OUTLINE HISTORY OF GRENADA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85M00364R001502590070-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Sequence Number: 70
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/01/29: CIA-RDP85M00364RO01502590070-6
OUTLINE HISTORY OF GRENADA
-- Grenada, formerly a British colony, attained internal self
government in 1967. From the 1950s, politics had been dominated
by Sir Eric Gairy, who combined flamboyant populism and strong-arm
tactics with interest in UFOs and unconventional religion.
-- On February 7, 1974, Grenada became independent over the
objections of opposition parties, who feared Gairy's intentions,
and later accused him of winning the elections of 1976 by fraud.
The New Jewel Movement (NJM) formed in 1973 and led by Maurice
Bishop, became the major opposition party. Its program stressed
socialist and nationalistic ideals, and protested economic and
social conditions in Grenada and abuses of power of the Gairy
regime..
-- On March 13, 1979 the New Jewel Movement overthrew the Gairy
government in a nearly bloodless coup. Bishop became Prime
Minister.
-- The new government was initially welcomed by Grenadians and
promised to hold early elections and respect basic human rights.
-- These promises were never honored. The Bishop regime suspended
the country's constitution, refused to call early elections,
ridiculed English-style democracy as "Westmirister hypocrisy" and
turned instead to the Cuban model of "revolutionary democracy,"
which it tried to implement with Cuban aid.
-- Human rights were regularly violated. Habeas corpus was
abolished for political detainees. In 1982, there were 95-98
political prisoners. Freedom of the press and political freedom
were abolished.
-- Bishop established close ties with the Soviet Union and Cuba.
In January 1980 Grenada was the only Latin American country other
than Cuba to vote against. a UN resolution condemning the Soviet
.invasion of Afghanistan.-
-- By 1980, there were approximately 30 Cuban military in Grenada
(cf.*approx. 1000 found there in Oct. 1983. There were also
several hundred "construction workers" ostensibly engaged i-n
helping to build a new airport in the southwestern corner of the
island. Much of this construction was military in nature, and many
of the "construction workers" military personnel.
-- The October 19, 1983 murder of Bishop and most of his Cabinet
was part of a power-struggle apparently instigated by Bishop's
reluctance to move more quickly to "socialize" the economy.
Approved For Release 2008/01/29: CIA-RDP85M00364R001502590070-6