Magnitude of coup bid unfolds in Spain

Press, 28 February 1981, Page 8

Magnitude of coup bid unfolds in Spain

NZPA-Reuter Madrid Spain’s new Government held three generals under arrest yesterday as the full extent of Monday’s abortive military coup began to emerge. . . „ The Government originally insisted that the storming of Parliament by 200 rebel Civil Guards was the work of a minority of the security forces which had influenced a tiny fraction-of the Army. But by yesterday three generals were under arrest a fourth had been relieved of his command and a senior tank commander detained. Five other army officers and 17 Civil Guards, including the extreme Rightwing leader of the attack or Parliament, Lieutenant-Colo-nel Antonio Tejero Molina were in prison. The most prominent detainee was General Alfonsc

Armada Conyn, the former deputy head of the Arm?, and military tutor to King Juan Carlos. The Defence Ministry said he was suspected of having planned tc take over the Government.

His arrest was announcer by the Ministry yesterday, along with that of Majorgernal Luis Torres Rojas, a former commander of ar elite armoured division. Major-General Jose Leon Pizarro, commander- of the motorised division in Valencia, was relieved of his command. Valencia’s military commander General Jaime Milans del Bosch, was arrested on Tuesday after ordering tanks into the streets of Valencia after the attack on Parliament. The Ministry statement on the latest arrests came less than three hours after the

new. Prime Minister (Mi Leopoldo Calvo Sotelo) announced the formation oi the country’s first all-civil-ian Government since the 1936-1939 civil war.

There was little changt from the outgoing Cabine of Adolfo Suarez, whose res ignation last month triggered off a Governmen crisis.- The key Foreign Affairs, Interior, Justice and Territorial Administration Ministries were unchanged. The now-crucial Defence portfolio went to the formei Health Minister, Alberto Oliart, and there were several fewer Ministries than in 'the outgoing Government.

■Mr Suarez whose decision to quit plunged Spain intc its worst political crisis since the death of the dictator Francisco Franco in 1975, yesterday became i duke a title awarded him by

the King for helping steer Spain to democratic rule. He later left for a private visit to the United States.

In Brussels the European Economic Community Commission congratulated Mr Calvo Sotelo on his appointment and said it believed Spain’s application to join the Common Market would be successful. “We are convinced tha the excellent and close relations we have formed wiL result in the successful conclusion of our common efforts leading to your membership of the community.” said Mr Gaston Thorn, president of the commission in a message to Mr Calvo Sotelo.

Spain is due to join the Common Market by January. 1984. Mr Calvo Sotelo has led negotiations, which started in 1977, on Spanish entry into the Common Market.