Guatemalan Govt suspends new freedoms

Press, 1 July 1983, Page 6

Guatemalan Govt suspends new freedoms

NZPA-Reuter Guatemala City Guatemala’s military government yesterday suspended most civil rights, from freedom of assembly and movement to freedom of expression and the inviolability of the post. A decree broadcast by a spokesman of the President, Brigadier-General Efrain Rios Montt, also put curbs on the news media and said that Guatemalan authorities were free to make arrests without warrants.

The tough restrictions were announced a few hours after the Government, clearly stung by a wave of public criticism of General Rios Montt, imposed a “state of exception” which was later defined as a state of alarm.

The move came only three months after General Rios Montt lifted a state of siege under which virtually all civil rights were suspended, all political activity banned, and news channelled through the Government information service.

This long-promised “political opening” led to lively public debate, the formation of 12 new political parties, and increasingly severe public attacks on General Rios Montt from the Catholic Church, business and labour groups, and even from a prominent general in

the army, his power base. In announcing the state of exception the Government said that the measure would “not impede the political opening.” But the decree announced a few hours later clearly banned the publication and distribution of political programmes, a restriction that diplomats said would make political activity virtually impossible. The Government said that the freedom it offered had been used to create artificial disaffection and added: “The Government has decided to impose a state of exception of temporary nature which will not impede the political opening.

“... However, the state of exception restricts several liberties of the citizenry.” Under Guatemalan law a state of exception has five grades: alarm, prevention, public calamity, siege, and war. The wording of the communique ruled out the last three. Alarm and prevention curb the news media and freedom of assembly. The announcement came after a night of rumours that General Rios Montt, who took power in a military coup in March last year, was about to be swept away by a coup against him. Two of General Rios Montt’s most prominent opponents appeared on television in differennt interviews the night before, accusing him of abusing his power and breaking his promise for an early return to Constitutional rule. One, a retired colonel, Francisco Luis Gordillo Martinez, called for General Rios Montt’s resignation, he said that General Rios Montt had to bribe him to leave the country. Colonel Cordillo Martinez also said that he was going underground to plot General Rios Montt’s overthrow. The Government broadcast throughout the day a message denying that there had been a coup attempt.