WHO IS GENERAL SOMOZA?

Washington has good reason to protect Anastasio Somoza, the fifth dynasty to rule the central American Republic of Nicaragua. They can be sure he will continue the family tradition of suppressing all opposition and of allowing US imperialism to exploit the country's wealth.

In the 19th century the US proclaimed president one William Walker, a pirate who enjoyed the support of southern slave-owners.

In 1912 the US took control of the finances, trade and armed forces of Nicaragua.

During their occupation American forces combined election-rigging with outright Slaughter. Adolfo Diaz was elected with a total of 4,000 votes to the Presidency-out of a population of 800,000. In Leon, the second largest city, only : 80 people were allowed to vote.

In February 1926, when Diaz faced a serious challenge from the Liberals who attacked the Pacific coast city of Chinandenga, they were driven off by a US aerial bombardment which killed hundreds and burnt down half the city.

The troops were not withdrawn until Anastasio Tacho Somoza, chief of the National Guard, could announce the assassination of the liberation fighter Augusto Sandino on February 21, 1934.

In 1936, Samoza exchanged the uniform of the National Guard for the robes of the President of the Republic. The Somozas' fortunes quickly flourished. PRIVATE AEROPLANE Tacho made his elder son the director of the military academy and chief of staff of the armed forces. His second son became President of the Chamber of Deputies. Daughter Lilian was not forgotten: her profile appeared on Nicaraguan banknotes.

The family holdings were consolidated. Somoza soon owned a third of the estates in the country, 50 ranches, coffee plantations, gold mines and cement works. power until shot at a reception Tacho held onto the reins power in 1956. Summary justice of the Somoza type was meted out to the marksman who was lynched on the spot by a'Somoza bodyguard. President Eisenhower sent his private plane and surgeon immediately to save Tacho, but in vain. y the National The Somoza dynasty is still power today. The latest manoeuvre was the announcement last year by Anastasio Il that the country would be 'democratized' through elections.

The Nicaraguan Conservative and Liberal parties signed a pact on March 30, 1971, to guarantee the strong man's democratic opening'.

According to this pact, Conservative leader Fernando Aguero guaranteed re-election to Somoza, the leader of the Liberal Party and graduate of West Point, in exchange for 60 of the 100 seats in the legislature.

So the Conservatives and Liberals elected in the February 6 elections have to reform the constitution for the 13th time to insert an article facilitating the President's re-election. STUBBORN OPPOSITION Meanwhile, a triumvirate made up of two Liberals and Conservative will govern April 15 to September 1974 when Anastasio Somoza will once again be sworn in as President.

In the 'democratic' election the Liberals in many places whisked off ballot-boxes in order to hold the count in army garrisons.

The main obstacle to these ploys to maintain Somoza and US power is opposition from the exploited masses. The Somozas have amassed a fortune of some £150m. They do not pay any taxes on their many holdings.

US companies pay less than 1 per cent tax a year on the millions of pounds they extract each year from the exploitation of gold and timber resources.

In the midst of this plunder, the average Nicaraguan peasant and worker has a life expectancy of less than 50 years and 50 per cent of their children die before reaching the age of five. Only S per cent of boys and 0.5 per cent of girls receive secondary To fight resistance to this oppression, the US provided $llm worth of military aid between 1950 and 1960, as well as training in counter-insurgency for 4,000 Nicaraguans.

The US now maintains an estimated 40 military advisers in Managua.

These forces have been occupied in fighting the liberation front led by Carlos Fonseca, many of whose followers have been brutally tortured in Nicaragua's jails.

However, the opposition to Somoza is stubborn; the front has been fighting since 1958. And with all his American aid, Somoza has not been able to destroy this opposition.

Press, Wednesday January