AFTER over 40 years of dictatorship Somoza has crawled away to exile in Florida. In AHENI happened to the Shah didn't happen to him — he was allowed exile in the USA.
His pathetic manoevres maintain his regime, and to hold off the Sandinistas until 1981, ended up comic interlude. appearing to have the technical means to hold onto power, his regime was defeated by first the popular uprising for 20 years in Latin Hucuti.
Like the Shah's highly-skilled army, the praetorian Somoza National Guard incapable of defeating a whole nation in arms against it.
How had the political relation of forces changed so drastically? Only 4 years ago Borge and his team of gerillas in the north were a mere irritant to the recime. named the new Interior Minister, and the FSLN have the sympathy of the overwhelming majority of: Nicaraguan people.
There. are two sides 10 disintegration of Somoza's regime: the conflict of interests between the and large sectors of' the national bourgeoisie and imperialism; and the rise of the mass struggle and consequent growth of the FSLN.
'he very nature of the recime -the Daily Telgraph moniously called the greed of that abominable man' -excluded the other bourgeois sectors from the most profitable enterprises.
Instead of developing a MIHIR differences between yarious geois forées could be more rationally worked out and the economy more logically organised, the regime totally subordinated to securing quick wealth for the Somoza family:
This Simultaneously both the normal functioning of the political process and the integration of middle class and intellectual layers as "supports" fer capitalist development.
This came to head with the scandalous way in which lined his pockets out of the earthquake disaster Managua at great profit on his own land and grabbing the aid money.
WAS peTJOu
business interests began to openly oppose Somoza and later the Group of 12 declared for an alliance with the FSLN.
1B23: Independence from Spain. 1893-1909:
LIDEidl WaS DJUONT inenenton orine ds 1925-1927: Liberal uprising exception was started guerrilla memes ano e 1550.
head 1934:
1504 rormaton 1967: Somoza elected Presid leSDeNT 79841 force of Socialist Challenge. 26 July 1979 into Althouch somoza lovally supported its interests for 40 years, the regime was storing up trouble for US strategy by whole of Central America.
La moderate alternative that to head off any mass discontent. A year ago the US stopped arms supplies to Despite Somoza. "demecratic' American regimes such as Venezuela, successful Costa Rica and wanted present anti-imperialist in technological, people and shared US concern about social explosions was their countries if the gangrene was allowed to tester in Nicaragua.
Hence these countries arms and materials to the FSLN, particularly BULE national openly supported the Sandinistas.
factor the the culminating in armed insurrection. •IMass demonstrations the beral vourgeois oppoltil, morro, in January 1978, This. insurrection im Massaya in February and suppert September 78 insurrection.
sancti- •a vanguard role in all these struggles the "avarice and TORELILE bloody reprisals following the defeat modern of the badly coordinated September • LIC adyenture, bour- FSLN saw its biggest influx after that defeat.
was new tendencies in the FSLN awas towards urban prevented rectional strategy.
the tendencies of the FSLN, and their support from Panama and Costa Rica rather than strengthened their forces.
Somoza Dy olaer seclors 1972 and the middle class, rebuilding mass insurrection, between himself and defeat. that arms numbered.
Its downfall evermenl aDOUTOV InE •ITeCl caused Us troops to bere-called. Liberal leaders signed atanal National quard formed and trained by the US torces anasiasio somosa Is choseo as s Is acreba u tricked assassinated by somoza after a dinner.
Tite n ste Natonal president in fraudulent and Christians make pact vallres with Somoza which allows Somoza a further laliutial budle chicl all.
aLN make success u anack ın wanaua prisoners and ransom Pazeб "American imperialism also came contradiction with the regime.
threatening the stability of the A Somoza-type regime didn't allow could The regime also antagonised other For 'progressiye' Latin Рапатя. They front their spilling over into supplied sections the bourgenisie On the other side the uninterrupted rise of mass resistance was the decisive lall : 0i Somoza, and strikes greeted Somoza's blatant murder of a Chamsemi-spontaneous for the defeated Although the ESLN. played the retained its indendent semi-spontaneous character.
dead,. etne lle couldn't smash this. The These actions of the masses moved frem the rural 'foco' perspective and based insurThe unity pact signed between all Cuba, further Rejected by imperialism, deserted of the hourgeoisie , confronted by a ony the brute force of the National Guard Once the ammunition ran out and no reactionary regime was prepared to displease the US by supplying him days were tendency).
1977: FSLN attacks barracks in San Carlos and Terceristas born 1978 Murae! massava Insurecion August. nostage CU MPS. holding hostage 60 Sept Generale sand big tans mseae such s Lon ard Eseli are boltay General Managua wallicularty repressed 1979 Somoza rejects ission proposais for a transition.
FED US suspends arms supply HOTI May bom dolars ham dellars the Shah won't happen to him north. south and Managu June everen 17 July: President Somoza leaves on the agenda.
impact on the United States.
THE British press taiks about El Salvador only more complex. But the overthrow of the Somoza dictatorship has put socialism DAVE KELLAWAY discusses the likely evolution of the struggle and its
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