FATAL WOUND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21480, 2 May 1933, Page 9

FATAL WOUND

PERU'S PRESIDENT SEVERAL SHOTS FIRED guards kill assassin A SUDDEN ATTACK OUTRAGE IN CAPITAL By Telepraph—Press Association—.Copyright (Receiver! Jlav 3. *>-5 p.m.) XF.W YOPK. April ?0 Despatches from Lima, Peru, state that the President of the Republic, General Luiz M. Sanchez Cerro, was assassinated there to-day. The outrage was perpetrated soon after the President had reviewed a parade of 20.000 young men in the j 0 rge Chavez Park. The assassin, Abelardo de Mendoza, fired several shots into General Cerro's body as the executive partv started to dri\ o nway from the park. The victim died later. The assassin himself was killed by the Presidential guards. The attack was so sudden that the Elaborate precautions which had been taken to protect the President were unavailing. General Oscar P. Benavides was chosen to-night to succeed to the presidency.

General Cerro had a long military record before he was exiled ill 1922 by Senor Augusto B. Leguia (four times President) for revolutionary activity. He joined the Spanish loreign Legion and took part in the campaign against Abd el Krim. Later he returned to Peru and became an officer of the Sappers, a position he held when he led a revolt at Arequipa. He became provisional President in August. 1930 after the resignation of Senor Leguia, but resigned on March 1, 1931, owinc; to his regime having been threatrnecfby an armed revolt for more than a week. His action was taken a few Lours after the Navy had called upon him to relinquish office in order to prevent civil war. At the same time the Navy held up the movement of ships"carrying loyal troops to the south to quell the rebellion at Arequipa. tt demanded a new junta with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Senor Kicardo Elias, ,as President, and_ including representatives of the Navy and civilians. Subsequently Senor ilia's was elected provisional President. After some months in exile General Cerro was elected President by the people, and on December 8, 1931, was installed in office before the assembled Houses of Congress. The galleries applauded and cheered. It was a triumphant return for the man who was chiefly responsible for the overthrow of Senor Leguia. It was reported on April 8 that tho Peruvian Cabinet, headed bv Senor Manzanilla, had resigned. It was believed that the pur--1 pose was to allow the President, General Cerro, a free hand to appoint a new Cabinet, and to frame a new constitution. / General Oscar R. Benavides, who has been chosen to succeed the assassinated President, occupied the post in 1014-15