Purging the Left

Careful observers of Juan Peron's inauguration ceremonies in Buenos Aires' ornate Government House last month would have seen clues to the way that the 78-year-old caudillo planned to run Argentina. For one thing, Peron wore his general's uniform for the first time since he was stripped of his rank 18 years ago. For another, former President Hector Campora was not even invited to Government House.

The two events, as it turns out, had a related significance. Peron's decision to wear the uniform was a sign of his intent to continue his rapprochement with the military. Campora's absence from the ceremonies was a further sign that el Lider was wary of the youthful leftist Peronists who had helped elect the former dentist to the presidency last March.

Peron moved quickly and adroitly to consolidate his relations with Argentina's generals. The separate commands of the armed forces were abolished shortly before the inaugural. Peron now is in direct command of the entire military, a position that should allow him to suppress any potential revolt before it gets very far. He also launched "Operation Dorrego," a flood-relief project in which army units worked with Peronist youth to reclaim lands ruined by disastrous floods earlier this year. Significantly, a "provisional council" has been set up and is charged with "ideological purification" of the Justicialist Party. What this means in effect is a purge of the party's roilsome leftists.

Peron's disenchantment with the left became evident during the early days of Campora's presidency. As a reward to his young leftist supporters, Campora pardoned jailed guerrillas and told police to ease up on leftists. Meanwhile kidnaping and political murders increased. When Peron returned from exile last June, he was shocked to see the meadows adjoining Ezeiza Airport turned into a battleground between warring Peronists. In an address on nationwide radio and television, Peron immediately blasted those who sought to "grab" the movement from its rightful leader. Three weeks later he sacked Campora, who has been banished from Peron's inner circle. Presumably Campora will be rewarded with a suitable diplomatic post, most likely as Ambassador to Mexico.

Lately, the purge of the left has been accelerated, sometimes violently. Two weeks ago, a leader of the bus drivers' union regarded as being too far left was murdered, apparently by right-wing members of the labor movement. One of his colleagues from the same union was killed a fortnight before that. A third leader of the same union was kidnaped on Nov. 1 and released a day later after being tortured.

Peron has a commanding 64% of the legislature on his side and his political opposition is both divided and ineffectual. The immediate danger is that Peron's get-tough policy against the left could backfire, plunging Argentina into a bitter round of ideological warfare. In recent weeks, there have been new clashes within the Justicialist movement between left-and right-wing Peronists. Last week the armed forces came under attack. A member of the general staff of the infantry was kidnaped by the Marxist-Leninist People's Revolutionary Army, which announced that attacks against the "repressive armed forces" will continue.

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