THE END OF THE PAZ ESTENSSORO REGIME
The regime of Victor Paz Estenssoro came to an inglorious end November 4 when the would-be dictator, who altered the constitution of Bolivia in order to extend his term as president, was escorted to a plane and fled to Lima, where, it was reported, he intended to move on to exile in Argentina. In his place a military junta assumed power. It was headed by a figure who has risen to prominence in the past year, General René Barrientos Ortuno. He
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was sworn in as co-chairman of the junta with General Alfredo Ovando Candia on November 5. A few hours later he announced that Ovando had "resigned."
Paz Estenssoro was toppled by an army revolt following several weeks of violent repression of protesting miners and students. [see World Outlook November 6.]
Paz Estenssoro fell victim to his own policy of relying ‘on U.S. aid and advice. Bolivia's reactionary armed forces were destroyed by a popular revolution in 1952 and replaced by a workers and peasants militia. In 1954 Paz Estenssoro began rebuilding. a. regular army. Bit by bit he sought to cut down the militia and to divide the workers and peasants, seeking to build a base among the peasantry by granting them some reforms, Finally he and his American backers considered his position strong enough to begin economic measures that stirred great unrest among the populace, Moves were begun to disarm the workers. .Their voice in the reginie was cut down, All this.led up to_the rigged election last May in which Paz Estenssoro, bowing to army pressure, named Barrientos vice-president. - oe
But at the very ‘moment Paz ‘Estenssoro sought to convert his rule into a naked military dictatorship, he’ lost all working-class support and thus became a prisoner of the officer caste. This wag symbolized by his breaking. off diplomatic relations with Cuba... The only. thing that is really novel is the speed with which Barrientos moved..to take over,
The downfall of Paz Estenssoro ‘Pécalls the similar fates” of Frondizi in Argentina and Arosemena in Ecuador. Both of them were ousted by military juntas shortly after they bowed to pres-' sure from Washington and broke diplomatic relations with Cuba,
os The situation in Bolivia is far from stable and it remains to be seen whether Barrientos can consolidate his power, The explosiveness of the situation is indicated by the fact that the junta felt uncertain enough to bring in Juan Lechin as a gesture to the workers. They also abolished the "state of siege," cancelled the new constitution, and reportedly did away with Paz Estenssoro's
- “But, an, incipient division was evident in the program announced by the junta, which offers a vague democracy and "respect of international agreements" (the formula for getting recognition from Wash- - ington) and the program of.a.newly formed "Revolutionary Committee of the People." The latter, whose relations to the junta are not clear from dispatches, demands maintenance of nationalization of the mines, continuation of the agrarian reform, maintenance of universal suffrage, preparation for a plan to develop the country, protection of national industry, defense of state industries, suspension of usurious taxes, granting of state credits, and a series of democratic guarantees.