Meat company distributes food as ransom

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32620, 31 May 1971, Page 13

Meat company distributes food as ransom

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

. ROSARIA (Argentina), May 30. The scene was set today for the release of Britain’s honorary Consul, Mr Stanley Sylvester, who was kidnapped a week ago by “Robin Hood” guerrillas.

The guerrillas, who snatched the 58-year-old Consul and meat-packing company manager from outside his home last Sunday, had demanded an unusual ransom.

Part of the ransom called for the distribution of 250,000 pesos ($55,000) worth of food

and blankets to shanty town dwellers.

The Swift Meat Packing Company reported last night that distribution of the food and blankets to the delighted inhabitants had been completed. The guerrillas’ demands now having been met there appeared no reason why the Consul should not be freed immediately. Most of the blankets—--100,000 pesos ($21,430) worth —were rushed to Rosario from Buenos Aires yesterday because local stocks were insufficient to fill the quota demanded by the self-styled People’s Revolutionary Army. Also included in the ransom was 10,000 pesos (about

$2000) worth of school supplies to be distributed to seven schools in the city’s poor quarters.

Although teachers were on an indefinite strike, the head teachers at the seven schools turned out yesterday to receive the school supplies to avoid hindering the Consul’s release.

One truck with school supplies, however, was attacked by a mob in a workers’ dis-

trict and stripped bare in less than half an hour. The supplies were later replaced. Swift, a subsidiary of the Bahamas-based Deltec International, Ltd, agreed to meet the kidnappers’ terms on Fri-

day, six hours before a deadline set by the E.R.P. Swift also distributed blankets and foodstuffs to its 3700 workers, reinstated 200 dismissed workers and yesterday paid all wages arrears to meet other conditions set by the E.R.P.