DOMINICAN GOVT. FALLS

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29724, 18 January 1962, Page 13

DOMINICAN GOVT. FALLS

Fierce Riots After Crowd Fired On

(N.Z.P..4.-Reuter— Copyright)

SANTO DOMINGO (Dominican Republic), Jan. 17. A new civil-military council has replaced the Dominican Republic Government of President Joaquin Balaguer. It includes only two members of the previous Government. The move, which followed wild rioting in Santo Domingo yesterday, was described by the Opposition party as a coup d’etat.

United Press International reported that three civilian members of the 16-day old Dominican Republic Council of State were replaced by military officers in the wake of a violent street clash yesterday in which demonstrators were killed and wounded by Air Force troops shooting from tanks.

First reports of the sudden switch in the composition of the seven-man council gave no other details. But it appeared, said U.P.I. that Mr Balaguer had defied Opposition demands for his immediate resignation and remained

in the council with the Armed Forces Secretary, Major-General Pedro Echavarria. remaining under him in Cabinet rank. Whether the three civilians were forced out or resigned was not immediately known. The changes appeared to have left the previously all-civilian council under heavy military influence. U P.I. reported. The nation faced a new’ crisis with the possibility of a general strike today.

The Council of State, which took office on January 1. met in emergency session last night after a 6.30 p.m. curfew was imposed by the military. The apparent outcome of the meeting was the replacement of the three civilians.

But in New York, early today, a radio broadcast by the Santo Domingo station radio. El Caribe, was heard to report that all members of the Council of State, including the President, had resigned and had been replaced by a civilian-military junta.

The broadcast said that “the resignation of Balaguer and other members of the Council of State has been an extraordinary step. Measures which will be taken will be equally extraordinary.” None of the reports identified any of the men affected by the sudden moves.

The council which took office on the first of the year was composed as follows:

President, Joaquin Balaguer; First Vice-President, Rafael Bonnelly; members. Monsignor Eliseo Perez Sanchez, Nicolas Pichardo, Antonio Imbert Barreras, Luis Amiama Tio and Eduardo Read Barreras.

Monsignor Perez Sanchez is the Roman Catholic vicar of the Dominican Republic. Mr Pichardo is president of the University Professors Association and a member of the National Civic Union. Amiama and Imbert were directly involved in the plot w’hich led to the assassination of the former dictator, Generalissimo Rafael Trujillo, on May 30 last year. The demonstrators W’ho clashed with tank troops were staging a rally in Independence Park. The troops opened fire with side arms. Violent Rioting *

The Associated Press reported that when the Air Force tank troops fired into a defiant crowd of hundreds in the heart of the capital, they touched off the most violent rioting in the city for months.

The nation’s major opposition group, the National Civic Union, said at least eight people were killed yesterday and many wounded. Latest official estimates put the toll at four dead and 19 wounded.

A crowd estimated at 500 people had massed at Independence Park, opposite the National Civic Union headquarters, as Civic Union loudspeakers blared out antiGovernment broadcasts. Police arrived and tried to stop the loudspeakers. As the crowd’s protests grew more violent, about six Air Force tanks arrived and took up positions in front of the building. Soldiers on one of the

tanks suddenly opened fire and the screaming crowd ran for cover.

After the shooting thousands of Dominicans milled in the rainy streets. They overturned dustbins, hurled stones at windows and set fire to a theatre.

The new junta was installed at the National Palace a few hours after the tank troops had fired into the crowd. The rioters’ main targets appeared to be President Balaguer, who held office under the Trujillo regime and had promised to resign but would not say when, and the chief of the armed forces. Air Force General Pedro Rodriquez Echavarria. [Censorship was put into effect on outgoing news dispatches, and this dispatch made no mention of the fate of General Rodriguez Echavarria.] Another member of the State Council, Monsignor Perez Sanchez, was reported to have asked to be taken prisoner but was sent home. This report could not be verified.

Two civilian members of the new junta—Luis Amiama Tio and Antonio Imbert—were members of the shortlived State Council, and two —Armando Oscar Pacheco and Huberto Bogaert—held senior Government posts under Trujillo. There were unconfirmed reports in the capital that the Vice-President and two other former Trujillist members. Mr Pichardo and Mr Barreras had been arrested.

The first direct press messages from the Dominican capital confirmed that Mr Balaguer had resigned from the presidency and that a seven-man junta had taken control of the country. Mr Balaguer had been seen leaving the Presidential Palace and apparently was not under arrest.

The new junta which included three high-ranking military officers and four civilians, promised “extraordinary measures” to deal with the turmoil in the republic. Although MajorGeneral Echavarria was not a member of the junta he appeared to be in control of the situation, United Press International said.