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by Marc Brzus ltoweki Imprint staff The Arias peace plan for Central America is possible “because Nicaragua is winning the war,” and Sofia Montenegro, senior editor of the newspaper Barricada, says her people “want Canadians to participate in overseeing this peace process.” But the dwindling contra forces, “not able to take part in a military victory,” are resorting to terrorizing civilians. Montenegro, speaking during March 11’s Tools for Peace coffeehouse at Waterloo’s Emma-
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nuel United Church, ran FSLN safehouses during the late 1970s and helped found the newspaper, Tools for Peace collects material goods and money to help rebuild and sustain medical facilities, agricultural, housing and other projects. Referring to the democratization, press freedom,, political amnesty, and dialogue called for by the Arias plan, she said “Nicaragua was the country that had done the most to comply with the treaty” according to a group of international observers who visited the area. She then stated that other Central American nations have no political prisoners
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in need of amnesty due to executions, Montenegro focussed attention on the devastating effects the contra war has had for the people and economy of Nicaragua and the region. U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s freedom fighters, she expla,ined, “avoid direct confrontation with our troops” and attack civilians, She said the co&as are near COP lapse, but that they are trying to gull many down with them, especially the rural populations who have refused to support them: contra land mines planted in farmer’s fields and around vilzles are designed to maim, not . ihe Contras further their image as terrorists by knocking out power lines, causing blood banks to go bad, and destroying medical facilities. Ray Wiss, a Toronto paramedic who spent six months in Nicaragua, gave a grim account’of the health situation. The infant mortality rate cut in half in the 30 months immediately following the revolution has remained steady in the six years of war since the U.S. has been funding the Contras. No new rural health posts are under
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by John Mason Imprint staff “The debate among economists is not whether the free trade agreement is going to be ‘positive or not. The box has been closed. The answer is that it will be positive. The question concerns the magnitude of its impact.” Bill Neil, director of international affairs with the
Plan for a
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construction, and efforts to inSMontenegro said the Contras troduce sanitation and clean will only become more desperwater in many areas are at a ate, and their attacks more vistandstill because four of every - cious. A secret currency switch nine dollars in the Nicaraguan that left the Contras with mileconomy are destroyed by the lions of useless Cordobas [Nicawar. raguan currency), prevents them from buying local food, and, she raid, “any group that tries to live on airdrops is dead.” She said she fears current tensions in Panama and the inekitable demise of the Contras might prompt direct American intervention: “(Reagan) might be tempted to send his boys down.” Montenegro stressed one feature of the struggle usually ignored, that women “are with the revolution massively.” She said the movement “gave us the chance to become full citizens, full humans,” and added that “unless there are .new women there won’t be a possibility for a new man to be born.” Eq-uality has been proclaimed by the constitution, still, she spoke of the Sofia Montenegro “necessity of makjng a second Proceeds from the evening revolution,” went to rebuild a health post in Montenegro finished by rethe north central village of La questing the chance to live a betPatriota, whose inhabitants ter life and find happiness “for a chose to risk another contra atpopulation that has been detack rather than lose the medical prived for the last 500 years.” services.
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Canadian Manufacturers Association, carried this message to a UW gathering on March 4. He said Canada needs the free trade pact with the United States, its largest trading partner, for three reasons. Firstly; Canada’s position in the world has been changing, The country can no longer rely on the sale of resources for a large portion of its international trade. Third World nation’s are under-cut tting Canadian sources on the world market because of their technological improvements and- dire need of foreign exchange. Simultaneously exploiting Canadian supplies is becoming increasingly expensive. This change is forcing Canadians to look differently at themselves and the global economy, said Neil.
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changed. Despite efforts to the contrary by past federal governments, Canadian businesses have looked more and more to the U.S. to market their products. The U.S. is the easiest market to enter and sell in, yet long-range strategy has been difficult because of the lack of an encompassing trade agreement between the two nations, he said. Double standards exist and enforcement is inconsistent. With the exception of japan, Canada is the only industrial nation which does not have such a trade pact with its major partner. Now Canada is close to reaching that goal; Neil said the agreement will be approved in both the Canadian and US. legislative assemblies.
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Bill
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photo by Sharon
Secondly, Canada’s situation with respect to the General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs
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Trade deal necessary: CMA
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The institute
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deteriorated.
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Canada- has become more dependent on GATT negotiations with trading nations, GATT has delivered less. If the country continues to rely solely on GATT, Neil said Canadians wiI1 find themselves isolated and abandoned on the world market. Thirdly, the Canada-U.S. trade relationship. has also
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While most figures currently being paraded are only guesses, he said, free trade will have a beneficial impact on most Canadians.
Free
trade
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bring
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creased jobs, more investment, lower consumer; goods and a!low for a shift intwmore high technolog areas for Canada. Nei I admitted the pact is not perfect but the optiorl of no free trade, with an omnibus trade bill currently before the U.S. Congress, is “pretty scary”.
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