Somoza's successor flees Nicaragua after U.S. pressure

Press, 20 July 1979, Page 5

Somoza's successor flees Nicaragua after U.S. pressure

International

NZPA-Reuter Managua Ihe Nicaraguan President (Dr Francisco Urcuyo) flew out of the country yesterday as Sandinist guerrillas poured into the capital, Managua.

Government sources said President Urcuyo and some military and civilian aides bad left in several planes sent from Guatemala and El Salvador. Most of the Nicaraguan Air Force’s planes bad deserted earlier to Honduras or Guatemala.

Military’ sources said garrisons throughout the country were surrendering to the Sandinists on the orders of the director of the National Guard (Colonel Federico Mejia). Sandinist forces were taking up positions in an orderly manner in outlyinj districts of Managua. Guerrillas were also marching towards the headquarters of the National Guard in Loma Tiscapa. Four of the five Sandinist junta members have raised the Sandinist flag over Leon, Nicaragua’s second-largest city, and proclaimed it the provisional capital of the country. Mexico recognised the junta as the legitimate Government of Nicaragua. Sandinist supporters began seizing Nicaraguan embassies in Europe without opposition from appointees of the former President, General Anastasio Somoza. Troops of the National Guard began disappearing from Managua. Their leaders were negotiating by telephone and radio with guerrilla leaders in Leon to arrange for the surrender of the guard, a reliable source with access to the conversations reported. The source said it appeared that the Government troops would confine themselves to churches, surrender. and leave their weapons in the churches. For the first night in

many weeks no shooting was heard in Managua on Wednesday night. President Urcuyo, who replaced Mr Somoza after the head of the Somoza dynasty flew to Miami, Florida, left his fortified bunker and drove to the airport. An unidentified woman was crying as she left the bunker with him. As the Presidential limousine pulled into the military terminal at the airport, two soldiers fired shots over i car carrying reporters and ;aid, “Don’t stop here.” It was not known where ’resident Urcuyo would find 'efuge, but Guatemala was among Latin-American countries mentioned.

He angered the United States by refusing to hand over power to the rebel junta, and the State Department ordered the United States Ambassador (Mr Lawrence Pezzullo) out of the country to express its displeasure. Mr Pezzullo flew to Panama. A Presidential aide said he had returned to Managua and confered with Mr Urcuyo just before Mr Urcuyo gave up, but the United States embassy denied this.

Mr Somoza said in Miami that he thought Mr Urcuyo had wished to continue as his successor to save Nicaragua’s people from Sandinist firing squads. He said agreements under which the rebel Government would guarantee the safety of Nicaraguans wishing to leave the war-torn nation had not been completed, despite the promise of Ambassador Pezzullo. “I think the United States should live up to what it said should be done, and that is an orderly transition

with a due guarantee . . about sanctuary for people not to be shot, about sanctuary for people that could leave the countrv peacefully,” he said on the A.B.C. “Good Morning, America” programme.

There was fighting in th r Nicaraguan countryside durins the day. and Mr Urcuyo reinforced the guard around the sandbagged Managua headquarters he inherited from Mr Somoza. The Government denied a Sandinist announcement in Costa Rica that the guard had surrendered, but deserters flew most of the air force’s : planes to Honduras to escape from the rebels. Most of Mr Somoza’s supporters staying at the Intercontinental Hotel for the last month fled for the airport after reports of Mr Urcuyo’s departure. After • a seven-week fight that left the Sandinists in control of most of Nicaragua outside the capital, Mr Somoza flew out early on Tuesday for exile at his Florida estate, and legislators named Mr Urcuyo President

New fighting broke out when Mr Urcuvo, instead of offering a cease-fire, told the rebels to lay down their arms. Aides said he wanted to stay in power until the end of General Somoza’s term — December 1, 1980. The five Andean Pact countries had agreed to press for an oil embargo against Nicaragua unless the provisional Leftist Government was allowed to take power, the Colombian Foreign Minister (Mr Diego Uribe Vargas) said in Costa Rica.