Newspapers / Daily Tar Heel (Chapel … / March 25, 1982, edition 1 / Page 6
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6The Daily Ta- HeelThursday. March 25. N82 CAME CUBA-NICA RAGUA 90fi .year of editorial freedom John Drescher, ew Ann Peters. Mm? ew KERRY DEROCHI, Associate Editor RACHEL PERRY. University Editor Alan Chapple, dry JIM WRINN. Stttr am NaflW Editor Linda Robertson, Swm Etor AL STEELE. Photography Editor Stop and listen Groups of students walking across the Pit on a sunny afternoon may have grown used to the almost daily tirades delivered from atop a brick wall or concrete step. But when several speakers take the microphone today at noon, every UNC student should stop and listen. The speakers are part of a rally sponsored by Student Government and the Graduate and Professional Student Federation. Their message: The time is now to protest federal budget cuts in student financial aid. The rally is the culmination of a week-long effort to heighten student concern over the cuts in financial aid. Already 10,000 flyers have been distributed on campus and numerous petitions have been circulated. Raising student concern, however, has not been easy. Only a few students straggled in to a speech delivered Saturday by Rep. Ike An drews, D-NXTTJoth Student Body President Mike Vandenbergh and GPSF President Peter Mallinson attribute the disappointing support to students belief that these cuts will not affect them. , The latest budget proposals, however, show that UNC students had better be concerned. Of the 5,100 now receiving student aid, an estimated 700 will lose funding next year and 2,600 the following year. These are students already at the University or planning to attend that will have to find other ways to pay for their education. These budget figures are only projections, but thinking a stiff battle for additional money is not ahead is unrealistic. Students must now begin to show their concern both vocally and by writing their con gressmen. Materials for a letter-writing campaign will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today in the second floor lounge of the Carolina Union. In case students cannot find time between classes, Rep. L.H. Fountain, who represents our district, can be reached at 2188 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C., 20515. Budget cuts that will affect education cannot be ignored. Though these figures are projected for the future, the time for UNC students to show cdncern is now. Bypass operation Thwarted in his attempts to pass legislation dealing with school prayer, abortion and busing, Sen. John East, R-N.C, is now attempting to limit federal court jurisdiction on such issues. If passed, this legislation would infringe on the constitutional separation of powers and would leave the U.S. Supreme Court powerless to review some state court decisions. East, who is chairman of the separation of powers subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has proposed 30 separate bills intended to re-establish Congress as the nation's chief policy-maker. Since the conservative East has said he feels the role of the judiciary is simply to interpret laws made by Congress, his bills are an effort to counter Supreme Court decisions of the last 20. years and win approval for his ideals. East bases his proposal on Article III of the U.S. Constitution, which says that the Supreme Court may rule on all constitutional issues "with such exception and under such regulation as Congress shall make.' It is issues like abortion that East wishes to make the exception in effect bypassing the judiciary. What is most surprising about the legislation is that Sen. Barry Goldwater, R-Ariz., himself the conscience of the conservative move ment in the 1960s, is opposed openly to East's plan. Goldwater last week accused East of trying to legislate morality and raised an impor tant question when he said, "How long before someone says that the courts can't hand down decisions on drunk driving or rape or murder?" The restriction of court powers that would result from passage of East's bills has produced opposition from the American Bar Associa tion. According to the ABA, the danger exists that the Supreme Court would be unable to review cases dealing with controversial social issues. That power would be left to each state resulting in 50 judicial systems instead of one. And if state legislatures were equally unhappy with state court decisions, they could pass similar restrictions. Passage of East's proposals would be precedent-setting, and future Congresses, momentarily frustrated by Supreme Court rulings, could be tempted to further restrict court powers. Approval of East's legislation fortunately seems unlikely at this time: he has little support in the Senate and almost none in the House of Representatives. East's proposed legis lation risks weakening the constitutional separation of powers so impor tant to the independence of the judiciary. Letters to the editor Respect the rights of others To the editor: It is a sad and demeaning commen tary on the University community and students when students cannot or will not choose to celebrate victories in a manner so as not to damage the proper ty of others. , The person who smashed my car with beer bottles while it was parked in a UNC parking lot after the Tar Heels' impressive win over Villanova Sunday will be pleased to learn that his clever stunt was successful. I was understand ably frustrated and hurt to see my car damaged to a great extent; up until the time he chose to put an end to my merri ment, I had attempted to keep the car in good condition. Obviously, with his identity unascer tainable, there is nothing I can do about the situation. But 1 would hope that, if I were able to learn his identity, I would handle the matter as a reasonable adult. Of course, this would be to no avail be cause he would be mentally incapable of understanding why in the world I was so upset that he had a little fun at my ex pense. Perhaps to deter any future damage to my car, I should set up camp in the parking lot and rent out my dorm space. I will unfortunately be unable to afford a team of dobermans due to ex orbitant car repair bills. This person is very likely one of those same citizens who so violently opposes raising the drinking age. However, in KEN MlNGIS, Associate Editor ELAINE MCCLATCHEY, Projects Editor LYNN PEITHMAN, News Editor Susan Hudson, Featum Editor NlSSEN RlTTER, lm Eifoor Teresa Curry, Spotlight Editor reality, it is irresponsible, inconsiderate brutes like himself who are the target of such proposed legislation. I personally do not favor the proposal, but I prefer even less that my car be ruined with beer bottles. I agree with those who would argue that even raising the drinking age to 85 would not eliminate fools of the sort I have mentioned. In addition, this person is probably one of those who cannot comprehend why the Chapel Hill Police Department has recently cracked down on public' consumption of alcohol. More likely than not, the effort is intended to curb incidents of this same sort. Both public consumption and vandalism are against the law I'm sure the police officers are not arresting public drinkers just to ward off boredom. I, as a UNC student, am as excited as anyone here about the Tar Heels' NCAA performance and will continue to support them, but in a manner which will not harm others. I ask that others do the same. Please consider and respect the rights of others so that no one else will be hurt by such senseless antics. Let's try to celebrate in a manner that will reflect favorably on UNC and Chapel Hill rather than confirming our selves as irresponsible children who can hot resist abusing a privilege. Jan Belk 232 Cobb By LINDA ROBERTSON On the edge of the Everglades, a group of men in green fatigues and army boots marches in the mud. They step in time with the cadence of a verse called out in Spanish: Und.'dos, Ires, cuatro; Castro para el carajo" (One, two, three, four; go to hell, Castro.) Following that drill, the troops engage in target practice, shooting at plastic shapes that are supposed to represent communist soldiers. Ten volunteers run a dilapidated obstacle course on the other side of the rocky field. In the scrubby woods surrounding the clearing, unseen soldiers fight a simulated battle, firing rifles loaded with blanks. The sounds of the shots echo through the humid air. Sunday is the day set aside for special military manuevers at Camp Cuba-Nicaragua, a training base for exile comman dos preparing to launch guerrilla attacks on Castro's government in Cuba and the Sandinista regime in Nicaragua. At noon 50 men and a handful of women assemble for a brief prayer ser vice. Two soldiers exchange sloppy sa lutes and raise the faded Cuban, Nicara guan and American flags which fly daily above a memorial cross. "Viva Cuba! Viva Nicaragua!" the group shouts out in unison. 'Tor the i freedom of Cuba and Nicaragua, we will fight the communists." They are a long way from Cuba and Nicaragua. But on this 68-acre tract of swampland 40 miles . west of Miami, Cubans and Nicaraguans get ready for ; the day they will go home. The camp's members have a variety of backgrounds, but most are Cuban exiles living in Miami. During the week, they shed their camouflage uniforms, put away their revolvers and return to jobs as clerks, mechanics and construction workers. ' 'The people you see here are very dedi cated," says Willy Martin, a Cuban American who is running for a seat on the West Miami city commission. "They hold down full-time jobs and devote their free time to the camp. Some come here after work to share guard duty." The camp is two years old. A No Paso sign is posted at the entrance gate which is patrolled 24 hours a day by men carrying AR-15 rifles. Inside, an old mobile home serves as officers' quarters. Two jeeps, a truck missing a wheel and an artillery piece are parked near the woods. There are 20 new recruits doing push-ups in the field. Some have already bought combat gear while others have put together im provised uniforms. A tall teenager wears a T-shirt and shorts and has a Boy Scout canteen strapped around his waist. The founder of this operation is Jorge Gonzalez, a Cuban exile. Gonzalez, 50, is called Bombillo (light bulb) by his fol lowers because of his bright ideas. He wears tinted sunglasses and a U.S. Army major's insignia, although he has never been in the Army. Gonzalez asserts that the camp's mis sion is to train counterrevolutionaries so they can join other anti-communist groups in overthrowing the leftist rulers At Camp Cuba-Nicaragua, commandos train for guerrilla warfare (below). A grave honors "our martyrs" (above). Staff photos by Linda Robertson. Exiles train to liberate homeland of Cuba and Nicaragua. He claims he has trained more than 600 commandos and calls his group the Inter-American De fense Force. "We want to train men and wait for the moment that there is an uprising in Cuba, so that we may join our compa triots," he says. Gonzalez has led a colorful life pur suing the career of an anti-communist. After being forced into exile by Castro the man he fought alongside during the early stages of the Cuban revolution in the 1950s Gonzalez came to Florida. He worked as an auto exporter, plumber, electrician, carpenter and painter before opening up shop as a florist. Bombillo says he was once a spy, and he pulls out an old ID card that has "secret agent" printed on one side and "International Bureau Anti-Communist Legion (incor porated in California)" on the other. Gonzalez has also had a few run-ins with the law. He served four years in pri son when he was convicted in U.S. Dis trict Court of participating in a bazooka attack on a Polish freighter off the port of Miami in 1968. Ten years later officials managed to stop him before he set out on a mission to attack a Cuban ship at sea. Gonzalez' latest legal troubles may prove to be more serious. He was arrested Feb. 26 and charged with unlawful pos session of a weapon by a convicted felon, a felony, and with improper exhibition of a firearm, a misdemeanor. Seven firearms charges were added when police found guns in Gonzalez' Miami home. He was released on $32,000 bond. 1 An Independent Network News cam eraman filmed Gonzalez firing a semi automatic rifle at the feet of a camp trainee during a "confidence training" exercise in early February. The film shows . the man falling to the ground. Prosecu tors say the film will be key evidence in the case and that Gonzalez could, face up to 16 years in prison. Gonzalez maintains the injured man fell and scratched his leg on a rock. He says real bullets are never used at the camp. Gonzalez' arrest prompted a formal change in command at Camp Cuba-Nicaragua, although Bombillo -remains the camp's informal and inspirational leader. Four new co-commanders were intro duced at a March 7 press conference: Sombra I (Shadow I), a Nicaraguan exile, and Hector Fabian, Enrique Lopez and Orlando Salvat, all Cubans. Gonzalez' attorney and the camp's le gal adviser is a man who has had quite a quixotic past himself. Miami lawyer Ellis Rubin made his first headlines as a local Communist-hunter during the Joe Mc Carthy era. He gained national notoriety when he defended teenage murderer Ron nie Zamora. Rubin argued that Zamora had been "intoxicated" by television vio lence. The jury convicted Zamora after deliberating for half an hour. Rubin's outspoken wa$t have earned him the reputation of a publicity hound. "It's time we developed a policy to kick the Soviet Union out of North America. The Caribbean has become a communist lake," he has said. "Let's es tablish the Free State of Cuba on Guan tanamo naval base. Let's send those Cuban exiles who want to back to Cuba r - i IKS - 5 A 4 L I 5 .. .i : ' -: --XS t 'S s" - i i - ' ; ' , '' . ; . - '-'' M ( V v ' ' '"s 'jt t ? Si::' y "V iw to liberate that island and kick Castro out." Sunday he arrives at Camp Cuba-Nicaragua in his silver Mercedes to conduct a press conference. "The urxoming trial of Jorge Gonzalez will be a test of whether or not this camp will continue," Rubin says. "Bombillo will not be associated with military train ing until the trial is over." Rubin and the new commanders said they hope the arrest of Gonzalez would not overshadow their newest proposal. At an earlier press conference the group made an open request to the Reagan ad ministration to allow camp members to fight the leftist guerrillas in El Salvador in lieu of U.S. soldiers. The telegram they sent to the CIA was never acknowledged. "We have asked that we be allowed to help freedom fighters in Central Ameri ca," Fabian says. "We would like El Sal vador to welcome us like Castro was wel comed to set up camps in Cuba." "We are trained, we are ready," Rubin says. "Certainly if the Cubans and San dinistas can send guerrilla forces into El Salvador with arms and ammunition, we should be allowed to do the same on the side of freedom." Rubin also re-emphasized that Camp Cuba-Nicaragua is not violating the Neu trality Act of 1794, which forbids attacks or conspiracies to attack any nation with which the United States is not at war. Rubin has maintained all along that no invasions will be launched directly from America, but that camp members are pre pared to accept an invitation from a third country as a staging area for the final phase of their training. After an investigation into the camp's activities, the Miami branch of the FBI concluded that there was nothing illegal going on. "Within our purview, which includes violations under the Neutrality Act, they have not committed any crime," FBI spokesman Welton Merry says. Those who oppose the camp say the government's decision not to disband it amounts to tacit encouragement. One of the most vocal critics is Nicaraguan Pedro Ortega, head of the Honduras-based Na tional Army of Liberation. He dismisses Camp Cuba-Nicaragua as no more than a Hollywood farce, played out by a bunch of weekend warriors. According to Gonzalez, groups of Nicaraguans trained at his camp have al ready left for a third country. He iden tified other exile groups that used the training center as . 15 de Septiembre, Nicaragua Libre and CubaNicaragua. Cuban exile groups who have trained there include the Cuban Patriotic Junta, Anti-Communist Special Forces of the Brigade 2506 and Luis Crespo's M.I.M. Crespo is a convicted bombmaker who blew off his right hand in a 1974 accident. Gonzalez has also claimed that military v 3 . s 4v &m war 'V.-.O ( ... :yy instructors at his camp have included for mer U.S. Army Special Forces officers, former Green Berets and former members of the Somoza regime's Guardia Na tional. Gonzalez refuses to elaborate on these assertions, nor will he tell where his secret paratrooper camp is located. Rubin says Camp Cuba-Nicaragua is proud of the reference to the training camps in the peace treaty proposed re cently by Mexican President Jose Lopez PortUlo to Nicaragua and the United States. "One of his terms, which has been en dorsed by Fidel Castro, is that the United States close down the counterinsurgency training camps in Florida and Hon duras," Rubin says. "We are proud to be singled out by the Communists as a source of discomfort for them." Gonzalez, Rubin and the four new commandantes, flanked by armed aides, answer a few more questions before end ing the press conference. It seems an un likely group to be involved in inter national politics. When the television crew leaves, life at Camp Cuba-Nicaragua returns to nor mal. Under the canvas field tent, men mingle with family members, sip Cuban coffee and play dominoes. A bulletin board is crammed with pos ters, leaflets and other assorted anti communist propaganda: "Castro's Cuba is an arsenal of Soviet weaponry and ground troops. Their main objective is to destabilize. Western democracy through terror and violence. They will succeed unless Castro is destroyed. Support all Anti-Castro organizations!" On a black board, written in Spanish, is the sentence: "The goal of my entire life is the indepen dence of Cuba and Nicaragua." "The people who come here are willing to make sacrifices to see their land li berated," one man says. He want to re main anonymous 'since his family still lives in Nicaragua. "We wouldn't be out here if we didn't believe it could be done." , Most of the refugee commandos sin cerely believe their ragtag, ill-equipped group serves an important purpose. Twenty-two years ago, exiles trained in the same area, optimistic of success be fore the Bay of Pigs fiasco. Camp Cuba Nicaragua, located between a trash dump and the barren Everglades, has survived despite its many doubters and detractors because, its members say, they will not give up the dream of freedom for their homeland. "After all," Bombillo smiles and says, "Even Fidel only started with 12 men." Linda Robertson, a junior English and journalism major from Miami, Fla., is sports editor for The Daily Tar Heel. " s 4 1
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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March 25, 1982, edition 1
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