Arrests of 12 Communists in Chile Reported
Lawyers reported that security agents arrested at least 12 members of the outlawed Communist Party on Sunday as the Chilean military government moved to quell a growing wave of protests.
Hours later, riot policemen used clubs and tear gas to disperse hundreds of people who had gathered at a Santiago cemetery to lay wreaths at the graves of three Communists who, a judge has charged, were slain by officers of the national uniformed police force.
President Augusto Pinochet had warned that he would “use the most drastic measures” to maintain order.
Street protests erupted after Judge Jose Canovas announced Thursday that a four-month investigation had produced “clear evidence” that 14 police officers were involved in the March 30 killing of three Communists.
The report plunged the government into crisis. Gen. Cesar Mendoza, a member of the four-man military junta and head of the paramilitary police force, resigned from both posts Friday. Pinochet named Gen. Rodolfo Stange to replace him.
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