Page 4-Friday, October 4, 1979-The Michigan Daily
The new Nicaraguan regime needs U.S. support:
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4 On July 19, 1979 the brutal Somoza dic-
atorship of Nicaragua fell to the San-
dinista National Liberation Front
(FSLN). Since May 4, 1927 when
4ugusto Cesar Sandino proclaimed the
Y'war of liberators to end the war of the
oppressors," the Nicaraguan people
hiave fought against the U.S.-installed
$omoza family dictatorship.
Over 50,000 Nicaraguans, most of
tbem between the ages of 8 and 20 years
old, died in the final offensive against
Somoza's national guard during the
past year. This figure is out of a
population of 2.5 million people. 500 lb.
bombs given to Somoza by the U.S.
and bank have been nationalized, left
the country with a $1.53 billion foreign
debt-$596 million is due this year,
having been incurred on short term
loans at very high interest rates.
These loans were misspent, squan-
dered and sent out of the country to
Somoza's personal bank accounts in the
U.S. and Europe; loans earmarked for
the reconstruction of Nicaragua after
the 1962 earthquake that basically
levelled the capital, Managua.
Somoza, who reportedly took $4
billion with him when he fled
Nicaraguia, left only $3.5 million in the
state coffers.
By Bob Warren
needs trade schools, which of course
need tools. Any tools such as hammers,
screwdrivers, etc.are needed. No offer
from the U.S. to send tools has been
heard in Nicaragua.
NICARAGUA NEEDS a massive
amount of medicine to treat its woun-
ded an4 diseased. The U.S., the home of
the world's largest pharmaceutical in-
dustry, has been silent in this area too.
More than anything else, Nicaragua
needs massive sums of money to pur-
chase necessary goods. In the U.S.,
Humanitarian Aid for Nicaraguan
Democracy (HAND), the fundraising
Eden Pastero (Commaridante Ceto)
discusses organization and armed
struggle in Nicaragua. The film in-
cludes interviews with women and men
of the, FSLN. Ernesto Cardenal
celebrates mass in camp and speaks of
the oppressed and of liberation.
AT THE TIME of the film's showing
the solidarity campaign will be .ex-
plained and supporters can begin
pledging aid and/or energy to the :ef-
fort.
The Ann Arbor Committee for
Human Rights in Latin Americais
planning many other events around
"The Nicaraguan people need 300
tons of food per day to feed one million
hungry people. As little as 20 tons per
day and no more than 80 have been
sent to date.'>
,..
"Nicaragua
needs
a massive
amount of medicine to treat its wound-
ed and diseased.
of the world's l
industry, has be
too.
The U.S.,
the homer
argest pharmeceutical
en silent in this area,;
government were dropped on many
vital institutions in Nicaragua.
TWELVE OF THE 90 grammar
schools were completely destroyed, 28
.were half destroyed and 26 had some
damage. Many hospitals, homes and
almost the entire industrial complex of
Nicaragua were demolished by these
same bombs.
A study published on August 14 by the
Economic Commission for Latin
America (CEPAL) maintained that
Somozaist bombing resulted in $580
million in material damage 'to the
physical and social sectors. At present,
$741 million is needed to activate
production.
Added to these figures are the losses
:to the system of production that stem
from the paralysis of economic ac-
tivities; The Gross Domestic Product
has declined 25 per cent this year. In
Sper capita terms, that puts the GDP
back to the level that Nicaragua was at
jin 1962, a 17-year slide backwards.
SOMOZA, WHOSE land(50 per cent of
,Nicaragua's), industries (70 per cent),
THE CARTER administration,
reneging on almost all of the aid it
promised to the FSLN, has sent $7
million of aid this far to Nicaragua; $3
million for transportation costs and red
tape.
The Nicaraguan people need 300 tons
of food per day to feed one million
hungry people. As little as 20 tons per
day and no more than 80 have been sent
to date.
The Nicaraguan government is
currently setting a massive literacy
campaign as one of its major priorities
in reconstruction. Under Somoza, one-
third of the children between the ages
of six and 12 did not attend school.
Almost 80 per cent of those, between 12
and 18 did not attend classes. Almost 94
per cent of those over 18 did not attend
the university.
Only a small segment of the
population attended school. Of those
who started school, only about half
graduated to the next level.
FSLN has proposed a literacy cam-
paign in 1980 to reach 700,000 illiterates
in the countryside. They want to double
the budget of the Ministry of Education
wing of the National Network in
Solidarity with Nicaraguan people, is
accepting monetary contributions to be
sent to Nicaragua.
It also accepts food such as dried
grain, beans and rice. Canned goods
and food processed in glass are not
being sent to Nicaragua.
THE ANN ARBOR Committee for
Human Rights in Latin America is
initiating a full-scale solidarity cam-
paign of aid and education for the
Nicaraguan people, freed from U.S.-
supported Somoza domination.
The dampaign will commence with
the showing of the film "Nicaragua:
Patria libre o morir" ("Nicaragua:
free homeland or death"), on Friday,
October 5 at 4 p.m. in Angell Hall'
Auditorium A and Sunday, October 7 at
8:00 p.m. in Angell Hall auditorium B.
The movie is part of the Office of Ethics
and Religion's El pine Politico.
The film begins with scenes of the fall
1978 uprising by the FSLN. It explores
the history of U.S. intervention in
Nicaragua and the role of Sandino
against this intervention.
Nicaragua to educate the community
about the Nicaraguan revolution and to
build the solidarity campaign. One
focus of the campaign will be to
demand that the U.S. government
provide the aid needed with no strings
attached.
Last week when three members--of
the Government of National Recon-
-struction visited the Senate Foreign
Relations committee they were toldjy
one committee member that
humanitarian aid would be held up uptil
"the Nicaraguans show their t ue
political colors."
With such--an attitude by the U.S.
government, the Nicaraguan people
can only appeal to the American people
for aid for their newly found indepgn-
dence. In Ann Arbor this means thatin-
terested people should participate in
solidarity efforts like the one being
organized by the Ann Arbor Committee
for Human Rights in Latin Americaq
Bob Warren is a member of the
Ann Arbor Committee for Human
Rights in Latin America.
Somo za
next year, opening up 2,500 jobs for
teachers and beginning massive con-
struction of schools in the countryside.
THE CUBANS, who eliminated
illiteracy in Cuba in 1960-61 through
similar campaigns, will help prepare
the campaign and send teachers and
aides to participate in the campaign.
No such offer of aid has come from the
Carter administration.
To rebuild this country devastated by
U.S.-made bombs, Nicaragua needs aid
from people around the world. They
need $10 million for the literacy cam-
paign. Nicaragua could also use 1,500
tape recorders, 50,000 cassettes and
650,000 exercise books which they could
print if they had the paper. A shipload
of paper from the U.S. would be a major
step forward in the literacy campaigns.
To rebuild the industry, Nicaragua
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Ninety Years of Editorial Freedom
Vol. LXXXX, No. 26 News Phone; 764-0552
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
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brings a message of peace
LANKED BY world dignitaries and rightfully so. As in his earliest trips
and politicians, by civic leaders to Mexico, Poland, and Ireland, the
common folk, he has carried his Pope has espoused the-ord of peace in
sage to the United States. It can be a world of wars. In Poland, he lashed
d loud and clear, both by the out against the dominant communist
nguished diplomats at the United regime. In Ireland, he called for a
ons and the anonymous poor in the cease-fire in that country's brutal war.
h Bronx. And in this country, he has urged
s a message of peace. It is the call Americans to return to the sacred vir-
the Vatican to this great nation to tues that symbolize Catholicism.
inner peace among its divided He has shown courage and candid-
ons - rich and poor, black and ness rarely seen in most politicians. At
e - and to achieve world peace the same time he appeals to the
ugh the diplomatic art of dignitaries and the upper echelons of
anitarianism. society, the Pope can cast his eyes on.
iring his brief tour, the Pope has the poor and give them hope. With
'ered his message forcefully to graceful charm he shows his deep con-
ons of Americans. His voice bur- cern for humanity.
with emotion, Pope John Paul II The Pope deserves praise, for in
touched the hearts of the nation's these times, there are few people who
and underprivileged, radiating can rise above the hatred of the world
to calm the flood of dispair. and instill some optimism in its
t, during this papal visit, too much people.
nti6n has been focused on the huge The issues that he has talked
Nds gathering at every stop, about-birth control, divorces,
ing for hours just to catch a glim- celibacy for priests - must be con-
of the pontiff. More than anything sidered by the religious leadership in
the visit has become an event, but the near future. In recent years, there
much more than just that. have been continual conflists between
e Pope's six-day American tour is the traditional interpretation of
minder that the Vatican is concer- Catholicism and the views adopted by
To the Daily:
The Daily's portrayal of the
September Regents meeting,
"Regents alter S. Africa policy
slightly," contained one enor-
mous factual error. I did not, in
any way, shape, or form speak on
behalf of the SAACFA report. I
even doubt I mentioned it more
than once. Rather, my presen-
tation focused almost entirely
upon conditions in South Africa,
and why the University should
completely divest.
Since the Regents would not
allow me e en one minute to
rebutt their arguments following
my presentation Friday, I would
like to set out several major poin-
ts.
To begin, the WCCAA has long
maintained that the profitable
nature of South African invest-
ment holdings stands in the way
of significant action by the
Regents. Regent Laro stated that
in the Regents' discussions of the
issue, traditional portfolio con-
siderations (book value, returns,
etc.) were never the issue. At the
same time, he likened divestment
to "dictating morality," and thus
essentially argued that economic
considerations are the criteria by
which to view the issue.
Further, at the April, 1979
Regents meeting, Chief Financial
Officer Brinkerhoff, reporting on
two companies which had not
adequately declared support for
the Sullivan Principles(Black
and Decker and G.D. Searle Co.)
moved divestment from Black
and Decker, but to wait an ad-
ditional 30 days on Searle. The
reason given for Searle's extra 30
days was to see whether Searle's
''affirmative action program"~
could become the Sullivan Prin-
ciples. It is interesting to note
that at the time, G.D. Searle was
listed as one of the "ten most ac-
tive" stocks on the Dow Jones
Exchange.
Regent Laro also questioned
the "seriousness" of my report,
because I could not provide him
with an alternative to divest-
me~nt. Unfortunatelv. there is no
from Black & Decker Co. last
April, it took the Regents until
May to complete this "action."
Regent Laro, like several other
Regents before him, told us that
apartheid was not the issue in-
volved. As quoted in the Daily;
"None of us here in any way con-
done the oppression and racism
in South Africa," he said.
I would take exception to this.
Apartheid is the issue. Apartheid
is the structure and ideology of
racial inferiority and separate
and unequal development. Apar-
theid is the reason that South
Africa desperately needs foreign
capital-for this capital allows
South Africa to pursue separate
and unequal development. Op-
pression yields negative dividen-
ds, and with investments from
the U.S., luxury for a minority
and depravation for the majority
can continue. Apartheid is the
reason that racial discrimination
is the foundation of South Africa's
legal -system. Apartheid is the
reason that many giant industrial
operations in South Africa are
run by the regime. Apartheid is
the reason that poor people in
South Africatwill always be black
people. Apartheid is the reason
that South Africa is physically
moving its black population to
"homelands," so that one day,
SouthtAfrica will be al white!
Apartheid taxes foreign cor-
porate income at a 40 per cent-
rate, funds to aid in the develop-
ment of "homelands." Homelan-
ds investments are a primary
criteria in South Africa's accep-
taace of foreign loans. Thus,
University money is used directly
in the development of a South
Africa without black citizens (if
indeed any blacks in South Africa
were ever considered citizens).
Apartheid is the reason the WC-
CAA attended the March 1978
Regents meeting, and apartheid
is the reason we will be there in
March 1980. Apartheid is the
reason we will continue to say,
"U OF M-OUT OF SOUTH
AFRICA"-until our victory is
achieved. We are not asking the
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SCie-AJc~E ACT : -rgeA6 is HeENO~W.
"The new Daily-we're not just
another Trotskyist cadre") will
encourage the articulation of all
viewpoints radical to pa'leozoic.
Accordingly, what place could
serve better than your editorial
page as a "springboard for
discussion" (credit here is due to
Reader's Digest) of how the
departure of our erstwhile
college president might best be
commemorated.
After all, although he has
ostensibly gone on to bigger and
better things, Robben Fleming is
not Kingman Brewster, and the
Corporation for Public Broad-
casting is no Court of St. James.
A guest appearance on Master-
piece Theatre might be expected,
but that is scarcely tribute
enough to a man who has in-
delibly left the mark of his
Rolling Writer on this Univer-
sity. Who can forget the lavish
tea parties he threw for the
student body each September?
Month at Baskin-Robbins. James
B. Angell has his Hall,. Harlan
Hatcher his Graduate Library,
and Nat Sci his Auditorium..t3
At the same time, that
venerable ashtray with boolbs,
the Undergraduate Library, suf-
fers from an - undeserved
acronym. Austere, yes, but ugly,
no. The discarded coffee cups
alone give it a frenetic yet liv4d-
in charm unique to the University
of Michigan. Repeated attempts
by library staff to euphemize the
"UGLI" have understandalbly
failed.
Thesolution appears obvious
*What could be more fitting than
to rename the UGLI the Robtien
W. Fleming Library? Picture
future classes of Michigan
students trudging off to the
"Flem" for an eveningf of
debauchery, procrastination, and
(perchance?) study. It is (he
least we can do for a man who,'by
his own admission, used tear gas
r.,ils acP alast 1r0Qnrt