Democracy's Blessings

In their days of power Dictator Juan Peron and his followers trampled on every principle of democracy; out of power, they wailed piteously for democracy's benefits. Last week they got them from the freely elected government of President Arturo Frondizi. After a night of congressional debate, during which 130 liters of coffee were consumed, the Chamber of Deputies gave unanimous approval to an "ample and generous" amnesty. Already passed by the Senate, the bill was quickly signed into law.

From exile in the Dominican Republic, Peron's first reaction was to denounce the law as a "trap," and to warn his top henchmen to be careful about returning to Argentina. But back home Peron's lawyer filed the first case testing just how broadly the law will be interpreted in court. The attorney asked a federal court to drop a charge of treason from the list of indictments pending against Peron. Even if the lawyer wins this case, he will have little chance of knocking down all other charges, including one for statutory rape, growing out of Peron's two-year affair with Nelly Rivas, beginning when Nelly was only 14.

The fuzzily worded amnesty law forgives all political or labor offenses and any common crimes when "committed with political or labor intention." The fact that Nelly belonged to Peron's pampered Union of High School Students and met him on one of his visits to a girls' school is the affair's single, remote connection with politics.

But most of Peron's ardent followers in Argentina would be cleared. A ban on political activity was lifted for 34,791 Peronistas. Another 6,500 got the right to resume labor union activities--just in time for an all-out fight for control of the General Confederation of Labor (C.G.T.). A new government interventor for the C.G.T. was appointed last week by Frondizi and instructed to hold free elections within 90 days. Peronista-dominated unions were favored to win a close race for control of the huge (3,000,000 members) organization.

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