At the appeal of the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) an insurrectionary movement was launched on Saturday January 10, throughout the territory of E] Salvador. Since then, attacks made by FMLN fighters have already struck serious blows against the armed forces of the military junta.
On January 11, while dozens of targets were being simultaneously attacked, officials and many soldiers joined up with the insurgents. At Santa Ana, the second most important town in the country, half the garrison went over to the FMLN.
In several centers and in the suburbs of San Salvador whole neighborhoods rose up and built barricades. The revolutionary flag flew over Chalatenango, Metapdn, Zacatecoluca and Perquin. While its regular units are harassing the headquarters of the National Guard and the air force, the FMLN has called on the people to everywhere set up organs of popular power, to step up and structure the mobilization.
A call for a general strike was made for a
January 13. Despite threats, requisitions and assassinations of strikers, in cold blood and as “examples,” the transport system, commerce and factories were largely paralyzed hours after the movement had started.
New massacres by the junta, the hundreds, if not thousands of deaths claimed by it since January 11, and the huge lies of the Christian Democrat civilian spokesperson can do nothing to change the new situation that has now opened up in El Salvador. In response to the appeal of the Revolutionary Democratic Front (FDR) and the FMLN, the immense majority of the people have risen up to finish with illiteracy, misery, hunger, and death, to put an end to the superexploitation and terror imposed by this regime, by the oligarchy and American imperialism. How much hard combat, new sacrifices and additional suffering will be necessary in order for the Salvadoran people to secure an impregnable victory? Incapable of restabilizing the situation, the junta has thrown out a direct appeal to Reagan. Carter has responded to it by restoring and increasing military aid. Forces from the Guatemalan and Honduran dictatorships are already massing on the Salvadoran frontiers.
Twenty-two years after the triumph of the Cuban revolution, eighteen months after the fall of Somoza, it is the Salvadoran people who are in the vanguard of revolutionary struggle in Latin America. For all those who are fighting against imperialist domination and capitalist exploitation the impact of a victory in El Salvador would be considerable.
The Fourth International, its organizations and its militants, are mobilizing for the victory of the Salvadoran people and its vanguard, the FMLN. It is a priority to immediately, and in any form possible, organize massive and militant solidarity. It is the priority of anti-imperialist and internationalist struggle today.
e Against any imperialist intervention in El Salvador!
* United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Venezuela, Hands off!
¢ Break all relations with the junta, for the recognition of the FDR!
© Defend the Nicaraguan revolution, the Cuban workers state, which are in solidarity with the Salvadoran struggle and directly threatened by an imperialist counterattack!
e For the victory of the Salvadoran people over its oppressors and its butchers! * Victory to the FMLN!