Maurice Bishop

Maurice Rupert Bishop ( * May 29, 1944 in Aruba, † October 19, 1983 in Fort Rupert, Grenada ) was Prime Minister of Grenada from 1979 to 1983.

Life

Maurice Bishop was born to Grenadian parents in Aruba and moved to Grenada with his family at the age of six years. He studied law in England, where he recorded the political ideas of the '68 movement, the Black Power movement and the Trinidadian Marxist CLR James, before he returned to Grenada in 1969.

He began to Grenada to build Soviet-style workers' councils, founded a socialist party, the New Jewel Movement ( NJM, Jewel stands for Joint Endeavor for Welfare, Education and Liberation ) and organized the population in unions. He enjoyed a broad consensus on Grenada, as the population was dissatisfied with the corrupt and arbitrary rule of Sir Eric Gairys and his Mongoose Gang, a " goon squad ".

After Gairy had forged with high security before elections, Maurice Bishop was awarded March 13, 1979 as part of an advocated by the majority of the population almost bloodless coup power and became Prime Minister of Grenada. There some grassroots elements have been introduced, but also under Bishop no free elections competing parties were permitted. The human rights situation improved under Bishop.

Bishop sat in his politics primarily for social reforms such as the introduction of free health care system and the construction of new schools. The economy should be based on a public, one private and one cooperative column, for which the formation was promoted by cooperatives. As the largest infrastructure project in the construction of the international airport Point Salines was started to promote to tourism.

He maintained good relations with the Soviet Union and Cuba supported the Grenada with development aid, including the construction of the airport. Before Bishops was an attempt failed to establish good relations with the United States. The relations with the U.S. deteriorated further when Ronald Reagan 1981 President of the United States. The U.S. government imposed a comprehensive boycott over Grenada and prompted international credit institutions, Grenada withhold loans.

To improve U.S. relations, Bishop embarked on a diplomatic trip to the U.S.. A White House meeting was rejected by the U.S. government and it only held talks with National Security Adviser and Deputy Foreign Minister.

On October 14, 1983 was Bishop of opponents from his own party, led by Bernard Coard and Hudson Austin, overthrown and placed under house arrest. After he was freed in the meantime on 19 October 1983 by his followers, left his rivals in the leadership of the New Jewel Movement on the same day in Fort Rupert, execute the headquarters of the military, Bishop. On October 25, 1983, the United States began under the codename Operation Urgent Fury invasion, during which the government was deposed.

A successor organization of the New Jewel Movement, the Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement, existed until 2002, hardly played a role in the political life of Grenada.

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