Word: betancourt
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...military also labeled the Bosch administration "soft on Communism." They sharply criticized his refusal to outlaw the Communist party. Some leaders even charged that Bosch himself had Communist sympathies. Bosch, in turn, insisted that Betancourt's problems with terrorism in Venezuala stemmed from his suppression of the Communist party. Better to let them operate in the open, he reasoned. But the army and police, robbed of their suppressive function, disagreed...
...media--Hollywood films, serialized television shows, the AP and the UPI--daily carry an image of incredible prosperity into the restive heart of Spanish America. The denizens of the "Latin Republics" can see what the 20th Century has to offer and, daily, they want it more. Some, like Romulo Betancourt and Jose Figueres, will practice patience and subtle revolution; others like Che Guevara and Gustavo Machado will ask speed and violence; all seek greater happiness for a greater number...
...more than a year, Venezuela's Castroite F.A.L.N. has committed almost every misdeed in the book to embarrass President Romulo Betancourt. It has cold-bloodedly murdered some 50 policemen, staged an endless series of robberies, hijackings, kidnapings and bombings. Through it all, Betancourt kept a tight rein on his temper; he regarded the F.A.L.N. as a civil police matter, an annoyance to be handled by ordinary criminal procedure. But last week, the F.A.L.N. outdid itself: it took on the army, and Betancourt swiftly declared all-out war against Venezuela's Communists...
...Hearing rumors that the F.A.L.N. might dynamite the tracks, the army put eight soldiers from its elite National Guard aboard the train. But there was no dynamite; simple killing was the F.A.L.N.'s object. With the December elections so near, it is going to any lengths to undermine Betancourt's government. As the ten-car train approached a tunnel, some 30 young terrorists aboard drew guns and went about their bloody business...
Rumbles in the Barracks. In Venezuela, shooting up the Caracas police force is one thing, but killing soldiers is quite another. For almost five years, Venezuela's powerful armed forces have gone along with Betancourt's democratic leadership. But in recent months, there have been angry mutterings over Betancourt's apparent inability to end the F.A.L.N.'s campaign of terror. Now, with the army under direct attack and with military coups exploding around the Caribbean, Betancourt decided to crack down on the Reds once and for all. He suspended the constitutional immunity of 23 Communist...