Violence greets Somoza stance

Press, 4 December 1978, Page 9

Violence greets Somoza stance

NZPA-Reuter Managua Ten members of a guerrilla group trying to oust President Anastasio Somoza of Nicaragua and a soldier have been killed tn three separate clashes, official sources have said in Managua, the capital. In another incident, a Jewish synagogue was attacked.

The resurgence of violence came after another deadlock between General Somoza, a team of international mediators, and Opposition leaders over a controversial plebiscite proposal to try to solve a bloody crisis in Nicaragua now in its tenth month.

Suspected guerrillas nepnered Nicaragua’s only Jewish synagogue with seb-uachine-gunfire in Managua, tnd unsuccessfully tried to turn down the building in vhat one community source ailed an apparent etaliation for big Israeli rms sales to the Somoza egime.

No-one was injured in the ttack.

The guerrillas and the ’rovernment soldier were illed in three gun-battles in i o r t h e r n Nicaragua, ccording to a National luard spokesman, Colonel tquiles Aranda Escobar. Colonel Aranda Escobar •;ave few details of the ittacks, which he described is hit-and-run . affairs and lot big encounters.

General Somoza said on Friday that Opposition ’eaders could “so to hell” if ‘hey did not like his plans for a plebiscite to determine

whether he will stay in office.

“I have given the most,” he said in an interview with the Associated Press. “If they don’t like it, they can go to hell.” Leaders of the Broad opposition Front, a coalition of political groups and unions opposed to President Somoza, have demanded he leave Nicaragua during the proposed plebiscite and that he resign immediately if the referendum goes against him.

President Somoza, who had insisted for months he would stay in office until his term expires in 1981, announced that he had accepted the idea of a plebiscite, which was proposed by an international team of mediators. However, if he lost, he would not resign immediately, and another election would choose a Constituent Assembly that would appoint a provisional President to whom he would turn over power. .

Negotiations have been under way for almost two months to find a solution to Nicaragua’s civil crisis, which peaked in September with a bloody two-week rebellion in which the Red Cross said at least 2000 prople were killed.

No progress was made until last week, when both P esident Somoza and his fees accepted in principle the plebiscite idea. The mediators from the United States, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic had threatened to halt the negotiations unless both sides accepted the proposal.