Plot feared in Bolivia
(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)
LA PAZ (Bolivia), June 22.
The Bolivian Government has imposed a state of emergency, which the country’s Interior Minister said was to thwart a reported Right-wing plot to overthrow President Juan Torres.
The state of emergency, declared last night, also prevents a people’s assembly of workers, peasants and students being held as planned later today. The Interior Minister, Mr Jorge Gallardo, told journalists that troops believed loyal to General Torres were moving into La Paz. He added that reports indicated the plot against the Government was apparently centred in Cochabamba, the country’s second largest city (131 miles south-east of Las Paz). Military sources said, however, that Major Humberto Cayoja, Chief of the Eighth Army Brigade with headquarters in Cochabamba, arrived last night with other Army officials from various areas
and met General Torres.
A series of imminent coup reports has been circulating in La Paz since last Friday. At the week-end, armed peasants, workers and students mobilised in the mountain city to protect the Leftwing nationalist government of General Torres, who seized power last October. The Armed Forces have pledged loyalty to General Torres’s government, but labour leaders say that Rightwing factions are employing psychological pressure to incite the Armed Forces to revolt against the Government. They give as an example the distribution of leaflets purported to be by Leftwingers. One such leaflet said the popular assembly due to have been convened today would have dissolved the Armed Forces, closed down the military academy and nationalised small mining nroperties and all banks. The assembly is a form of popular representation wrung as a concession from General Torres earlier this year. The assembly has powers i only to check on the GovemI ment and serve as an advisi ory body, but Right-wingers , fear that it might overstep i its authority and assume . wider powers.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32640, 23 June 1971, Page 19
Word Count
308Plot feared in Bolivia Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32640, 23 June 1971, Page 19
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