Iatii american issues

Alfonsín a stern reminder that who took over the Campo de the Armed Forces have the Mayo infantry school in Bue- power to alter the political sit- nos Aires. These new rebels, Treasurer. Dilson Funaro uation when their interests are with bold effrontery, paraded endangered. The military mu- publicly carrying rifles, in jun- Resigns ti ny caused widespread gle combat camouflage uni- shock among Argentinians, forms and bulletproof vests, and awakened fears of a new with their faces painted black. breakdown in the constitution- The infantry school oc- al order, such as occurred in cupants, however, sought not 1976. a coup so much as the The insurrection began on replacement of the heads of Dilson Funaro, author of Brazil's controversial Cruzado Plan and the night of April 14, when the Armed Forces by officers its technical moratorium on debt payments, was forced to resign as Army Major Ernesto Barreiro involved in the "" finance minister at the end of April. He had been under strong criticism informed his superiors that he and the Malvinas (Falkand Is- from many quarters, including fellow officials in José Sarney's would not appear before the lands) conflict. Other de- goverment. The likelihood of his resignation had been rumored since civilian court to answer mands were the resignation of late last year. Funaro's departure brings to a close a period of charges of human rights vio- General Héctor Ríos Ereñu, unprecedented economic growth, which at the same time presaged lations —kidnappings, tor- falling hopes for this year. military Head of Staff, and an Detractors of the Plan Cruzado believed it was incapable of tures, and assasinations of amnesty or political solution mobilizing the nation's resources against inflation, and the policy was left-wing political leaders- for those charged with human not supported by the powerful business sector, which eventualy committed during the period rights violations in civilian boycotted it. Pressure was also exerted by the international banking of bloodshed and repression courts. community in the belief that Funaro was an obstacle to reaching an known as the "dirty On Saturday April 18, agreement with the Sarney government to end the technical war"(1976-1982). Next day, troops and tanks belonging to moratorium. Yet despite the heavy criticism, International Monetary Barreiro took over the air- Army units loyal to Alfonsín Fund sources have said Funaro "was one of the best finance ministers borne regiment officers' club advanced on Campo de Brazil ever had." These sources emphasized the importance of an 8% economic growth rate in the last two years and how thanks to in the city of Córdoba, ap- Mayo. The original order was Brazil's moratorium the banks made unprecedented concessions to proximately 465 miles north- to obtain the rebels' sur- other Latin American debtors, especially to . east of capital , render, with or without Despite Funaro's removal, new minister Luis Castro Bresser is where he succeded in gaining bloodshed. But something expected to continue to carry out the current economic strategy with the support of several fellow went wrong. The forces loyal only slight changes. And the final outcome of this episode —whose Army officers. to the government stopped political overtones clearly outweigh its economic reasons— is no doubt Alfonsín's response was to some 37 miles from the infan- the further erosion of the Sarney government. Some analysts believe dismiss Barreiro for insubordi- try school and went no that a weakened government tends to strengthen the movement nation, declaring that further. toward early presidential elections, which if they are held in 1988 would "democracy is not negotia- Meanwhile, a light tank in shorten Sarney's presidential terco from six to four years. ble" and that "the time of mili- the power of the rebels point- H.S. tary coups is over". In Buenos ed threateningly at the thou- Aires, thousands of Argentin- sands of demonstrators who ians took to the streets to pro- had gathered outside Campo test the insurrection and de Mayo, singing the nation- support Alfonsín. al anthem an demanding the Faced with the overwhelm- surrender of its occupants. ing popular support for the This aggressiveness was a government, Barreiro aban- true reflection of the mood of doned his occupation of the the rebels, who knew that no officers' club and headed for matter how great the popular Easter Mutiny parts unknown. However, his opposition to their stand, the example of insubordination real forces involved, the was followed by Lieutenant troops loyal to the civilian re- in Argentina Colonel Aldo Rico and a gime, would not join combat group of some 67 troopers, against them. As Rico an- nounced to the press: "We have support in all Army units. Among those sent to evict us, there are hundreds of our comrades, of officers who Rebellions in the military barracks share our point of view." threaten the civilian .government Next day, Alfonsín an- nounced to a cheering crowd of Raúl Alfonsín that "in order to avoid bloodshed", he had sent the order not to attack the rebels, and that he himself would go The recent military rebel- half years old, has to coexist to seek their surrender. After lion in Argentina has demon- with an army wich has shown 45 minutes of "dialog", Alfon- strated one undeniable fact: signs of recuperating its vital- sín returned in the same the young democracy in that ity. The so-called "Easter cri- helicopter that had taken him country, scarcely three and a sis" has given President Raúl Argentinian President Alfonsín. to , to tell the 31 voices of mexico