From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: FMLN rep responds to MIM re "surrender"
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1993 22:01:59 GMT

/** reg.elsalvador: 120.0 **/
** Topic: Commentary re Maosist article **
** Written 11:56 pm  Jan  1, 1993 by peg:jgutierrez in cdp:reg.elsalvador **
RADIO FARABUNDO MARTI-REP IN AUSTRALIA
P.O.Box 251, Fitzroy, 
Victoria 3065, Australia
Ph: 03-349 1290

COMMENTARY REGARDING MAOIST ARTICLE: "FMLN NEGOTIATES SURRENDER."

By Jose Gutierrez

In the next postings, we're publishing official FMLN documents with the
hope that readers do not get confused as to the actual course of the
democratic and socialist revolution in El Salvador, since there are still
some political movements which have characterised our revolution as a
"negotiated surrender" (see the Maoist line article). The Internationalist
Maoist Movement not only misunderstands the reality in El Salvador, but
also do not take into account the dialectics of Revolutions. As Commander
Shafick Handal has said:

"a war that ends without victory of one over the other ends with agreements
that mean great changes for the country, as much in the political life as
in the social, as much in the area of social justice, as in that of daily
life because a country that for sixty years has suffered military
domination, and an enthroned militarism in all areas of life is now going
to be alleviated by this burden. The agreements are going in this
direction.

And next is a period of fulfilment of the agreements, it will have, let us
say, a first balance sheet in 1994, when there will be general elections.
Every elected office in El Salvador will be up for election: the President
of the Republic, member of the Legislative Assembly, Municipal Councils.
All the country's forces are now getting ready for such a balance sheet,
for this development."

The Salvadoran Revolution now takes on a political dimension, but it is
still a class struggle. It is far from over. It is not a capitulation to
imperialism, as the MIM affirms. How could it be when the FMLN has already
become a legal party-movement which is entering a broad electoral alliance
alongside other forces of the left with the objective of defeating the
ARENA party in the ballot box?.  Armed struggle was a legitimate form of
struggle during the past 22 years, but at the moment it is out of context
unless there is an armed aggression from the Salvadoran army. But this is
unlikely, given the level of United Nations presence in El Salvador.

The MIM seems to view Revolutions as being just about taking the power of
the state by revolutionary war. Armed struggle is valid at some point in
history and according to specific circumstances, but currently in El
Salvador it is not the case because after 22 years of war there was a
stalemate in which no side could win. And for this reason, the prolongation
of the war could only bring about more death and destruction upon the
poorest sectors of Salvadoran society. Hence, it was necessary for the FMLN
to address the needs and aspirations for peace of the people. It was the
oligarchy and the military who opposed peace in El Salvador. For 11 years,
long time before the political changes in Eastern Europe, the FMLN kept the
negotiations' door open, but the adversary refused to oblige. After the
1989 FMLN military offensive, realising that the FMLN was a real power, the
Salvadoran government was forced to sit down at the negotiating table. The
United Nations also became involved in mediating between the two sides and
after 24 months of hard bargaining the two sides finally reached an
agreement that was both positive and realistic.

Now the FMLN could put an end to the war, and actually determine the agenda
for the profound reforms and political transformation of Salvadoran
society. Despite the ultra-rights' boycott of the peace accords, the
agreements are leading towards the democratisation and demilitarisation of
society which will give the FMLN the opportunity to freely engage in
national politics without having to allocate its budget for military
purposes. Now the FMLN can organise and run for the next elections and, if
it wins, form a popular government that can bring about the desired
structural transformations which will benefit the broad majority of
Salvadorean people. The FMLN, alongside the popular and democratic sectors
of society, has already begun this political battle. 

It has to be pointed out that the FMLN does not pretend to set up a one-
party state or the "dictatorship of the proletariat", once the core of
orthodox Marxist theory, now quite obsolete and dictatorial (which is still
the basis of Maoist ideology). What the FMLN is on about is building up
democracy for the majorities and human rights for the minorities. Marxism
has to be updated and redefined, and for it to make sense it is necessary
that political movements take into account the reality of their own
societies and not outdated theoretical or ideological models. 

===========================================================================
This commentary represents the viewpoint of the author. IT IS NOT the
official position of Radio Farabundo Marti or the FMLN.
===========================================================================

** End of text from cdp:reg.elsalvador **

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