‘Internal war’ in Uruguay

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32893, 17 April 1972, Page 13

‘Internal war’ in Uruguay

A.-Reuter—Copyright) MONTEVIDEO, April 16. Uruguay was in a virtual state of siege today as the Government reverted the country to military control in an all-out war on the Left-wing Tupamaros urban guerrillas.

The “state of internal war” and the suspension of individual rights will continue for 30 days.

The guerrillas have brought Uruguay to the brink of chaos with their kidnappings of foreign diplomats and murders of loco! officials during the last year. Their campaign reached a new climax of violence on Friday when they shot dead four persons—a former Government official, a Navy lieutenant and two police. They suffered eight dead and 20 captured, however. The "internal war" in-

creases the power of the Armed Forces and crimes against the State to military courts. The suspension of rights allows searches without a court order and extended detention of suspects. The Tupamaros have accused one of the police officers shot on Friday of being, involved in the kidnapping and murder of a Left-wing student and said that other high-ranking police officers also knew of it In a communique read out by a Left-wing member during yesterday’s Parliamentary debate on the special powers, the guerrillas said that a kidnapped police photographer they were holding had admitted involvement in murder attempts on Tupamaros and had told them about the case of the student. The “Broad Front” coalition of Communists, socialists and smaller groups, a minority in Parliament, were the only members to vote against the emergency measures after a 20-hour debate. But a spokesman for the traditional Opposition, the Blanco Party, said that although his party had voted for the measures, after refusing the Government’s original demand that they last 90 davs, it would immediately withdraw Parliament’s authorisation if the Government stenned outside the law. The Blancos and the Broad Front between them would out-vote the ruling Colorado Party.