On the 13th of March in 1979, the People's Revolutionary Government (PRG) was proclaimed in Grenada after the Marxist-Leninist New Jewel Movement overthrew the state in a socialist revolution, with Maurice Bishop serving as Prime Minister.
After coming into power, Bishop stated the goals of the NJM: "We definitely have a stake in seeking the creation of a new international economic order which would assist in ensuring economic justice for the oppressed and exploited peoples of the world, and in ensuring that the resources of the sea are used for the benefit of all the people of the world and not for a tiny minority of profiteers".
The new government developed an ambitious social program, initiating a literacy campaign, expanding education programs, worker protections, and establishing farmers' cooperatives.
During the PRG's reign, unemployment was reduced from 49% to 14%, the ratio of doctors per person increased from 1/4000 to 1/3,000, the infant mortality rate was reduced, and the literacy rate increased from 85% to 90%. In addition, laws guaranteeing equal pay for equal work for women were passed, and mothers were guaranteed three months' maternity leave.
The government suspended the constitution of the previous regime, ruling by decree until a factional conflict broke out, ultimately leading to Maurice Bishop's assassination. President Ronald Reagan launched an invasion of Grenada a few weeks later, on October 25th, 1983.
"We have attempted to show in this Manifesto what is possible. We have demonstrated beyond doubt that there is no reason why we should continue to live in such poverty, misery, suffering, dependence and exploitation...The new society must not only speak of Democracy, but must practise it in all its aspects. We must stress the policy of 'Self-Reliance' and 'Self-Sufficiency' undertaken co-operatively, and reject the easy approaches offered by aid and foreign assistance. We will have to recognise that our most important resource is our people."
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Grenada’s Revolution History :hammer-sickle:
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Grenada: The Future Coming Towards Us (1983) :red-fist:
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Maurice Bishop Speech – In Nobody’s Backyard (13 April 1979)
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The city cracked down on the tent cities and now they're gone and all of our parks are fenced up. So what's the difference? Your children still can't play there because there's police fences stopping them. My friends who work in the shelters which were 'expanded' to allow for this to be okay according to the press releases haven't had any real spike in new admittance nor have they been given the increased capacity for them. Our municipal population is about 435 000. 1000 are homeless. Now a good chunk are totally unreachable, tent cities allowed for centralized aide at the least. You knew where to go with coats and food. Now the homeless don't have that. Or some degree of community, as unsafe and crsppy as it is, it's not like tent robbing and fights weren't s thing of course but not having to tske your tent to one of the few patches of woods around and living like a hermit is worse. So our fair city has destroyed hundreds of lives and the parks are still fenced off. No one can use them now. Rent costs $2000 for a single bedroom to live in a city where we fence off what makes a neighborhood valuable to keep out the homeless to maintain the value. I need nukes. Come friendly bombs
Grapes of Wrath arc commencing
The difference is cruelty to the most impoverished to maintain private property values.
They also always steal and throw away a ton of people's stuff, things they need to survive like their tents and wheelchairs and medical devices. And the pigs are always there to make sure nobody stops them. Truly evil behavior.
They should put this paragraph in the 21st century version of Grapes of Wrath