Despite the problems it is encountering in its Central American policy, the Bush administration did not let any grass grow under its feet. It got the US congress to make an immediate grant of $85 million in military aid to the Salvadoran armed
The USSR, for its part, has explicitly demanded that the FMLN stop its offensive, declaring... "Whatever the reasons for the present explosion...neither of the two sides can succeed in overcoming the other, and attempts to do so can only increase the number of victims among the population." (Le Monde, November 15,
This is indeed a general offensive. The guerrillas have taken up position in the country's main cities, thanks to the active support of the population and an effective network of activists in the urban zones. Everywhere they have been able to launch the fighting from the inside, which could only be done with broad support from the population. Sections of the people have joined in the action, building antitank trenches and hiding wounded guerrillas among injured civilians.
Not all the details of the military operation are known. But it is evident that the FMLN has been able to win key positions in the cities without throwing all its forc28 es immediately into the battle. In this way, it had the means for sustaining the
THE RESULTS of the general offensive launched on November 11 and the call for a general uprising issued on November 13 by the FMLN are still uncertain. Whether or not it is crowned with success, this offensive is certainly going to change fundamentally the situation in El Salvador, or even in the region.
### ARNOLD BERTHU struggle for a prolonged period. Throughout the past week, fresh guerrilla forces have been able to relieve the men and women involved in the first clashes.
The hostilities were unleashed simultaneously throughout the country, and the FMLN stormed at least seven key cities. The army has resorted to savage means in order to put down the rebellion - massive aerial bombardment of entire neighborhoods with DC-3s, at times encircling hospitals to keep the wounded from being treated, and assassination of civilian personalities, including possible mediators.
Repression escalates as negotiations fail
Among the factors that prompted the FMLN to launch the offensive, two deserve further explanation — the escalation of the repression and the failure of escalation of the repression launched by a faction of ARENA and the armed forces threatened to decapitate the public leadership of the mass organizations and left parties, throwing the mass movement back eight years.
The FMLN announced after ARENA won the elections that attacks on the lives of the opposition leaders would mean a large-scale military response. The mass movement leaders demanded counterattack, preferring an offensive to a situation in which they could be picked off like sitting ducks.
Regarding the failure of the CristianiFMLN dialogue, it has to be realized that the FMLN has won the sympathy of large sections of the masses by demonstrating its constant readiness to reach a negotiated solution of the war that would involve deepgoing structural changes to put an end to social injustice and open the way for
Cristiani had to agree to start a dialogue with the FMLN, abandoning the condition that it first lay down its arms. But he refused to consider the legitimate demands put forward by the revolutionists. In their last proposal formulated at the meeting with a governmental delegation that took place in mid-October in San José Costa Rica, the representatives of the FMLN demanded that those responsible for the assassination of Monsignor Romero in March 1980, as well as those responsible for the death squadrons, be brought to trial. They also demanded the calling of early elections.
The FMLN stated that if these conditions were met, it was willing to declare a three-months ceasefire with the government and the armed forces to provide time for carrying out fundamental reforms -agrarian reform, a purge of the army (retirement of all the military chiefs and trying them for their crimes), dissolution of the special repressive forces and the end of all repression, repeal of the repressive laws and replacement of the ministers of defense and the police by civilians.
### Cristiani rejects FMLN proposals for dialogue
During this three-month truce, FMLN would not lay down its arms. But it would envisage taking part in the elections and recognizing the results. It might lay down its arms later, after the army was reduced from 52,000 men to 13.000 and professionalized. Cristiani's consider these demands, which had broad mass support, along with the stepup of the repression, were thus the two key factors that led the FMLN to engage in a test of
Stop the bombing of civilian populations!
Stop the repression against the Salvadoran mass organizations!
Down with the blood-stained Cristiani government!
Suspend all aid to the Cristiani government!
Support for the Salvadoran people in their struggle for national and social liberation!
Stop US intervention of any kind!
Support for the FMLN! *