Bolivian Miners Seize Hostages

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30310, 10 December 1963, Page 17

Bolivian Miners Seize Hostages

(N2. Press Association—Copyright) LA PAZ (Bolivia), December 9. The Bolivian Government yesterday concentrated 1000 troops in an area where Communist-led tin miners held three Canadians, four Americans, and 14 others hostages to bargain for the return of two arrested ‘ Communist leaders, the Associated Press reported.

In Washington, a White j House statement called the I seizure of the Americans an > indefensible act and President Johnson offered full * United States assistance in j seeking the release of the J hostages. The presence of the Canadians among those held be- , came known when the Briisth Ambassador (Mr Gib- ! son Holliday) requested that 1 they be set free. The captive Canadians are • technicians employed by the ; National Mining Commission, which runs Bolivia’s mines. The Americans had gone into the Catavi area on Fri--1 day to deliver a United States j Government aid cheque toward the building of a school for miners’ children. They were seized after the Government in La Paz announced I the arrest of two Communist i i union leaders, Irinio Pimental and Federico Escobar. The kidnapped Americans were two United States Information Service officials, a labour adviser for the For- 1 eign Aid Agency, and a Peace I Corps volunteer. One of the American j hostages, Thomas Martin.! aged 27. a United States in-j

•, formation officer, told the ■! Embassy by radio-telephone ! that he and his three companions were well and under “strong military guard.” Cabinet To Meet ! The Government of President Victor Paz Estenssoro called a Cabinet meeting for today to consider emergency measures with which to meet tiie crisis posed by the : seizure of the hostages and the anti-Government agita- * tion .of Vice-President Juan ■ Lechin. Mr Lechin, a Leftwinger, also heads the tin miners’ union. i The miners have announced tha* they will launch a series of strikes today at the 25 national mines. Bolivian press dispatches said that violence broke out in the mining district of Huanuni. A mob was said to ! have attacked tfae local police commander, his wife and children. Fears were expressed in La Paz that the situation might explode into bloody violence iif Mr Lechin continued to attack the Government while ! troops went into the area. , Government sources said a : decree of a state of siege ! might follow today’s Cabinet I meeting. The White House statement : said the full assistance offered i by Mr Johnson meant any- ! thing that might be required, I A.P. reported. No specific request has been received yet-

Queen Helps Boy Scouts (XZPA-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, December 9. A hundred Norfolk boy scouts were called to the Sandringham Royal estate yesterday to help the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh' turn 25 acres of waste land into pasture. The land was once covered with 10ft rhododendron bushes. These have been cut down by machines leaving a mass of roots and trunks which the scouts are now removing with saws and axes. In return, the Queen is giving the scouts all the firewood they can salvage. It is needed for campfires at an international jamboree for 3200 scouts in Sandringham Royal Park next August.