Input: the manuel rodriguez patriotic front (fpmr) will develop a new form of struggle called the "national patriotic war," "which will start at any moment."    this information was disclosed yesterday to el mercurio by fpmr spokesman victor diaz caro, who said that the truce during the plebiscite was to prepare the phase they are now starting.    he also confirmed the statement in brussels this week by fpmr international spokesman marcelo reyes.    diaz caro, who has confessed to being one of the snipers who participated in the attack on president augusto pinochet, is currently under arrest in the santiago prison, and, together with vasily carillo nova, he is national spokesman for one of the factions of this extremist organization.    diaz caro, who was arrested in late 1986 by the police, announced that in "a matter of hours" they will start subversive actions. he explained that this new phase of armed struggle will be carried out "from arica down to magallanes."    at the same time he referred to the results of the plebiscite, stating that although they respect those who voted "no," "the only aspect of the victory of the `no' we accept is that pinochet leave power."    in referring to the fpmr's change of strategy, diaz caro disclosed that the decision was made during a meeting of the organization's leaders last april.    of this occasion they discussed the line that the terrorist organization should follow. they also decided to give up the idea of an "armed rebellion," which prevailed until then. the main characteristic of that idea was that the organization served to complement class struggle (as it did in its origin in 1983), to support the people's rebellion to paralyze the country and to perpetrate attacks against the established regime.    diaz caro disclosed that during the meeting they decided to replace the rebellion with the search for a patriotic unity government. he said that "we realize that ousting the regime is subject to negotiations under a provincial government."    according to diaz caro this is when they realized the "need for a `truce' because they needed to plan greater steps."    he added that "this is when what we call the `national patriotic war' surfaced. the main issue of this war is the armed struggle; we are no longer a mere complement to the people. it represents a qualitative step forward and entails greater responsibilities."    diaz caro disclosed that this new phase will require a greater quantity of weapons, more men, and all the support necessary to operate. he said that the months of truce were used to fulfill these needs.    the spokesman added that during the meeting they also decided on the need to establish a non-isolated action.  "we thought that actions in santiago, concepcion, and valparaiso would be the solution, but that was not the case."    diaz caro explained that "this is why we now realize that the struggle should be carried out from arica down to magallanes, throughout the territory and in various forms." (continued)

victor diaz caro

snipers

manuel rodriguez patriotic front

augusto pinochet


Input: in another act of violence, 18 people were killed near canasgordas in antioquia department. epl (popular liberation army) guerrillas blew up a bridge as a public bus, in which several policemen were traveling, was crossing it. the attack killed nine policemen and nine civilians, including four employees of the civil registry office, who had been in peque on sunday for the election of a new mayor. the bloody attack occurred in juntas de uramita, where the injured are being treated.

guerrillas

popular liberation army

bridge

public bus


Input: do you have any comments on the amnesty international report, which claims that the armed forces are involved in the murder of certain salvadoran citizens?    (duarte) i understand that amnesty international has to prepare a report every year, and the organization includes whatever views it chooses in the report. the organization obviously states its views in the report.  salvadorans do things according to the law. if any salvadoran or foreigner has evidence (of human rights violations), then it should be brought before the courts.  that is the logical and legal way for us to begin an investigation; that is what we always do in all such cases.    (reporter) mr president, your government has issued a special report claiming that some death squad members have deserted and implicated several right-wing members in the murder of msgr oscar arnulfo romero and other salvadorans.    (duarte) we are analyzing the available evidence in those cases. you know that i have carefully analyzed the cases. i released information only when the evidence was duly investigated and corroborated. we are processing a sizable amount of information, but i do not want to discuss it in detail because i believe that this would hinder the investigation.    (reporter) is it true that you have two video recordings in which the two deserters give their names and details and that these recordings are being analyzed by military intelligence services and the government?    (duarte) we are currently investigating the case. that is why i said that i would not like to reveal any detailed information--because this might hinder the investigation.    (reporter) mr president, the amnesty international report states that death squads--which are reportedly composed of soldiers and policemen--are being reactivated at a time when the armed forces oppose your policies.    (duarte) i do not think so. my government's policy remains unchanged. we advocate the defense of human rights and democracy. i think this is always evident.  every day this is demonstrated by events. (words indistinct) film about guerrilla commanders, which represents support for the fmln and distorts the people's views. nevertheless, we know that freedom of the press must prevail and therefore we do not intervene. you will not find another country that does this, yet we are doing so because we believe that we should defend freedom of the press above all.    (reporter) how much credence do you give the amnesty international report?    (duarte) the report is valid insofar as the facts are all there. however, i (words indistinct) the way in which the facts are interpreted. the facts are interpreted according to amnesty international's own (word indistinct). we also received reports from red cross international (words indistinct) each case. each case is interpreted differently.  the united nations has its own opinion; the oas has its own opinion. each one issues a report, and we use that information as the basis for our investigations on human rights violations, which is the main issue. (end recording)

several right-wing members

armed forces

oscar arnulfo romero


Input: nicaraguan president daniel ortega today released a provisional report on the damage caused by hurricane joan and announced an "imminent contra" attack against nicaragua.    accompanied by five fsln national directorate commanders--humberto ortega, bayardo arce, victor tirado, carlos nunez, and tomas borge--and members of his cabinet, ortega addressed members of the diplomatic corps accredited in nicaragua and the foreign press to request more international aid for the nicaraguans affected by hurricane joan.    ortega also asked the international community for its mediation in light of a new attack by 3,000 "contras" who, according to ortega, are at the honduran border ready to launch an attack against his people "in this difficult time."    "the international community must demand that the u.s. government forget its plan to attack nicaragua.  the contras have been equipped by the reagan administration and are ready to attack at any moment," the nicaraguan president added.    "we know that the rebels have been ordered to hinder the reconstruction work that is being done to help the people affected by the hurricane. they have also been ordered to sabotage the coffee harvest activities. the biggest help the yankee government could give the nicaraguan people would be to stop the attack," the president stressed.    ortega announced that while his country was being hit by hurricane joan, the contras carried out attacks and killed five civilians.    regarding the damage caused by the hurricane, ortega said that this coming week, an ecla team will arrive in managua to make "final" evaluations on the damage caused by joan last week.    international aid "is necessary and urgent because the situation is chaotic," ortega added, stressing the role played by cuba in helping his people.    he said that cuba sent 24 planes to nicaragua with food, medicine, and medical teams; mexico sent 2 planes; and spain, great britain, panama, and belgium each sent one; for a total of 2,052 tons of aid.    giving a provisional report on the damage, ortega said there were 116 dead, 178 injured, 110 missing, and 29,152 houses destroyed as well as damage to agriculture and fishing.    he stressed the damage to the ecology because thousands of hectares of forest were destroyed. he said that european technicians will travel to nicaragua next week to evaluate the damage.    ortega said that to face the hurricane, the country used the defense system it would use to repel a military attack and that thanks to this, many human lives were saved.

contras


Input: the second meeting of the so-called group of eight concluded today in punta del este, uruguay. after the uruguay declaration was signed, the presidents hosted a news conference. colombian president virgilio barco answered a uruguayan journalist's question on the current situation in our country:    (begin recording) (reporter) the situation in your country is very serious. thousands are dead, paramilitary death squads go unpunished despite their murders of patriotic union (up) members and popularly elected legislators. mr president, how can you explain this situation and how can you reconcile the situation existing in your country with your affirmation of the existence of democracy? thank you.    (barco) i do not believe your question is relevant to the composition and purpose of the group of eight meeting.  the question arises from a lack of information. colombia is a democracy, supported by a professional armed forces.  the soldiers are colombians who are complying with the requirement to perform military service. they are youths from all groups, from the rural areas, the cities, and from all political parties. the officers are professionals, and they do not follow militarist doctrines.    the armed forces members who have participated--may i add on an individual and personal basis--in any human rights violations are under investigation, will be arraigned before a military court, and many of them have been expelled. civil courts have been notified of some of those crimes, and some arrest warrants have been issued. military justice authorities are also conducting legal actions. (end recording)    during the same news conference this morning, president barco notified journalists that last thursday's strike had been an attempt by armed rebel groups against democracy. he also said that the press censorship decree was no longer valid.

paramilitary death squads

armed forces


Input: president jose napoleon duarte called on the country's political parties that will participate in the upcoming elections to protect the democratic process and the republic. duarte made this call during his speech opening the 13th international fair of el salvador, in which 25 countries are participating.    (begin recording) (duarte) i have always been a peace lover, and that is why it grieves me to see the seriousness of the current salvadoran conflict and crisis. i, however, believe the democratic process will be strengthened. i believe the minds of men will be transformed positively, and ideological struggles--even the most polarized ones--will be definitely solved by the civilized means of the electoral process.    i call on all political parties to strengthen the current political process and put the sacred interests of the nation before any other interests because that is the only way to protect the republic and consolidate the democratic revolution that belongs to all salvadorans.    i also want to make a call to all groups so the electoral process, which will culminate with the election of a new president next year, develops with the spiritual grandeur that corresponds to courageous people, who wish to show the world their political maturity and their desire to live in peace.    the electoral process will slowly consolidate. i believe sooner than later, good judgement will prevail in the minds of those who have been driven mad by barbarism. (end recording)    (gomez) president duarte also said the fmln will not stop the democratic process and that the salvadoran situation is different from the one presented by fmln commanders joaquin villalobos and leonel gonzalez during their latin american tour.    (begin recording) (duarte) it is true that the enemies of the salvadoran people will go on conducting their terrorist and destructive actions. those actions, however, will not at all affect the progress made by our democratic struggle. the truth is that our crisis is as large as the effort we have made to face it. that effort goes beyond our borders and reaches the entire world.    the social and political changes that began to take place in el salvador are (word indistinct) and have began to show their results, despite the desperate actions the fmln-fdr is conducting abroad in order to counter the results of the progress we have made.    the foreigners who came to participate in this fair as well as the distinguished oas general assembly delegates will confirm that the salvadoran situation is very different from that circulated abroad and disseminated as part of an fmln -fdr disinformation plan.    the representatives of our local subversive movements have said abroad that there is repression in el salvador.  only a government that imposes itself by force on its people can be described as a repressive government. our country never enjoyed so much freedom as now and its rulers were never chosen so freely as they are now. (end recording)    (gomez) (word indistinct) president duarte said the 18th oas regular meeting represents the latin american countries' support for the salvadoran democratic process.


Input: at a news conference in berlin on friday (4 november), volodia teitelboim, member of the political commission and secretariat of the pcch central committee, gave a report on the situation in chile following the referendum. he said that the people's resolute "no" in the referendum on 5 october must now be followed by the overthrow of pinochet and the return to democracy. the former senator said that the most urgent condition for the path into the future is the creation of a broad unity of all opposition forces which can win a victory over pinochet. he said that the communist party also considers cooperation, in particular with the socialists, a decisive step.    he said that quite a few things have changed in chile through the broad mass movement. high officers who served the dictator most loyally have had to resign now under pressure from the democratic public. in addition, it has just been reported that el siglo, the communist party newspaper, will be published again legally.    asked about the present conditions of the struggle, teitelboim said that the progressive forces in chile, who had to pay a high price for their resistance in the pinochet's 15-year rule, continue to be exposed to persecution, imprisonment, and threats of murder. the communist party, which has had the largest number of casualties and missing and tortured people since the dictatorship was established, continues to be banned.    nonetheless, the country is caught up in a wave of mobilization of the people. volodia teitelboim confirmed that the communist party supports the demand made by the opposition alliance to hold the presidential elections promised by the military junta for late 1989 at an earlier date, and to nominate a common presidential candidate. in addition, the constitution--on the basis of which pinochet intends to continue in office until march 1990 despite his defeat through the referendum--must be abolished to allow the people to decide on the country's future in freedom.    volodia teitelboim paid tribute to the gdr's consistent position in word and deed as a great example of international solidarity with the chilean people. he said that hundreds of patriots from his country have found a temporary home in the gdr, where they can live and work.


Input: dear listeners, we regret to inform you that at approximately 0400 this morning, four masked individuals stabbed pisco deputy prefect carlos soto sedice to death.    the criminals perpetrated this condemnable murder on the second floor of soto's house and threw the body down the stairs to the first floor.    pisco residents, who are deeply moved, have strongly condemned this horrible crime.    soto is the second outstanding apra leader to be killed in pisco. on 7 december 1987, professor carlos medrano vazquez, who won election by a landslide, was riddled with bullets.    the body of soto has been taken to the pisco central morgue. (passage omitted)

four masked individuals

carlos soto sedice


Input: the movement of the revolutionary left (mir) has decided that in the next few months it will carry out "a struggle of the masses" to destabilize the military regime by "all forms of struggle." the mir rejected the strategy of dialogue advocated by the opposition's democratic sectors.    the mir added that it will "take advantage of any situation" and that it will use the electoral process by registering a leftist party.    mir spokesman jecar neghme talked to the press yesterday about the resolutions approved at the latest mir central committee meeting held on 6 and 7 november.  he said that it was the first meeting held in chile since july 1973.    neghme stated that in addition to political issues, the central committee also paid homage to raul pellegrin and cecilia magni, members of the manuel rodriguez patriotic front who were killed recently.    in a public communique, the mir criticized the opposition parties for "not listening to the national clamor for pinochet's resignation" and for giving priority to "a strategy of shady deals at the top level."    the communique adds: "although the document released by the 16 political parties focuses on some of the people's demands, its main defect is that by including the demands as part of a negotiating strategy and by making the mobilization tasks unclear, the demands of the chilean people will not be heard."    the mir also said that next year it will struggle for the immediate end of the regime and the constitution, the creation of a provisional government, the election of a constituent assembly, the strengthening of the united left, and the preparation of a "democratic and popular program" for the country.    the communique says that to achieve those goals the mir will promote a tactic "to destabilize the regime, to make the institutions illegitimate, to democratize the country, and to accumulate greater force."    the communique also points out that the mir will use "the limited possibility of participating in elections beginning in 1988." this is why the mir supports the registration of a leftist party: to prevent the exclusion of the left and "to promote the gains of the people."

raul pellegrin

cecilia magni


Input: government minister andres vallejo yesterday again denied the claim of commanders joaquin and javier of the alfaro lives dammit subversive group that they have met with him. the rebel leaders maintain they have met on five occasions with the government within a framework of consultations and coordination proposed by president rodrigo borja. according to them, one of the meetings involved minister vallejo himself, who reportedly introduced them to a delegate of president borja for further talks.    nevertheless, vallejo did not rule out the possibility of holding talks with the guerrillas to achieve peace in the country. febres-cordero's administration refused to hold talks with the alfaro lives dammit and free homeland montoneras guerrilla groups because it considered them to be terrorist groups; it actually attacked these groups to the point of almost eliminating them.    vallejo pointed out that holding talks with the guerrillas would be a positive step. he recalled that the colombian administration of belisario betancur began a dialogue with genuine revolutionary armies to achieve peace in that country. he asked: why can we not hold talks here, where the guerrillas are still at an embryonic phase?    the possibility of government-guerrillas talks has been viewed differently. national congress president wilfrido lucero said on 25 november that the congress is neither tasked nor empowered to hold talks with the guerrillas. lucero refused to comment on the alleged talks, saying that he has received no information in this regard. he added: these kinds of problems are under the jurisdiction of others; it is not a concern of the national congress.    according to julio cesar trujillo, a former president of popular democracy, talks with guerrillas would be good for the country because they have useful ideas, some of which could be implemented. he added that not everything advocated by the guerrillas can be carried out because there are obstacles facing the good offices of the current rulers.    meanwhile, the social christian party of former president leon febres-cordero expressed concern over this possibility. it will meet tomorrow to discuss the topic and issue an statement. marco lara, president of that party and public information secretary during the previous administration, refused to comment on this.    while in quito (as heard), commanders joaquin and javier are proposing a broad and direct dialogue with rodrigo borja's regime; in guayaquil, leaders juan cubia and edgar prias, both in prison, and patricio baquerizo are rejecting a demand that the movement respect the law.


Input: six guerrillas of a still unidentified group died today in a skirmish with army troops in morelia, caqueta department.    meanwhile, in ciudad bolivar, antioquia department, insurgents apparently belonging to the national liberation army placed a bomb in the city's administrative offices and also destroyed four farms, causing approximately 100 million pesos in damage.

insurgents apparently belonging to the national liberation army

national liberation army

city's administrative offices

farms

bomb


Input: members of the bomb squad have deactivated a powerful bomb planted at the andres avelino caceres park, where president alan garcia was due to participate in the commemoration of the battle of tarapaca.

andres avelino caceres park

alan garcia

powerful bomb


Input: in venezuela, autopsies have been performed on 9 of the 14 fishermen--including 2 colombians--killed in el amparo. the autopsy reports are being widely discussed.  the investigations carried out by the venezuelan government directly involve the military authorities.    colombian foreign minister julio londono paredes has requested coordinated actions by the two countries to prevent such border incidents.    it was admitted that the remains of the fishermen were exhumed over the weekend. seven of them were exhumed on 26 november and six on 27 november in venezuela. the judicial report stated that there were no guerrilla clashes and that each was killed by a coup de grace of the venezuelan army.    the venezuelan investigative commission entrusted with clarifying the venezuelan military authorities' reasons for slaughtering 14 fishermen on 22 october in el amparo directly involve the security organizations.    the autopsies performed on nine bodies have established that the peasants of the border area did not have an armed clash with the military. on the contrary, they were shot at a distance less than 1 meter, which is what the two survivors said from the beginning. those survivors have now requested asylum in caracas from the mexican government.    (begin recording) (londono) we hope such incidents will decrease and that the venezuelan authorities along the border will coordinate with the colombian civilian and military authorities any actions for preserving--not only the lives of the colombians on either side of the border--peace and tranquillity in the border area. (end recording)    because 2 of the 14 murdered fishermen were colombians, londono paredes stated that the government will maintain its initial stand of demanding compensation for the relatives of the dead colombians. the government will also await an official notification from venezuela on the results of the investigations on the el amparo slaughter.

venezuelan military authorities

venezuelan army


Input: colonel mauricio ernesto vargas, commander of the army's 3d brigade in san miguel, has stated that the armed forces is not involved in death squad actions and that such actions are contrary to the institution's regulations. vargas was referring specifically to the murder of three peasants in morazan, of which the army is being accused:    (begin recording) (vargas) our values and the values of the system we defend do not allow us to execute, kidnap, or steal. the system states we are to comply with our laws and let the responsible institutions determine guilt or innocence. we cannot be judge and jury in such situations.  (end recording)    the most recent case for which the army is being blamed is the murder of three peasants in yamabal canton, morazan, on 12 november. vargas denied armed forces complicity in these murders and stated that humanitarian organizations must investigate in cases of this nature so they can present evidence and accuse a specific sector. he added that he has evidence the army was not present in yamabal canton on the day of the triple murder:    (begin recording) (vargas) i directly accuse the fmln and tell the humanitarian organizations that are accusing the armed forces to investigate the fmln. the humanitarian organizations must not accept dialectic conclusions such as the ones made by the criminal joaquin villalobos, who said we executed and (words indistinct). they are not god. they talk as if the world belonged to them.  there are laws and a legal framework in this country.  our system has a legal framework, and we have to base ourselves on it. there are humanitarian organizations that have become corrupt and have become accomplices of the fmln's murder; they remain silent and do not defend justice, laws, and principles. regarding this case, i accuse the fmln of these deaths. we have evidence the fmln is responsible for the acts presently being reported in the northwestern zone. (end recording)    col vargas also criticized the work done by some humanitarian orgnizations and said they use human rights as an excuse to protect sectors that share their ideology.

death squad

armed forces

fmln


Input: twenty-six people, four of whom are policemen, were injured in a bomb explosion that occurred before dawn on 30 october. the bomb was placed in a dance hall in ayacucho, a city located south of lima.    the local press today reported that the police have attributed the attack to terrorists who used a home-made bomb called "russian cheese." this bomb is made up of powder, tacks, pieces of iron, and steel wire. it explodes when it touches the floor.    ayacucho was the site of a similar explosion on 3 july when several unidentified people hurled explosives at a dance hall where the music group "los shapis" was playing. the "los shapis" music group has received death threats from the "shining path" guerrilla group because the latter believes "los shapis" play alienating music.    according to police sources, the "shining path," which began its activities in ayacucho in may 1980, is responsible for the death of about 12,000 people and material losses estimated at $10 billion.

terrorists

shining path

dance hall

home-made bomb called "russian cheese."

powder


Input: barranquilla -- a 45 percent cut in available electric power is currently in effect along the entire colombian atlantic coast. today is the 5th day of the energy crisis in the atlantic region, which was caused by the destruction of seven power towers of the national energy network.    only four corelca (electric corporation of the atlantic coast) units are working and generating 440 megawatts, while other corelca units are facing many operational problems due to a lack of gas.    the atlantic hydroelectric plant is generating approximately 70 megawatts. atlantic hydroelectric plant director eduardo velar de la rosa estimated that the electricity rationing will continue for another 5 days until the power towers blown up by terrorists (words indistinct) are repaired.

terrorists

power towers of the national energy network


Input: eec and andean group officials have held meetings at the cartagena agreement board headquarters to program activities aimed at increasing trade ties between the two groups.    according to what the cartagena agreement board, a technical-community integration organization, reported today, the political agreements that were adopted by the andean-european joint commission in the meetings held in brussels in april are now being implemented through the holding of these talks.    the first meeting in lima will be to discuss fundamental issues such as the better use of the generalized preferential rates system that is implemented by the eec, the establishment of activities to promote trade, and the development of andean exports.    the implementation of these agreements not only encompass the strengthening of trade ties, but also industrial development and economic cooperation for development.    peter heisler, the chief of the eec delegation, said that this meeting shows "our willingness to cooperate."    according to statistics provided by the cartagena agreement board, in 1986 the andean group, comprised of bolivia, ecuador, colombia, peru, and venezuela, recorded a deficit of $266 million in its trade with eec countries.    this deficit in andean trade, which has not been recorded since 1982, when the foreign debt crisis exploded in andean group countries, is caused by the fall by almost 23 percent of andean exports, which in 1988 totaled $3.847 billion.    this deficit is also caused by an increase of 18 percent in andean imports from eec countries, worth $4.113 billion.    between 1970 and 1986, the andean group accumulated a trade deficit of $2.175 billion with the group of 12.    during this period, andean exports totaled $54.795 billion, while imports totaled $56.970 billion.    the cooperation agreement between the cartagena agreement board members and eec countries was signed on 17 december 1983 in cartagena, colombia.    later, the congresses of all the countries comprising the andean group approved the agreement while negotiations to implement them, particularly regarding trade, have been taking place since april 1988.


Input: at least two people were killed and four were wounded early this morning during an fmln attack on the el angel sugar mill located near apopa.    the guerrilla action began at approximately midnight when about 50 guerrillas armed with rifles and mortars attacked the sugar mill, which is located 15 km north of san salvador. during the attack, the guerrillas partially destroyed the administrative offices of the sugar mill and a nearby house. the sugar processing equipment and machinery were not damaged. after about an hour, the insurgents withdrew. the number of fmln casualties is unknown. (passage omitted)    at the same time that this attack was taking place, the fmln staged harassment attacks on 1st infantry brigade units guarding the las canas bridge, which is located on the road from apopa to quezaltepeque. it has been unofficially reported that the army suffered two dead and two wounded in this attack, but this report was denied by the armed forces.    the two actions are part of a new fmln military maneuver that began yesterday with the attack on the national guard headquarters, where 4 guardsmen were killed and 30 wounded.

about 50 guerrillas

fmln

administrative offices of the sugar mill

nearby house

rifles

mortars


Input: a shootout has been reported between a group of guerrillas and joint antiterrorist forces in a mountainous region near san fernando.    it was unofficially reported that the terrorists might belong to the group that attacked the los quenes police station, which was completely destroyed and resulted in the killing of a carabinero.    it was said that the shootout occurred last wednesday and that there might have been casualties on both sides.  no official report, however, has been released because this incident is being kept in strict secrecy.    it was also reported that the shootout might have lasted 2 hours in the el melado area, a mountainous region near the city of san fernando. the terrorist attack took place near curico.


Input: the armed forces have reported that two soldiers and one guerrilla were killed yesterday in fighting in san miguel and morazan departments. they also reported that the antel (national administration for telecommunications) office, court offices, and community center of dulce nombre de maria were dynamited by the fmln early this morning.    according to the reports, a large group of rebels entered the town and, after subduing the military guards, they dynamited the buildings. no casualties were reported.

large group of rebels

fmln

court offices

community center


Input: i have been working jointly with the armed forces general staff--not just this week but for several months. i have to add that not only the national police are involved, but the public security forces and the military corps stationed here in san salvador. we have reinforcements from the countryside and are working on a joint plan to help minimize terrorist attacks that they will try to carry out and are carrying out at this very moment.    just to give you an example, right now we are waiting for a demonstration that is to begin at the national university.  there will be students together with unts (national union of salvadoran workers) members, who are going to march their usual route and end up at the park across from the cathedral.    i want to tell you that they are not going to have any problems as long as they obey the law. as i said a few days ago, we do not want confrontations with anyone.  what they want is to confront police and public security forces for the sake of creating a martyr, and we are unwilling to oblige them in this endeavor. (passage omitted)    (reporter) the attack against the national guard seems like a campaign against the security corps. we would like to know if the national police are on alert for an attack in view of the attacks against the national guard and the treasury police?    (guzman) as i said before, this is not new for us, and we are making plans. you notice that the general headquarters is close to homes. we have already seen in usulutan and in san francisco morazan where these people attacked without caring whether they destroyed private property or homes--even killing innocent civilians. we are not exempt from this here. we have a strategy. we even believe there is a possibility of an attack from inside the general headquarters--it is very possible, they have done it before. i remember when they bombed the service station here, destroying three or four vehicles, and they also placed bombs inside the general directorate office. we are doing all we can to try to avoid these problems. we are ready to face any situation. (passage omitted)    (reporter) what plans have you made for the upcoming oas general meeting, and what security responsibilities will the national police have in regard to this meeting?    (guzman) you must understand these are mainly military plans which we cannot very well disclose in advance.  if i started giving out this information, i would be exposing our security operation for the meeting. all i can say is that we are taking this situation very seriously. we have reinforcements from the countryside. not only is the national police involved, but the public security corps, as well as other units that have come from the countryside to support this common effort. (passage omitted) (end recording)


Input: the five individuals who were detained in the mountainous region of cocoan and are accused of belonging to the manuel rodriguez patriotic front (fpmr) terrorist organization are being held incommunicado at the social rehabilitation center.    the military prosecutor of cautin, rodolfo calsen, has 5 days, beginning today, to bring charges against them, and to either condemn or release them for lack of evidence.    the detainees, as previously reported, have been identified as maximiliano rivera, 31; aldo esteban mutarelo, 30; and a woman identified as angelica huerta huerta, 26. they were all detained in the catripulli sector, some 30 km from pucon, toward the mountains. two m-16 rifles were found on these individuals, along with ammunition, explosives, and subversive material.    two other people were later arrested. they were identified as adolfo mas stilman flores, 29, and arnaldo rivera. no weapons were found on them.    these detaintions were carried out last monday, 31 october, but the report was released to the communications media only yesterday afternoon (3 nov). the detainees are reportedly being held incommunicado while awaiting a resolution. if the deadline is not extended, we will have some news tomorrow on whether they will be submitted to trial or be acquitted for lack of evidence.


Input: luz leon, patriotic union (up) councilwoman for meta department, was seriously wounded today during an attack in villavicencio in which her husband, parmenides cuenca, was killed. the murderers have not yet been identified.

luz leon

parmenides cuenca


Input: carabineros have found four packets containing explosives at the foot of high tension electric tower no 657 of the colbun-machicura line.    the packets were found in plot no 5, el romeral sector, 2 km west of southern highway no 5.    the land belongs to ramon urrutia blanco.    each packet contained 2 kg of amonium gelignite, detonators, fuses, and timing devices.    specialized personnel believe that the bombs were planted a few days ago so that they could be activated at any time.


Input: the local police have reported that national liberation army (eln) guerrillas today kidnapped the antioquia colombian civil defense (dcc) commander.    the police said major guillermo rodriguez velasquez, retired, was intercepted by an eln commando while traveling from doradal to medellin with sergeant miguel antonio avila barreto, also retired, who is the department's dcc recruiter.    the two dcc officials were returning to medellin when they were kidnapped 1 km from doradal.

national liberation army (eln) guerrillas

national liberation army

guillermo rodriguez velasquez

miguel antonio avila barreto


Input: dear listeners, the minister has arrived and we welcome him and thank him for his participation in this segment. good morning.    (vides) good morning.    (reporter) violence has increased recently and the people are extremely worried. what are the armed forces doing to guarantee the people's welfare?    (vides) the salvadoran people's concern about increased terrorist violence is understandable. we must bear in mind that terrorist acts always escalate when important events are expected. this does not happen only in our country; we recently saw it in seoul, before the olympics, when groups resorted to violence to provoke the authorities and prevent an international event from taking place.    an oas meeting is scheduled to take place in this country in a few days. the event is being threatened by a number of acts, particularly terrorist acts in the san benito, max diaz, escalon, and san francisco neighborhoods.  the terrorists believe the people will protest against the oas meeting if they cause terror in those areas.    we are expecting foreign ministers from latin america, central america, and the united states, whom the terrorists believe will call off the meeting because of the situation in the country. that is the main reason for the increased violence.    you have seen that we have increased patrol operations recently. patrols are also being carried out around the volcanoes near san salvador. security measures are also being implemented on the periphery of san salvador and around the meeting venue, but i cannot give you the details. there is also a complete security plan for the officials who will participate in the oas meeting.    we are ready to reduce the possibility of an incident to a minimum. however, i have always been honest and i must admit there is always the possibility of sabotage or a terrorist act. this does not necessarily mean that it will affect the security measures in the area of the meeting. for example, a blackout can be caused by cutting off an electric line in a distant area.    (reporter) general, the fmln's attacks have not been so overwhelming in the past, yet now those attacks are attaining considerable military success. do the fmln's military actions mean it is superior to the armed forces?    (vides) we cannot conceive their military superiority under any circumstances. i have noticed the guerrilla leaders are currently visiting different countries, particularly the contadora group members. they are trying to gain support for reading a statement at the oas meeting, and they are also trying to pressure the salvadoran government into negotiating with them. this proves the rebels have failed militarily, and that failure has been brought about by our large-scale operations in northern chalatenango department and usulutan department, in the east of the country.    the rebels have tried to bring the war to urban areas.  however, the plans of subversive groups--i showed you the documents on their fire plan in another meeting--did not include the type of terrorist acts that we have seen lately. instead, they planned a general uprising and strike before the elections.    this proves, as i said, that the subversives could not develop their fire plan. they have carried out several acts but they have failed to achieve the expected results.  this is like having a cinema show a movie every day with no-one turning up to see it.    the subversives are trying to carry out this type of event right now to give the impression of military strength, so the oas will pass a resolution recommending negotiation to solve the conflict.    furthermore, the rebels are trying to discredit the democratic process and boycott our next elections because some people are demoralized by terrorism and lack the will to participate in politics, which makes the election results unsatisfactory. (continued)


Input: legislative sources reported in lima today that the peruvian congress has approved a bill establishing more severe penalties for terrorists and also establishing punishments for the support of terrorist acts.    the bill, which was discussed in the chamber of deputies and the senate, establishes prison terms ranging from 10 to 20 years. it was immediately sent to the executive branch for promulgation.    the bill was approved 3 months after peruvian president alan garcia presented it to congress on 28 july, when garcia completed the 3d year of a 5-year term of office which began in 1985.    the provisions approved by congress amend 6 articles in section 8, volume 2 of the peruvian penal code, adding more severe sentences and the means for expanding court actions against subversion.    a prison term of 20 years or more will be imposed on those who cause anxiety, alarm, or terror among the population or any part of it, acts against a person's life or health, or acts against private or public property if such acts impair the community's basic services.    in all cases, the instigators or masterminds, the principals in the second degree, and the accomplices will receive the same sentences as the perpetrators.    more severe sentences have also been established for cases in which a perpetrator belongs to an organization that uses terrorism as a means to achieve its goals, including the maoist "shining path" organization and the mrta.    supporting, approving, or praising terrorist acts can be punished with prison terms of 5 years or more, and a 5-year prison term has been established for the crime of making, purchasing, stealing, or storing weapons or explosives for the purpose of terrorism.    more than 12,000 people have been killed in peru in subversive and anti-subversive actions since the "shining path" organization began its armed struggle in 1980. more than $10 billion in material losses have been registered as well.


Input: a new diplomatic rift has arisen between colombia and the neighboring republic of venezuela following a protest note sent by our foreign ministry to the venezuelan foreign ministry. the note denounces the massacre of 14 fishermen, including two colombians whom the venezuelan armed forces accused of being subversives.    the venezuelan government decided that it would not be scolded by colombia, so the venezuelan foreign ministry sent a note to our foreign ministry which said that venezuela rejected the terms used in the colombian protest note.    colombia has sent 17 foreign ministry notes to venezuela in the past 2 years, all concerning incidents that have directly or indirectly affected colombian citizens.  only 2 of the 17 protest notes have received a reply, and they never included the results of the investigations requested by our government.    the last note represents a protest from our government for the murder of jose antonio aregua and justo pastor ceballos on 29 october. they were assassinated along with 12 venezuelan citizens when the venezuelan army mistook them for national liberation army rebels in cano colorada, arauca department, along the venezuelan border.    even though there is evidence that the venezuelan authorities made a mistake, the country's reply to the note was spiteful and unsatisfactory. this represents the worst diplomatic incident between the two countries so far this year.    ildegar perez, venezuelan ambassador to colombia, personally referred to the state of relations between the two countries:    (begin recording) (perez) let us say that relations at this point are delicate, but i would not characterize them as critical or extremely difficult. (end recording)    the venezuelan government has ordered that the two survivors of the 29 october massacre at the border be tried. moreover, the dispute between the two countries is being exploited in the venezuelan presidential campaign.  very few, however, dare to speak the truth about the situation.    (venezuelan deputy juvencio pulgar) (begin recording) we have disputes and we should not cover them up. colombia and venezuela have things to protest about, but only a dialogue will lead to an agreement to settle these disputes. (end recording)

two survivors

venezuelan armed forces

jose antonio aregua

justo pastor ceballos


Input: four colombian policemen and one army noncommissioned officer were killed today in an ambush by national liberation army (eln) rebels near tame, arauca intendance.    the bodies of the five people killed today in an ambush near tame airport, arauca intendance, were brought to bogota. the body of a fifth (as heard) victim, ricardo diaz, was brought to villa vicencio and will be buried in san carlos de guaroa, his birthplace, tomorrow. the only survivor was taken to the bogota police clinic.  (passage omitted)    the official report points out that the policemen were killed by the explosion of dynamite that had been placed in the vehicle transporting them from downtown tame to the local airport. authorities presume the criminal attack was perpetrated by eln rebels.


Input: the inflation `bogeyman'    this entire panorama changed with the no vote victory.  and with it changed the policies and tools that buchi's team will have to resort to until late 1989 and that are now much more dependent than before on the government's political objectives. one option is to keep on doing "more of the same," to ignore the new context that has developed since 5 october, to defuse the monetary time bomb and to apply a tight tourniquet to the economy to prevent renewed outbreaks of higher prices.    the inflation "bogeyman" is beginning to make his presence felt (the consumer price index, cpi, is expected to be up 1.3 to 1.5 percent this month), and explanations abound. gerardo aceituno, the head of the forecasting workshop of the labor economy program, attributes the mounting inflationary pressures to the impact of the wage hike and higher international interest rates on domestic prices. he recalls that the prices of farm products have been "virtually frozen for a year" and that this explains the huge gap between the wholesale price index, which fell one percent during the past 12 months, and the cpi, which rose 12 percent during the same period. "the situation could not be sustained, except if businessmen wanted to sacrifice their profit margins, which have so far not been affected, because the vat was cut."    juan villarzu, in contrast, places most of the blame for the inflationary pressures on the excessive quantity of money. oddly enough, however, the uncertainty that developed after the victory of the no vote is presumably having an effect somewhat similar to the "mini-adjustment."  he reports that small- and medium-sized businessmen are postponing their investment plans, and thus their demand for credit has fallen off. the dilemma facing them and other "economic agents" is whether to spend the money or to deposit it. the central bank comes into play here, because "not having to compete with the banks, it can begin soaking up some of the money in circulation without boosting interest rates too much. moreover, they are already quite high: 5 percent for 90-day operations, as against 4.2 percent during the first half." in addition, it could resort to its sizable monetary reserves and "burn up" foreign exchange on higher imports to absorb some of the excess liquidity.  "i'm thinking about devaluations (of the peso) somewhat similar to the ones this year."    options after the no victory    in any event, the large mass of money in circulation and the existing inflationary pressures (whatever their cause) "constitute an explosive situation," which according to villarzu the government will not ignore. because "if it has any political accomplishment left, it is the victory over inflation." and the tightening up will be even more severe if the finance minister insists on achieving a 5-percent rise in the cpi in 1989, as the draft budget sent to the junta calls for. even the central bank regards this goal as dangerous. a high-level central bank executive said that "it is valid to aim for an inflation rate like that in the developed countries, but we have to be careful because unemployment (which would trigger a heavy concentration of spending) remains high."    on the other side of the government's economic card are the already visible and strong pressures that the right has begun to apply so that the government will increase spending in 1989 or at least not reduce it. the right also wants the government to take actions that are more populist in nature or that have less visible effects on voters. significantly, experts on buchi's own team are the ones who are admitting that political demands can be given to some extent without ignoring certain principles.  gaining ground, as a result, are an increase in the minimum wage ("to pave the way for higher pay in private enterprise") and further cuts in the vat (the rumor of a cut to 12 percent was already making the rounds before the plebiscite) and in the tax on capital.  but the privatization of enterprises is still strongly supported as well. everything points in the same direction: "reduce the size of the public and government sector and, at the same time, narrow the maneuvering room on taxes for a government different from this one." if it is similar, so much the better. (continued)


Input: the guerrillas turn terrorist    the president of patriotic union, bernardo jaramillo ossa, feels that the sanction imposed on the two uraba unions last week was unfair because he believes that the struggle of the workers has nothing to do with the phenomenon of violence in the zone.    jaramillo acknowledged, however, that the guerrilla groups in uraba have shifted from subversion to absurd acts of terrorism and vandalism that cannot be compared to acts anywhere else in the country.    the leftist leader described this terrorist escalade as one of the major obstacles to the region's achieving the social pact that it urgently needs.    the congressman felt that the shutdown of the unions has deprived them of spokesmen and he recalled that uraba has achieved its wealth through private enterprise, without the slightest government involvement.    more self-criticism    senator alberto rojas puyo, one of the patriotic union congressmen, contended yesterday that the resignation of the president of the cut, jorge carrillo, ought to help prompt the left to make a series of rectifications.    rojas said: "jorge carrillo's letter of resignation as president of the cut contains very important proposals not only for the organization but also for all democratic forces. i am glad that his resignation was not accepted and i see in this development the possibility that the forces of the left will begin a serious process of reflection and necessary rectification so that their struggles are understood and taken up by the working class and the people at large.    "some of carrillo's proposals are, without doubt, debatable, but the indiscriminate mix of actions is unquestionably doing great damage to the country and, most of all, to the left. a clear line must be drawn in word and in deed with respect to violence. the fact that such crucial aspects for colombia's democratic development were debated within a major labor federation shows that this class can play a guiding role for the people at large.    "the important thing is that along with the necessary reforms, the unity of the federation and its capacity for alliances and grassroots mobilization emerge strengthened."


Input: colonel rene emilio ponce (chairman of the salvadoran joint chiefs of staff) appeared before the legislative assembly today. the assembly offered to loosen legal (word indistinct) on the armed forces to win the war.    some groups believe the country entered a crisis with the 15 october 1979 military coup. since then, el salvador has suffered a civil war that is getting worse and causing more casualties. there are now two disturbing changes in the war: first, corpses are being dumped on the roadside, which reminds us of the early 1980's when death squads were active. second, urban guerrilla activity is increasing. the armed forces are justifiably concerned about those issues.    (begin recording) (ponce) i never talk about death squads. i talk about violence and the actions of the right- and left-wing groups. the army is determined, and is making all the necessary efforts, to counter those violent actions, regardless of which groups carry them out. (end recording)    col ponce met with members of the legislative assembly defense and public security committee today.    after 8 years, the war seems to be endless. arena (nationalist republican alliance) believes that a solution to the crisis could be the formation of a common front that will set up a national strategy and also loosen legal restrictions on the armed forces.    (begin recording) (arena deputy sigifredo ochoa) we must set up a national strategy, because we cannot let the guerrillas kill us. i think that we must act within the law. i think we must loosen the legal restrictions on the army, because the army can be effective but has its hands tied. (words indistinct) in its own country, it has been rejected for having defended communist guerrillas (words indistinct), which in (word indistinct) itself is considered as (words indistinct). we cannot understand how can it defend a criminal position. it is time for us to rally around a single purpose. (end recording)    there can still be a peaceful solution to the crisis.  christian democratic party (pdc) presidential candidate fidel chavez mena said he will seek a dialogue with the guerrilla movement. meanwhile, arena will make its own proposal to the fmln.    (begin recording) (ochoa) the pdc promised to achieve peace. that is an illusion. that is what the pdc candidate is proposing.  chavez mena has been in the government for years, and the government will not change its strategy. that proposal is merely a smokescreen.    we have been very clear about this. we must sit down to talk with the rebels within a strict time limit and without so much demagogy. we are willing to talk with the fmln-fdr. we want to make a proposal to them--not an arena proposal, but a national proposal. (end recording)


Input: ...over the red telephone and second, all hostilities have unilaterally ended on all farc fronts.  the government once asked me why they do not begin a unilateral end of hostilities if they have goodwill. here it is. i cannot do any more; i hope the government does not let this opportunity pass.    (gracia) do you believe talks should continue with the guerrilla groups?    (leyva) the truth is that i proposed something to the government, the political parties, and the guerrillas.  what you call talks is nothing more than the guerrillas' reply to the proposal--the same way as (former president) dr turbay, social conservative party president dr fabio valencia, and dr jaramillo ossa of the patriotic union did. the cardinals have been informed of the proposal, and the m-19 and farc have replied. in fact, they went even further; they unilaterally ended hostilities.  now the ball is in the government's court.    (gracia) taking into account that after agreeing not to, for example, carry out any ambushes against troops, the guerrillas continued; they broke the agreement. do you think we can again trust these statements?    (leyva) i cannot measure the confidence that should be given to others. the only thing i know is the government is seeking peace, so i imagine this is precisely the way. the suspicion that the government might have of them is the same as you might have, but if the government seeks peace, here is where they can find it, with a preliminary end to hostilities on all fronts. this is what (farc general secretary) jacobo arenas wrote in a letter that was not addressed to me but to the former presidents of colombia. (end recording)


Input: presumed shining path maoist extremists ambushed and killed 68 peasants in the locality of balcon, 200 km north of the southern city of ayacucho.    a peasant defense patrol unit was combing the area in search of guerrillas when it was ambushed on 22 november, the newspaper expreso reported today.    the wave of violence has hit peruvian tourist establishments in the city of huaraz, capital of the ancash department, where four inns and hotels were bombed last night, damaging the buildings and injuring an 18 year-old girl.    in cusco, 1,000 km southeast of lima, a bus (as received) heading toward machu pichu went out of control as the result of sabotage and fell into a 60-meter ravine. the wives of the jersey city, united states, and cusco mayors died in this accident.    leftist senator enrique bernales ballesteros, president of the special commission for the investigation and study of terrorism and violence, has noted that the escalation of violence has claimed the lives of 21 people per day during the month of november. he said that the increased violence can be traced to actions by the terrorist groups shining path and tupac amaru revolutionary movement (mrta). these attacks were repressed by the forces of order.    senator bernales reported that 630 people were killed in violent acts in november and that 1,775 have been killed over the past 12 months.    bernales said that 403 people were killed in november as a result of violent acts, including 147 civilians, 165 presumed terrorists, 65 armed forces members, and 26 drug traffickers. a total of 227 people were killed in urban violent acts.    senator bernales added that a total of nearly 13,000 people have been killed since the terrorist violence began in 1980.    bernales expressed his concern over the fact that 67 percent of the people killed in violent acts involved youths who were between 15 and 29 years of age. he asked the government to establish guidelines to counter this social phenomenon.    amid this bloody and destructive situation, the peruvian episcopal conference has made a christmas appeal, asking that--without ignoring "the seriousness of the situation"--for a truce "for peace, reconciliation, and tranquillity" to prevail in the country.    the bishops said: "recalling he who prevailed over death, we call upon those who have resorted to violence and killings as a solution to the evils of society, to allow the citizens for whom they claim to struggle to live like brothers."

presumed shining path maoist extremists

presumed terrorists

shining path

tupac amaru revolutionary movement

bus

inns

hotels


Input: the army has reported that it inflicted 208 guerrilla casualties during clashes in november. meanwhile, the fmln rebels have said they inflicted 991 casualties on the army--including dead and wounded--as a result of their attacks, harassment, and ambushes during the same period.    the military report says 93 fmln guerrillas were killed and 115 wounded as a result of nationwide counterinsurgency military operations during the month of november.    the report added that during the same period, the army confiscated 105 high-caliber rifles, 2 m-60 machineguns, 20 revolvers of various calibers, more than 55,000 cartridges, 168 fragmentation grenades, 236 mines, 9 communication radios, and a large amount of material for homemade bombs.    the military report added that during the month of november, guerrillas killed 43 peasants, kidnapped 32, and caused the death of 6 people and crippled 23 others as a result of mine explosions.    in the war against public property--the pillar of a war economy--the military source reported that six mayorial offices and six national administration for telecommunications offices were damaged in various towns and six junction boxes were sabotaged.    in addition, 4 trains belonging to the salvadoran national railroad, fenadesal, were blown up, and 10 vehicles and 5 buses were partially damaged.    regarding damage to the electricity system, the fmln knocked down 46 towers and 136 high-tension power poles and damaged 11 transformers.

fmln guerrillas

fmln

mayorial offices

national administration for telecommunications offices

junction boxes

trains belonging to the salvadoran national railroad, fenadesal

vehicles

buses

towers

high-tension power poles

transformers

mine


Input: there is a subject of interest to radio havana listeners: the urng's humanization of the war policy.    (villagran) right now, the political and diplomatic commission, on directions from the urng general command, is making every effort to humanize the war situation in the country, especially by showing respect for the geneva agreement, which guatemala signed.    we are doing this because the repressive war the army has been waging against the revolutionary movement and the population has reached levels of extreme cruelty, including indiscriminate bombings and the use of defoliants in conflict zones where civilians live.    there is the particular situation in which neither the guatemalan army nor the government take any war prisoners. this makes us believe that the cruelty used against civilians and people involved in the armed conflict is a violation of human rights.    (martinez) does the urng have any prisoners at this moment?    (villagran) yes. we have sent a note to the national reconciliation commission so it can handle the case of soldier carlos perez lopez, who was captured wounded in the san marcos region, near galvez. he has been given much medical attention. now that he has fully recovered, we are thinking about publicly returning this guatemalan, and we are asking the reconciliation commission to take measures through the international red cross (irc) to receive this man in the framework of the humanization process.    (martinez) will this be the first time the urng will make this kind of contact with the irc?    (villagran) the irc has had localization problems.  there has been the argument that there is a national red cross. contact with the irc is possible if there is a presence of this organization that functions based on international agreements. now that the irc is present, the work is being facilitated.    the contact with the irc is at the initiation level.  however, i believe these contacts will be very useful in the future, especially for persons not involved in the armed conflict.    (martinez) i think it would be useful if we close this interview with you repeating the name of the guatemalan army soldier who is being held by the urng and whom the guerrilla forces are prepared to turn over to the irc.    (villagran) yes. his name is carlos lopez perez (as heard).    (martinez) thank you, villagran.


Input: it was barely noon when a man who had just arrived on a flight from medellin went into the national bookstore to buy some newspapers.  meanwhile, his bodyguard-chauffeur waited for him in the lobby. the man with the newspapers, a cattleman named gustavo de jesus escobar fernandez, had just left the bookstore when the trouble started. escobar was preparing to go to his car when a man approached him.  the man, around 35 years old and 5 feet 9 inches tall, took out a 7.65 caliber pistol and began firing. panic spread throughout the terminal as people threw themselves on the floor to avoid being shot.    escobar immediately fell to the floor as his attacker tried to escape through one of the exits. apparently, he did not take into account the presence of the bodyguard, who had enough time to draw his gun and shoot the aggressor, who died at the scene. escobar fernandez was taken to the san pedro claver clinic, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. but the tragic event did not end there. a 20-year-old woman who was at the airport, maria florez gutierrez, was seriously wounded and her condition was listed as serious when this edition went to print.    early details did not clarify the motivation for the attack. according to documents found in his clothing, in addition to his activities as a cattleman, gustavo de jesus escobar was a legal advisor in congress, although this was denied by spokesmen from that institution. things took another turn that evening, when the television news program 24 hours reported that escobar fernandez was the cousin of pablo escobar gaviria. this gave rise to the supposition that the attack was linked to the series of killings in the so-called "cartel war."    as to the attacker, neither his real motives nor his identity were known at the end of the week. (passage omitted)

man

gustavo de jesus escobar fernandez

maria florez gutierrez

7.65 caliber pistol


Input: the commander of military detachment no 4 today reported today the discovery of 22 dead guerrillas in morazan department. according to colonel roman alfonso barrera, the bodies were found near osicala following a search operation after an fmln attack on army positions in that area.    meanwhile, three guerrillas were killed yesterday during a clash with the 3d brigade from chiriligua, san gerardo, in san miguel department.    this morning, insurgents derailed a train in the soyapango jurisdiction. fenadesal (salvadoran national railroad) spokesmen said the incident took place at the km 249 point on the railway line where the train was derailed by a claymore mine. there were no casualties.

guerrillas

fmln

train

claymore mine


Input: la republica in spanish in its 7 december edition carries on pages 1 and 13 a upi report with a washington, 6 december dateline on human rights violations throughout the world in the past year.    the upi report says that during a meeting commemorating its 10th anniversary, the human rights watch organization presented its annual report on human rights violations, which stated that countries like colombia, el salvador, guatemala, cuba, and the philippines registered high levels of human rights violations in the past year. the report adds that seven political activists were killed in the philippines in the past year.    la republica carries this upi report under the following banner headline: "john maisto (u.s. embassy deputy chief of mission in panama), adviser in the murder of activists in the philippines." the upi report does not mention maisto.    the report is accompanied by photos of maisto and u.s.  president ronald reagan along with the following caption: "his (maisto's) work in that country, where more crimes of this nature have been committed, continues, leaving in its wake blood and violence from the imposition of ronald reagan's colonialist policy."


Input: today a 9-year-old student lost his left hand as a result of the serious injuries he sustained after he picked up a bomb that was hidden among some garbage bags near his school in the city of copiapo.    aldo crason, the regional education ministry secretary, has reported that the minor, who was identified as mauricio vera barrios, a 3d-year student in the catholic lyceum of atacama, was injured this morning at 0815.    according to crason, the minor was on his way to school when he stopped at the intersection of o'higgins and diana streets, some five blocks from his school. a bomb had been planted there next to some garbage bags.    the minor picked up the bomb and it exploded, sustaining serious injuries to his left hand. this hand was later amputated at the regional hospital where he was taken urgently.    shrapnel also hit the minor in his face, chest, abdomen, and legs, according to the regional education ministry secretary.

mauricio vera barrios

bomb


Input: the government will not accept mediators in a dialogue with the guerrillas, presidential adviser rafael pardo rueda has said. the official added that the government cannot guarantee the safety of the politicians or guerrillas who attend the regional talks which are taking place in various parts of the country.    the presidential adviser also warned that the government would not change its attitude toward the rebels and that any meetings in search of peace will only take place between the government and the guerrilla leaders. even though the government has not responded to senator alvaro leiva's proposal, which calls for a top-level commission to hold talks with the guerrillas, the farc and the m-19 guerrillas have already announced that if the government calls for the creation of such a commission, they would immediately order a truce.    (begin recording) (pardo) the government cannot assume that responsibility with private individuals. our peace initiative calls for a direct dialogue with guerrillas who are committed to a reconciliation, once the right conditions are present. this position remains unchanged.    (reporter) does this mean senator alvaro leiva's proposal has not been taken into account?    (pardo) no, the government will respond to dr leiva's proposal in the next few days. his proposal has brought about positive results in the sense that the farc and m-19 have expressed their desire to suspend terrorist acts. the government will announce a formal response to this proposal in the next few days. (end recording)    meanwhile, former presidents belisario bethancourt and misael pastrana borrero urged that a commission be formed for talks with the rebels, which they consider the best chance for peace.


Input: with the murder of two more engineers last wednesday, 7 december--which was learned about only today in lima--a total of six engineers have been murdered this week apparently by members of the maoist shining path guerrilla movement. four engineers, including two frenchmen, were murdered last sunday.    according to reports, a group of terrorists last wednesday entered the locality of situcancha, junin department, in the central mountain region of peru, and gathered all the people at the main square. they forced adolfo spezua and augusto vilcahuman out of their offices and, after a "people's trial," shot them to death.    last sunday, terrorists murdered four engineers--two peruvians and two frenchmen--who were working in an agricultural development program in the small town of aquira, in the southern department of apurimac, where shining path terrorist activity is intense.    the french engineers were identified as thomas pellissier and corine seguin. the justice of the peace from aquira was also murdered.    moreover, five terrorists and an army corporal were killed in a clash between terrorists and an army patrol near the locality of nanshuimpuquio, 41 km from the southern city of ayacucho.    november was a particularly bloody month because of the political violence that caused the death of 403 people. thirteen thousand people have been killed by shining path since the beginning of its activities in 1980.

members of the maoist shining path guerrilla movement

shining path

adolfo spezua

augusto vilcahuman

thomas pellissier

corine seguin


Input: it was officially announced today that mayor hector arevalo of the ruling christian democratic party (pdc), who was elected mayor in a town in san vicente department last march, resigned because of death threats from salvadoran guerrillas.    arevalo is the first mayor to resign as a result of fmln threats. the fmln claims mayors are part of the counterinsurgency plan conducted by the salvadoran army.    arevalo, 39, was reportedly threatened with death by the guerrillas, who also ordered him to leave the town of santa clara, 65 km east of san salvador.    after announcing his resignation, arevalo said: "i want to live and to feel untainted. i do not want to have enemies. i have a wife and children who need me."  arevalo said, however, that he cannot leave santa clara, a town of approximately 10,000 people, because he cannot afford to do so.    the fmln also claims that in many towns in northern and eastern el salvador, an area over which it claims to have more control than the army, there are two power centers: one is the guerrilla movement, and the other is the government. the fmln has stated that it will not allow the government to control that region.    thus far this year, the fmln has killed eight pdc and rightist nationalist republican alliance mayors in santa ana, morazan, san miguel, and usulutan departments.    the catholic church and the salvadoran political parties have condemned the murder of these government officials.

salvadoran guerrillas

fmln

hector arevalo


Input: government sources have reported that four unidentified civilians carrying large-caliber firearms kidnapped alberto celis sanchez, mayor of el carmen de atrato, on 8 december at el doce on the quibdo-medellin highway. the kidnappers handed humberto florez sanchez, the mayor's driver, a document signed by the ernesto "che" guevara front of the national liberation army's camilist unity claiming responsibility for the action.    mayor celis was unescorted at the time he was kidnapped, and he had failed to notify the police that he was leaving town.    celis, 42, a businessman and social conservative party member, was elected mayor in june.    the choco authorities met to consider the situation and report to government minister cesar gaviria trujillo.    in addition, sipi mayor manuel santos cruz arboleda was seriously wounded by a gunshot to the head in an unexplained incident.    cruz was rushed to the eduardo santos hospital in istmina, where doctors were trying to save his life.

four unidentified civilians carrying large-caliber firearms

ernesto "che" guevara front of the national liberation army's camilist unity

national liberation army's camilist unity

national liberation army

alberto celis sanchez

manuel santos cruz arboleda


Input: four alleged terrorists, all wearing ski masks, murdered mayor alfredo chamorro in the small town of pallanchacra. chamorro was a member of the governing apra.    this information was released in lima today. the attack was perpetrated at dawn on tuesday, 13 december, when the terrorists burst into the mayor's home. chamorro had previously received death threats.    pallanchacra is located some 30 km from cerro de pasco, capital of pasco department, in central peru.    moreover, one of the bodyguards of hugo garcia salvatecci, bank and insurance superintendant, is recovering in a clinic in lima from an attack by alleged terrorists who shot him as a "warning."    in other events, police have identified the body of a man found last saturday, 10 december, on kilometer 12 of the south panamerican highway. he was apparently shot.    the individual was identified as an alleged member of the peruvian communist party, with entries in police records.    a poster which read "an eye for an eye. for what the workers revolutionary movement (mor) in bolivia did," was found on the body.    the authors of the crime were presumably referring to the murder in la paz, bolivia, of peruvian naval attache juan carlos vega llona. the self-styled mor claimed responsibility for the killing.

four alleged terrorists, all wearing ski masks

alleged terrorists

workers revolutionary movement

alfredo chamorro

juan carlos vega llona


Input: varying intentions    the program for legal action certainly raises different expectations among the partners in iu. there has been talk about that in recent days. all indications are, indeed, that because time is running short they will start up without much circumspection. to put it more clearly, the presumption is that they will wait until things are under way before trying to put their own mark on the newborn.    christian left (ic) was the first to give this signal. the resolutions of its plenum, made public on 28 october, clearly revealed that it intended to unify the entire left in the formation of the new political entity. in passing, they sent a message to their men who were involved in the ppd (party for democracy): they have to decide between membership in one or the other, but not both.  this is something that mapu (united popular action movement)-barrueto is not addressing with the same earnestness. they apparently seek to take part in every group there is, whether it is called the ppd, cosono (socialist command for the no) or leftist party.    the christian left people went even further. at no time did they conceal their wish that luis maira preside over the new party.    the plenum of the socialist party (ps)-almeyda was, of course, the most eagerly anticipated. as on other occasions, it was supposed to set the tone for the jockeying by the left. they ambitiously felt that this was the opportunity to remove some strategic obstacles, sort of like killing two birds with one stone: registration and the sought-after socialist unity.    perhaps this is why they held their plenum, where on 28 and 29 october they discussed the advantages of registering their own party, in other words, responding once and for all to the initiatives of the nunezes, who took over the ppd, the only legally recognized socialist group.  others thought that it would be wiser to promote a party in the "socialist space," bring together there christian left, mapu-barrueto and the small socialist groups that still exist, in other words, cosono as a party. this stand obviously gave priority to something of a leading political role and kept the pc at a distance.    the option of registering a broad left-wing group was also raised at the plenum; to many this entailed a certain "sacrifice" of predominance by the socialists.    the ps-almeyda ultimately opted for a "consensus" vote, of whose public version there were several interpretations.  there was talk of "the registration of a legal instrument representative of the socialist space at the disposal of the grassroots forces and of the progressive and leftist independents who have so far belonged to unlegalized parties." the intention of the socialist language was clear, but the party did not close ranks with a broad left-wing alliance. the emphasis was in the eye of the beholder.    what was not made public was that the political vote of "the more than 50 and fewer than 100 participants" spoke of giving priority to socialist leadership in the new party. the negotiations are now focusing on this. (continued)


Input: santa ana -- (fmln) urban guerrillas operating in santa ana have claimed responsibility for the murder of rosa imelda gonzalez medrano, a professor at the western campus of the national university.    the guerrillas stated that the dead woman was active within the ranks of the fmln and that her alias was "marianela." they added that her death was a "revolutionary execution" because she was considered a traitor to the organization.    gonzalez medrano was killed on the night of 16 december, on 13th avenue south, 11th street east in the san rafael neighborhood, when she was returning from a demonstration sponsored by the national university, san salvador campus.    the third justice of the peace ordered the removal of the body from the scene and its release to the family. at the time of her death, gonzalez medrano was head of the law department. in the past she held the office of attorney general of the poor (procuradora general de pobres).

urban guerrillas operating in santa ana

rosa imelda gonzalez medrano


Input: military sources today reported that three chilean army officers, one of them the commander of a regiment, have died in a helicopter accident during a patrol operation.    the same sources reported that in the zone of coyhaique, 1,950 km south of santiago, colonel rodolfo vargas, the commander of the "bulnes" 26th regiment, headquartered in that southern city, died along with two other officers when their helicopter crashed.    the officers were flying in search of a deserter from that regiment when the accident took place yesterday afternoon.    police sources have also reported that the three people injured in an attack on a bridge that took place yesterday near tongoy beach, some 600 km north of santiago, are members of a military unit of that area.    the same sources reported that those injured, an officer and two noncommissioned officers, were crossing the bridge in a private car when a bomb exploded destroying the bridge.    the three military men suffered relatively serious injuries.

bridge

private car

bomb


Input: early in the morning of 21 december fmln rebels raided san jose villanueva, south of san salvador, la libertad department, where they set fire to the antel (national administration for telecommunications) office and destroyed the local garrison. according to a government report received a few minutes ago, they also killed the local civil defense commander.    army and police units combed the area this morning to try to defuse bombs that the rebels might have planted in the town streets. it has also been reported that a clash occurred on the town's outskirts where reportedly several were killed and several wounded.

fmln rebels

fmln

local garrison


Input: in the last few days of this year, the nation has been discussing peace in a way seldom heard of before. all colombians, including illustrious former presidents, the media, the catholic church, political parties, the rebels, and the nation at large, have been voicing their strong desire for reconciliation in the homeland.    we rebels have always regarded peace highly. this is why we have always clearly reiterated this idea. to set the proper frame of mind, we will recall what was said in the la uribe agreement on 28 march 1984:    "to ensure peace in the nation--which is an essential prerequisite for the colombian people's prosperity--and social and economic development based on liberty and justice, the following is hereby agreed upon.    "1. the farc and ep (poor people's army) will order a cease-fire and the suspension of all military operations in all fronts throughout the country as of 0000 on 28 may 1984.    "2. the farc and ep will again condemn and not allow kidnappings, extortion, and terrorism in all their forms.  farc-ep will help eliminate these practices because they are an attack on liberty and human dignity."    in addition, the m-19 and epl (people's liberation army) reached the following agreement with the government: "... we believe the cessation of armed clashes between government forces and the rebels is an essential requirement to lay the groundwork for the political, economic, and social reforms that the colombian people need and desire. taking into account the highest interests of the homeland, the government and the rebels have reached the following agreement: the negotiation and dialogue commission, the epl general command, and the m-19 high command have agreed on a cease-fire. once this is carried out, a great national dialogue will begin, develop, and conclude. through this dialogue, all social and political sectors will be able to express their willingness to search for peace based on social justice.    "consequently, the epl general command and the m-19 high command hereby order all fronts, columns, and units to cease firing and suspend all military operations as of 1300 on 30 august."    the spirit and the letter of these accords is now worth considering. there was a time when colombians said these accords between the government and the rebels had become the country's new political philosophy.    this is not the time for useless recriminations, but for a serious effort to determine who is to blame because the accords went partially unfulfilled. anyway, considering these accords will not harm the government's policy. we hereby reaffirm our willingness to talk with your government to find a political solution to the country's problems.  this willingness to talk is shared by all of the members of the simon bolivar guerrilla coordinating board and is part of the conclusions reached by three guerrilla summit meetings.    we fully agree with the peace proposal presented by senator alberto leyva duran. we find it clear, simple, understandable, and complete. this is why we wrote this letter, made our latest statements, and have given instructions for a unilateral cease-fire as the best christmas gift for our people.    (signed) manuel marulanda velez, jacobo arenas, alfonso cano, raul reyes, timoleon jimenez    farc general staff, simon bolivar guerrilla coordinating board


Input: the peruvian governing party, apra, today ended a conflictive party congress on a note of defeat for president alan garcia, and with the emergence of former prime minister luis alva castro as new party leader.    the apra congress eliminated the post of party president, which was created for alan garcia in 1985, consolidating his position as party leader following a decisive victory in the presidential election of that year.    according to some critics within the party, the personalism that had characterized garcia's undisputed leadership since 1982 was thus ended.    luis alva castro, 46, former prime minister and economy minister as well as former president of the chamber of deputies, was elected by a large margin as the new secretary general, a post which regained the highest status in the party. alva castro capitalized on the internal dissidence and on the party's disenchantment with alan garcia as a result of the deterioration of the social and economic situation, which is considered the worst crisis in this century and is blamed on the chief of state's "stubbornness" in not changing his nationalistic and populist policy line."    the new cadre elected at the 16th apra congress is in favor of a "change in orientation" in the party's management and in the public administration for the remaining 18 months of the apra's term in office. it is expected that alan garcia and alva castro may reach an agreement on the way the government should be run until 1990, when the current presidential term will end following new general elections.    garcia also lost the presidency of the political commission that sets the party's political line. this post was won by luis alberto sanchez, 88, first vice president of the nation and one of the mainsprings in the changeover operation within the apra.    the other elective positions were filled with apra members who do not follow garcia's line. thus, the presence of alan garcia within the party was reduced to being member of the political commission in his capacity as former party secretary general.    two days ago, the peruvian chief of state resigned the apra presidency, upset over criticism directed at him during the opening of the party congress. he thus responded to obvious signs that the party president post would be eliminated.    the apra had thought alan garcia would be a very capable heir to victor raul haya de la torre, the party's founder and historical leader, who died in 1979. three and one-half years after garcia's election victory, the party disqualified garcia for the role of haya de la torre's successor because of his errors and his failure to rectify his government line.    following the tradition initiated by alan garcia, new apra leader luis alva castro will be sworn in as secretary general this coming friday before the tomb of haya de la torre in the northern city of trujillo, the apra's main bastion.    the economic crisis, marked by 2,000-percent inflation and a 20-percent recession from october 1987 to october 1988, is compounded by social instability and political violence, with killings averaging four per day.    an internal political storm hit the apra 16th national congress, and vice president sanchez said that he cannot recall anything similar.    during the last session of the congress, three youths were injured in a melee among apra people. other party members were hit on the head with handgun butts, and three newsmen--who had not been allowed to attend the proceedings of the congress--were attacked.


Input: a suspected guerrilla was killed in a fierce clash between rebels and government troops early tuesday morning (20 dec) in santa ana, 66 km west of san salvador. according to military sources, about 200 guerrillas from the feliciano ama front took up positions on the outskirts of the city and opened fire on the garrisons of the 2d infantry brigade and the national guard. they did not damage the garrisons or inflict any casualties.  (passage omitted)    while the rebels attacked the garrisons, another group attacked the cel (lempa river hydroelectric executive commission) san luis substation, 3 km north of santa ana. they caused minor damage to the control room with explosives. this plant distributes all of the electricity for the country's western area, so the damage was repaired under the supervision of cel engineers. (passage omitted)

another group

explosives


Input: sao paulo federal police have seized two drug traffickers carrying 160 kilograms of cocaine. this is the largest drug seizure this year in sao paulo.    at 2130 in the local neighborhood of platinedi, a car passing 2 blocks from the public security secretary of the state was surrounded by a group of federal policemen armed with pistols and machineguns. in a quick operation, a man and a woman were arrested and the car was taken to the district police office. only today were the contents of the car exhibited: seven suitcases with 51 plastic bags containing a total of 160 kilograms of cocaine. this amount of cocaine is worth nearly $2 million. to disguise the odor of the drug the drug traffickers packed some pineapples among the plastic bags.    the federal police did not reveal the details of the operation, nor did they identify the drug traffickers. it was learned that they are leopoldo gomes portao and genilde fernandes morais, who live in corumba, mato grosso do sul. they picked up the cocaine in bolivia, and they were going to distribute it in sao paulo and rio de janeiro.    the federal police revealed that leopoldo gomes portao had already served prison time twice for drug trafficking, and that the car he was driving had been stolen in rio de janeiro.


Input: this morning, three bombs destroyed a checkpoint that was being built in santa fe, antioquia department, at a place known as paseo real. according to the authorities, the losses exceed 3 million pesos.

checkpoint

three bombs


Input: national police director colonel carlos mauricio guzman aguilar announced today that eight guerrillas, members of the fmln urban command units, are being held by the national police. four of the guerrillas were captured in the malaga neighborhood tuesday following a shoot-out with police.    guzman aguilar disclosed that one of the eight guerrillas is the daughter of a university leader. the eight rebels were captured during the past 48 hours and charged with being members of the fmln urban command units. the first four suspected guerrillas were detained after they attacked two policemen and crashed the vehicle they were in. the police seized large-caliber weapons from them.    later, during the police investigation, the four rebels supplied information to locate another urban guerrilla group, the police director noted.    (begin recording) (guzman aguilar) the national police captured four individuals who are members of urban command units. their names are: carlos elias menjivar guevara, rene armando guevara martinez, marco tulio molina escobar, and claudia ines canjura guillen. canjura guillen is the daughter of carlos canjura, who is the president of the university's general assembly.    yesterday, canjura and the university lawyer went to the police station to ask about his daughter's whereabouts.  according to him, she had disappeared 2 or 3 days ago and he had found out that the police were holding her.    based on information supplied by the arrested guerrillas, the police arrested another four individuals yesterday in the zacamillo neighborhood. they are: jaime alexander atencio valladares, luis san salvador rivas carrillo, ana ruth merino diaz, and claudia carolina sanchez flores.    following the shoot-out between the police and rebels in monserrat (name as heard), police found and seized the following weapons in the guerrillas' car: two romanian mp-24 9-mm submachineguns, one north korean 9-mm pistol, one .38 caliber hungarian-made pistol, 4 hand grenades, and 4 sticks of tnt. (end recording)    guzman aguilar said that after the 72 hours that the law allows to process an inmate pass, the eight guerrillas will be turned over to judicial authorities, who will determine the inmates' responsiblity for these acts.    the military officer made these statements at the public security military academy during a ceremony to swear in 19 new national police officers.


Input: the terrorist manuel rodriguez patriotic front (fpmr) in the latest issue of its official publication has reported on the failure last may of its operation aimed at murdering military judge fernando torres silva. the article justifies the operation and reiterates that "the fpmr has not given up its decision to carry out its sentence of capital punishment for this individual."    the issue also publishes an editorial confirming the need to reinvigorate the "national patriotic war." remembering the fpmr fifth anniversary, the editorial urges the militants "to continue the armed fight against tyranny."    a report then reviews the most important terrorist attacks perpetrated in 1988. the report emphasizes the ambush on carabineros patrols, the occupation of lo quenes and agua grande village, and retired colonel rojas lobos' execution.    some pages are dedicated to raul pellegrini, alias "commander rodrigo," and other fpmr "heroes," including cecilia magni, alias "commander tamara."    the issue, which was distributed a few days before christmas, includes a pamphlet with instructions on how to manufacture bombs, and poems urging the people to join the subversion and the armed fight.

manuel rodriguez patriotic front

fernando torres silva


Input: the peruvian police today announced that it will strengthen security on high-tension towers, one of the main terrorist targets in peru, on new year's eve.    civil guards director lieutenant general ruben romero said that the number of police troops guarding the towers will be increased to prevent attacks that could cause blackouts in lima and other areas. (passage omitted)