EL SALVADOR
A government of
1 onvarnmant of terrorists
COMMANDANTE Joaquin Villalobos is a member of the leadership of the Farabundo Marti Liberation Front (FMLN). In the text published below, written in August 1990, he explains the concessions that the FMLN is ready to make in the negotations.
DOCUMENT only take place on the military level. The most sensible and reasonable course would seem to be the disappearance of both armies and the total victory of civil society. It is ridiculous to imagine that in the framework of negotiations, the FMLN will put down its arms and the government's armed forces will remain. The FMLN retains all its ability to attack, which the army has lost. The High Command recognizes this, and is maintaining the state of emergency. It is accusing the FMLN of preparing an offensive for the near future, and even advising us that this would be a serious mistake on our part. No rundown of FMLN military forces
We state clearly that there has been no discussion about the run down of the FMLN military forces, while the government army is not ready to dissolve.
We are never going to negotiate a ceasefire in exchange for a change in the names of certain army units composed of murderers, and we will not disarm while the criminal and corrupt armed force which terrorizes the people remains in place. If the Salvadoran government and the Bush administration wish to obtain the
FMLN's surrender at the negotiating table, this should be stated clearly, as was done by Roberto d'Aubuisson and Elliott Abrahams, an ex-functionary of Reagan. If this is what they want, they will be obliged to openly escalate the war, increase military aid and become yet further embroiled in the conflict, while dishonestly pretending that it is the FMLN who is responsible for the war continuing.
FLN will continue to negotiate The FMLN will continue to participate in the negotiations, whatever the military and political situation, since these discussions and the Geneva agreement on human rights represent a victory for the Salvadoran people and the FMLN. We have forced the govemment and the US to give us this. We will continue to fight for a ceasefire, and for an end to the immunity of members of the armed forces and for real democratic openings. We will struggle for the end of the war to coincide with the disappearance of militarism and social injustice in our country. The FMLN knows that the negotiations will be difficult, because we are not sitting opposite choirboys but the deathsquads. We are not deceived by Cristiani's "good manners". We know the crimes he was involved with when he was a colleague of d'Aubuisson.
We know what he means when he says that it will be the Salvadoran people who will suffer rather than the army from a new FMLN offensive. He is threatening to kill the innocent, as [during the FMLN offensive] in November 1989, if he feels in danger. We are dealing with a terrorist government, and this is what we must call 23 23 it. *
BRAZIL