Cmpora in Trouble?

Hardly anyone in Argentina expected that the transition from the military junta of General Alejandro Lanusse to the newly elected civilian government of Peronista President-elect Hector Campora would be peaceful. Last week trouble came, although not, perhaps, in a manner that many had expected. On a busy Buenos Aires street, an urban guerrilla from a Trotskyite group called the People's Revolutionary Army shot and killed Rear Admiral Hermes Quijada, former chief of the Armed Forces Joint General Staff.

Lanusse immediately declared a state of emergency and imposed martial law on Buenos Aires and Argentina's five most populous provinces. He also insisted that Campora, who had been conferring with Juan Peron in Madrid about the new government that is to take office May 25, return home to deal with "the new crimes." Campora, who hitherto had studiously ignored the military's recommendations and instructions, could not refuse this time. "I shall return on the first plane," he cabled Lanusse.

Feeling generated by the assassination ran deep, particularly among Lanusse's military compatriots; they have felt that he has not done enough to combat a wave of urban terror that has swept Argentina recently. Since the elections two months ago, there have been 18 reported kidnapings (an average of one every three days), as well as four assassinations. Most of the terrorism has been the work of the People's Revolutionary Army, which wants to create such chaos that the military will be forced to stay in power, thereby preparing the way for a leftist-inspired popular revolution.

After the imposition of martial law, Argentina was singularly quiet. All public gatherings were banned, except for sport and theatrical events. Newspapers and magazines were forbidden to report on terrorist activities. Federal and provincial courts were replaced by tough military courts, which were instructed to impose the death penalty on anyone convicted of kidnaping.

Last week, Campora conferred with members of the junta in his Buenos Aires apartment. Lanusse agreed to back down on a demand that Campora categorically censure the guerrillas. Campora, on his part, recognized the junta's right to combat terrorists as it sees fit until his inauguration, when martial law will be replaced by less stringent measures. The President-elect had good reason to compromise. If the terrorism were to continue, the generals would presumably have a strong excuse for trying to postpone, or even prevent, his assumption of power.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.