Police disperse crowd in Kingston, Jamaica using state of emergency powers brought in by the Manley Government and now extended In voting for Manley, Jamaicans nave ziven neir suoport ane aD proval to the 'democratic socialist" poncics or tne rinr s tast nive years in office. In rejecting the rightwing Jamaica Labour rarty s al ternative of Free up the private sccior ucy nave come out HrmIy against any return to big capitalist anu ocnals coniauon. try's major problems of unemployment, poverty and homelessness (a legacy imperialism and of the pro-imperialist JLP). Manley introduced the 'impact' employment programme, the National Housing Corporation Tne cand Lease to help farmers, free education, nasume wase Some of the money needed for mese somar rerouns came ron increased taxation, import controis, and a new ievy on bauxic, d principal source of Jamaica. The PNP also pledged itself to a greater intervention by the State in the economy (though stressing at the support lor a mixed economy). and sought aid from neighboring Cuba and the Soviet bloc (though stressing also that Jamaica still welcomes investment from West).
Not surprisingly, these measures have annoyed local and foreign Dus nessmen. as a resuit. manv ol them have actually been wiin menr reet aralnst Manicy ang taking their moneybags with them.
in tae Dast coupic or yedrs Ove £200 million has been shipped out of Jamaica by local businessmen, foreign investment has dropped by half, Jamaica's reserves are now exhausted, and the country is £50 million in debt. In addition Jamaica has been hit hard by what is happening on the world market, in particular the steep rise in the price of oil and the fall in bauxite and sugar prices (Jamaica's main exports).
Under these circumstances the PNP's ambitious programmes of and social reform are threatened with cutbacks and abandonment even OCLOrC InCY Have OCLUn O colC LU grips with the 26 per cent unemDIoyICHl Talc. mne sme COsE living and inadequate social services. In tact the last vear has seer hundreds laid off in the bauxite industry, a wage-freeze introduced opGA VIA both of British small and a revenue for same time its and anti-strike legislation attemptvoting The election was also fought around a second maior issue. the OOCH aLECHEOL D HenL-WHE TOrCES aided by the CIA, to 'destabilise' Jamaica. were withdrawal and discouragement of investment, sabotage of the tourist industry (very important to the Jamaican economy), and a scare-mongering campaign which used Manley's connections with Cuba to whip up anti-communism.
MURDER At the beginning of the year this Was Sicooce uo eme money guns supplied to JLP thugs to beat UD. homes of PNP supporters. Over the summer the rate of political murders rose to 30-40 per month. Manley's response to the political violence was to introduce a State of Emergency Since then over 250 people have been detained under its powers.
marches and motorcades banned.
CHOICES The beginnings of this this did not from being shot, with what to became an important issue.
ley's new term of office. ana burn down uc with his last June.
COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT López Michelsen has now got through the first half of his four year term and has a good chance o compielie nis aotea tune. alone woule seem to ser colomoia aoar ron ne rest ot Latin america now uneer me neel or ine mitar boot, but the fact is that the economic and political of the continent are also This year has been marked by a noticeable upsurge in the mass strugole: important strikes at Riopaila and vanitex nave been part ot a general trend. AS a of working class strugglę there has been an important development o oppositions in many trade unon.oy Tar InE MOSI sidnificant strucale has been the 52-dav strike health workers which ended in victory towards the The response of the Government has been to put virtually unaer multary ocupation with troons of the hated BIM (Bricade of Military New powers police to detain people for disturbing and hundreds of students and workers are being imprisThe Government has als( granted the army sweeping new powers to combat workers movement but also an important peasant MANLEY (at microphone) points out PNP slogan to a wildly enthusiatic pre-election rally.
The Emergency continued to oper- tion. dic aurine une cecuion lseu- ane were Troops, police and tear-gas ac arammnes. companied party campaigning, but prevent Canalaalcs •LInUCS others assaulted or threatened with violence. Under these circumstances, do about the gunment election These two issues of the economy and pulitical violence will aiso be tne principal test-cases Tor IanAs far as the first is concerned. he has received a clear mandate much more from the electorate to continue programme of social reform under democratic socialism. However, the stark reality of the economic crisis has led members of both parties to talk of devaluation as a temporary solucome to the surface. The Colombian Trotskyists have called for a united front to combat the repression movement which must not tie ila tore res to the coat tails of the 'procressive' or liberal bourgeoisie if it i to succeed. forces is a big credible revolutionary pole in Colombia firmly rooted I Te workers movenont Developments on this front began early this year wiih ine cecision ovine dooue sociaista conrerenc to declare its affiliation to the Fourth International. were following a similar development, Lica • Cerera Communista _eaque ano launcneo une tornienny paper rode Obrero (workers Power section of the Fourth International in Colombia •ne comraces in Colomoia nave aico neen in tn. forefront of the international campaign to save the lives of Páez and Apaza, [Socialist Workers secvon or me rourin intemnanonar, wnose uves are m danger in -Aroenlins. amongst trade unions, usina ther It also seems likely that Jamaica will be forced to lean on the US or IvIr Tor tinancial assistance, des pite the PNP'S anti-imperialist stance. some acua curoacks nave already been made in the proSuckd LN t VOULA schemes, and the wage-freeze conAs for the gunmen, the Gun COITT POS STI0n OT9 4 a00 T01 year's State of Emergency offer no real or lasting solution, although they may have temporarily stemmed some of the right-wing thuggery. In fact, increasing the powers OE TIC DolCe ame Toc maryu this way establishes a threatening apparatus of repression which is likely to be used against the left in the future - as is now happening in India.
Certainly, if Manley continues to offer only such panic measures (as ne seems to be doing by extending the Emergency into next IcoE simular boat to Allende and ropu lar Unity in Chile. The world economic recession will increase the small but already noticeable suu to me aerm nome porcie. as the Government is unable to Keeo us Drom ses. nas to ral oad on money loans from the US, or devaluation etc. and continues to erode civil liberties by emergencs Incasules STERILE But Chile showed that you simnD y cant serve two masters and hope to introduce a sort of creep une sociansm wimout mne cabilal ists noticing or minding. At some DomL tucy diways alcHlo Lo Lur! it back'.
The alternative, as the left in the PNP recognise, is to demand not *Forward with Democratic Socialism' through the continuation of the present policies, but Forward to Socialism' through full socialist measures. This has also been the position or the stalinist-intluencec Workers Liberation League, the largest left-wing grouping.
the same time, however, Wil and most of these eft force. also advocate maintaining the unity of the party, which contains left middle and right wingers. would actually be sterile and disastrous in the present situation.
CUBA The only possibility of getting more tar-reaching socialist policie adopted will be through the expulsion of the right wing from the party, Furthermore socialist measures can only be carried through by the mobilisation of the workers' own independent organiSatO1S. ane mot (nrouen renanc on the PNP.
For the success of this second alternative (compared to the disaster of Chile) we can look at Cub: and the course of the revolution there. Cuba has featured promin ently in the elections, and has been used as a propaganda weapon bi both right and left. The coming period in Jamaica could well put Cuban socialism (both its successes and shortcomings) to a dramatic