The Left Debates Insurrection
Ostertag, Bob & Miles, Sara
THE YOUNG MAN FROM THE URBAN MILITIA spoke in tense whispers during a secretive meeting in spoke in tense whispersYOUNG MAN FROMduringTHEa secretive meetingURBAN MILITIA in thethe capital late last...
...In the Plan Fuego papers, the strategists for the rebel In the Plan Fuego papers, the strategists for the rebel GeneralGeneral Command agree with the academics of the UCA Command agree with the academics of the UCA that fear bornthat fear born from the years of worst repression hinders the from the years of worst repression hinders the growthgrowth of their influence...
...We think that while it's true this is the way things are think that while it's true this is the way things are now, there are allnow, there are all kinds of sudden and powerful events that kinds of sudden and powerful events that can bringcan bring about a change...
...backers...
...widespread insurrection...
...backers...
...The case with Third World countries locked in civil war...
...At the end of oneAt the end of one in-depth discussion of the topic, a top in-depth discussion of the topic, a top FMLNFMLN leader was adamant: "You can't subject insurrec- leader was adamant: "You can't subject insurrectionarytionary tendencies to public opinion poils," he said...
...Is El Salvador headed for a leftist-led insurrection...
...Alleged FMLN documentsdocuments recently captured contain a detailed scheme for recently captured contain a detailed scheme for the development of an interlocking web of urban commando the development of an interlocking web of urban commando cells, militia units, student and union organizers,cells, militia units, student and union organizers, and propa- and propaganda teams...
...They argue, however, that those yearsyears also left behind a deep-seated and widespread hatred also left behind a deep-seated and widespread hatred ofof the Armed Forces and their U.S...
...want to see...
...The rebels insistinsist that if they can show the population they have that if they can show the population they have sufficientsufficient military strength to defeat the army, the "politi- military strength to defeat the army, the "politicalcal memory" of hatred will overcome that of fear, and fuel memory" of hatred will overcome that of fear, and fuel thethe insurrection that would result...
...The rebels of the FMLN certainly think so...
...We are in an insurrectionary situation right it...
...The politicians of the left-wing DemocraticThe politicians of the left-wing Democratic Convergence Convergence share the Jesuits'share the Jesuits' assessment of the current situation, but they assessment of the current situation, but they argue that things could change rapidly...
...We agree with the UCA's analysis that there's only a small group of people in UCA's analysis that there's only a small group of people in the country already radicalized enough, and that most of the the country already radicalized enough, and that most of the peoplepeople are not really thinking about an insurrection right are not really thinking about an insurrection right now...
...Look, thethe [UCA professors] are intellectuals who use Marxism as [UCA professors] are intellectuals who use Marxism as aa method for analyzing reality, not as an instrument for method for analyzing reality, not as an instrument for transformingtransforming it...
...And, to put it succinctly, they can't see what they don't now...
...This is not to say that [the FMLNI doesn't have the is not to say that [the FMLN] doesn't have the sympathy of the majority-perhaps they do...
...The insurrectionary moment can are given...
...The FMLN puts much greater weight on the capacity of this small, dedicated group to ignite an insurrec- capacity of this small, dedicated group to ignite an insurrection...
...Thanks to a series of remarkablea series of remarkable polis taken over the last two years by polls taken over the last two years by the Jesuit-runthe Jesuit-run Central American University (UCA), more is Central American University (UCA), more is known about public opinionknown about public opinion in El Salvador than is often the in El Salvador than is often the case with Third World countries locked in civil war...
...The FMLN puts much greater weight on the the same forever...
...Whether the guerrillas actually have the ability to spark Whether the guerrillas actually have the ability to spark an uprising isan uprising is still vigorously debated on the Left...
...about a change...
...insurrection that would result...
...But insurrec- sympathy of the majority-perhaps they do...
...We are in an insurrectionary situation right now...
...We agree with the future as static," says Rub6n Zamora...
...We don't see the argue that things could change rapidly...
...Still, this doesn't lead them to think of insurrection...
...But the UCA thinks that this situation is going to stay now...
...Wetion...
...The plan, titled Plan Fuego or Fire Plan, ganda teams...
...We don't see the future as static," says Ruben Zamora...
...But insurrections do not spring up by chance, much less after nine years of civil war...
...Thanks to still vigorously debated on the Left...
...The insurrectionary moment can arrive...
...The plan, titled Plan Fuego or Fire Plan, outlines howoutlines how these units should be coordinated to provoke a these units should be coordinated to provoke a widespread insurrection...
...And, to put it succinctly, they can't see what they don't want to see...
...arrive...
...Alleged FMLN rebels of the FMLN certainly think so...
...Still, this doesn't lead them to think of insur- Martfn-Bar6...
...Thisrection...
...The polls demonstrate that, while disillusion with the existing polls demonstrate that, while disillusion with the existing government is widespread, only some 30% of the population government is widespread, only some 30% of the population has adoptedhas adopted explicitly "radicalized" politics...
...People are very conscious of their misery, of their hunger, even of are very conscious of their misery, of their hunger, even of who is exploitingwho is exploiting them," asserts UCA Vice-Rector Ignacio them," asserts UCA Vice-Rector Ignacio MartIn-Baro...
...Look, tendencies to public opinion polls," he said...
...The rebels the Armed Forces and their U.S...
...The Is El Salvador headed for a leftist-led insurrection...
...Spokespeople for the UCA unreservedly dismiss the Spokespeople for the UCA unreservedly dismiss the FMLN's plans for insurrection as wishful thinking...
...explicitly "radicalized" politics...
...People FMLN's plans for insurrection as wishful thinking...
...But the UCA thinks that this situation is going to stay the same forever...
...They argue, however, that those of their influence...
...The FMLN, he argues, still lacks sufficient organizational links to broad sectors of El Salvador's poor, and faces an even more serious obstacle in the pervasive fear remaining among most of the population from the repression of the early l980s...
...THE YOUNG MAN FROM THE URBAN MILITIA spoke in tense whispers during a secretive meeting in spoke in tense whispersYOUNG MAN FROMduringTHEa secretive meetingURBAN MILITIA in thethe capital late last year: "The objective conditions for an capital late last year: "The objective conditions for an insurrectioninsurrection are given...
Vol. 23 • September 1989 • No. 3
