El Salvador plans to exile more death squad officers

Press, 10 January 1984, Page 8

El Salvador plans to exile more death squad officers

NZPA-Reuter New York

El Salvador’s provisional President, Dr Alvaro Magana, said in an interview published yesterday that he planned to exile three military officers this week for their links to right-wing death squads. Dr Magana also said in the “Newsweek” interview that he intended to set up a military commission to investigate civilian complicity in the squads. Washington has threatened to reduce aid to El Salvador’s Government, engaged for four years in a war against Left-Wing guerrillas, unless it acts against the squads. Dr Magana said that “less than five” military men should be exiled for their role in the squads, whose main targets are political dissidents. He was sure that the

United States was serious in threatening to cut off aid, “because they are having problems explaining why they are helping a Government like mine where we have this kind of problem.”

Last week El Salvador decided to transfer abroad two officers on a list of 20 people Washington suspects of death squad activity.

® In Panama City nine Latin American Foreign Ministers agreed yesterday to a watered-down peace proposal for Central America after a year of meetings trying to solve conflicts in the regions.

The final document contains many of the points proposed last month by the “Contadora” nations of Colombia, Panama, Mexico, and Venezuela, but key proposals such as a freeze on new arms acquisitions in

the area after February 29 do not appear in the final statement.

The Foreign Ministers shook hands and embraced each other after the final document was read by a Panamanian Presidential spokesman, Jose Hernandez, in the room where the talks were held.

The Honduran Foreign Minister, Mr Edgardo Paz Barnica, had said earlier that there were no main differences among the countries, but there was not total agreement on some points. He said that he was “totally” optimistic about the prospects. “We are working, we have advanced, but I don’t want to anticipate results,” said the Colombian Foreign Minister, Dr Rodrigo Lloreda. He described the talks as frank and cordial,

and said “all opinions have been respected.” Jose Alberto Zambrano, the Venezuelan Foreign Minister, left the meeting saying that he had other obligations, but the discussions continued.

The 21-point plan, agreed to in principle in September, calls for a freeze on arms acquisitions in Central America after February 29, an inventory of weapons already there, a timetable for phasing out foreign military advisers and plans for free, broadly based elections.

The original provisions also sought an end to support for rebels fighting United States-backed governments in El Salvador and Guatemala and for insurgents trying to topple the Leftist Government in Nicaragua.