.UN
OBSERVER FEARS NEW EXPLOSION IN SANTO DOMINGO
The situation in Santo Domingo remains "so tense," according to a report issued by the United Nations February 11 that it could end "in an explosion | at any moment."
“The report was sent to U Thant by the UN secretary general's personal envoy to the Dominican Republic, Jose Antonio Mayobre. . Thant's representative also said that the general strike de~ clared by the trade unions February 10 was eighty per cent effective and that.the public administration and the sugar mills were "completely paralyzed. "
; The general strike was called to emphasize the demand for immediate departure from the island of ultrarightist leaders. On the evening of February 11, one of them, Commodore Francisco Rivera Caminero, left for the United States to take a post as naval attache at the Dominican embassy in Washington. Leftist leaders had already departed in accordance with a scheme of the Garcia Godoy government to weaken both the right. and left by having their leaders go into voluntary exile.
The general strike was elso called to demand punishment of the police who were guilty February 9 of shooting demonstrating students. — _
The police continued firing into crowds despite the general strike, however, and this was one of the sources of the mounting tension noted in the report to U Thant.