events that opened the way for US invasion contrary, Radio Free Grenada denied that there was any power struggle between Coard and Bishop at all.
On Monday, the situation in St. George's grew more tense, when Kenrick Radix, state prosecutor and a good friend of Bishop but not a member of the Central Committee, called for a demonstration on Bishop's behalf. Radix referred to the rumors about a plan to take Bishop's life, and he was arrested after the demonstration.
The same day, Foreign Minister Unison Whiteman returned from a visit abroad. Whiteman was a close associate of Bishop, and he tried to negotiate with the opposition in the Central Committee.
At the same time, one of Coard's supporters, Planning Secretary Victor Burke, criticized Bishop to a group of internapublic criticism of Bishop by the oppo-
There was a crisis Burke said. He claimed that Bishop had followed too liberal a policy toward the petty bourgeoisie. The result of this supposedly was that the mass organizations and the party were functioning poorly. He went on to say that the government would be put under the command of the Central Committee.
On Tuesday, there was an expectant
Bernard Coard and Maurice Bishop address meeting (DR) The following account of the events leading to the overthrow of the New Jewel government in Grenada was compiled from sources on Grenada in the period immediately before and immediately after the American invasion. It is from the October 27 issue of Internationalen, paper of the Swedish section of the Fourth International.
From sporadic contacts with sources in the Grenadian capital of St. George's, a picture is forming of the way in which the events developed. Many questions re-
But it is clear that a process of workers revolution has suffered a catastrophic defeat.
It seems clear that the events that led to the massacres at the army's central headquarters in Fort Rupert in George's began with a sharp conflict in
Central Committee of the New Jewel Movement. Some details have not revealed but according to a spokesperson of the New Jewel Movement, the conflict was over the division within the party and
According to our sources, the Central
Committee made a decision that Bishop should "devote more time to work among the masses." At the same time, the premier and finance
Bernard Coard, was to "lead and organize the party's political work."
So far so good. Conflicts in the party were nothing unusual, and there was
International Viewpoint 14 November 1983 nothing to indicate that the problem would not be overcome by democratic
According to unconfirmed Coard was supposed to have had majority for his line in the Central
The problem was supposed to have arisen when Bishop refused to recognize a majority decision.
this seemingly unimportant conflict escalated into executions and the imposition of a military Something, what remains unclear, seems to have turned this conflict into a crisis.
The first indications we got that something was going wrong was Friday, two weeks ago, when Premier Maurice Bishop was reported to be under arrest. The situation grew murkier as rumors spread through the streets of St. George's that Bernard Coard was planning to oust and
The source of the rumor was supposed to be Bishop's chief of
Cletus St. Paul, who was imchan, Minister for National Mobilization, called for a rally in the main square of St. George's, where he tried to get a hearing for Coard's policy, but to no avail.
The people wanted Bishop, and it was feared that there was a basis for the rumors about plans to kill him. same day, Coard responded to the rumors by leaving the government.
Strachan and the minister for women's affairs, Phyllis Coard, also resigned. They then disappeared without a trace.
quiet in St. George's. But on Wednesday morning, the events reached their tragic
Whiteman left the government to protest against the treat-
No negotiations had ever taken place, he reported, and Coard had not even received, or been allowed to
Along with Whiteman, the minister of agriculture, George Louison; minister of tourism, Lynden Ramd. hanny; and minister of housing, Norris Bain, resigned.
At 9:30 on Wednesday morning, Whiteman mobilized a march of 4,000 people to Bishop's house. They shouted going to fetch
The six soldiers guarding the house The door was broken in, and the crown found Bishop and the minister of education Jacqueline Creft, who had also been arrested, in different rooms.
Bishop was then taken on a triumphal march through the streets. who got through to him asked him to comment. Bishop's only reply and his last public statement was "the masses." Finally, according to eyewitnesses, it was
15,000 persons as it approached the Ft. Rupert army headquarters. mood of the crowd was festive.
At the fort, disarmed soldiers loyal to Bishop were supposed to be waiting.
The weapons for the people's militia were also kept there. But according to eye-
witnesses, the crowd had no weapons than those that had been taken other from Bishop's guards.
At 1:00 p.m., two trucks filled with armed soliders under the command Major Leon Cornwall drove up.
Minutes later, the crowd came under fire. It is unclear exactly how many were killed but it was around twenty. One source reports that 59 wounded were taken to hospital, of whom three later died.
According to the army's account, the soldiers started shooting in self-defense after they were fired on. It was claimed that Bishop and his colleagues were killed people surrendered, raising their hands above their heads. Bishop was in the middle of the crowd. But the soliders picked him out, along with other key persons - Unison Whiteman, Jacqueline Creft, and Norris Bain. They were taken together with the trade-union leaders Vincent Noel and Fitzroy Bain into the
Eyewitnesses, including Norris Bain's wife, saw them follow the soldiers offering resistance, their hands over their heads. Seconds later they were
The day that began with a festive mass demonstration ended in shock and hor-
In the afternoon, the commander of the Grenadan army, Hudson Austin, declared that the New Jewel government on the radio that people would be shot if they ventured out of their houses. Shot on the spot.
Q. Do you know if any people were arrested?
A. Yes, but nothing has been announced officially. I don't know what is true and what is only rumor. The telephones are working in the country, but there are a lot of people who cannot be found.
It's your opinion that this was a right-wing coup?
A. It began as a reaction in the party, a power play I might say. The military is in power and has destroyed everything.
in the crossfire.
It is clear that this story was an invention.
After the first volleys, there was no unarmed. revolutionary military junta.
resistance, either armed or had been dissolved.
country would be ruled henceforth by a
When Bishop was under house arrest, everyone was against that.
Have you heard anything about
Bernard Coard's and Selwyn Strachan's role in this?
Not a word has been heard
No.
A.
was put under from them since Bishop house arrest.
From Grenada on the eve of the US invasion The following is an