European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 26, 1981, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Revolutions Are coining to latin America doily Magazine by Alan Riding new York times wearing the shorts he slipped on after a siesta but already neatly shaven in preparation for a night on the Hugo Spadafora stood on the Terrace of his duplex apartment overlooking the Entrance to the Panama canal and sipped a medicinal potion of Apple Honey and i know that in something of a but in also very the tall Green eyed panamanian revolutions Are coming to latin America through histor ical either you participate or youre a failed and in 1 on his Home turf of Panama Only the Young Man who guards his Mercedes 280 with an israeli made Auto Matic Rifle distinguishes Spadafora from so Many Well heeled latin american leftists who talk constantly of Revo Lution from the Comfort of Middle class Homes or sidewalk but the 40yearold physician is in he served As a doctor in the guerrilla ranks fighting for the Independence of the Portu Guese Colony of in he was jailed in Panama for plotting against the government of Omar Torrijos in he formed an International brigade that joined Nicara guas sandinista rebels in overthrowing the Somoza regime last and now he says he is preparing to fight in Al perhaps even More Spadafora is not a Marx nor is his Model the late cuban Ernes to Che he describes himself As a left Wing social Democrat whose inspiration comes from Simon the venezuelan general who freed much of South America from Spanish Rule 160 years the time has the doctor wrote some months for the creation of a Boli Varian Force Independent of superpowers and governments and capable of combat ing militarily anywhere in the continent where the armed struggle is the Only Avenue left for Peoples seeking their but what right has a panamanian to intervene in other latin american countries much More right than a French general had to fight for the Independence of the United he we have the right and duty bequeathed by the great men whose statues cover our whose thoughts Are taught academically and whose examples Are criticized when since the sandinista Victory in Nicaragua in july Spadafora has been trying to translate his dream into there Are tens of thousands of latin americans willing to fight for the liberation of the he but for this we must achieve the authentic Unity of All of of of social of progressive Christian even More than for his immediate crusade has been against the political infighting and ideological squabbles that have characterized latin americas marxist dominated will the marxists be Able to overcome their dogmatism and sectarianism in order to embrace other revolutionary sectors he that is the great question in the continent but he insisted that the right to a voice must be we must not be scared of looking for original paths for our he revolutions Are not carried out in books nor from the pulpit nor from they Are carried out fighting on the ground not by leaving others to do it and then criticizing them for being but by behind his concern is a recognition since the 1959 cuban leftist guerrilla movements in latin America have been dominated by but he also blames democrats for allowing marxists to Monopo Lize the armed struggle As a political that has been a very generalized he but the lessons Are being social democratic revolutions can confront the problem of structural change without complexes and he leaned Over the tiled veranda of his duplex and waved toward the area of the Panama where about american soldiers Are still stationed to defend the the United states is also to he Washington tolerates All sorts of socialist experiments in Afri but it demands total submission in latin it receives Mugabe like a but it treated the sandinista As if they had the Robert a became prime minister of Zimbabwe last year at the end of a Long struggle against White Rule in the former rho Spadafora own political thinking has been shaped by sandinista guerrilla leaders meeting secretly in Nicaragua in 1979 before their experience rather than born into a Middle class provincial he was studying Medicine at Bologna University in Italy at the time of the cuban the refusal of a blindly conservative american govern ment to allow a latin America people to carry out its revolution awakened me he although Bologna was dominated by the communist he joined the socialist where there was More flexibility and discussion of he became intrigued by the liberation movements in african colonies hoping to get closer to these he accepted a scholarship at Cairo University in the first thing i did was go to the cuban embassy and Tell them i was ready to he but they said i could be a i told them they should either unmask a traitor or help a but they did some weeks Spadafora was Able to offer his services directly to the late Amilcar then Leader of the african party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape who was visiting in january the Young doctor arrived in the Gui Nean capital of which the Guinea Bissau move ment used As its with the he treated the saw com Bat for the first time he underwent a political but by May unrest was grow ing in Panama and he decided to return when Torrijos seized Power in october Spada fora said he immediately began collaborating with marxist and nationalist guerrillas trying to oust the new re he was arrested late in june one he was taken from his cell to Torrijos office in the National guard we had a strange he it began but slowly warmed he gave his Point of i gave mine and eventually i was persuaded that his government would evolve in accordance with my revolutionary after 15 Days in Spadafora was released on condition that lie worked As a doctor in the Southern Jungles of Over the next few As Torrijos promoted social reforms and began pressing the United states for a new Panama canal Spadafora became increasingly identified with the regime in a gust was appointed Deputy minister of two years he resigned this Post to form the so called Victoriano Lorenzo brigade that fought in Nic i saw the nicaraguan struggle As symbolizing the great political conflict of contemporary latin he the nicaraguan people symbolized the Bolivia Rian Ideal in our and i realized there were people wanting to fight there who just needed organic about 330 panamanians and a handful of other nationals eventually fought in the brigade that entered Nicaragua from Costa Rica during the sandinista final offensive in june Twenty two panamanians died in the at one Anastasio Somoza debayle announced that Spadafora had been holding up his Driver License As the rebel Leader had left a bag with personal belongings on a Hill overrun by the National but he was one week after the sandinista the brigade returned to he that is my idea for the Bolivia Ian it should leave As soon As Victory is without expecting rewards or trying to influence the my Reward was the Honor to have fought with the the sandinista also gave him his confiscated from a National guard and an inscribed Silver Cigar Box Given to Somoza by Guatemala former Carlos Arana in the main focus of his attention is the rising insurgency in Central notably in Al Salvador and Guate since the nicaraguan there is an Awakening taking place which the United states would be foolish to he if Ronald Reagan tries to smother he will Accel Erate the if he tries to Central America will catch thousands will but the americans wont when does he plan to join the guerrillas in Al Salva Dor Ive been asking since june for the Honor to fight and am just waiting for the he ill go under the conditions they with a brigade or you Only have a right to speak if you the stars and stripes Page 13