Stranica 5 [5]
XeAe12. November 52,
- page five a
This is the extreme leftist Party that was ovsted from power by the
end of 1948, Its leader is former President Romulo Betancourt who
has his headquartez in Costa Rica, “ man of great decision and
ability, Betancourt is one of the highly inflvential figures in
hatin Aneriean polities. Together with the ousted President of Cuba,
Carlos p: , and with the Guatemalan leaders, he forms the head of
erie: planning and action in the Caribbean area. Our observers
fom Venezuela report that Accion Democratica has recently developed
a much more indevendent activity, At a certain moment, it tried to
induce the two legal opnosition parties into a common front and use
then as stepping stone, This policy was however revised by the middle
of Sentember, on orders received from Betancourt, Copei and the
Democratic Republican Union are rerresented in "Aecion Democratica's"
propaganda, as being weak and unreliable because of their de®isbhon >
of going to the polls. Betancourt and his representative Leonardo
huiz Pineda, on the contrary, have now given out the work of non¬
participation in thé elections, Their official reason given is that
the forth-coming elections are undemocratic aB® the Hitler-type
plebiscites or the elections behind the Iron Curtain. The trve reason
is to establaish a democratic alibi that might impress the United
States and to foster further disorder.
The conditions prevailing in Columbia and Venezuela thus
have much in common, Both countries are vital areas: they control
the Caribbean Sea and the approaches to tre Panama Canals their
production and economy are essential for the United States, Venezuela
specifically is one of the ereat oil producing countries, with a
wealth far aizove the one of Iranian or Arb#ian wells. Developments
in those two countries should be closely watched, es they influence
directly strategic defelorments in the Western Hemisphere.
am em ll
4
Peru and Uruguay.
Peru and Uruguay are the two countries that as yet hare
not entered the Peron block,.But here too extreme right tendencies
are inereasingly showing and might soon lead to most important new
developments. *
In Perug, the middle-of-the-way government is faced with
a strong anti-US feeling. Since our last report on thé question,
the tuna-fish problem has reached an acvte state. Besides its mining
wealth, this production is Peru's greatest income and the United
States its main market. In order to proteet their own national
production, the United States have now applied new regulations and
duties that actvally close the North American market to Peru's tuna
fishe The resulting deep disatisfaction in the latter country has
worked a great deal in favor of the extreme right. Its leader,
Haya della Torre lives hided as refugee tinder friendly protection in
Lima, He is a phenatic, something of a communistic fascist, with
strong sympathies for the Argentine regime, Although an exalted and
most instable person, he has a great power over his followers who
truly idolize hím, This combination of an overpowering "national
hero" and of vital economie interests involved explain the rapid swing
to the right which Peru polities are taking.
¥
46.