Saint Lucia is a small country on the island of the same name in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It lies between Martinique to the north and Saint Vincent to the south. Its area is 616 square kilometers, its population is 120 thousand people (1982) 1, the vast majority of which are people of Black origin. The terrain is mountainous and hilly, with a significant area of woodlands with valuable tree species (mahogany, Honduran pine, some local rare varieties) 2 .

Discovered in 1502 by Columbus, the island appeared on the Vatican globe in 1520 as Santa Lucia. For a long time, Europeans did not attempt to establish their own settlements there, since the Caribbean Indians stubbornly resisted the invaders until the middle of the XVII century. In 1624, the British still tried to do this, but without success. After 15 years, they organized a colony of 400 people, but after a few months they were driven out by the Caribbean. France, which established its first settlement on the island in 1651, also acted in a similar way .3 The struggle between France and England for Saint Lucia lasted more than 100 years, the island changed hands several times, and only under the Treaty of Paris in 1814 was it assigned to England .4
The British colonial regime was established in Saint Lucia. The new owners sought to ensure their own prosperity. Favorable climatic conditions and the availability of fertile land stimulated plantation farming. However, labor was required. Saint Lucia did not escape the fate of other Caribbean islands: the indigenous population was almost completely exterminated, and since the XVII century, Black slaves were imported from Africa. They grew tobacco, sugar cane, cotton, and ginger, followed by bananas, which eventually became the dominant local export.

One of the consequences of the importation of slaves, which began under the French, was the gradual formation of a society in which two cultures interacted - the euro-

1 Monthly Bulletin of Statistics, N. Y., 1983, vol. XXXVII, N 10, p. 4.

2 The Caribbean and West Indies Year Book, 1977/78. Toronto. 1977, p. 424.

3 Ibid., p. 417.

4 Mitchell H. Contemporary Politics and Economics in the Caribbean. Athens (Oh.). 1968, p. 173; Burns A. History of the British West Indies. Lnd. 1965, p. 588.

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pei and African. This process is called "creolization". At first, the Spanish word "creole" was used to refer to African slaves born in the New World. Then tick became the name of all natives of the West Indies, regardless of skin color. This term has different interpretations in different countries. In Jamaica, a creole is a person whose parents were Jamaicans, but not Indians, Chinese or Maroons (runaway slaves); in Trinidad and Tobago, in Guyana, a Creole is any resident of the country, but not an Indian or a native of India; in Suriname, any "colored" person, except persons associated with slave tribes - rebels 5 .

The mass importation of Africans, with the gradual mestizoization of society, led to a heterogeneous ethnic structure in Saint Lucia, although by the time slavery was abolished in 1833-1838, the majority were of Black origin .6 From the beginning of the nineteenth century, a sharp social differentiation was added to this: the ruling class consisted of representatives of the English administration, large landowners and businessmen, who came from old Creole families. The next step in the hierarchy was occupied by middle-class whites, local representatives of English banks and firms, well-to-do "colored" people, doctors, lawyers, lawyers and officials. Then there were office workers and clerks, representatives of "small" businesses, people of liberal professions, some small landowners, teachers. The lowest level was occupied by the mass of slaves who worked on plantations, on the estates of white masters and made up 90% of the population .7
The abolition of slavery had important economic and social consequences. Former slaves, having found freedom, but not receiving land, found themselves without means of subsistence. Some of them left for neighboring islands, while many went to Castries, the capital of Saint Lucia. The old plantation system was in crisis. The planters were replaced by new owners, and the unprofitability of the former economy forced the owners to start selling off the plots. As a result, some Negroes were able to purchase or lease patches of land. A local peasantry emerged.

The rise of political activity in the colony began after the victory of the Great October Revolution in Russia. Socialist ideas first penetrated the island, and progressive organizations emerged .8 The masses demanded to change the management system. In the 1920s, a commission was sent there from England, which prepared relevant recommendations. However, the changes were limited in nature, the full power still remained in the hands of the rich and the governor. In the 1930s, due to the economic crisis and unemployment in Saint Lucia, there were demonstrations by workers and employees, to which London responded with minor changes in the structure of government bodies .9
The victory of the USSR in the Great Patriotic War had a huge impact on the growth of the liberation movement in the country. The Workers ' Union of Saint Lucia, then the LPLL-Saint Lucia Labour Party (1950), emerged on the island at various times, demanding the democratization of public life and the expansion of self-government as a first step towards independence. But the colonialists were in no hurry to make significant concessions. It was not until 1951 that universal suffrage was introduced and the number of elected members of the Legislative Council was increased .10
Saint Lucia's political development in the first two post-war decades was uneventful. Leading positions in political life during this period were held by the PLSL and the United Workers ' Party (ORP), established in 1964 .11 Both of them had the same social base: they were supported by representatives of the small and middle bourgeoisie, agricultural workers, employees, and intellectuals. The programs of these parties almost coincided: they defended the expansion of self-government and the provision of democratic freedoms, and the PRU also demanded the development of private entrepreneurship. The question of independence was not even raised, although in 1962 Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago,

5 Race and Class in Post-colonial Society. A Study of Ethnic Gronp Relations in the English-speaking Caribbean, Bolivia, Chile and Mexico. P. 1977, p. 165.

6 Lowenthal D. West Indian Societies. Lnd. 1972, p. 46.

7 Ayearst M. The British West Indies: the Search for Self-goverment. Lnd. 1960, p. 56.

8 Ibid., p. 33.

9 Ibid., pp. 38 - 39.

10 Burns A. Op. cit., p. 716.

11 The Caribbean and West Indies Chronicle, Lnd., 1982, Vol. 98, N 1568, p. 15; N 1570, p. 33.

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In 1966, Guyana and Barbados already achieved sovereignty.

The revival of political life came in the early 60s, when the victory of the Cuban Revolution led to the emergence of the Black Power movement .12 However, the movement itself and its slogan have not developed significantly in Saint Lucia. Not the least role in this was played by its prohibition by the government of the PIU, as well as the activities of activists of the movement 13 .

The economy of Saint Lucia is based on agriculture, which has a pronounced export orientation; about 90% of the production goes to England. The main export items are bananas (2/3 of foreign exchange earnings), sugar cane, copra, cocoa beans, rice, and long-fiber cotton. As in other English colonies in the West Indies, St. Lucia was owned by English companies. The area of cultivated land is now 61 thousand square kilometers. of these, the Government has 10 thousand at its disposal. The main company coordinating the production and export of agricultural products is the Saint Lucia Farmers ' Association. By the early 70s, there were 68 more plantations of companies and individuals on the island. There was only one company-a sugar factory owned by the British. Saint Lucia's excellent nature and beautiful beaches attract tourists. The government pays considerable attention to the development of tourism 14 .

As early as the early 1940s, Saint Lucia became an object of interest to the United States, which hoped to use the island for military bases, as well as as a sphere of application of American capital. U.S. activity increased especially after the victory of the Cuban Revolution, as Washington strategists sought to create a bulwark in the region against the "Cuban threat." To this end, Washington signed agreements with London in 1961-1964 on the "defense" of Saint Lucia and the use of its territory for military purposes. However, the island was also of economic interest. A number of American companies operated there. Particularly active was Amerada Hess, which has been building an oil transit port and refinery in Saint Lucia since the 1970s .15
By that time, there were differences in the political course of the two leading parties: the leadership of the PRU put forward a demand for independence; the PLL took a wait-and-see attitude, not wanting to break with the British economy. But in the party there was a struggle between two factions: the moderate one led by the party leader A. Luisi and the radical one led by his deputy J. P. Blavatsky. Odlam 16 . The latter advocated the development of relations with Cuba and Grenada. When the leader of the ORP, J. R. R. Tolkien, Compton openly demanded independence, and a series of regular negotiations with London began. In 1978, a draft constitution was approved, according to which Saint Lucia was declared independent within the Commonwealth of Nations in February 1979 .17 The Head of State-the Queen of Great Britain-is represented by the Governor - General; legislative power belongs to the House of Assembly, which is elected for 5 years; executive power is exercised by the Government.

The PLL opposed the act, pushing for a general election. On the occasion of the declaration of independence, Prime Minister Compton made a speech in which he stressed that " his Government is determined to go full speed on the path of Caribbean integration and West Indian unity... The whole history of Saint Lucia has been linked to the West, and we welcome that direction. " 18
Achieving "pro-Western" independence, of course, did not bring peace and prosperity to the country. In early 1979, the opposition organized demonstrations and strikes demanding separation from the Commonwealth and higher wages, but these were rejected by the Government .19 In the pro country-

12 Nationalism in Latin America: Political and Ideological Trends, Moscow, 1976, pp. 152-155.

13 The United States and the Caribbean. N. Y. 1971, pp. 126, 155.

14 The West Indies and Caribbean Year Book. Lnd. 1964, p. 459; The Caribbean and West Indies Year Book, 1977/78, pp. 424 - 432.

15 Latin America. Political Report, Lnd., 1979, Vol. XIII, N 32, p. 256.

16 Latin America and Caribbean 1983. Saffron Walden (Ess.). 1983, p. 256; Latin America. Political Report, 1979, Vol. XIII, N 26 p. 204.

17 Pravda, 22. II. 1979.

18 Keesing's Contemporary Archives 1979. Lnd., 1979, p. 29591.

19 Quarterly Economic Review (QER) of the West Indies, Belize, Bahamos, Bermuda, Guyana, Lnd., 1979, N 3, pp. 30 - 31.

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As discontent continued to grow, the Government was forced to agree to hold elections in July 1979. They were crowned with the victory of the PLSL, which won 14 out of 17 seats in the Chamber it collected, and the party leader Luisi formed a new government of 20 . In the context of growing disagreements between the LPSL factions, former Prosecutor General U. Senak was assigned to form the next new government in 1981. It has been in power for less than a year without a majority in parliament.

In January 1982, the deputy leader of the Progressive Labor Party (PLP), M. Pilgrim, formed a coalition government consisting of representatives of the PLP, PLSL and PRP. Its goal was to prepare for new elections, as a result of which the PRU gained power in May 1982. Its leader, Compton, made a statement that the government's main task will be to restore the economy, and the main means to achieve this goal should be to increase support for private initiative and attract foreign investment .21
Thus, the political struggle that lasted for more than two years ended in the defeat of the left forces. Not the least role in the May 1982 events in Saint Lucia was played by US agencies that supported the PIU and especially Compton22 . It was in this context that the disgraceful involvement of Saint Lucia in the intervention in Grenada became possible .23 The internal situation in the country has not stabilized either, and unemployment is high (up to 30% of the working-age population)24 . Among the progressive organizations currently operating on the island, in addition to the PLP, are the Workers ' Revolutionary Movement (founded in 1977) and the United Front (formed in 1969). Despite their different goals, they are united by the desire to get rid of US domination and bring prosperity to their homeland. The future of this small island nation in the Caribbean will largely depend on their activities.

20 QER, 1979, N 4, p. 23.

21 The Caribbean and West Indies Chronicle, N 1568, p. 15.

22 Bohemia, La Habana, 1982, N 20, p. 70.

23 El Dia, Montevideo, 26.X.1983.

24 Latin America and Caribbean Contemporary Record. Vol. 1 (1981 - 1982). N. Y. 1983, p. 613.

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