nterview to Gerry Foley in Paris on February 18.
Kendrick Radix has not had the opportunity to review the edited text.
Question. What do you think are the main features of the situation in Grenada now, nearly four months after the US invasion and occupation?
The American-led invasion
Answer.
on October 25, 1983, resulted in the establishment of an Interim Government
Council headed by Governor-General Paul
Scoon.
The revolutionary state is being systematically dismantled. All the social and economic programs of the revolution are being systematically dismantled.
Social services have collapsed, and there is once again a high rate of unemployment.
All the volunteer technicians laboriously assembled by the revolution over the last four and a half years, who enabled us to develop the economy as well as to expand social services to an unprecedented degree, have been expelled.
So, medical and dental care has stop-
The teachers from Trinidad and Toped.
bago and Guyana have been expelled.
The result of this is a general despondency, especially when people look back to the days of social order and tranquility under the revolution.
However, to give an accurate picture, there is another side. There are the results of the terror against the population carried out by Bernard Coard and his faction, the fact that the people were shot at by Bernard Coard and company, that this group executed the prime minister and other leading people, including ministers and trade-union officials, that they held the people captive and prisoner in their homes for four days without letup.
So, of course, with the American invasion, people breathed a great sigh of relief to be rid of these Pol-Pot types, whose actions flew in the face of the sentiment and emotions of the masses.
Besides the expulsion of the inter-
Q.
nationalist aid workers, what specifically
6 has been done to dismantle the social and economic programs of the revolution?
A. Well, the authorities set up by the invasion froze all the funds for the Corporative Development Agency, as well as the women's organization and youth organization. In addition to that, the Agency for Rural Transformation has also been wound up, since its director has also been expelled. US citizens join Paris protest (DR)
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unions?
A. The American Institute of Free Labor Development is back again active in the trade-union movement. They have in fact been working very hard in the Sea men's and Waterfront Workers Union They have just bought two light vans for that union and paid members of it to go around the country and systematically overpaint all slogans and billboards remaining from the revolutionary period.
The Institute for Free Labor Development is active in more than one union; they are moving on the trade-union front as a whole. They are trying to get people who were discredited over a period of years to reassert themselves and try to take over again, to get a leadership sympathetic to the American point of view. They have done so in the Seamen and Waterfront Workers Union. They are doing so now in the Technical and Allied Workers Union. They tried in the Com-
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mercial and Industrial Workers Union, but they were rebuffed.
Are there US trade unionists I don't know. The Institute for training courses again, as it did before 1979. They are trying to redirect people into the narrow issues of wages and so on and turn them away from thinking about the need for popular democracy and that sort of thing.
Q. What has happened to the governmental structures set up by the revolu-
The popular democratic institutions of the revolution - the Parish Councils and the Zonal Councils - have collapsed. Inevitably a sense of nihilism, of total disconnection from the political process, has developed. This is because of frustration, the reaction to the fact that a small group of Coardite elements could have turned back the democracy and the gains the people were making under Maurice Bishop.
Q. Do you have any details about the extent of unemployment and where and why it exists?
About three thousand people have lost their jobs. First of all, work on the new international airport stopped. That accounted for about 500 jobs, being the biggest employer in the country. there are all the people laid off by the organizations and governmental The tourism sector, which provided as much as 40% of our foreign exchange earnings, is now virtually non-
With one or two exceptions, which are being used to house US forces, all the hotels are closed. The capital projects in general of the revolutionary govhave collapsed as well as the
Q. All the doctors were volunteers?
A. Yes. All of these people used to come for one year and provide internal
There were gynecologists, obstetricians, neurologists, ophtomolo-
In fact, we did have very sophisticated eye surgery. People came from the Caribbean to avail themselves of the services the Grenadians enjoyed.
Q. The US occupiers have not brought in any doctors to replace the expelled volunteers?
A. No. Well, the Americans, quite frankly, are not equipped for that. They have a capitalist system of medicine in which doctors earn 150,000 dollars a year. They're not going down to Grenada to earn a paltry thousand dollars or so a month; that's a horse of a different color.
In view of all this unemployment, hopelessness and the massive US involvement, have you seen any attempts yet to build up a social base for a right-wing International Viewpoint 12 March 1984 regime through corruption, bribery, pa-
Nothing just like that yet. US authorities are trying to buy good will, however. For example, last Christmas they flew in 200,000 dollars worth of toys from the US in C-130 Hercules
It must have cost them a million dollars to fly in 200,000 dollars worth of toys, but they did.
They are also working through the churches, particularly the Roman Catho-
Anglican ones. churches are preaching that God Himself, through the US, came down to save the people. They held massive services to thank God for being saved and so on. But at the same time, these churches refused to hold services in memory of Bishop and the other people who were executed. This seems to us to be a rather strange version of Christianity.
Q. Has there been a big influx of American missionaries?
A. Not yet, but we have been getting American missionaries of another sort, quite a lot of Americans coming down trying to buy war damaged houses on the cheap, expecting to be able to sell them or rent them later at exorbitant prices.
Q. Is there much US money coming
A. We have had some visits from businessmen sent down by the White House who claimed that the place is ideal aid have been announced. For example, they announced that they were sending 30 million dollars in assistance. It turned out that 15 million was to pay for military forces in the country, the other 15 million has yet to be allotted. But it's hard even to spend that money, because there are no technicians to administer
Everyone with ability has either left the country or been thrown
So, despite all the talk about aid money, very little has actually been
Q. But you say it looks as if there is private capital coming in?
A. Oh, well, I mean, they want to buy up everything. They want to build
The country is exceedingly beautiful and picturesque, and in the post-invasion climate a lot of American businessmen are rushing to see what they can buy for nothing. Our view is still that our country is not for sale. Businessmen prepared to observe the code we established were welcome to help in the overall development of the country. But vulgar exploitation of Grenada will still not be allowed in the future by the people of the country.
But hasn't the influx of US businessmen with money to spend aroused any enthusiasm among Grenadian business people?
among the small business people, only among the big businessmen.
Q. Who would these be exactly in
Hotel owners, the merchandizing houses, people in the tourist sector who think that they could make a fast buck these people feel that Fort Knox open and money will just fall from the sky. There is that mentality.
There is a historic relationship between the United States and the Caribbean. A lot of our people live there and send money home to their dependents. So, there is no hostility as such to the people of the United States. The hostility is to its policies. When the revolution came, we approached the United States with confidence asking for help. They contemptuously offered us a few hundred dollars, I think it was 5,000 dollars. And then they started giving us lectures about our country, and orders, and they refused to help us with the international
These things, along with the military preparations against Grenada, soured relations.
Q. Is there any sign yet of attempts to build up right-wing goon squads or such as the old Mongoose Gang of the Gairy dictator-
A. I have not heard of anybody being attacked or threatened yet. the country, and he has a Mongoose Gang mentality stretching back 25 years. He has been reassembling the gang. can be seen frequenting the place where he lives. So, you can't change the spots on a leopard, and certainly his mentality is one of violence, and there's no reason why he should change his attitudes to-
Gairy's return was not conducive to a climate of democracy because he used extraconstitutional force and secret po-
People wonder why on earth the US
The prime minister of Dominica, Eugenia Charles, did say in the early days that the Americans agreed with her not to facilitate Gairy's return. The Grenadian people are very outraged to see him back. They view that as evidence of some sort of scheme by the United States to impose a Somoza-type solution.
Q. Is the US trying to build up a right-wing political movement?
A. The United States is trying to bring around some young elements, trying to get an alliance between the Grenada Democratic Movement and the Grenada National Party to gain domination. In fact, they even want the people they are backing to adopt policies of the New Jewel Movement as espoused by Maurice Bishop, and so cut the ground from under the revived and resuscitated New Jewel Movement. However, the people are fully aware of those who struggled over the years on their behalf, who have put their lives on the line consistently over the last fourteen years. They are not fooled by any political maneuverings of people who have come now to be handmaidens
of imperialist powers and United States interests.
What is the situation of the New Jewel Movement? Does it intend to resume public work? What are the ob-
A. The military operations in the country created a climate of intimida-
First of all they raided the party headquarters and the headquarters of the mass organizations. They took away all the documents, all the names and addresses of all the activists in the country. At some stage or another, all these people have been taken into custody and released only on the condition that they did not engage in polities or in "antigovernment activity," whatever that is. number of people have been removed from jobs that they had in the public
Everyone is being watched by the United States interests in this coun-
Q. Are any New Jewel Movement people in prison?
They are holding about 45 people in prison. About 30 of them are people involved in the Coard conspiracy. is ample evidence of a criminal conspiracy against them. More than enough time has passed now to be able to bring criminal charges against them. The No. 1 question in the country is to bring to justice the people who committed these murders. than ample evidence against them. There are many eyewitnesses to the events. the word, people jailed because of their political activity and views?
A. Yes. In fact, some agitation is being organized to ensure their release.
Q. Is the New Jewel Movement able to publish anything, is it possible for you to do any public propaganda work?
Well, the radio is tightly controlThe Americans established a radio station called Spice Island Radio after the invasion. The name alone tells you it was American operated. bombed one Radio Free Grenada transmitter, and there was a battle for the other one. They brought in their own radio station, which continued for several weeks after the invasion. Now the same facility is continuing to operate under the name of Radio Grenada. Only their propaganda is aired on this station. We have no access whatsoever to it.
The United States also funds a newspaper called The Grenadian Voice. It is the only printed newspaper in the country at this time, although there are some other cyclo-styled sheets being circulated The Maurice Bishop memorial foundation certainly intends to get into the printing business, even with cyclostyled sheets. There ought to be a news-
8 paper coming out with the formal launchreconstituted New Jewel
Q. Have you published anything so
We have put out one leaflet announcing the Maurice Bishop memorial foundation. But we have been under tremendous pressure. and myself have been detained a couple of times by the United States military, and we had in fact to secure our existence first and foremost before we could start to reorganize ourselves to get involved again in the political life of the country.
What exactly Bishop memorial foundation, and what does it propose to do?
established the memorial foundation to accomplish a number of
The full name is the Maurice Bishop and Martyrs of October 19, 1983 Foundation. Its first aim is to establish a monument or some other fitting rememory the occupation force is trying to efface and besmirch. Secondly, it aims to establish a benevolent fund to assist those who lost bread winners and other relatives who have left dependents. Thirdly, it is to provide scholars to primary, secondary and technical schools, and for university studies, both in Grenada and foundation aims to find the bodies of the martyrs killed on October 19 and to give them a decent burial. The authorities in Grenada have not divulged any information about the location of the
If there were a funeral, the people would have the chance to manifest their feelings. This would be very embarrassing for the authorities.
intend to put out some propaganda materials - buttons, posters, leaflets, pamphlets. We are going to do some research into the lives of the mar-
We also want to investigage the number of missing people, find out how many were killed on October 19 and how many after October 25, that is, during and following the invasion. We intend to investigate the extent of the damage done to the country by the invasion. lieve that over 5 million dollars worth of damage was done by the United States militasy when they came to Grenada, for which they are refusing to pay.
You mentioned relaunching the New Jewel Movement. What exactly do you propose to do?
A. We intend to use the opportunity of the fifth anniversary of the revolution on March 13 to announce our reorganization and our active involvement in the political process, including our preparation to participate in the scheduled elections.
However, such elections must be free and fair and all parties must have the same rights and freedoms. The Grenadian people must have free choice to be able to elect a government that is representative of their views. We have been having difficulties, as I said but we will continue because we believe that democ racy is essential for independence and economic development.
What do you expect from the elections?
A. Well, the United States is using its mandate for the invasion to seek to elim inate once and for all the revolutionary ideology, the revolutionary unity, the revolutionary norms of the society. In their place, it is advocating elections to be held sometime in November or December.
In fact, under the Interim Council, most of the decisions are being made in the newly established United States em-
For example, they are now proposing that the old Organization of Eastern Caribbean States be subordinated more to Barbados, the principal client state of the United States in the Caribbean. This involves setting up a force, centered in Barbados, for external defense, as well as internal security "to prevent foreign ideologies taking root in the region," as they put it. That means clamping down on people on the left. We have seen them building up an army of the ECS with weapons, vehicles, training, aid programs.
In addition, we have heard that they plan to set up a court of justice with its headquarters on Barbados.
It has also been said in Grenada that US troops will remain on the island until three years after the elections. mean that irrespective of the color of the government that is elected the US and other armed forces will remain there?
Now the US claims that it has withdrawn all its troops from the region. That is not so. The 82nd Airborne are still there. Many soldiers are also brought back in the form of military police, and that doesn't fool anyone,
One wonders whether elections can truly and fairly be held in a country in which the guns of the invaders are still
Perhaps a more democratic formula would be to adhere to the call by the British Commonwealth to have a withdrawal of the armed country and to hold elections in a climate free from this cloud of military force.
Q. Are you suggesting there be a Commonwealth force to supervise the
A. In view of the American policy designed to ensure the squashing of the revolutionary movement, so that the Grenadian people will be free to express themselves without threat or intimidation by the occupying force, I think that it is quite desirable for the Commonwealth family of nations to be present and to observe, to be able to say that they found the conditions necessary for free and fair organization of elections or to say to the
Q. You mean observers and not a
A. That's right. I don't think a force
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LA LONTE is necessary. There have been no incidents of any sort over the last several months. The military forces are acting as occupation forces. They are totally unnecessary for internal security or anything like that. The function is simply to intimidate.
Q. What is your alternative to centralization in Barbados, after all the rest of the eastern Caribbean islands are very small?
A. Our revolutionary government did in fact accede to the treaty of the Organiisation of Eastern Caribbean States, as a vehicle of cooperation among the smaller countries that face essentially the same probelms. However, we believe that such a movement must be autonomous, free from outside pressure and interference. We think that the people of the Caribbean have the right to develop free from external dictates and pressure; what is necessary is to develop the region, not to polarize it.
It is clear now that the invasion of Grenada has caused even further polarization. It has divided the governments in the area and also the left. Some support the Coard point of view, although happily they are in a minority.
Q. What support was there for the Coard group in the rest of the Caribbean? Was it an international current?
A. No. There was only one group. It was exceptional. I don't care to go into details at the moment.
Q. Did the Coard group have any support outside the country? International Viewpoint 12 March 1984
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Not that we can establish at the We are carefully examining every aspect, every possible lead, and we will make public anything we find.
stress that the Cubans remained scrupulously uninvolved. did communicate with the Coard group warning them about what could happen. But the Coard group did not heed this message. They continued in their ruthless plot and this precipitated a disaster.
Q. What about these reports that Coard people have made threats of ven-
There was one statment made by one of them that unless they were given safe conduct to a third country of their choice there were thousands of trained people outside who would take the matter into their own hands. In my view, this was an empty threat, just an expres sion of the mentality of terror. The Grenadian people are not going to let them go to a third country, they are demanding that they be tried.
Q. Do you think that the fear created by the Coard coup will still be a factor favoring the right in the fall elections?
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Paris protest against invasion of Grenada (DR)
I think there has already been a turn in the country. The God-Bless-America bit was overplayed. For example, a lot of paintings appeared on the walls saying "God Bless America." The handwriting was in a totally foreign style. We suspect that these slogans were painted by the Americans themselves with the grey paint of their battleships. People began to feel revulsion, as if something was being rammed down their throats.
People wanted some way to answer
So, we printed two thousand T shirts in memory of Maurice Bishop, and they were sold out in a week.
Some of the big business sector tried to organize a demonstration of support for the invasion. When they realized it was going to be a flop, they called it off at the last minute.
Q What do you think are the main tasks for the international solidarity movement with Grenada now?
A. Well, we want help to get the facts out about what is happening in Grenada and what the invasion of our country means. We also need political and material help to ensure that progressives in our country get an equal chance.
We are also asking for contributions to the Maurice Bishop and Martyrs of October Foundation for the work I described. People can contact the foundation by writing to Maurice Bishop and October 19, 1983 Martyrs Foundation, P. O. Box 167, Grenville Street, St. George's, Grenada. Checks may be sent directly to the account of the foundation at the Bank of Nova Scotia, St. George's, Grenada.
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