Chilean hijacking dilemma

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32998, 18 August 1972, Page 13

Chilean hijacking dilemma

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) BUENOS AIRES, August 17. Argentina said today that it would ask Chile to return the 10 Leftwing urban guerrillas who hijacked a jet airliner to Santiago after a spectacular prison escape. The affair puts Chile’s Marxist President (Dr Salvador Allende) in something of a dilemma, because he is cer-

tain to face pressure from militant Left-wing supporters to grant the fugitives asylum. But Dr Allende said yesterday that any extradition reSuest would be handled by te Chilean Supreme Court, with no Government interference. The Argentinian Government “has begun proceedings under international conventions” to obtain their extradition.

The guerrillas, including one woman, forced a B.A C. I-11 of Argentina’s Austral airlines, carrying 96 people across the Andes to Chile,

where they surrendered to police at Santiago Airport. Police in Santiago identified one of the fugitives as Roberto Santucho, an ac countant and leader of the People’s Revolutionary Army who is alleged to have plan ned from prison the kidnapping earlier this year of Fiat motor company exectuve, Mr Oberdan Sallustro. Mr Sallustro was shot dead by his captors as police closed in on their hideout.

The hijackers were among a group of more than 20 guerrillas who escaped from Rawson gaol in Patagonia, 690

miles south of Buenos Aires, on Tuesday night. Officials said that six of the people now in Santiago had broken out of the prison. The other four were presumably members of the commando which helped them escape.

After the escape 10 of the guerrillas boarded the I-11 at Trelew Airport, where it had been delayed by a telephoned bomb warning. But another 19 guerrillas failed in an attempt to hijack a second plane at the airport and were forced to surrender to troops and police.