The economic and social structures of our coun- try- which have served to guarantee the dispropor- tionate enrichment of an oligarchic minority and the exploitation of our people by Yankee im- perialism-are in deep and insoluble crisis. The military dictatorship is also in crisis, and with it the entire legal and ideological order that the oligarchic interests and the U.S. imperialists have defended and continue to defend, oppressing the Salvadorean people for half a century. Victims of their own contradictions, the dominant classes have failed due to the decisive and heroic action of the people's movement. It has been impossible to stave off this failure, even with the more and more brazen intervention of the United States in support of such efforts against the people. Unswerving commitment to the interests and aspirations of the Salvadorean people by the revo- lutionary organizations has led to the deepening and strengthening of their roots among the vast toiling majority and the middle sectors. Being so rooted in the people, the revolutionary movement is now indestructible. It constitutes the only alter- native for the Salvadorean people, who can be neither stopped nor diverted from their struggle to gain a Free Homeland in which their vital desires will be made real. ... The revolution that is on the march is not, nor can it be, the work of a group of conspirators. To the contrary, it is the fruit of the struggle of the en- tire people--of the workers, the peasants, the mid- dle layers in general, and all sectors and individuals that are honestly democratic and patriotic. The most conscious and organized ranks of the Salvadorean people, now multitudinous, are fighting in a more and more broad and united way. The worker and peasant alliance--through its combativity, level of consciousness, daring, organization, and spirit of sacrifice for the sake of the people's triumph-has proven to be the most solid basis for guaranteeing the firmness and con- sistency of the entire Liberation movement. Ex- pressing the unity of the entire people, this move- ment unites the revolutionary forces and the democratic forces--the two great torrents generated by the long struggle carried out by the Salvadorean people. The decisive task of the revolution on which completion of all its objectives depends is the con- quest of power and the installation of a democratic revolutionary government, which at the head of the people will launch the construction of a new socie- ty. Tasks and Objectives of the Revolution The tasks and objectives of the revolution in El Salvador are the following: 1. To overthrow the reactionary military dic- tatorship of the oligarchy and Yankee imperialism, imposed and sustained against the will of the Salvadorean people for fifty years; to destroy its criminal political-military machine; and to establish a democratic revolutionary government, 31NACLA Report founded on the unity of the revolutionary and democratic forces in the People's Army and the Salvadorean people. 2. To put an end to the overall political, economic and social power of the great lords of land and capital. 3. To liquidate once and for all the economic, political, and military dependence of our country on Yankee imperialism. 4. To assure democratic rights and freedoms for the entire people--particularly for the working masses, who are the ones who have least enjoyed such freedoms. 5. To transfer to the people, through na- tionalizations and the creation of collective and socialized enterprises: the fundamental means of production and distribution that are now hoarded by the oligarchy and the U.S. monopolies, the land held in the power of the big landlords, the enter- prises that produce and distribute electricity and other monopolized services, foreign trade, bank- ing, and large transportation enterprises. None of this will affect small or medium-sized private businesses, which will be given every kind of stimulus and support in the various branches of the national economy. 6. To raise the cultural and material living stan- dards of the population. 7. To create a new army for our country, one that will arise fundamentally on the basis of the People's Army to be built in the course of the revolutionary process. Those healthy, patriotic, and worthy elements that belong to the current ar- my can also be incorporated. 8. To encourage all forms of organization of the people, at all levels and in all sectors, thus guaranteeing their active, creative, and democratic involvement in the revolutionary process and secur- ing the closest identification between the people and their government. 9. To orient the foreign policy and international relations of our country around the principles of in- dependence and self-determination, solidarity, peaceful coexistence, equal rights, and mutual respect between states. 10. Through all these measures, to assure our country peace, freedom, the well-being of our peo- ple, and future social progress. The Democratic Revolutionary Government-Its Composition and Platform of Social, Structural, and Political Changes The democratic revolutionary government will be made up of representatives of the revolutionary and people's movement, as well as of the democratic parties, organizations, sectors, and in- dividuals who are willing to participate in the car- rying out of this programmatic platform. This government will rest on a broad political and social base, formed above all by the working class, the peasantry, and the advanced middle layers. Intimately united to the latter forces will be all the social sectors that are willing to carry out this platform-small and medium-sized in- dustrialists, merchants, artisans, and farmers (small and medium-sized coffee planters and those involved in other areas of agriculture or cattle rais- ing). Also involved will be honest professionals, the progressive clergy, democratic parties such as the MNR [Movimiento Nacionalista Revolu- cionaria- Revolutionary Nationalist Movement], advanced sectors of the Christian Democracy, wor- thy and honest officers of the army who are willing to serve the interests of the people, and any other sectors, groups, or individuals that uphold broad democracy for the popular masses, independent development, and people's liberation. All these forces are now coming together to make up a revolutionary and democratic alliance in which the political and/or religious beliefs of all are respected. The organized form to be taken by this voluntary alliance at the service of the Salvadorean people will be the result of consulta- tions among all those who make it up. Immediate Political Measures 1. A halt to all forms of repression against the people and release of all political prisoners. 2. Clarification of the situation of those cap- tured and disappeared since 1972; punishment of those responsible (be they military or civilian) for crimes against the people. 3. Disarming and permanent dissolution of the repressive bodies--ANSESAL, ORDEN, National Guard, National Police, Treasury Police, and Customs Police, along with their respective "Special Sections;" of the Gotera "Counter- insurgency School" and the so-called Armed Forces Engineering Training Center in Zacatecoluca; of the cantonal and suburban military patrols; of the oligarchy's private paramilitary bands; and of all other kinds of real or nominal organizations dedicated to criminal action or slander against the people and their organizations. The current misnamed security bodies will be replaced by a civilian police force. 4. Dissolution of the existing state powers (ex- ecutive, legislative, and judicial); abrogation of the Political Constitution and all decrees that have modified or added to it. The democratic revolutionary government will decree a constitutional law and will organize the state and its activities with the aim of guaranteeing the rights and freedoms of the people and of achieving the other objectives and tasks of the revolution. In doing so, the democratic revolu- 32JulylAugust 1980 tionary government will adhere to the United Na- tions' "Universal Declaration of Human Rights." The constitutional law referred to above will re- main in force while the Salvadorean people prepare a new Political Constitution that faithfully reflects their interest. 5. Municipal government will be restructured so as to be an organ of broad participation by the masses in managing the state, so as to be a real organ of the new people's power. 6. The democratic revolutionary government will carry out an intense effort of liberating educa- tion, of cultural exposition and organization among the broadest masses, in order to promote their conscious incorporation into the develop- ment, strengthening, and defense of the revolu- tionary process. 7. The People's Army will be strengthened and developed. It will include the soldiers, noncommis- sioned officers, officers, and chiefs of the current army who conduct themselves honestly, reject foreign intervention against the revolutionary pro- cess, and support the liberation struggle of our peo- ple. The new army will be the true armed wing of the people. It will be at their service and absolutely faithful to their interests and their revolution. The armed forces will be truly patriotic, the defenders of national sovereignty and self-determination, and committed partisans of peaceful coexistence among peoples. 8. Our country will withdraw from CONDECA [Central American Defense Council], from TIAR [Rio de Janeiro Inter-American Defense Treaty], and from any other military or police organizations that might be the instruments of interventionism. 9. The democratic revolutionary government will establish diplomatic and trade relations with other countries without discrimination on the basis of differing social systems, on the basis of equal rights, coexistence, and respect for self- determination. Special attention will be paid to the development of friendly relations with the other countries of Central America (including Panama and Belize), with the aim of strengthening peace and upholding the principle of nonintervention. Close fraternal relations with Nicaragua will especially be sought, as the expression of the com- munity of ideals and interest between our revolu- tion and the Sandinista revolution. Our country will become a member of the Move- ment of Nonaligned Countries and will develop a steadfast policy toward the defense of world peace and in favor of detente. Structural Changes The democratic revolutionary government will: 1. Nationalize the entire banking and financial system. This measure will not affect the deposits and other interests of the public. 2. Nationalize foreign trade. 3. Nationalize the system of electricity distribu- tion, along with the enterprises for its production that are in private hands. 4. Nationalize the refining of petroleum. 5. Carry out the expropriation, in accord with the national interest, of the monopolistic enter- prises in industry, trade, and services. 6. Carry out a thorough agrarian reform, which will put the land that is now in the hands of the big landlords at the disposal of the broad masses who work it. This will be done according to an effective plan to benefit the great majority of poor and mid- dle peasants and agricultural wage workers and to promote the development of agriculture and cattle raising. The agrarian reform will not affect small and medium landholders, who will receive stimuli and support for continued improvements in production on their plots. 7. Carry out an urban reform to benefit the great majority, without affecting small and medium owners of real estate. 8. Thoroughly transform the tax system, so that tax payments no longer fall upon the workers. In- direct taxes on widely consumed goods will be reduced. This will be possible not only through reform of the tax system, but also because the state will receive substantial income from the activity of the nationalized sector of the economy. 9. Establish effective mechanisms for credit, economic aid, and technical assistance for small and medium-sized private businesses in all branches of the country's economy. 10. Establish a system for effective planning of the national economy, which will make it possible to encourage balanced development. Social measures The democratic revolutionary government will direct its efforts in the social arena toward the following objectives: 1. Create sufficient sources of jobs, so as to eliminate unemployment in the briefest possible time. 2. Bring into effect a just wage policy, based on: a. Regulation of wages, taking into account the cost of living. b. An energetic policy of control and reduc- tion of the prices charged for basic goods and services. c. A substantial increase in social services for the popular masses (Social Security, education, recreation, health care, etc.). 3. Put into action a massive plan for construc- tion of low cost housing. 33NACLA Report 4. Create a Unified National Health System, which will guarantee efficient medical service to the entire population (urban and rural). Preven- tative care will be the principal aim. 5. Carry out a literacy campaign that will put an end to the social defect of illiteracy in the shortest possible time. 6. Develop the national education system so as to assure primary education to the entire popula- tion of school age and substantially broaden sec- ondary and university education. Quality and scientific-technical diversification will be increased at all levels, and free education will be progressively introduced. 7. Promote cultural activity on a broad scale, ef- fectively supporting and stimulating national ar- tists and writers, recovering and developing the cultural heritage of the nation, and incorporating into the cultural assets of the broad popular masses the best of universal culture. It is the unanimous opinion of the popular and democratic forces that only through realization of the measures contained in this platform can the profound structural and political crises of our country be resolved in favor of the Salvadorean people. Only the oligarchy, U.S. imperialism, and those who serve their anti-patriotic interests are opposed to and are conspiring against these changes. Since October 15, 1979, various parties and sectors have vainly attempted to use the government to carry out a large part of the measures we propose without first overthrowing the old reactionary and repressive power and without installing a truly revolutionary and popular power. This experience has confirmed with full clarity that only the united revolutionary movement in alliance with all the democratic forces can carry out such a work of transformation. The moment is approaching for this historic and liberating victory, for which the Salvadorean peo- ple have struggled and heroically shed so much of their blood. Nothing and no one will be able to pre- vent it. For the unity of the revolutionary and democratic forces! Toward the conquest of the democratic revolu- tionary government!
