Crackdown Assailed by Peru’s Press : South America: An official says the emergency regime has released most of those arrested.

The military-backed emergency government eased press censorship Tuesday, and newspapers strongly criticized President Alberto Fujimori’s coup against the Congress and judiciary.

Troops and tanks continued to surround the Congress and the Palace of Justice, both shut down by the Sunday night crackdown. But security forces and censors were withdrawn from most news media offices.

Foreign Minister Augusto Blacker said the news media outlets were occupied to safeguard them. Blacker also told a news conference that the emergency government had released most of those arrested Monday, including journalist Gustavo Gorriti.

But Blacker said some politicians remained under house arrest. They include the presidents of the Senate and the lower house of Congress.

In Monday raids, security forces found an arsenal of automatic weapons, rockets and other military arms in the home of former Interior Minister Agustin Mantilla, a prominent member of the opposition APRA party. A military communique said Mantilla is being held on charges of violating national security laws.

Security forces had surrounded the home of former President Alan Garcia, the head of the APRA party and Fujimori’s main political opponent. But Garcia was reportedly hiding in a foreign embassy.

Early Tuesday, the army sent 500 troops to a high-security prison in the working-class suburb of Canto Grande. The troops removed dozens of suspected guerrillas from the prison and took them away. Members of Sendero Luminoso, or Shining Path, a Maoist guerrilla army, had taken over two cell blocks there, keeping out guards.

Newspaper criticism of the coup included a column by Manuel D’Ornellas, editor of the daily Expresso.

He called the government move an error, writing: “Fujimori is a constitutionally elected president who chooses unconstitutionality, what psychoanalysts would call voluntary self-destruction.” D’Ornellas predicted that the action will plunge Peru into “diplomatic and perhaps financial isolation.”

The United States suspended military and economic aid to Peru in response.

But crowds cheered Fujimori as he took a walk Tuesday on a downtown street.

Pablo Rojas, a human rights leader, said much of the public supports the move because of the corruption and venality of many legislators and judges. Rojas’ Human Rights Commission, however, issued a report calling the coup an illegal action that “could have unpredictable consequences.”

Foreign Minister Blacker said that a “multi-sectorial commission” will draft a new constitution within six months. He said that a plebiscite on the constitution will be held and that “the new Peruvian republic” will be installed in 12 to 18 months.

The emergency government has “clearly democratic political intentions,” and its measures are aimed at correcting “what is bad about democracy,” Blacker said.

Blacker added: “There is no dictatorship. This is an exceptional situation.”

Times special correspondent Adriana von Hagen contributed to this report.