1 779 K London correspondent has sont us a copy of a prass statement. issued, by the London Committee of the National Liberation Front (F,L.U. of Venezuela Herewith extracts highlighting the repression ty the Venezgualan Government:
After outlining recont arrests (sce last week's Tulloetin for details) the statement goes one "The government decreed the arrest of all these M.P.s a8 a result of an incident which occurred on Sept. 30th, The official. vers ion .»eis as follows: a train was going from Caracas to the holiday resort of G1 Gneantado, wceoes About halfway on its journey it was stopped by armed individuals whom the Government claims were members of the Armed Forces of National Liberation (F,i.L.N.), and these proceeded to rob the holidaymakors eeeesAt this point members of tha National Guard came on the scene and viocl— ant fighting broke out in which 5 guardsmen were killed and 2 boys and 3 women injured, We deny emphatically that such an action wes carried out by members of the F.1.L.H,.
"On the contrary wo assert that this hos been another act of provocation by the Venezuelan Governments We can recall 2 other incidents..which were used by the Government to suspend conetitutional guarantees and unleash severe repression against the opposition parties and Venezuelan people. "
After giving details of the two previous incidents, the statement goes on: “The affair of the train is without the slightest shadow of doubt of a similar nature to the incidants which we have just menticned..™" The action in no way conforms to activities the F.A.L.N. havea boen carryiny out, it adda, "Firstly, the people who go to El Encantaco, which is a working class and lower middle class holiday resort, are not the typo against which actions of the F,A.L.N. are directed. ind secondly, the actions of the F,A.L.N. have beon of four typasess
= ..Thoe first is of the publidty type like the incident involving the eeeeDi Stefano incident to draw international attention .to the situation in Venezuela, The second is assualts on barracks and police stations and other armed cantres 80 a8 to acquire arms in order to carry on the struggls..+. The third is the actions against the onterprises which are the sustenance of the regime in power, 9.g., oil companies, tyre factories,.....The fourth is the actions which seek to bring relief to the extreme poverty of the city's slums, For example, tho forcible requisitioning by the F.A.L.N. of lorries distributing meat, vegetables, and foodstuff in general and distritting o them free of charge, to the impoverished who live in the belts of misery around the Venezuelan cities,
TThONOVGY ,seeceeets the F.A.L.N, has carried out actions they have always published their rasponsibility for thosa actions....."hy should the Government resort to a new frame up at this moment? t
"Tirst we mist point to the pressure which right wing elements in Venemuelan army have exerted on President Hetancourt which European newspapera, including the Times, hava noted, This is in keeping with the trend in Latin imerica to replace representative democracies by military dictatorships. ...
"Tt is fairly obvious that Prasidont Betancourt has given way to further pressure so as to nvoid being overthrown, even though we hold he has been a willing tool in their hands, because in any free and fair elections the oppo- Bition parties ere likely to win, The opposition parties and candidates have taken a vary clear position with regard to the soquel of aventsa following the train incident." The statement goes on to give details of the stand token by the People's Democratic Front, the Liberal Party and tho AJ-A.R.S. (a breakaway from Botancourt's own party). 111 these have both criticised the arrest and threstoned not to take part in the elections unless the illegolised parties are not meade lawful, The statement ends with the charge thet the Govermiant is peving the way for a new military dictatorship.