Calero: Cease-Fire Won't Be Obeyed

Adolfo Calero, one of the directors of the Nicaraguan Resistance, said in an interview yesterday before his scheduled speech at the Law School that the contras will not honor the cease-fire the Nicaraguan government set for November 7, unless further conditions are met.

Calero's speech at the Law School yesterday afternoon was abruptly cut off when a member of the International Committee Against Racism, an extreme leftist group, rushed the podium and attempted to attack Calero.

Calero, former commander-in-chief of the Nicaraguan Democratic Forces (FDN), said in yesterday's interview that if the Sandinistas have not negotiated sufficiently with the contras by November 7, "fighting will continue, unfortunately."

As far as we are concerned, a cease-fire has to be negotiated. Until we have conditions to guarantee food, medicine, visits...the cease-fire proposal is totally inadequate," he said.

Seated at a corner table in the upper dining room of Hampshire House, Calero told reporters that the cease-fire "is a tactical move" on the part of the Sandinistas, who have been lobbying Congress to vote against aid throughout the period.

The cease-fire date was set in accordance with the Arias plan, which called for a cessation of hostilities 90 days after the signing of the agreement. Calero said that the Sandinistas were obligated to comply with the other provisions of the plan, which called for freedom of the press, freedom of movement, free elections, and the protection of civil liberties.

"A cease-fire is not an end in itself; it sets up conditions for something bigger, an armistice, a peaceful settlement," said the Miami resident. "The Sandinistas see cease-fire as an end in itself, to disarm their opponents and get the United States to cut off aid."

Calero, clad in a soft tweed sports coat and a spread-collared blue shirt, predicted that the Arias peace plan will fail. "I believe the Sandinistas will not have fulfilled by November 5th the commitment that they made in Guatemala: freedom of the press, freedom of movement, amnesty for the 12,000 political prisoners and free elections," he said.

While the former contra head admitted that the first issue of the formerly banned "La Prensa" was highly critical of the government, he said that the Sandinistas were not sincere in "restoring civil rights."

"One newspaper does not represent freedom of the press. With the eyes of the world on them, the Marxists and Communists will take a step back if it's convenient," said the former head of Coca-Cola in Managua.

Calero also admitted that the resistance committed rights violations but sought to place them in a wider perspective.

"War itself is an abuse of human rights. Yes, there have been abuses on both sides...on our part it has not been asystematic thing. We have not committed as manyabuses as some civil societies not at war," headded, classifying civil crimes as human rightsviolations.

The Notre Dame graduate said that the contramovement will continue even if the United Statesgrant of $3.5 million in humanitarian aid runs outbefore Congress allots the movement more money.

"We have our weapons," he said. "In a war suchas this, you can stretch the stocks, carry outless attacks. We were cut off in 1984, we survivedand became stronger."

"We have the support of the people in the areaswhere we operate," the resistance leader said,admitting, however, "we need outside aid."

But if the United States were to cut off aidcompletely. Calero said, the contras could notsurvive without a substitute source.

Calero, who did postgraduate studies inbusiness management at Syracuse, said, "If theSoviet Union wasn't sending aid, regional sourcesof aid could keep us going."

"We have cordial relations with all the CentalAmerican governments They have been very criticalof Sandinista abuses," he said. "They have notpublicly supported U.S. aid." The FDN leader citeda Gallup poll showing widespread suppoprt for U.S.aid to the contras in Honduras, Costa Rica, andGuatemala.

He pointed to Nicaragua's $250 million foreigndebt, inflation, and a drop in exports from $800to $220 million as evidence of the instability ofthe Sandinista regime.

Calero said that if the Sandinistas do notcomply with the provisions of the Arias plan"within the next year [there will be] a collapse.They will have everybody on top of them."CrimsonDavid K. EldanADOLFO CALERO