Evening star., 1950-05-28

bO0y Va W oUC4 W1IOOC SONCA
have not experienced one or more
violent changes, or been subjected
to frequent bloody attacks since
the end of World War II. In
these the powers that be have not
been without their anxious mo-
ments. Even Dominican strong
man, Generalissimo Trujillo
whose regime internally has
worked with meticulous smooth
ness for nearly 20 years, admits
and an investigation by The Or
/ganization of American States
has proven, that his tightly con-
trolled little domain has been the
object of more than one planned
invasion within the past 1a
months.
Stabilizing Influence
The smoke that at first OBJ
scured the real causes of the
Haitian revolt having subsidized
there seems to be little doubt
that the ousting of President
Dumarseis Estime by the Guard
d'Haiti, the local army. may prove
to have what one Port-Au-Pfince
newspaper editor calls "a stabi-
lizing influence" 1t is the opinion
of some of the most responsible
residents of the Haitian capital
that the deposed President, now
in New York en- route to exile in
Paris, was largely the architect
of his own downfall.
According to one Of the most
prominent South American diplo-
mats in Port-Au-Prince, "Estime
had an unfortunate faculty OF
antagonizing his own people. He
was overly vindictive toward any
political opponent or even friend
ly official who disagreed with
him. He not only wanted to per-
petuate himself in Office, but or.
ganized, or permitted the organ
ization of irresponsible element!
to pressure the national legisla.
ture into voting for a change ir
the constitution permitting hin
to rum again for the presidency.
None of which, of course, miti
gates the fundamental fact tina
duty elected government ha
been overthrown by illegal mill
tary force, and that an arm!
junta, in what unfortunately ha
come to be known as "the typica
Latin American fashion," ha
taken over arbitrarily.
On the south, political disturb
ances in fabulous oI-producinl
Venezuela are again on the in.
crease. The military junta which
overthrew the legally and pop.
ularly elected government oi
President Romulo Gallegos nearly
two years ago has put down two
serious revolts in the past month
One attack. the first week in May
was made on the chief airbase a
Maracay. next to the one in the
capital of Caracas, the most i'm.
portant military establishment il
the country. The Ministry o.
Defense itself admitted that a.
least one person was killed ane
that several high officers, includ.
ing Maj. Angel Ramirez. chic
of the reconnaissance section o.
the air force, were badly wounded
A series of widespread strikes
also officially confirmed, ha'
seriously interferred with oil pro.
duction. especially in the field
operated by United States com.
panies. Several prominent Com
munist leaders have been arrested
including Jesus Faria, former heat
of the Oil Workers Federation an,
long the chief anti United State
f1rebrand. The junta, however
still charges that the once-power
full Democratic Action Party, O
which the two exiled former Pres
idents, Romulo Gallegos an,
Romulo Betancourt, were tn,
founders and leaders, is reSpon
sible for most of the plotting
against the present regime.
Threat of Sabotage
What worries officials in thi
country, particularly the strate
gists in the Pentagon, is the fac
that not only is Oil production IL
Venezuela being seriously ham
pered at the moment but that thu
industry might be sabotaged
There is plenty of oil in this coun
try for peacetime purposes, but il
case of an attack on the oil re.
eions of the Near East Venezuela
production would be a critica
necessity. as it was in the last war
In Colombia, next door t.
Venezuela. and flanking Panama
and the Canal on the south, where
the Conservative Party took ovel
the country following the year anc
a half Of civil strife set off by tht
Bogota riots of April. 1948, guerrill,
bands are again rowing the rura
communities. There has beer
more looting and killing. On Apri
16, near the town of Villavicencio
east of Bogota, a clash betwee,
one such band and government
forces resulted in 10 person
killed and more than a scor,
wounded.
In Panama. on the very bank
Of the Canal, President Arnulf,
Arias. himself put into power b.
the federal police, has not onl
outlawed the Communist Party
which masqueraded under tn
name of the Partido del Pueblo
Party of the People, but he ha
been rounding up and arrestin
certain immigrants and refugees
including several priests. His op
ponents charge that he is usin
all this as a pretext to take actiol
against all those in opposition t
his regime. So far he has show,
Il none of his old enmity towar
this country, which characterize
his administration when he pre-