Bolivian Leader Dies In Crash
(N.Z P.A.-Reuter—Copyright' LA PAZ, April 28. President Rene Barrientos Ortuno of Bolivia, the target of seven assassination attempts, died yesterday in a helicopter crash in the province of Oruro. at the age of 49.
The helicopter carrying the | President took off from a basketball stadium, flew into some telephone wires, dived into a stream and burst into flames. The three members of the helicopter's crew also died in the crash. The President, whose death has shocked the people of the republic in the heart of Central America. leaves a widow, four children and 43 adopted children A former Bolivian Air! [Force general who had adroitly steered his way through a series of political; crises, he had just been given a warm welcome at a village near the small town of Arque, where he had talked to peasants.
Vice-President Luis Adolfo Siles Salinas, generally regarded as a politician of the Centre without a wide following. was sworn in almost immediately as President, and he has pledged to serve the remainder of General Barrientos’s four-year term, due to end in August. 1970. The new President has ordered 30 days of national mourning. General Barrientos, who carried three bullets in his body after an assassination atempt in 1963, weathered the guerrilla uprising which end ed in the death of the Cubar revolutionary leader, Ernesto (“Che") Guevara, in southeast Bolivia in October, 1967. President Barrientos led the Bolivian Revolution Front, « combination of several political parties, and counted on the strong support of the peasants. He first came on to the political scene in August.
1964. as Vice-President in the Government of President Victor Pas Estenssoro’s Nationalist Revolutionary Movement, and on November 4 of the same year he launched a military coup which ousted President Par.
In July. 1966. he was elected President for a four-year term after serving as coPresident with General Alfredo Ovando Candia.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19690429.2.109
Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31974, 29 April 1969, Page 15
Word Count
316Bolivian Leader Dies In Crash Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31974, 29 April 1969, Page 15
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.
Log in