letter from Commander Bayardo Arce, Coordinator of the Political Commission of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), to the municipal, village, neighborhood, and block committees of
The FSLN National Directorate sends greetings to the 459,750 CDS members throughout the country, who on a daily basis are strengthening the defense and preserving the gains of our people by carrying out their tasks. That is precisely why we want to repeat to you the concepts outlined by your National Coordinator, Commander Leticia Herrera, and by Sergio Ramirez, at the commemoration of the CDSs Fourth Anniversary.
We affirm that the entire CDS membership, fully involved in their tasks and continually working to become more responsible, contribute decisively to the way in which the Sandinista People's inherited from the past. The same holds true in regard to the problems brought in by the war policies that have sought to strangle our aspirations to be respected, sovereign, and independent.
We firmly believe that the CDS leadership and membership must express qualities that can be measured by:
- participation in defense activities;
respect for the revolution's laws;
- discipline and respect in carrying out the directions of their immediate supe-
- willingness to be the best servants of avoiding and combatting opportunism, bureaucratism, favoritism, and
In this framework, a concern has arisen that troubles the National Directorate. We consider it an unavoidable duty to present it to you. There are signs that many coordinators have not accurately understood the line of the revolutionary directives. Based on its persuasive character, this policy has the aim of attracting the sympathy of sectors that, because of their situation, ought to be in favor of defending the revolution.
attitudes and actions that have effects that are contrary to Sandinista principles. For example:
Authorization of arbitrary land or building seizures, despite the fact that all legal efforts are being made to give a plot of land to all who need and deserve it.
- Withholding the sugar distibution card from someone who has still not come to understand the revolution, instead of using the revolution's achievements to raise his or her consciousness. We know that this method is used at times to pressure people into doing CDS tasks, which are supposed to be volun-
- Harassment by words and deeds of citizens who profess another ideology, religious or political, or who work with persons or institutions not identified with the revolution.
- Arrogant and haughty attitudes, taking on a kind of authority that only small elite groups; and fostering divisiveness and intrigues among neighbors in a
- Misusing one's position in order to transform personal problems into problems of the organization, or promoting destructive campaigns to discredit per-
- Falling into an abuse of authority and using a responsible post in the organization as a way to enjoy personal family privileges. A concrete case, for example, would be to award lots to close relatives, bypassing the directives of the revolutionary state. encourages and puts into practice notions left over from Somozaism.
- To tolerate or lead in abusing revolutionary vigilance (voluntary night-watch duty), especially through taking repres sive measures against those who still have not joined in this task. ( In some cases this has gone so far as the breaking of someone's door, or the casting of doubt on them, forgetting the fact that all CDS tasks are voluntary.)
It is absolutely necessary that we review our position and make corrections.
been thinking that we ought to meet in the near future to discuss these internally. ever, nationa. unity is the determining factor in defense. That is why we have put forward these ideas, upon which you will surely reflect.
(From Intercontinental Press of December 27, 1982.)