Strike cut short

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The "general strike" against the Somoza dictatorship was called off last week by the bourgeois political organisations that supported it.

This was no surprise since, with the growth of large demonstrations, it showed every sign of getting out of the control of the bourgeois leaders.

Many demonstrators were killed in attacks by the National Guard which stayed loyal to Somoza.

But also National Guard members were killed during a number of daring and successful raids by the Castroite Sandinist Liberation Front.

Weakened

None of the demands of the strike were met, not even an enquiry into the murder of bourgeois newspaper editor Joaquin Chomorro.

But Somoza's position was clearly weakened, a fact emphasised by the almost complete boycott of the municipal elections which were staged on February 5.

Also the strike showed to the Nicaraguan masses both the potentiality of mass action and the cringing cowardice of those "democrats" who claim to lead the opposition to the Somoza dictatorship.

After the defeat of the sugar workers' strike at the beginning of January, the ruling "socialist" People's National Congress (led by Forbes Burnham) is calling for the destruction of the "socialist" People's Progressive Party (led by Cheddi Jagan).

The PNC says the PPP should • по longer be permitted to "jeopardise the interests of the working class"

It was the PNC government which broke the PPPsupported strike by sending in scab workers and defending them with the army.

20-4P0-_ The "Marxist-Leninist" People's Front for the Liberation of Eritrea has claimed that already the Eritrean occupied areas have come under attack from Soviet ships and Cuban-piloted planes.

This is an accusation they make with particular bitterness since their struggle originally had Cuban (as well as Libyan) assistance.