Ever since the revolutionary Sandinista goyernment took power in Nicaragua on July 19, 1979, in the aftermath of the mass insurrection against the Somoza dictatorship, the U.S. imperialists have been trying to bring pressure to bear on it and subject it to blackmail.
Most recently, using the forces of the ousted corrupt and savage dictatorship, U.S. imperialism has mounted a counterrevolutionary intervention against the government put in power by the insurrection of the Nicaraguan people.
For several months, the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) has been exposing and protesting against these imperialist operations. But nonetheless the — counterrevolutionaries’ masters decided to give the go-ahead for an invasion.
To facilitate this, U.S. imperialism has made use of the governments of Honduras and Costa Rica. It has used both countries as bases for training former Somoza National Guardsmen. In connection with this, a number of American advisers have been sent in.
The pretext for the arrival of U.S. military advisers was the Pino Grande maneuvers, which were supposed to be a rehearsal of joint operations by the Honduran and U.S. armies to repel an invader. The objective in reality was to prepare for an invasion of Nicaragua. The U.S. advisers and Honduran officers were given the job of training the counterrevolutionary forces in the use of the first-class weapons that these forces were given by their imperialist patrons.
On March 18, about |,200 operatives under the command of the Nicaraguan Democratic Force (FDN) penetrated into Nicaragua from Honduras and established bases in Matagalpa and Jinotega.
On May 13, all the counterrevolutionary groups — the FDN, UDN [Nicaraguan Democratic Union], and ARDE [Revolutionary Democratic Alliance] — concluded a pact, signing a declaration calling for the creation of a common front, the UNICA, the Nicaraguan Union.
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The proimperialist position of such people as Edén Pastora was confirmed by this compact between the self-proclaimed democratic counterrevolutonaries and the Somoza butchers.
One of the first actions of the counterrevolutionary alliance was to kidnap a community of 1,200 Miskito Indians who refused to support them. Similarly, they went on a campaign of burning harvests, murdering teachers, doctors, and members of the people’s militia. Thus from its very inception this counterrevolutionary front has shown by its example what sort of society it wants to establish.
The assault on Nicaragua is part and parcel of a general strategy of imperialism, which calls for fighting the revolutions in El Salvador and Guatemala and for attacks against the Grenadian government and the Cuban workers State.
The imperialists are out to crush the Central American revolution militarily. To this end, they are pouring millions of dollars into the rebuilding of the counterrevolutionary armies of El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Honduras....
They are trying to isolate the revolutionary movements from each other by mounting a counteroffensive against the revolution in each of these countries. This is the framework in which the intervention in Nicaragua is being carried out.
A series of battles have been fought both in the north and south of Nicaragua, in which, once again, the Nicaraguan people and their vanguard, the FSLN have demonstrated their revolutionary strength.
The invasion the Nicaraguan masses face has been equipped, organized, and directed by the richest country on the face of the earth. It is the duty of revolutionaries throughout the world to mobilize support for them.
It is particularly important to raise the issue of solidarity with the Central American revolution and the concrete need to oppose the invasion of Nicaragua in the mass movements that are struggling against the arms race and for peace, as well as in the important trade unions. It is essential to promote the development of a worldwide movement that can stay the bloody hand of imperialism. Building such a mass movement in the Unitaed States, and in all other imperialist countries is the best help we can give to the Central American revolution,
The Fourth International proclaims its total solidarity with the people of Nicaragua and their vanguard. It declares its determination to redouble its efforts in the solidarity movement with the Central American revolution.
At the same time, we wish to make known our willingness to participate in initiatives that may be taken by the FSLN to organize active solidarity with the Nicaraguan people in the fight against imperialist aggression.
Imperialist hands off Nicaragua!
Long live the Central American revolution!