berman@ihuxm.UUCP (08/26/83)
On the topic of "Nicaragua teaching school children to hate Americans", Ken Christen tells us that the National Review informs him that the "Nicaraguan National Anthem calls the U.S. the enemy of mankind." Jean Kilpatrick also cites this reference repeatedly to justify the U.S. arming and training of 8000 ex-Nicaraguan National Guardsmen for the bloody invasion they are now perpetrating against Nicaragua from bases in Honduras. Some facts: the song is not the national anthem. The song is the hymn of the FSLN. The line is "luchamos contra el Yanqui, enimigo de la humanidad." The context is NOT you, me or Americans in general. What is meant by "Yanqui" is the foreign policy that has perpetrated innumerable invasions of Latin America over the past century. In our lifetime: 1954-CIA admitted overthrow of Arbenz in Guatemala, 1961-US-backed invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs, 1965-US troops invade the Dominican Republic, 1970's-CIA attempts to manipulate Chilean elections, upon legal election of Allende, 1973 CIA backed coup (see the movie "Missing"). I've missed many. In prior times more explicit overt invasions were more common. I don't find it surprising that most Latin Americans, of many political persuasions would find such a policy heinous, and indeed an "enemy of humanity." But the facts still bear out. Nicaragua has traditionally had close contact with the United States. Today the Nicaraguan government is extremely careful in its propaganda to distinguish between the American People and the despicable policies of the Reagan Government. US Tourists are welcome and accepted fraternally, and with mutual dignity. When Reagan recently closed down the Nicaraguan consulates making it extremely difficult for Americans to obtain a visa, the Nicaragua authorities responded in an unexpected way: they so want to encourage Americans to come down and see for themselves that they eliminated the need for a visa. You can travel to Nicaragua today like you travel to Mexico--just pick up a tourist card at the airport. Is this a policy of "hated for Americans?"