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NEWSLETTER
Volume 8 Number 3
For the Week Ending 22nd March 1980
8th Year of Publication - - 236th Issue
BISHOP, MANLEY, ORTEGA ADDRESS RALLY
Highlight of the "Festival of the Revolution" celebrating the
first anniversary of the revolution of March 13th 1979 was a
rally of some 30 thousand people held at Queens Park, St.
George's on Marc.n 13th.
Delivering the feature address was Prime Minister Maurice
Bishop and there were two guest speakers, Prime Minister
Michael Manley of Jamaiaca and Senor Daniel Ortega of the
ruling junta in Nicaragua.
Speaking first and through an interpreter, Senor Ortega em-
phasised the unity of the Caribbean and Latin America and
identified the common enemy of the region as "Yankee Imper-
ialism". Because Grenada and Nicaragua shared a common
enemy, he said, it is no wonder that both countries were
freed in the same year, and their revolutions were suc-
cessful within three months of each other
Senor Ortega said the enemies of Grenada and Nicaragua are
even more active now because there are no more "slaves"
in these two countries, and efforts are being made to
destroy the economy, to blackmail the Governments and
divide the peoples. He felt, however, the strength of
the people is greater than the strength of their er *es.
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Produced & Printed by Alister & Cynthia Hughes
pO Box 65, St.Georges, Grenada, Westindies
IIIIIIII
Page 2 THE GRENADA NEWSLELl.TE weeK =a;unx 22-.u
The Nicaraguan leader said the most reactionary and aggressive
sectors of the United States Government, those who were friend
-ly with Gairy and Somosa, the imperialists, have continued'
to attack the Nicaraguan people.
"Our people who would have enough morality to demand from im-
perialism for all the damages caused to the Nicaraguan people,
now finds that imperialism wants to get conditions on a loan
of seventy-five million dollars", he said, "they want to im-
pose conditions on us, not ta give away to us seventy-five
millions but, rather, to lend it to us."
Difficulties
It is true, Senor Ortega said, that Nicaragua is going through
hardships and difficulties, that workers and farmers are hung
-ry that there are housing and unemployment problems, but,his
Government will not surrender, even in the face of these dif-
ficulties.
Senor Ortega said he is sure that, if "imperialism or any oth-
er country" wanted to impose conditions on a loan to Grenada,
Grenadians would prefer, as Nicaraguans did, to make more sac-
rifices rather than "kneeling in front of imperialism, in front
of our enemies."
When the Americans invaded Nicaragua in 1926 and the people's
struggle began, he said, that struggle was initiated by Sandino
(General Cesar Augusto Sandino after whom today's Sandinostas
are called) with only 30 men. But, he said, people began to
join, great national unity was attained, and we were able to
defeat the Yankee Marines in our country." Afterwards,
through national unity and Latin American Unity, he continued,
Nicaraguans defeated "Somosa's dictatorship and the imperialist
aggression."
The Nicaraguan leader said that, when the final offensive was
undertaken against the Somosa regime, "imperialism", through
Israel, sent most modern and sophisticated weapons to Somosa.
"Imperialism did not realise that by giving weapons to Somosa
and his criminal guards, it was giving weapons to the Nicara-
continued -
+.+__r~ ~,J-',, rlr5 ? 9~ air
-'~""
Week Ending 22.3.80 THB GRBNADA U~WSLUTTERI Page 3
guan people", he said. With knives, bombs, cutlasses and sticks,
Nicaraguans learned to take the weapons away from the Somosa guards,
he said.
Rifle
"On behalf of our people, on behalf of the Sandanosta National Liber-
ation Front, on behalf of the 50,000 murdered people who made our
victory possible", Senor Ortega said, "we are giving you, brothers
and sisters, through our comrade and brother Maurice Bishop, a
rifle that was taken away from the criminals of Somosa."
Prime Minister Manley spoke next and said he was impressed with the
feeling of unity, seriousness, purpose and determination he found
in Grenada and he called on Gr2nadians to guard these feelings and
the flame of the revolution.
Mr. Manley said questions must be asked why, in the Third World, so
many are poor, why so few have good housing, why is it such a strug-
gle to develop good medical services, and why so many millions of
the people of the world struggle and languish in poverty. He
thought, however, that before these questions are asked, considera-
tion should be given to the strategy of small, poor countries.
Jamaica's policy, he said, is one ofi nOn-interference in affairs of
other countries and he believed each,should have respect for each
other's sovereignty. With that respect as a basis, he posed the
question as to what should be done with that respect."
"Jamaica's policy is simple and clear", he said, We believe the
great Julius gyerere of Tanzania said it all when he said we who are
'the poor of the world need our own trade union of the poor."
Mr. Manley did not think Grenada or Jamaica or any of the other
small, poor countries could change the world in the interest of
Their people, but he thought all countries which share a desire to
develop processes that liberate their people, to develop conditions
under which the children of the world can look to the future, those
countries can work together to fashion "the trade union of the poor"
'- c61itinued -
Page4 A i THB"-GRINADA, NBWSLBMR-. Week Ending 22.3.80
Marr ied'
The Prime Minnster said 14ie worj.ed for and urged the need for
unity and cooperation in the Caribbean. "I look to the day
when, in this CARICOM of ours", 4he said, "we can see Grenadi-
an hands and brains working on technology in agriculture, mar-
ried to Trinidadian fertilizer, married to Jamaican experience,
working together to grow food for the people of the CARICOM
region, I dream of that day."
He dreamed, also, he said, of the day when the new technology
to deal with energy may come from Grenada, when some of the
energy itself can come from Trinidad and be married, perhaps,
to the bauxite of Jamaica, all building the solidarity,
strength, independence and capacity.for self-reliance of the
people of the. Caribbean..
Mr. Manley said he looked beyond that and saw that many people
will probably continue to "pour the oil of isolationist pro-
paganda" on the heads of Grenadians, advising that they should
be concerned with Grenada alone and not the rest of the world.
These people will advise, he said, that the international com-
,munity should be left to the Big Powers.
"Comrades, all I can say", the Prime Minister continued, is
that the international community has been run by the Big Powers
for hundreds of years, and, where are we? This is the time
when'we must work together in that international community to,
change it:in the interest of justice. for all the people of the.
wor ld.
The ;Prime Minister told Grenadians they shouldeach try to be
first in discipline, land study each should try to;play a,
leading part in community and political organisation, and he
left this message.
"Let us dedicate our efforts, not only to ourselves but to our
brothers and our sisters," he said, let us build CARICOM so
it can be an instrument of progress for the people. Let us
look to reach out towards Latin America and the wider Carib-
continued -
Week Ending 22. 3.80
THE IRENADA NEWSLETTER
bean region in unity and solidarity. : Let us remember that wher-
ever imperialism works the people must unite to defeat it. And let
us pledge today that we will say forward ever, backward never !!"
In his address, Prime Minister Bishop welcomed, not only Senor Orte-
ga and Prime Minister Manley, but Senor Jesus Montane, the leader
of the Cuban delegation to the Festival of the Revolution.
*Inspiration '
Mr. Bishop said the very warm and fraternal relations which have
developed between Grenada and Cuba have been a major inspiration
"for our country and our process". Grenada recognized, he said,
the tremendous contribution Cuba has made, and continues to make
since the early weeks of the revolution, and it was necessary to ack-
nowledge "the most important fact about our relations with Cuba".
"If there had not
could not have been a Grenada revolution in 1979".'
Without naming the person, the Prime Minister extended also a speci-
al welcome to, "the representative of the brave and courageous and
inspiring people of Viet Nam.-" Viet Nam, Mr. Bishop said, has
spent upwards of 40 years fighting its national war of liberation,
fighting against imperialism, fighting different countries, and fin-
ally in the middle 70s,, had achieved national Liberation~ and is
now moving to "the phase of socialist reconstruction!".
One of the lessons of the revolution, Mr. Bishop said, was the poss-
ibility of bringing genuine democracy to Grenada, from the grass
roots up. ,His Government had found, ovex the last year, that Gre-
nadians have never been more united, vigorous and energetic, have
never participated more in taking decisions about their lives, and
in being involved, on a regular daily basis, in helping to rebuild
Grenada.
"There are those ( some of them our friends)", he said, who believe
you cannot have a democracy unless there is a situation where every
five years, and forfive seconds in those five years, a people are
allowed to put an X next to some Candidate's name. And for those
five seconds.in that five years, they become-democrats, andf-for the
continued -
THE GRENADA NEWSLETTER
remainder of the time, four years and three hundred and sixty-
four days, they become, once again, non-human, non-people, with
-out any rights to say anything to their Government, without any
rights to be involved in running their country."
,Proof
The Prime Minister said Grenadians do not regard that as being
the real proof of a democracy. Instead Grenadians ask them-
selves whether, when decisions have to be taken that are going
to affect the lives 'of the people, there are mechanisms, in-
stitutions Mad organizations that allow for the: people to be in-
volved on a daily basis and to participate and express how they
feel
Mr. Bishop said that, just as with Chile in the early 1970s,
just as with Jamaica in 1975/76, just as in Nicaragua today,
and just as is continuing with Cuba, 'the forces of imperialism
and reaction want t6 destabilize the Grenadian "process".
"The forces of imperialism", he: Said, like the forces of
colonialism before and now, are not interested in seeing a
people- move forward with dignity. Are not interested in see-
ing a people and a country build'a process that has relevance
to' their own lives.' Their concern is with dollar bills, their
concern is with profits,'their concern is with ensuring that
their big multinational corporations have the"correct atmosphere
and conditions for continuing the historic exploitation of a
country and a people and the people's resources."
he ;Prime Minister said there are: certain pasic principles which
the people of this region are entitled to have in their conduct,
of affairs with external powers and the Peoples Revolutionary
Government and the New Jewel Movement have recently Studied
the question of the conduct of foreign powers with the region.
Arising from this study:, the PRG and NJM felt the Caribbean
Sea must be recognized, regarded and respected, in practice,
as a zbne of peace. Military task forces and air and sea'
patrols of this region must be outlawed, he said, andmailit-
ary bass and installations must be removed from territories
continued -
Page 6
Week Ending 22.3.80
Week Ending 22.3.80 THER IRNADA N4SLTT ER. Paq 7.
of Latin American, and. Caribbean counties that do not want them,
"The people of the region must be free from aggressive military
harassment by any military power", he said, "there must be an end
to the Monroe Doctrine and to all other doctrines including the
most recent one aimed at per etuating hegemonism, interventionism
or backyardism in the region. There must be an end to all attempts
to.,use, the so-called peice keeping apparatus of the Organisation of
American States to militarily intervene in the region to roll back
progressive movements."
The position of the PRG and NJM, to:, is that all genuine regional
attempts at resolving regional problems and disputes must be ac-
cepted, respected, encouraged and supported..
Rights
PRG and NJM believe rights of self-determination for all peoples
in the region and internationally must be recognized and respected
in practice. It is a sad fact of the history of our region, he
said, that the people of the region had the unfortunate 'honour'
of creating racism as, a result of hxeving, been used in the vicious
system of slavery. He feltf.it was out of. slavery that racism
became institutionalized and entrenched in certain countries.
Because this region helped to create racism and big capitalism,
which, in turn led to imperialism, he said, he people of this
region have the double historic task and duty of being in.the fore-
front of the fight against racism, colonialism, neo-colonialism
and imperialism.
Mr. Bishop said there are 25 territories in the Caribbean "still
under colonial domination", and he pledged Grenada's "firm and un-
werving support for the People of Puerto Rico in their fight for
heir independence".
This massive and humiliatiig, insult to our region represented by
so many. colonies", he said, cannot be a good thing for the region
and we offer our firm commitment and support to all countries in
the region that are willing to stand up today and declare that they
are ready to move their people forward t e the 21st century."
continued- -
THE GRBNADA -NEWfL=tTER
PRG and NJM also wished to put forward the principle that ideo-
logical pluralism must be respected in practice, Mr. Bishoo
said. According to him, every country in the world, including
"racist, apartheid South Africa", will speak in theory of ac-
cepting the principle of ideological pluralism, but he thought
theory is not enough.
Threats
"We want to see in practice", the Prime Minister said, "that the
people of this region are allowed to build their own processes,
in their own way, free from outside interference, and free from
all forms of threats or attempts to force them to build a pro-
cess that somebody else likes".
Mr. Bishop felt, if this principlE is accepted, there could be
no more invasions, no more landings by Marines no more gun-
boats, no more incidents like the Bay of Pigs in Cuba, and no
more slaughters and massacres of persons like Sandino of Nica-
ragua and Allende of Chile.
The Prime Minister said also there must be an end to the finan-
cing,' support and encouraging of mercenaries, and there must be
an end to the use of other countries as a sanctuary, base and
theatre of continuous subversive activities for deposed dicta-
tors.
There must be an end also he said, to propaganda, economic and
violent destabilisatioh, blockades', assassinations and policies
of isolation and divide-and-rule. "Every people has a right
to exist", Mr. Bishop said. "Every people has a right to earn
its living and to build its own process on this earth, and, for
this reason, we could never support, have never supported, as
a Party and as a progressive people, and today to not now sup-
port, the continuing attempts at isolation and blockading which
is going on' against the Cuban revolution".
Another practice which must end, Mr. Bishop said, is that of
arming and financing counter-revolutionaries and anti-popular,
anti-democratic or anti-progressive regimes. Also, he said,
there must be an end to manipulation of regional and world ten
continued -
Week Snginqg 22.3.80
Week Ending 22.3.80 nTH f ADA tWLkTBER Page- q
-Sionifor electoral purposes. ,The future of the region 'and the
future of tho world,' the importance of peace'U"%hd said, "'cannot be
compromised because of'any electionsi"
World Peace
The Prime Minister said also that there must be a firm commitment
to the ideals of disarmament and world peace. Imperialism must
no longer be allowed to hold back those forces striving to under-
take new forms, to achieve structural transformatibhs, to build new
ways of life to construct new civilisations for 'theif' people", he
said, we must have the right to be allowed to do this.' "
The fifth and final principle put forward by Mr. Bishop is that
there must be respect for the sovereignty, legal equality and terri-
torial integrity of the countries' of this region. Relations be-
tween countries must be characterized by the fundamental principle
of mutual equality, regardless of 'ize of country and population,
and regardless of extent of resources., he said.
"We must be free as a region to join whatever international organ-
isations we want", he said, "and to create any regional or sub-
regional groups which are in the best interests of our people.
Our fundamental'rights to Join with all other exploited countries,
to form organizations, to press for a new international economic
order that could bring greater social and economic justice to the
poor of the world, that must be fully respected."
The Prime Minister called for an outlawing of aid with political
strings or unreasonable conditions aimed at creating economic hard-
ships on the people," r consolidating or entrenching "the rule of
the minority" and the transnational corporations, or at holding back
internal political processes working in The interests of the people.
Organizations that try to force such aid on other countries should
also be outlawed.
"It is our very firm conviction, comrades", the Prime Minister said,
"that the world that is emerging, that the new world that we can see
the proof of, not only in Africa, through Angola and Ethiopia and
Guinea-Bissau, and, today, Zimbabwe, but also through Viet Nam and
Laos.
continued -
ag 0 HGRENADA NEWS~'RBTB Wqek EBadnq 22..8,0
,"That new world which we::see coning out in countries -like Mada_
gascar and Benin, Sao Tome, our sister country oft the Sey-
chelles", he continued, "that new world ,that we also see ;in our
own region in Cuba in '59, -in Chile of the 70s and in Grenada
and Nicaragua of '79, in the attempts being made by our brother
people in Jamaica to build their own processes".
"We are sore that the meaning ofthis new emerging world is
that imperialism can be defeated", he said imperialism is not
invincible, thAt the people of the region can unite and organ-
ise together to begin the serious task of taking control of our
own national resources".
( 2931 words)
STRACHAN: AIRPORT CONSTRUCTION FACING PROBLEMS
In spite of the generous assistance Grenada has received in
connection with the international airport at Point Saline, sev-
eral problems still remain to be faced and the new airport mayt
not be completed as early as first thought.
This was disclosed by Mr, Selwyn Strachan, Minister of- Communi-
cations, Works, & ,Iabour on the occasion of the formal launch-
ing of the airport construction project ,on Sunday March 9th.
"Not because we have made a major start in this vital project
it means that the problems are all over", he,said,, "'Despite
the, many assistance we are getting in the building of this pro-
ject there are still many problems. we must be fully awareof.
There are difficulties, The rock formation, in this area of.
Grenada is very tough and, therefore, it will take us a little
longer than we thought in the completion of the airstrip,"
Mr. Strachan said, notwithstanding assistance Grenada has had
from Iraq, Syria, Lybia and other countries it is still
necessary to rise many millions of dollars for the project,
and he urged those who had not yet purchased Government::Air-
port Bonds to do so.
- continued -
THE' GRIMADA NEBigA W-
Assistance
Enumerating! assistance the projectt has hd, Mr. N Strhchan said Gre-
nadians had purchased over BC$ million in Airport Bonds. From
the Governments of Lybia, Algeria and Syria had come EC$27 million
and the Government of of Iraq had given over EC$5 million. And,
from Venezuela had come the offer of both technical and economic
aid.
"But, Brothers and Sisters", he said, "'the greatest help of all has
come from our Brother, right here in the Caribbean. 'Not only did
we receive equipment from them to help with the building of this
airport, but they have alreaa4 agreed to give us a couple of engine-
ers who will be helping us until the project is completed and, in
addition to all of that over 250 workers who will be building the
project in conjunction with our Grenadian workers".
The country he referred to, the Minister said, is "the revolutionary
country of Cuba headed by the dynamic and heroic leader, Comrade
Fidel Castro.
Mr'.~:Strachan said the cost of the airport project has not been'
estimated to be EC$180 million.
( 364 words)
BISHOP: GRkNADA/CUBA TIES UNBREAKABLE
Undertaking the project to build an international airport in Gre-
nada has given Grenadians a further opportunity to deepen their un-
derstanding of the world, to strengthen ties of friendship and
solidarity between their revolution and other revolutionary process-
es' andto identify, in a practical way, who Grenada's real friends
are and who -ae her enemies.
Prime Minister Maurice Bishop said this to a rally of workers and
farmers at Point Saline on'March 9th as he made the feature address
at.the official launching of construction of the island's internat-
ional airport.
- continued -
Week Ending. 22.3.80
THE. R2NaDA NEWSLETTER
"Never forget, Comrades," he said, "that there are countries
around the,world that continue to believe that they have, a right
to rule the world, that continue t.o believe that this ,area,.
this Caribbean Sea, is their own lake and their ow.n backyard.
The Prime Minister said there are countries around the world
that believe they can tell Grenada who her friends may be, and
who believe that, even while they refuse to assist Grenada, they
can dict-ate who the island may accept assistance from, and with
whom relations may be built. '
Mr. Bishop said what had been discovered is that countries that
want to continue to exploit Grenada's resources, to keep Grena-
dians living in a period of exploitation and oppression, and
away from their real friends, those countries, he said, will
never ever be able to succeed in that endeavour.
Help
"The revolutionary and fraternal Government and people of Cuba
which has helped us, not just with their doctors", he said,
"which has helped us not just in our fisheries industry by
thqir gift of boats, to our.revolution,,which.helped us.not;only
in the first few weeks of our revolution at' a time when we were
in greatest need, which is today helping us not only with our
water problems, but revolutionary Cuba has also helped us and
has also been responsible, almost singlehandedly, in ensuring
that the international airport project gets going and will be
completed."
Mr. Bishop said, however, when his Government thinks of Cuba,
it is not seen, first of all, in terms of the assistancei-giveh .
but asthe example .that country has given to Latin America and.
the Caribbean, an example which has been a beacon over the past
30 years.
"We will be,the first to admit today ,,he said, "that if there.
was no Cuba.,.;there could.not have been a.Grenada or a Nicaragua.
And, those who are trying to separate us from our Cuban comrades,
those who are trying to tell us that Comrade Fidel Castro is
some puppet of some other foreign power, we say that they do
'continued -
Week Ending 22.3. 80
Page 12 ,.
Week Ending 22:3.80: THE GR'NA3DA NEWLTE- ..'. Page .13"
not, understand the man, Fidel Castro,'o ,- "I,
The Prime Minister said he and others who know Fidel Castro, who
have spoken to Senor Castro, have seen him) and have got to under-
stand, him, they understand there is no one more sincere, .honest,
humane, revolutionary and committed to liberation and freedom of
the poor and oppressed of the world.
"They could jump high and they could jump low", he said, "they
could get vexed if they want, they could say what they want, they
will never break the unbreakable friendship between Cuba and Grena-
da. And they will never get us to change our opinion of that
great leader of the Non-Alligned Mbvement, Comrade Fidel Castra."
Soviet Union
Mr. Bishop said all revolutionary processes need to rely on each
other and depend on each other to push forward. If the revolution-
ary people of Cuba did not receive fraternal assistance from the
Soviet Union, he said, their revolution could not have advanced as
fast as it did.
The Nicaraguan revolutionaries had been helped greatly in their job
of national reconstruction by assistance from other "revolutionary
countries", he said, and the people of Vietnam, Palestine, Zimbabwe,
Angola, Mozambique and Ethiopia all understand the importance of
receiving solidarity and fraternal assistance,.
The Prime Minister said even in Grenada, when, on 17th June 1979,
the PRG became the second country in the world to recognize the
provisional Government of Nicaragua, that action was taken because
the PRG understood the importance of expressing solidarity. Sim-
ilarly, when Grenada became the first country in the Western Hemi-
sphere to recognize the Polisario Front "fighting for their libera-
tion in Western Sahara", the PRG did so because it.,saw the cause
as just, and because this was seen as "helping to advance the world
revolutionary process". .
"And although some of our very friends have criticised us for our
recent vote in the United Nations", Mr. Bishop said, "when we took
that vote, as we saw it, we were voting on the side of the people of
continued -
Page 14. THE GRBNAD NEWSLETER Week Ending 2a.3 ,82
Afganistan and the Afganistah-revolution and, tlierc-or rin'favoux
of the world revolutionary process".
The Prime Minister said he regretted' Grenada had been able ,to
give only ."a few dollars" to Jamaica, St. Vincent and Dominica
when disaster hitthose islands, to the Patriotic Front, in Zim-
babwe and to the people of Nicaragua. What the PRG is looking
forward to and working towards, he said, is the day when Grenada
can join the countries of the Socialist World and countries
like Cuba that can give real and meaningful assistance to other
people to make sure that their own process can advance".
( 88 words)'
FIRST ANNIVERSARY O0 REVOLUTION CELEBRATED
During the period 1st to 13th March, Grenadians celebrated the
first anniversary of the revolution which took place on 13th
March 1979.
The celebration, officially called "The Festival of the Revolu-
tion", included exhibitions, sports meetings, panel discussions,
cultural performances, rallies and other events
and was spread over the entire State.
An outstanding feature: of the'celebratibn was the high degree
of public participation which manifested itself in roadside art,
the display of banners and bunting, the painting of walls,
bridges and culverts, the wearing of jersies and badges with
slogans, and the large enthusiastic crowds which attended the
rallies.
Ambassadors nAmed by the'Government Information Servites (GIS)
as attending the celebrations 'are A'lc. Alla: Rogers Canadian
RHigh Commissioner- to Grenada and Barbados, Mr. A. Fornusek of
Czechoslovakia, Mr. Nagy of Hungary, Mr. Muiasu of Rumnahia
and Mr. Hermes Salas of Venezuela. Unnamed but said to have
attended are the Ambassadors of Yugoslavia, Syria and North
Korea.
continued -
Week Ending 22.3.80 THE GRENADA NEWSLETTER Page 15
Members of Governments named is present are Mr. Ratfique Shah,'mem-
ber of the Opposition in Trinidad & Tobago ( and President of the
Trinidad & Tobago Island-Wide Cane-Farmers Trade Union), Mr. Ian
Anthony, St. Lucia's Minister of Education and Mr. Cheddi Jagan,
Leader of the Opposition in Guyana.
GIS alsb named Ms. Barbara Walters, OAS Representative to the Carib-
bean as being 'present.
Also named are Messrs Ahmed Benkari and Abdelazis of the Polisario
Front, Mr. Michael Als, President General of the Trinidad & Tobago
Bank & General Workers Union, Mr. Tyrone Maynard of the National
Workers Union 6f St. Lucia, Mr.' Ricardo Paris and Ms Linda Raj Paul
of the Barbados Movement for National Liberation, Mr. Basil Blair
of the Guyana Trade Union Council, Messrs Kester Alves, H.E.Shadeo
and Zahea Majeed of the Guyana Peoples National Congress, Mr. Ger-
vais Morales of the Puerto Rican Socialist Party and Mrs. Bonita
Harris of the Guyana Working Peoples' Alliance.
Also present but' not named by GIS were DrClive' Thomas of the Guya-
na Working Peoples'Alliance and Mr. Basdeo Panday,Opposition Leader
of Trinidad & Tobago's House of Representatives.
(345 words)
HARASSMENT AT GRANTLEY ADAMS & PIARCO
"We apologise to our: guests and to the several hundreds of people
who are presently in Grenada to be. ith us for our Festival of The
Revolution, for the inconvenience, and in some cases, harassment,
which they were subjected to en route to our country".
These were words of Prime Minister Mauaice Bishop as he addressed
a rally of some 30 thousand people at Queen's Park,St.George's, on
March 13th, the anniversary of the revolution of March 13th 1979.
Mr..Bishop said he had received, from several of the delegations
and visitors to the island, extremely worrying reports.and unsatis
-factory complaints about the way they were treated at Grantley
Adams Airport, Barbados. He wanted to make it very clear, he said
that, from his communication with the Barbados Government, he knows
continued -
Page 16 THE GRENADA NEWSLTTR Week Ending 22.3.80
that Government does not support: the behaviour of some of their
officials at the air.port.
Attitude
"I have chosen this public occasion to make this comment", he
said, "because in some countries in the Caribbean, among some
officials in these countries, an unfortunate attitude has de-
veloped, an unfortunate attitude which says that anyone coming
to Grenada to see our country and to spend tiimewith us, must
first undergo a period of tongue lashing and harassment".
Mr. Bishop said that the Government representative ,from Sey-
chelles, because of unnecessary delays at the Barbados airport,
missed his plane and had to overnight in that island.' The
Prime Minister apologised for this and extend the apology to,
"other sisters and brothers who havy similarly experienced such
inconveniences or harassment"
Similar e'irpts of like treatment meted out to Grenadians and
to visitors coming to Grenada, at Piarco Airport, Trinndad, had
come to him, the Prime Minister. said. This treatment had been
handed out by some officials at Piarc,o, he said, and he wished
to make it clear that the people and,Government of Grenada. re-
gard it as their right, as a member, of the Caribbean Community,
to have proper treatment handed out to people who are coming to
Grenada.
( 337 words )
CARIBBEAN, NOBODY'S "BACKYARD"
Addressing a rally of some 30 thousand on March 13th, the anni-
versary of the revolution'of March 13th 1979, Prime Minister
Bishop said some people are under the mistaken impression that
the peoples Revolutionary Government (PRG) is trying to make
enemies with some Governments in,the region and internationally.
There is also the mistaken impression, he said, that the PRG
is anxious td get everybody in the region to act as the Grenada
Government actss' to follow the principles of the PRG and to at-
tempt to' build tie same process' as Grenadians are now trying
to build. continued -
Week Ending 22.3.80 THE GRENADA NEWSLETTER Page 17-
"We recognize the right -of all people in the region and outside of
the region to determine for themselves what kind of process they
want to build in and for their own country", he said. We do not
want to be enemies with anybody".
The Primue MMinister :said, while there are some 110 thousand people
living sin Grenada, there are, perhaps another 500 thousand Grenad-
ians living outside. He said there are Grenadians living in Trini-
dad, Venezuela, the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom.and other count-
ries, and, every year, the number of American tourists visiting the
island is greater than the population of Grenada. For these rea-
sons, he said, Grenada does not want to be enemies with anybody.
S' '' " Piih^iple s '
"But what we say and we say clearly",.Mr;. Bishop said, I'rand it
must .be understood, because we are serious, is that, small as we are
and, poor as we are, as a people and as. a country, we insist on the
fundamental .principles of legal equality, mutual respect for sove-
reignty, non-interference in our internal affairs, and the right to
build our own process free .from outside interference, free from
intimidation, free from bullying and free from the use or threat of
force. We say this is our right as a country and as a people and
we will fight and die for that right."
Mr. Bishop said those who continue to believe that thelworld begins
and ends next door in America, that the United States,f or elements
in the United States, have the right to regard this entire 'area
"as a lake, as an extension of America", as "part of their backyard"
must understand the PRG's opposition to this because "we are not in
anybody's backyard".
One of the most amusing and ironic aspects of the situation, he
said, i;s that the very country that wants to tell Grenada who she
can be friends with, is the same country that is "offering the
least assistance to our process". This same country which wishes
to tell Grenada that she has no right to be friendly with Cuba, he
continued, that country, when it suits its own interests, is trying
and will continue to try to build relations with the Government of
Cuba.
- continued -
Page 18 THE GRENADA NEWSLETTER Week Ending 22.3.80
Loaf of Bread
"These people who came down to the Caribbean and to Latin Am-
erica and took our region and chopped it up like a loaf of
bread", he said, "in some countries they put some who spoke
Dutch, elsewhere it was French speaking, elsewhere Spanish,
elsewhere, English and, most recently, American speaking, andi!
then they want to turn around and tell us,. we who are one, peo-
ple, that because we now speak different languagess, we can -no
longer be friends".
The Prime Minister said that these people" wanted the count-
ries of the Caribbean and Latin America to begin to hate and
fight each other so that "they .can better exploit us". Mr.
Bishop said, however, that the people of the Latin American:
and Caribbean region are now moving fast to. end 'the attitudes
of narrow nationalism, of isolationism, of racism and of
chauvinism, and.to.build a colllective sense of ideptity.;
( 616 words)
NO RELATIONS WITH TRINNDAD & TOBAGO
Prime Minister Bishop said at a Press Conference on 14th March
that the Peoples Revolutionary Government (PRG) has been "al
.most bending over backwards" in its attempts to develop of-;
ficia'l lines of communication with the Government of Trinidad
& Tobago..
Mr. Bishop said several letters had been written to the Trinidad
& Tobago Government, deputy Prime Minister Bernard Coard had vis-
ited Trinidad and attempted to hold talks with his counterpart
or the Minister' of.Foreign Affairs, and there had been use of
unofficial means to try to develop a line of communications
"The position is that the Government of Trinidad & Tobago has
not responded to our attempts at building relations with them",
Bishop said, "we intend to try to get relations going because
we see it as important."
- continued -
Week Ending 22.3.80 GTHEGENADA NSLETTER Pae 19
Mr. Bishop said Trinidad .is Grenada's nearest neighbour, there is
daily trade between the islands and there:,are several hundred rea-
sons of family ties,,trade.and other areas and, for these reasons,
the PRG will continue to try to get relations with Trinidad and
Tobago established.
The Prime Minister thought it was "extremely childistv and petty"
on the part of the Trinidad and Tobago Government to resist the
establishment of official relations,. and he thought that a' misguid-
ed approach which reflects a very deep attitude of narrow national-
ism and isolationism which, he said, is a part of the tradition of
colonialism and which, he has reason to believe, elements in the
Trinidad-& Tobago Government are against.*
( 246 words)
PRG OPPOSED TO MILITARY BASES
Any plan to put military bases" in .Haiti, or any other part of the
Caribbean will be denounced by-Grenada's People's Revolutionary
Government (PRG). This was said'by Prime Minister Mautice Bishop
at a 'wind-up' Press Conference on March 14th to mark the close of
the "Festival of the Revolution" commemorating the first anniversary
of the New Jewel Movement Revolution of March 13th 1979,
"We believe the Caribbean should be declared and recognized as a
zone of peace", he said, "we are against- military bases in the
region, particularly when the people of those countries in which
they are placed do not want them. But, even apart from that, as
a general statement of principle, we are against these bases."
Mr. Bishop said President Carter's plan, announced on October 1st
1979, to establish a task force in the Caribbean and to greatly
step up the policing of the region" had already been denounced by
the PRG, and the PRG stands by that denouncement. The PRG sup-
ports the people of Cuba ,in their efforts to get the United States
Base at Guantanamo Bay dismantled, and also the "Patriots of Puerto
Rico" who are fighting for.the removal of bases from that island
and the use by the military of Vieques Island.
continued -
I
Page 20 THE GRENADA N6i&LSETER Wesk SEnda 22 -.O
"Our. position will certainly be onepf~tcltal opposition-t.-any
bases and ,total and unqualified support for any peoples fighting
against thererection of new; bases in any part-of the'Caribbean",
he,-,said.
Aid
On the subject of International aid, Bishop said when a small
country approaches the, mpea-ialists the capitalist world, no
queries are raised even though, he said,'the countries of that
world -are, yegry often, the ones which give aid on the :basis of
tying oi-t to unreasonable conditions. On the other hand, he
said. when the socialist world gives fraternal assistance, the
type, he thought, that can really build a country, everybody sud-
denly senses some sinister motive.'
"Let us examine the record", he said. When the Americans left
Chile, it was not the American Government that overthrew Allende,
it was ITT and that was because what they db~wifh imperialism is
that, they so permiateryour> economy that, even hen they physical-
ly leave as a, Government their companies, their' transnational
corporations, still have the capacity to overturn a goVernment."
r.'Bishop' said that, contrasting this with the Soviet Union,
when that Government left Egypt, the very next day after their
departure, their entire influence had also departed. There was
not a bank, factory or, other area of investment in the economy in
such a way as,to ensure that' that company can continue to infil-
trate and do,the damage aid.spehd the money to back strikes, he
said.
"When people are worried about connections and sinister motives"
he said they have .to, look to the IMF they have to look to the
transnation corporations. -i Don't' look to fraternal assistance
from the socialist world because, as; far at we can see, that
is the kind of assistance that has really led to helping to
build the economies of poor thirdd World countries like our own'.
(518 word')'
,( L.
,rch 1980
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