Salvador. In the view of the FMLN armed liberation front, after nine years of civil war, 'the end is at last in sight. This view is an optimistic one, but not un- realistic. The FMLN paint three scenarios for 1989: a negotiated political settlement to the war, a popular insurrection, or an es- cano is about in erupt? It is important So what has changed in El Sal- vador? How can you tell when a vol- calation of the war.
The UNTS has brought together the Issues of national sovereignty. ards and peace. There are all issues tional political one. The UNTS works ference at other levels, notably within human and civil rights, living stand- connected to the war and to Washington, so the solution is a na- to pose a common solution and way of fighting. Unity, sclf organisation, col- lective resources for the use of all, na- Top of the list is a negotiated politi- cal settlement to the war. By this they tional sovereignty and democracy. the trade union movement itself. Unity of Salvadoran Workers (UNTS) The mass movement han grown sig- Militant trade unions have been built universities, human rights groups. puppet state they have an extremely ganisation, and includes peasants, the development of other mass organisa- through strikes and demonstrations. These unions formed the National which has Further sparked the tions. The UNTS has become some- thing more than a trade union or- nificantly over the last three women's and youth groups. capable army to lead them. justice, poverty and oppression that sence of national sovereignty and the large scale economic crisis then follow from the government's insistence on US observers as having the largest They are vastly more powerful than the Nicaraguan or Cuban insurgents However they have to be. They are to understand the degree of social in- are the roots of the present civil war. The human rights abuses, the total ab- The FMLN has been referred to by guerrilla army ever in Latin America. on the eve of their revolutions. continuing the war.
"Militant do not mean a deal negotiated be- goverment, but a national debate and agreement which involves all the mass organisations. This process has already begun as the Catholic church. tie universities and the UNTS have met in forums and conferences to put tinn. These forums are not soviets, or fons of dual power, for they have no power. However these forms of mass twcen the EMLN/FDR and the forward their analysis of the country and potential solutions for discussion. This creates a very powerful situa facing varies problems that have a ment in the late 1970's. People are fewer jobs, rising prices, higher taxes and a reduction in welfare, health and be indentified with the goverment's The UNTS takes a different ap- common link, falling living standards, make these sacrifices fora war they do education provision, All of these can special economic package which Salvadorans are being asked to demanded austerity as a mulitary re: proach from the trade union move. quirement to fight the FMLN. a day, US aid is equivalent to 105% of the Salvadoran budget. El Salvador South Vietnam during the height of fighting an army that has been rebuilt ing and aid from the LIS. At $2 million has reached the record dependence of The Salvadoran army simply can- They cannot expand the numher of combatants as much as they wish even Their methods of forced recruitment from top to bottom with massive train- not handle any more hardware or aid. by pulling youth out of cinema queues, the Vietnam war.
built demos" Page 19 unions trade strikes and have been through organisation have enormous poten- tial, for they exist in the midst of a attempt by the govemment and US to The anti-insurgency programme of the US has failed most clearly in its at- tempt to produce a stable and respect- Democratic party, the PDC has failed in its mission. Its leader President revolutionary civil war, despite every ahle government. The Christian Napoleon Duarte is dying of political demobilise them. in its mission. not support. They want peace, and they have been won to the demands of the FMLN and the political" wing, the Revolutionary Democratic Front (FDR). the UNTS and the catholic ment to the conflict. Human and civil are becoming increasingly aware that structions From Washington, as well as church for a negotiated political settle. right are massively abused with government complicity. The people the war is being carried out under in SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 12 February 1989 initiative. Their List of military actions produce an unreliable, discontented will rely on a level of disintegration and defection from the armed forces to Even against this highly trained army, the FMLN constantly takes the is impressive. They can take almost and demoralised army. The FMLN any lown temporarily and make regular attacks on fortified army bar- racks including recently in San Sal- carry through an insurrection,
policy that allows or anticipates mass far more advanced than any bourgcois favour, whatever the risks involved with it are. Most importantly it is a ing the future of the country, in a way The problem is that it is posed as a But what would a negotiated politi sibly, hut the best way to look at is is as a framework for a political battic that could go various ways, not as a solution in itrell. However, this is not It Is a strategy that is undoubtedly participation in the proces of decid cal solution mean? Could it be a Lan- caster House type solution? Quite pos working in the revolntionaries" how it is presented by the FMLN. one of the FMIN's scenañios. election process. The FMLN/FDR is very aware of thin and is preparing the ground to make it as difficult as possible for any US in- The US policy is to contain the situation, given that its plans to defeat CD say they are not competing for votes, but in order to put forward their politics, in particular a negotiated political settlement to the conflict. IF they hold a balance of votes berween the two parties, they will not recon- mend that their supporters votes for The most difficult issue is that a popular insurrection and military vic- tory by the FMLN would undoubted- ly be met by an invasion of US troops. The international context is critical. either of the other parties. SUPPLEM go would stop the mass movement and revolutionary potential in its tracks. At present the death squads have been toid to keep the death toll to tens rather within the ARENA party is in favour that killing 50-100,000 people in one bling about who is to take over from Duarte, Their base has gone over cither to UNTS or to the far right ARENA party, breeding ground of the The ruling class does not know how to deal with the economic, political and military crisis. A growing faction of the total war solution. They figure party has been exposed as corrupt and cancer as well as of the real thing. The has broken down into factions squab- death squads,
demands of the people. The choice facing the people would then be the new one hased on new values and a Trotsky put forward an idea in his writings on Britain, that the people tion. This could be a giant practical lesson that the bourgeois stale cannot in any of its various forms meet the solution within itself. It is difficult to misled intn believing that peace could be achieved through compromises on ing of the struggle will teach people the need to replace the entire state structures, and replace then with s will try everything cloc hefore revolü- see from here if people are being both sides. Altematively the unfold- different social and economic order. self has taken a stand in favour of Latin American govemments take the Salvadoran revolutionary situation seriously and are probably more aware than the US government of the effect There is no reason to believe that the Reagan's. The US is purticularly cager movement to aid it in its attempts to set up parallel unions in El Salvador in The CIA continues this work with promoting the UNTS, which is a boost for the Salvadoran labour movement. the FMLN and set up a pliant Bush administration will differ from Lo get the international trade union order to undermine the mass moment. British trade unions, but the TUC it- democracy have miserably failed. committed to human rights. But this The state seems incapable of meet- by massive financial subsidies from corruption, it is much harder for the does not remove the reality of the ing the demand for a negotiated set- tement. Meanwhile it is propped up the US. While much of this goes in tions with ARENA, and with its new paint ARENA as a reasonable party Icader Christiani who has replaced the notorious d'Aubisson, It is trying to than hundreds per month. The figures for 1987 were a dozen dead bodies dumped per month, increasing four- With the collapse of the political centre, the US has had to improve rela- polarisation taking place. Fold for 1988.
ELSSOC is vastly under resourced work through their local branch of the campaign. The starting pointis affilia- ly to ELSSOC. If you cannot do it yourself, get someone you know to take a regular active role in solidarity tion, support for the trade unions and way to do this is In Britain our starting point must be solidarity: support for the right of the the mass movements in their just through the El Salvador Solidarity Get your trade union, trades coun cil, Labnur Party or whatever to af- tillate locally, regionally and national- Salvadoran people to sell-detemina FMLN slogan revolution or death". Campaign (ELSSOC). struggles. The ber, a sure sign of the differences that the European capitalists have with the What are the essential fcatures of the Salvadoran revolution? Firstly the size of the US intervention prior to an revolutionaries face a task far more difficult both militarily and politically means that the continent. Arguably they would prefer a tame revolution to a violent counter- revnlution imposed by the US. This is Guillermo Ungo of the FDR is aiso the vice president of the Socialist In- terational and was invited to speak to the European parliament in Novem- of a US invasion on the whole sub- also the view of the Socialist Intema- US counter-insurgency approuch. Insurrection sequent strategy. ARENA are likely to win, although probably not with an outright majority, so it might have to It is very interesting that the FDR have decided to participate and stand lished Democratic Convergence In this context the presidential elec They will he fradulent and only a might be decisive in deciding the balance of forces within the bour- geoisic and influencing their sub- candidates as part of the newly estab tions in March are quite important. minority will participate, but they only to that give to Israel) if the US to maintain this aid (second in size goverment is too openly fascist. go to a second round. Street, London 23 Bevenden £5 unwaged. Campaign, Affiliations: Nicaragua Solidarity ELSSOC, N1 6BH £12.50,
folding revolutionary process and its Gareth Mostyn surrection than any other country in able to meet the new demands being put on it unless the left gives it more support. The rewards are not only giving concrete support but being in the best position to leam from the un- SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 12 February 1989 because people have lost interest over the eight years of the civil war. Now. when El Salvador is nearer popular in- the world, the campaign will he un- strength and weaknesses. tions will be set for an insurrection, movement has developed which is and the govemment refuses to recog- nise it, repressing it instead, the condi- Given this the revolutionaries have achieved a great deal, something not The project of the revolutinnaries has been to win hegemony. They have gone a long way towards this with their demand for a negotiated political solution. A large social political much broader than the FM.LN fighters. If the movement continues to grow than that faced by Nicaragua or Cuha. to be underestimated. Guillermn Ungo of the Socialist in- FDR. The FMLN will not call for a vote for CD, but for abstention. Both power cannot come form winning temational affiliated MNR is standing for president, and Reni Roldan of the Social Democratic party, which is not part of the FDR, is standing for vice- (CD). This has resulted in an open but apparently friendly split between the two revolutionary fronts FMLN and fronts stress the tactical nature of the disagreement because they agree that the clections are fradulent and that votes through them. trades councils. €2.50 students £6 individuals, 20 Compton Affiliations: London N1 €20 CLPs, /unwaged, LP wards, £10 trade Terrace, unions, Page 20
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