FOIA
LATIN AMERICA WEEKLY REVIEW 22 DECEMBER 1977[SANITIZED] - 1977/12/22
Document Type:
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST):
00201408
Release Decision:
RIPPUB
Original Classification:
U
Document Page Count:
3
Document Creation Date:
April 3, 2019
Document Release Date:
April 12, 2019
Sequence Number:
Case Number:
Publication Date:
December 22, 1977
File:
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 LATIN AMERICA WEEKLY REVI[15500340].pdf | 354.59 KB |
Body:
�
:Approved for Release: 2018/09/17 C00201408
f � 41Plf
National
Foreign
Assessment- �
Center
Latin America
Weekly Review
22 December 1977
OC
7-7-67/
.Setket
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3.5(c)
3.5(c)
�EO
13526
3.5,(c)
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3.5(c)
Human Rights Developments
Several Latin American countries have been discus-
sing the traditional holiday season amnesty for internees,
but only Honduras has announced that a large number of
prisoners will be released.
Argentine authorities appear to have made a major
blunder in handling the recent disappearance of 13 human
rights demonstrators from the group known as the "Mad
Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo." The government has denied
that it is responsible and has blamed the kidnaping on
the Montonero terrorists. The Montonero involvement has
been largely discredited, however, by the fact that the
demonstrators were :iewed as being opposed to the govern-
ment and inadvertent allies of the antigovernment forces.
In addition, the scope of the abduction operation and the
number of witnesses indicate it was not a terrorist act.
Navy Secretary General Admiral Fracassi, has given
the US Ambassador in Buenos Aires some insight into the
government's deliberations over human rights cases.
Fracassi said that the Foreign Ministry has passed to
the armed forces a list of 15 cases believed to be of
interest to the US, with a view to determining what
ameliorative action could be taken on political grounds.
Although there is disagreement within the armed forces
over what should be done, it is possible that amnesty
could be granted in several of the cases, including that
of Jacobo Timerman, the editor of La Opinion.
The body of a kidnaped Guatemalan businessman was
discovered on 14 December. The Council of State has asked
President Laugerud to take steps to prevent similar
criminal acts. Pressure is mounting on the government
from the private ssctor to take stronger measures, but
Laugerud so far is trying to preserve an "open climate"
in the pre-electoral period. He did cancel the holiday
amnesty, however.
� The Chilean Government opened the issue of missing
persons to domestic debate last week. The government
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22 December 1977
0741
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Approved for Release: 2018/09/17 C00201408
announced that it had resolved 1,200 of 1,700 outstanding
claims of disappearance. In fact, fewer than 100 persons
have been located of the 1,000 listed by the Red Cross.
In any case, by its own admission the government is stuck
with at least 500 cases still unresolved. The Vicarate
of Solidarity and other human rights groups are sure to
continue pressing for information on these cases.
The recent outbreak of bombings in Santiago, mean-
while, may serve the government because it lessens the
pressure for lowering the state of emergency. The perpe-
trators of the incidents appear to be terrorists who
have been stepping up their activities.
President Pinochet's banishment of six trade union
leaders, which looked like a major tactical error last
week, has been reversed by the President's decision to
return them home by Christmas. Rather than intimidate
the labor sector as the President apparently had intended,
his action brought some unity to the badly fragmented
trade union movement.
Colombia has been hit by a wave of kidnapings and
murdefi-aiE-has caused President Lopez to go into
seclusion in order to draft a plan to combat the violence.
Seven persons were kidnaped last weekend, bringing this
year's total to 59. Military officers have issued a
statement urging the government to get tough with
criminals.
3.5(c)
22 December 1977
�
Approved for Release: 2018/09/17 C00201408
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