Evening star., 1946-07-22
Bolivian Rebels
lin Power After
Kl|ingPresideni
1000 Reported Sloin
Or Wounded During
4-Doy Revolution
BY the Associated Press

LA PAZ, Bolivia, July 22.-
Student and labor revolutionists
took over the government of
Bolivia today after assassinating
President Gualberto Villarroel,
who was thrown bodily from the
Presidential Palace, hanged to a
lamppost and then paraded life
less and naked through the
streets on an army tank.
After the Macabre parade in this
highest capital in the world, the
slain Presidents body again was
hanged from lamppost before the
palace. The four days of bloody
street fighting in which 1000 per-
sons were reported killed or wound
ed ended yesterday with victory for
the rebels. Many of the President S
close cola aborators died with him.
Nestor CULLEN. dean of the Su-
perlor Court. assumed Office as Act
ing President, but vowed to relin-
'quish the Office when Tomas Monte
court president. was we'll enough
TO take his place. He called the
regime "a provisional government TO
call elections and then turn over
power to government chosen by
the people"
Promise Civil Liberties.
The revolutionary leaders prom
ised that suppressed civil liberties
would be restored immediately.
The State Department in
Washington received news of
President Villarroel's fate with
diluted regret" One course said
there was feeling here any new
government would have at least
a $3.50 chance of being better
than his. described as pretty ter
rible"
(But the mood here this morn
ing was one of Wait-and-see. II
was not anticipated that the
United States would move precip-
itously to recognize the new re-
gime.
CA department spokesman said
there is as yet no evidence that
Communists were behind the
coup or active in it
BOLIVIAN Amba Ssador Don Vic
tor Andrade remained in Wash
ington today as Bolivia's official
representative here. from the
State Department point of view,
at least during the interim pc
riod before the picture clarifies.
The embassy said its only infor-
nation about events in La Paz
came from the newspaper &C
counts.
State Department officials said
last night word had been re-
ceived that no Americans were
injured in the revolution.D
Thrown From Balcony.
The rebels reported that partially
burned BODIES of political prisoners
OF the Villarroel regime had been
found in ammunition boxes at police
headquarters. This, they said, was
evidence Of the severity of previous
measures to repress the revolution.
Survivors of the final assault on
the Presidents fortified palace said
Villarroel was found wounded in
the chest. They said he first pre-
tended he was leftist leader whom
he resembled slightly. They quoted
nm as telling the storming rebels:
Il am Alfredo Mendizabal Qeader
OF the Revolutionary Leftist party
don't kill me-
These informants said Villarroel
then tried to lift a revolver. but was
shot before he could fire. The Pres
ident then was thrown from the bal
cony to the mob in the street be-
low.
A nurse saved the life OF former
Police Chief Maj Jose Escobar, who
was found on the third floor of the
palace. The storming party was
beating him when the nurse inter-
posed. Escobar was taken out a
side door to his home, witnesses
said. The police chiefs guards were
quoted as saying:
I'VE want to save hin-he is liv-
ing evidence of the November mas
sacre.'
Affidavit Reported Signed.
The reference was to the unsuc-
cessful revolution of November 20
1914. Many of the rebel leaders were
arrested and never seen again.
Escobar was reported to have
signed an affidavit about events in
(See BOLIVIA, Page ABB