General defends coup

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33381, 13 November 1973, Page 3

General defends coup

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, Nov. 12. The early recognition of the military Government in Chile by New Zealand could be seen as a reflection of New Zealand awareness that the military had to act to prevent civil war and to arrest economic and industrial chaos, a Chilean general said in Auckland today.

General German Stuardo, aged 54, a retired Chilean Air Force General who is president and chief executive of Lan-Chile Airlines, is in Auckland for the LATA, conference.

Last year the late President Salvador Allende appointed General Stuardo, who then headed the Air Force’s logistic command, as mediator in a serious industrial dispute within Lan-Chile. Shortly before President Allende’s death by shooting the President dismissed General Stuardo and another general from the Air Force. General Stuardo said he was dismissed for his open opposition, while a serving officer, to an Allende decree compelling children from the age of three to be indoctrinated in Marxism. Between the two events — the President’s naming him as an industrial mediator and

dismissing him — General Stuardo waited on the President with every other Air Force general. “For five hours we begged the President to act to arrest the economic and industrial chaos which was ruining a, fine country. He urged us to be patient,” General Stuardo said. “History will show that the armed forces acted in response to the voiced wishes of the people — after military intelligence found abundant documentary evidence that

extreme Leftists, many of them foreign, intended to continue their manipulation of President Allende and seize power by armed force,” he said. “The discovery since the coup of thousands and thousands (there were 5000 in Dr Allende’s private house) of firearms from the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, and East Germany, dispels any doubts about the risk of civil war that existed before we acted. “The military wants to restore Chile’s almost wrecked economy, restore industrial order, and cleanse the country politically. Then the military will restore civil liberties and Chile will again be conspicuously democratic. “I deny that there is any reign of terror. The only ones being shot are those who take or plot armed action against the armed forces or the police. Fewer than 600 people have been

killed, including those shot since the coup. “I look forward to everclose trade and tourist links with New Zealand — facilitated by your Government’s recognition of ours,” General Stuardo said.