Archbishop’s funeral big test for junta

Press, 31 March 1980, Page 8

Archbishop’s funeral big test for junta

NZPA-Reuter San Salvador The murdered Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero will] be buried, in San Salvador todav, amid strict security, measures to counter possible violence Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the funeral, and Goyj ernment and military offi-, |cials fear extremists may: 'provoke rioting. i ■ Troops have been confined, !to barracks, and all police! leave cancelled. The Red jCross has made emergency] 'preparations and pulled back! into service even ambulances under repairs. { I In last-minute appeals the] j ruling civilian-military junta’ I called, on the people to re-’

■ main calm, warning troublemakers against taking ad'■vantage of the people’s grief Ito sow more hatred. "! Leaders of the Revolution-: | ary Co-ordinator of the 1 ■ Masses, the umbrella organ-, hsation of Leftist groups,’ ’ said they would go to the] > Metropolitan ■. Cathedral’ - where the Archbishop will: • :be laid to rest, to pay their] ■final homage to hint. ; The Leftists hate called' I on their, supporters to gather ■at Cuscatlan Park for ai ['“March of Mourning” to the ■ Cathedral, about 2km way. | ;l Archbishop Romero-, aged] 63, was. shot dead on Mon-; Idav while celebrating Nass.' and Church leaders lave, (■blamed Right-wing guemlas] • ’for his death.

• i Diplomatic observers be--lieve that if the Archfl bishop’s funeral passes off I uneventfully, the junta :,will -.’have cleared a big hurdle in pits struggle for survival. Since coming to power Jafter. the overthrow of the President Carlos Ii Humberto Romero (no relal.tion to the Archbishop), the ■'junta has been faced with lone crisis after another, ini'eluding the ever-present ■ threat of a coup. i! Only four days ago three ! j Cabinet Ministers resigned {in protest against the junta’s H inability to control the fighting between opposing politi< ;’cal groups which in just J over five months has 'claimed more than 700 lives.