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VVAW Okla. Action

By VVAW

As part of the continuing effort to build the struggle against U.S. Intervention in El Salvador, two members of the Oklahoma Chapter of VVAW participated in an international affairs seminar entitled "Revolution and Counter-Revolution; Central America & U.S. Foreign Policy" at the Incarnate Word College in San Antonio, Texas.

Arnaldo Ramos of the Democratic Revolutionary Front of El Salvador addressed the Saturday morning plenary session. He had addressed the 100,000 strong ant-intervention rally in Washington, DC on May 3rd.

Mr. Ramos spoke of brining a message from the people of El Salvador to the whole planet. The message was peace and was issued by the new society beginning there, a society whose beginning is wrapped up in the internal policies of North America. These policies are actively involved with the living and dying of both our peoples, he said.

The press, he stated, had indeed dropped El Salvador coverage. They are not reporting from the battle field and there is no coverage of the links between the U.S. and the history of El Salvador. "There are no boarders, said Arnaldo, "when living and dying-is involved."

He spoke of the fear his people feel when they see the Reagan administration militarizing Central America. Mr Ramos also stated there is no hope for the planet if the U.S. sides with the rich against the necessary social changes in the 3rd world.

He explained that while the El Salvadorian military has forced 50,000 people to flee from the Northern Provinces, because the people support the FDR and extensive tunneling has been done, there remain more than 7 liberated zones controlled by the Front.

Confident of victory, Arnaldo explained that the National Armed Forces of El Salvador are now composed of draftees coerced into the Army, and veterans of 10 years of struggle: neither want to continue fighting, so that now, he feels, 5 guerillas can hold off 25 soldiers. With the rainy season just beginning ( a favorable time for the guerillas) he hopes, with enough ammunition to drive the soldiers from their garrison.

Mr. Ramos maintained that we can bring our force of numbers to bear on the Reagan administration's insistence that social-political problems can be solved by military means and change that attitude. As vets we applauded the clear need to de-militarize the area: after all, "We are all Americans."