LATIN AMERICA REVIEW 2 NOVEMBER 1979[SANITIZED] - 1979/11/02

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Argentina Declassification Project - The "Dirty War" (1976-83)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02879494
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 31
• Document Creation Date: April 3, 2019
• Document Release Date: April 12, 2019
• Publication Date: November 2, 1979

National
Foreign
Assessment
Center
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Latin America
Review
2 November 1979
-spe25Yrs
EO 13526 �
3.5(c)
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
3.5(c)
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
SEAET 0.5(c)
LATIN AMERICA REVIEW
-
2 November 1979
CONTENTS
3.5(c)
Argentina: General Viola's Mission Grows
The Commander of the Army is emerging as
the central figure in the military govern-
ment's program to bring political, social,
and economic change to Argentina.
. . . 14
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
S ET
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
SE.RET
Argentina: General Viola's Mission Grows
Commander of the Army Lt. Gen. Roberto Viola is
rapidly emerging as the central figure in the military
government's program to bring political, social, and
economic change to Argentina. He is expected to play
a key role in resolving disparate views within the mili-
tary leadership concerning how to effect this national
reorganization. Should Viola succeed President Videla
in March 1981--as now seems likely--he may be given a
mandate to lav the groundwork for a return to civilian
rule.
Viola is the senior member of the ruling military
junta, as well as Videla's closest confidant and strong-
est supporter. The general, like Videla a political
moderate, assumed the Army's top job in August 1978, but
only after a promise to military hardliners that he
would resign his commission this December.
Because of continuing policy disagreements with the
hardliners, Viola's impending retirement from the mili-
tary is fraught with problems. In order to provide con-
tinuity for Videla's moderate policies and to prepare
for his own accession to the presidency, Viola probably
will seek to neutralize those hardliners who pose a
threat to the planned succession.
An abortive revolt in Cordoba Province by one of
the government's two principal antagonists, Army III
Corps Commander Luciano Menendez, should make Viola's
task easier.
Menendez, who was distraught over the release of
political detainee Jacobo Timerman and over renewed ter-
rorist activity by the leftist Montoneros, on 29 and 30
September made a desperate bid to oust Viola as Army
commander. Alerted to Menendez's rebellion, Viola moved
swiftly to relieve him of his command. Although Menendez's
redoubt was quickly surrounded by 4,000 paratroopers
2 November 1979
14
SECXET
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
� SECT
loyal to Viola, he held out for two days. A visit to
Army headquarters in Buenos Aires finally convinced him
that his ill-conceived putsch had failed.
Menendez was subsequently placed under 90-day house
arrest and retired from the Army. His deputy received
60 days' house arrest. The two commanders of the en-
gineer and artillery units that supported the rebellion
were dismissed, along with three retired officers who
helped publicize the revolt in the Cordoba media. Six
other colonels from the III Corps were arrested.
Although some military officers believe that
Menendez's lenient punishment reflects Viola's unwill-
ingness to confront the hardliners, in fact Menendez's
incarceration will last through the end-of-year military
promotion and retirement cycle. Thus, he will be muzzled
during the period that crucial decisions will be made
concerning the military succession.
With Menendez effectively out of the picture, the
other key Army hardliner--Chief of Staff General Suarez-
Mason--probably has suffered a sharp reversal in his bid
to succeed Viola as head of the Army. When Menendez's
revolt was announced, Suarez-Mason--who commands no
field troops--had little choice but to side with Viola.
Confident that Suarez-Mason would be unable to cause
trouble during the rebellion, the Army commander and
Videla left him in charge while they attended a military
ceremony outside the capital
Viola may now be free to name a moderate successor
as Army commander and to ease Suarez-Mason into retire-
ment. This would represent an important victory by the
moderates which would be reflected in government policy.
Although both Videla and Viola are determined to sup-
press the newly revived terrorist movement ruthlessly,
policies affecting the human rights of peaceful politi-
cal dissidents probably would be further liberalized.
Political parties, which are now officially proscribed,
could resume activities as early as next summer. A
mutually beneficial dialogue would be facilitated with
the once powerful labor movement, which the government
has held under tight control since 1976. In addition,
pressures to pursue a military solution over the Bea le
Channel controversy with Chile would be reduced.
2 November 1979
15
SE ET
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
SE2ET
Lt. Gen. Roberto Viola,
Commander in Chief of the Argentine Army
and member of the ruling military junta
Assuming that Viola can resolve the succession issue
to his satisfaction-- --he
reportedly will use the period from his retirement to
his designation as president-select next September to
develop a civilian cadre capable of running the country.
The source of this photo is Camera Press, London.
2 November 1979
16
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
Approved for Release: 2018/09/20 CO2879494
NR