Fight to make Creole Haiti's official language . 10 TH£ Washington sends military aid to Haitian army . 11 Shop-floor justice-main issue in GE strike . 15 A SOCIALIST NEWSWEEKLY PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE VOL. 50/NO. 15 APRIL 18, 1986 75 CENTS Nicaragua condemns use All out for April19 of U.S. advisers in war antiwar BY CINDY JAQUITH MANAGUA, Nicaragua-In a national broadcast interview with Sandinista televi­ sion on April 8, Nicaraguan President protest Daniel Ortega condemned the deepening direct involvement of U.S. personnel in BY STEVEN FUCHS Washington's mercenary war against Nica­ SAN FRANCISCO - "The time has ragua. He also appealed especially to the come for those of us truly concerned about Honduran government to resist U.S. gov­ peace to take to the streets." That is how ernment pressures to start a military con­ Carlos Munoz of the Faculty Committee flict with Nicaraguan troops. for Human Rights in El Salvador explained Ortega explained that Washington is the importance of the April 19 Mobiliza­ building "a sixth army" in Central Ameri­ tion for Peace, Jobs and Justice. ca, alongside the armies of Honduras, Nic­ As Washington escalates its aggression aragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Costa against the people of Nicaragua, the dem­ Rica. This sixth army is the mercenary onstration takes on even greater impor­ forces who are financed and run by the tance. U.S. government and who launch attacks M<tny thousands of people will march on on Nicaragua, mainly from bases in Hon­ Aprill9 to demand no U.S. intervention in duras. The mercenary army "is a threat to Central America and the Caribbean; end the stability of Honduras," Ortega said, U.S. support for South African apartheid; and also "a threat to Nicaragua and to the jobs and justice, not war; and freeze andre­ Central American region." verse the nuclear arms race. The Sandinistas have recently charged The march is supported by a wide range that Washington is beginning to "Vietnam­ of unions, including seven AFL-CIO labor ize" the mercenary war. Asked to elaborate councils, as well as peace, anti-apartheid, on this, Ortega said, "The Vietnamization U.S. helicopter over airstrip being built in Honduras. Nicaraguan President Daniel and solidarity groups and women's, stu­ is already the reality. That is, the first steps Ortega warned that Washington is increasing direct involvement of U.S. personnel in dent, Latino, and Black organizations. have been taken. contra war. The Service Employees International "The United States started the policy of Union ran a half-page ad in their newspa­ Vietnamization using the mercenary per for the march. Local unions of forces," he said. However, "they weren't look as though the actual confrontation is continued, but Washington nevertheless machinists and oil workers have heard able to overthrow the Sandinista revolution between Honduras and Nicaragua, not used the invasion story to send its helicop­ speakers from the mobilization committee. with the mercenaries. On the contrary, the Washington and Nicaragua. ters to transport Honduran troops to the Painters and Tapers Union Local 15 mercenaries are being defeated by the Nic- ' · "They've tried this before on various oc­ border with Nicaragua. Gradually, how­ wrote to the coalition that they will or­ araguan people. So, the United States is casions," he said. The most recent attempt ever, "Reagan's lies were exposed," said ganize a contingent behind their union ban­ now moving to a new phase, which is to in­ was in late March, he explained, after San­ Ortega. It became clear in world public ner. The International Ladies' Garment . volve their helicopters and air force offi­ dinista troops successfully attacked several opinion thatthere was no Nicaraguan inva­ Workers' Union held a meeting to discuss cers in Honduras in support of the mer­ key contra bases located in Honduras. sion of Honduras, but rather.·battles be­ plans for a contingent. Workers came from cenaries. In additjon, President Reagan is "As we were defeating the mercenaries, tween Nk:araguan troops and the contras. shops in San Francisco, Oakland, and now asking for authorization so that U.S. hitting their main camps," Ortega said, The U.S. strategy, he said,>retnains for Napa Valley. military advisers can go to Honduras to "the United States put pressure on Hon­ Honduras to claim it has been militarily at­ Protesters will come from as far away as train the mercenaries." duras to use its troops against Nicaragua tacked by Nicaragua in order to ask for Texas. Activists from the University of This is "a step in the process of massive and in defense of the mercenaries. The U.S. aid. That way, he explained, "the Houston wrote the coalition saying the intervention of U.S. forces" against Nica­ U.S. government launched a campaign that United States will have the opportunity in Texas Mobilization endorsed the action. ragua, he said. Nicaragua had invaded Honduras in order the course of a supposed defense of H on­ They are bringing a cm1tingent and their To cover up the deepening direct U.S. to justify such an action and also.. to justify duras to launch its own forcesagainst Nic­ banner, "Boycott South Africa, not Nicara­ role, Ortega explained, Washington is try­ the participation of U.S. [forces] in sup­ aragua." gua." ing to force Honduran troops into a military posed support of Honduras. "We hope Honduras will stand firm" in Groups in several California cities are conflict with Nicaraguan troops, to make it "Honduras didn't fall into the trap," he the face ofWashington's plan, Ortega said, organizing buses to the march. The San "that it won't lend itself to this game, that it Jose Board of Supervisors voted to provide won't accept this." A conflict between buses at half price to the local coalition. · Honduras and Nicaragua, he explained, Many thousands of. people have heard Working people come to would bring "upheaval, pain, and destruc­ about the mobilization from mailings and tion to the countries of Central America." newsletters of supporting organizations. Asked what the current relations are be­ Community newspapers, including the Bay aid of Hormel strikers tween Honduras and Nicaragua, Ortega Guardian and the Black weekly Sun Re­ said relations "are characterized by the de­ porter, are running ads or articles about the BY ANDREA GONZALEZ the company for honoring P-9's picket line cision of the Honduran government and the demonstration. AUSTIN, Minn., April 9- Workers at their plant. decision of the Nicaraguan people to not Washington's escalation of its contra and farmers from around the country are Building support among other UFCW Continued on Page 16 Continued on Page 11 answering the call by striking meatpackers members is particularly important since the to join them in their fight against Hormel' s union's top officialdom withdrew the strike union-busting. Delegations of unionists, sanction less than a month ago. These top farmers, and students from scores of cities officials are now trying to place Local P-9 Reagan prepares new military and towns are arriving here to participate in into trusteeship, replacing the local's the April9-12 action to support the strike. Continued on Page 4 In the week leading up to the action, attacks on people of Libya teams of striking meatpackers and their supporters have been fanning out across the BY FRED FELDMAN Washington has rejected at least seven at­ Northwest and Midwest leafleting plant The frame-up charge of terrorism is tempts by Qaddafi to discuss a peaceful gates and speaking to workers in Min­ being used to justify new war moves resolution of the conflict. nesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and South against Libya. At his April 9 news confer­ The new threats followed the March 27 Dakota. The strikers have also been speak­ ence, President Reagan threatened new announcement that the largest naval force ing on college campuses in the area to build military action against Libya, claiming that assembled in the Mediterranean since these demonstrations. there was "considerable evidence" that Li­ World War II was pulling back from waters Young supporters of this struggle have byan head of state Muammar el-Qaddafi near Libya. The fleet launched attacks on joined strikers in door-to-door leafleting was responsible for "terrorist acts." · Libya March 24 and 25 that killed 56 for the action here. Two U.S. aircraft carriers remained sta­ people. The strikers, who are members of United tioned in the Mediterranean. According to To prepare the ground for new attacks on Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) the April JONew York Times, "the Reagan Libya, the Reagan administration and the Local P-9 , have made a special effort to administration is positioning itself for pos­ capitalist media - again without evidence reach out to other members of their union. sible military action against Libya.·: - portray Qaddafi as responsible for the In the the last week, meetings with fellow No specific act was cited and, as usual in April 5 bombing of a West Berlin dis­ UFCW members were organized in nearby the war propaganda against Libya, none of cotheque, in which two people died, and Albert Lea (see story page 4) and the alleged "considerable evidence" was the April 2 explosion of a bomb in a TWA Dubuque, Iowa. The strikers have also met supplied. Instead, Reagan launched into a jetliner that killed four people. with union members from the Hormel plant racist tirade against Qaddafi as the ~·mad In order to further isolate Libya and lend in Ottumwa, Iowa. More than 50 workers dog of the Middle East." credibility to the frame-up, Washington is in Ottumwa were locked out and fired by Militant/Tom Jaax U.S.