More slaughter in

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The long struggle of opposition groups against the dictatorial regime of President Romero in the Central American republic of El Salvador has reached a new and gruesome turning point.

in response to the arrest of five of its members the Popular Revolutionary Bloc-a left-wing party with considerable influence in the working class and peasantry-on May 4 occupied the Costa Rican and the French embassies, holding the ambassadors and other officials prisoner.

Two of those arrested were released and the regime denied ail knowledge of the others.

Protest strikes took place in several major factories and an anti-government demonstration in support of the Bloc assembled on May 8 in front of the Cathedral.* The dictator's police (probably using weapons sold to it by the Callaghan government) opened fire on the mostly young demonstrators, very few of whom were armed.

At least ten were killed and many more injured.

Romero's claims that his police were provoked by heavily armed guerrillas could hardly ring more hollow, since the whole bloody event was clearly filmed by a news cameraman and has been seen on every TV screen in the world, except those of El Salvador.

This is not the first cold-blooded massacre carried out by Romero's recent months.

Murderous raids on groups of peasants protesting against lack of land and employment in the countryside are commonplace events.

In one recent raid in Cinquera. 8 peasants were murdered.

The events in El Saivador, however, are evidence of the growth of mass struggles against dictatorship which are taking place throughout the Latir American continent.

Upsurge

Argentina, Chile, Peru, Brazil Bolivia and Nicaragua have all experienced a significant upsurge of workers' struggles against the dictators in the last month.

Under a clear and principled leadership, this upsurge can topple the dictators and open