NID - CHILE: ASSASSINATION FUELING POLITICAL TENSION

Created: 4/3/1991

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

CHILE:

Policial Teosion

The assassination on Monday by leftist terroristsrominent conservative ally of Army Commander Pinochet will fuel concerns on the right about President Aylwin's couxtrntrrc<riim policy mstiexacerbate political tension orer the government's human rights stratrgy^

The Manuel Rodriguez Patriotic Front hu claimed credit for assassinating Senator Jaime Guzman, founderajor far-right party. The Chilean press has linked the killingecent government-commissioned report that details human rights abuses by security forces under the Pinochet regime but does not charge individual perpetrators. The Aylwin administration has requested the appointmentpecial judge to investigate the murder and has announced pians for an antiterromt coordinating group of representatives of the two police forces. I

Guzman was the fourth and most prominent victim assassinated by the left since the human rights report was finished. His death is likely to deepen fear of leftist retribution among former high-ranking officials. The military's far-right political allies, on tbe defensive since the human rights report was released, may try to recoup by criticizing the government's counttnerromm program-Pinochet may seize on public concern about terrorism to criticize the government and plaj up the law-and-order record of his regime.

Aylwin may also come under renewed pressure on the human rights issue from ten-leaning parties in his own coalition. The Socialists, for example, may try to seize on the assassinations as further testimony to the need to try human rights abusers, arguing that Aylwin's moderate strategy has failed to provide justice or encourage reconciltalior

Aylwin's decision to put the police in charge of anliterrorist coordination shows his determination to avoid giving the Army the internal security responsibilities il had under Pinochet's regime, despite the service's superior capabilities. Although the paramilitary national police has had some success in wrapping up terrorist leaden recently, the force is inexperienced in couniertcrrorism and intelligence gathering on extremist groups. The investigative police isurge to rid it of corruption and can offer Utile support.

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