NCJ Number
62354
Journal
NORTH AMERICAN REVIEW Volume: 255 Issue: 4 Dated: (WINTER 1970) Pages: 16-19
Date Published
1970
Length
4 pages
Annotation
FOCUSING ON KIDNAPPINGS AND ASSASSINATIONS OF LOCAL POLITICIANS AND FOREIGN DIPLOMATS IN LATIN AMERICA, THIS ARTICLE EXAMINES TERRORIST ACTIVITIES PARTICULARLY IN BRAZIL, ARGENTINA, AND URUGUAY.
Abstract
TERRORISM APPEARS TO BE AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR APPROACH TO THE ATTAINMENT OF ANTI-INSTITUTIONAL POLITICAL OBJECTIVES. IN GUATEMALA, TERRORISTS KILLED TWO U.S. MILITARY ATTACHES, THE AMERICAN AMBASSADOR, AN AMERICAN ARMY OFFICER, AND OTHERS IN THE LATE 1960'S. BRAZILIAN TERRORISTS OBTAINED THE RELEASE OF JAILED GUERRILLAS BY KIDNAPPING THE JAPANESE CONSUL GENERAL AND SEVERAL AMERICAN DIPLOMATS IN SEPARATE INCIDENTS DURING THE 1970'S. THESE TERRORIST INCIDENTS ILLUSTRATE THE PERVASIVENESS OF ANTIGOVERNMENT TERRORISM AND THE GENERAL SUCCESS WITH WHICH IT HAS BEEN EMPLOYED. IN URUGUAY, ARMED EXTREMISTS ARE ENGAGED IN OPEN WARFARE, USING BOMBINGS, BANK ROBBERIES, AND ASSASSINATIONS TO ACHIEVE POLITICAL ENDS. THE ACTIVITIES OF ARGENTINE EXTREMIST GROUPS INCLUDE ATTACKS ON ARMY POSTS, FREQUENT BOMBINGS, ROBBERIES, AND OCCASIONAL KIDNAPPINGS. OF FAR GREATER IMPORTANCE TO THE HEMISPHERE'S STABILITY IS THE SITUATION IN BRAZIL, WHERE TERRORISTS CONDUCT LATIN AMERICA'S MOST EXTENSIVE AND DIVERSIFIED OPERATIONS. WITH THE WORLD'S EIGHTH LARGEST POPULATION, BRAZIL NOW FINDS ITSELF IN A LATENT CIVIL WAR SITUATION; A CHRONIC PARAMILITARY CONFRONTATION EXISTS BETWEEN THE POLICE AND MILITARY FORCES AND A COLLECTION OF LEFTIST OPPOSITION ORGANIZATIONS. THROUGHOUT LATIN AMERICA, TERRORISTS AIM AT THE EVENTUAL OVERTHROW OF GOVERNMENTS AND THE SUBSEQUENT SEIZURE OF POWER. THE AIM IS THE REMODELING OF COUNTRIES' SOCIOECONOMIC STRUCTURE ACCORDING TO THE CUBAN PROTOTYPE. MOST ANALYSTS AGREE THAT TERRORIST ACTIVITY IS GENERATED BECAUSE LATIN AMERICAN STATES HAVE YET TO ACHIEVE SELF-SUSTAINING ECONOMIC GROWTH, WHILE MOST OF THE HEMISPHERE IS ENGAGED IN A STRUGGLE FOR ECONOMIC MODERNIZATION AND POLITICAL 'IDENTITY.' TERRORISM OCCURS BECAUSE THERE IS ENOUGH PROGRESS TO AROUSE MASS EXPECTATIONS. CURRENTLY, INDIVIDUAL LIBERTIES AND CIVIL RIGHTS GUARANTEES ARE SUFFERING IN THE FACE OF GOVERNMENT COUNTERINSURGENT ACTIVITY WHICH COULD THREATEN THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS. NO REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (WJR)