Word: lechin
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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Preaching Hatred. The warning rumbles have been growing ever since the May election in which Paz won another four-year term over the bitter opposition of two erstwhile allies: former President Hernán Siles Zuazo, 50, and Juan Lechin, 51, leftist boss of Bolivia's tin miners. Siles has been packed off to exile in Uruguay. But Lechin is still around, preaching hatred and focusing Paz's opposition...
...third term, to demonstrate that for all practical purposes he had disarmed his most violent opposition. Climbing into his DC-3, he flew to Oruro (pop. 81,000), market center of the country's tin-mining area and for years a stronghold of rebel Vice President Juan Lechin and his Communist-dominated mining unions. For good measure Paz invited U.S. Ambassador Douglas Henderson to come along as his guest...
...biggest job was whipping the nationalized tin-mining industry into shape. Under Union Boss Lechin, mine employment soared from 19,000 to 29,000; by 1960 the mines were losing $10 million a year, and only aid from the U.S. kept the industry going. A year later, Paz signed an agreement with the U.S., the Inter-American Development Bank and West Germany for $38 million to modernize the mines, promising in return to lop 6,000 men from the payrolls. Lechin and his miners threatened civil war. But Paz had enough political strength to ride out the storm. By last...
...There May Be Trouble." The animosity between Paz and Lechin has grown ever more bitter. In December, tensions exploded when the miners kidnaped four Americans as hostages for two far-leftist union leaders arrested as part of the mine cleanup. After ten days, the miners backed down; at the party convention a month later, Lechin was drummed out, and Paz was named for a third term. The raging Lechin called a rump convention and swore to run against...
...much power Lechin retains is questionable. After Paz's triumphant tour of Oruro last week, Lechin decided to withdraw from the election and announced that he would boycott the voting. He then did the only thing he could think of: he challenged Paz to a duel "to prevent the spilling of innocent blood." Paz ignored the challenge, and other threats of street demonstrations, strikes and even assassination. "There may be trouble," he admits. "They may try to kill me. But we have set out the design, and we intend to carry...