES Convention in the same city.

The "March to End the U.S. War in Central America" has four central themes: (1) End All U.S. Aid to El Salvador, (2) End the U.S. War Against Nicaragua, (3) No Invasions-End the U.S. Occupation of Panama, (4) Cut Military Spending-Fund Human Needs.

Other demands express clear opposition to U.S. interference in the Nicaraguan elections, U.S. funding of the contra war, and the repression in El Salvador. The call also demands the removal of all U.S. troops and bases from Central America and an end to U.S. military aid to Guatemala.

The "negotiations" demand CISPES and the coalition calling the March 24 protests also approved a demand for a "political negotiated settlement" in El Salvador. CISPES national director Angela Sombrano and FMILN spokeswoman Gladys Sibrián both focused on this demand in presentations to the 350 CISPES activists attending the national convention.

In motivating this demand, Sibrian argued that "there is no other way out" for the Salvadoran people. In reality, however, the demand neither serves the interests of the PROD SOUFUS Salvadoran people nor does it aid in building a mass independent movement in the United States.

In the United States, the negotiations demand is usually directed to the Democratic Party, the party which many in the solidarity movement incorrectly see as a lesser evil to the Republican Party.

However, a review of the record of both parties in relation to Central America-as well as to every other war waged by the U.S. ruling class-demonstrates that the Democrats and Republicans agree when it comes to "protecting U.S. interests" abroad.

In the same vein, the argument that the call for a political negotiated solution is directed only to the combatants in El Salvador-the Cristiani government and the FMLN-—ignores the fact that the Cristiani government is totally dependent on U.S. military and economic aid and therefore dances to the U.S. tune.

No nation, especially the most powerful military force on earth, has the right to determine another nation's future. Respect for the right of oppressed nations to self-deterJoseph Ryan/Socialist Action reject the demand for negotiations.

The most powerful demand to press on the U.S. government is for an end to all U.S. intervention in Central America and the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. "advisers" and troops. This is the central thrust of the call for the March 24 actions.

In the course of building these demonstrations in local coalitions, it is entirely appropriate for antiwar activists to seek to remove the negotiations demand.

The increasing difficulties faced by the antiwar movement were noted in a videotape message to the CISPES convention from Salvador Samayoa, coordinator of the political diplomatic commission of the FMLN. Samayoa stated, "The change in policy of the Soviet Union has given a free hand to the U.S. to use force-as demonstrated by the U.S. invasion of Panama."

Continuing subordination by the Soviet bureaucracy of the struggles of the oppressed to "peaceful coexistence" agreements with the United States has dealt a hard blow to the Central American revolution. Even the minimal aid previously doled out by the USSR to various national-liberation struggles in order to negotiate a better deal for the Soviet bureaucrats has all but ceased.

The Stalinist regimes in Eastern Europe, which are crumbling in the face of mass working-class rebellion, have sought the direct assistance of the United States to save their privileges. In return, they have pledged to open the door to capitalist investment and shut it to any oppressed people seeking their aid-hence, the Soviet condemnation of Nicaragua for its alleged assistance to El Salvador's rebels.

The difficulties faced by the anti-intervention movement are not limited to the international arena. Over the past several months, CISPES has gone to great lengths to enlist the active support of trade unions and religious organizations in calling the March 24 actions.

However, in the case of the U.S. labor movement—including the 20 international unions which issued the call for the mass actions of April 25, 1987—there has been a major default. Most of the labor officialdom stand mute while the U.S. capitalists hone their war machine abroad and deepen their attacks on workers at home.

Despite the significant protests launched by church-based activists following the murder of the six Salvadoran priests, religious leaders opposing U.S. policy in El Salvador have decided to focus on ecumenical services on March 24 in commemoration of the murder of Archbishop Romero and the recently slain Salvadoran priests and religious workers. In most cases these will not be associated with the CISPES-initiated actions of March 24.

The possibility of matching the size of the previous huge protests against U.S. war policy in Central America has thus been considerably reduced. Nevertheless, CISPES and thousands of anti-intervention activists across the country can be expected to mount an important effort which should be supported by all those who seek to stay the hand of the U.S. warmakers.

the $1.2 million U.S. court-imposed sanctions. [See January 1990 Socialist Action.] Both the Avirgan/Honey report and the latest Costa Rican government report can be purchased from the Christic Institute at: 1324 North Capitol Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20002. Phone: (202) 797-8106.

Socialist Action Forums:

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Speaker: Rev. Graylan Ellis-Hagler, hurr of United Cmty.; Jeane-Claude Mai inea Haitian playwright, and Kwame MA Sor buru, founding member of Malcolm' Organization for Afro American Unity Cambridge YWCA, 7 Temple St.

San Francisco:

Feb. 9,8 p.m. "Malcolm X: The man and his ideas" Speaker: Kwame M.A. Somburu March 2, 8 p.m. "Assessment of Nicaraguan ele ctions. Speaker: Alan Benjamin, National Commi tee Socialist Action. 3435 Army St., Rm. 308, SF