Somoza gives up family’s 40-year grip on Nicaragua

Press, 18 July 1979, Page 8

Somoza gives up family’s 40-year grip on Nicaragua

NZPA ' Managua President Anastasio Somoza handed his resignation to members of the Nicaraguan Congress early yesterday and was expected to leave the country for the United States before dawn, a Presidential aide has said.

General Somoza said in bis letter of resignation that te had resigned for the good cf the country. Congress officials said. The resignation was imnediately accepted. The 53-year-old President had previously vowed he nould not give in to the Sandinist q U errillas. His family had ruled the Central American country for more Shan 40 years. Named to succeed General Somoza in an interim capacity was Francisco Urcuyo Maliano, president of the Chambers of deputies. Mr Urcuyo’s first words on being appointed President were: ‘‘My hope is that peace comes soon to the tountry.” General Somoza ordered in tanks and planes to crush a guerrilla offensive against lim last September. Nine months later he was again fighting for his political life.

The guerrillas’ second offensive began when General Somoza took an eight-day foliday in the United States in April, the first time he had left the country since the crisis began 14 months larlier. , Before President Somoza quit, frantic officials and business associates of the thing regime were packing their bags, jamming airline rounters, and going into hiding.

The President had earlier itepped down from active service in his National Guard, the country’s army, t.ith about 100 other senior officers. The Sandinist guerrillas have said that anyone guilty tf “atrocities” during the Civil war should go on trial tefare “people’s courts.” Many of the retired tfficers were seen removing

belongings from their offices and the action increased speculation that they were also leaving the country. I However, Major Pablo Emilio Salazar, one of the top officers of the southern command, told reporters that the 15,000-strong National 'Guard would continue fighting even if President Somoza abandoned the country. Major Salazar, better known as Commander Bravo, said: “The guards will keep fighting to preserve democracy in this countfy.”

Other Government officials taking .the same line said the top command of the National Guard had been changed to rejuvenate the force and make it a more effective fighting machine.

In Florida, the Homestead Air Force base has been sealed off before the resignation amid intensifying rumours that President Somoza would fly .to the United States.

“The Air Force base has been sealed Off for security reasons at the request of the State Department,” an Air Force spokesman said at Homestead, about 40 km south-west of Miami. The spokesman said he could make no comment on reports that General Somoza would be flying to the air base, and referred all inquiries to the State Department. The duty officer at the State Department operations centre in Washington said he had no information concerning General Somoza, and the department would be issuing no statement until later.

However, rumour was rife in southern Florida that the Nicaraguan President would be arriving there at any time after being forced out of office by Sandinist guerrillas who have been waging a civil war to oust him from power. General Somoza, whose family has ruled the Central American country for 40 years, has extensive family and business ties in the Miami area. His estranged wife, Hope, an American citizen, lives there, as do his only uncle, two aunts, and numerous cousins. The Nicaraguan leader owns a mansion in Fort Lauderdale and a home in Miami Beach, where he spent two weeks last April. Among his business interests is the Central American Beef and Seafood Trading Company, which is one of Florida’s largest importers of meat. United States Commerce Department figures show that Nicaragua exported beef valued at SUSSO million to the United States.