PERU: Death Ends a Holiday

A dictator, like a man with a bull by the tail, takes a chance every time he lets go. Last week Peru’s Strong Man, bulky President General Oscar Raimundo Benavides, and some of his Ministers decided to leave Lima’s Government Palace for a three-day holiday at Paracas Bay, 200 miles down the coast from Lima. Minister of Government and Interior General Antonio Rodríguez, left behind to keep a watchful eye on things at home, accompanied the President & party to the docks at Callao, port of Lima, and bade them Godspeed. He did not say anything about a safe return.

As soon as the naval transport had put to sea with the presidential party aboard,

Minister Rodríguez scooted back to Lima, gathered a handful of followers, largely Government employes from his own ministry, and marched into the Government Palace. He summoned the Army officer in command of the palace machine-gun squad. “I am assuming the Executive post since General Benavides is leaving Peru,” announced the Minister. “Hand over your command.” The officer pretended to accept the order. Once outside the palace, however, he quickly telephoned the President’s home, informed General Benavides’ aides of the coup, then locked himself in the palace observation tower and trained his machine guns on the entrance to the building. Inside the palace, the Rodríguez followers armed themselves. Self-proclaimed President Rodríguez hurriedly prepared two manifestoes, one to the people, the other to the armed forces, and sent them to the newspapers.

Before the papers had time to print them the revolt was over. Troops came on the double, set up machine guns on the avenues around the building. Revolver drawn. Sergeant Major Rizo Patron tramped into the palace with a squad of soldiers.

“I came to do my duty,” he informed General Rodríguez. Fast-talking Antonio Rodríguez explained that he had taken over the chief executive’s job because Benavides had sailed for Europe. “That is untrue,” replied the Sergeant Major. Minister Rodríguez, according to the official version of the story, lunged for the officer’s gun. It cracked twice and Rodríguez fell dead.

His followers opened fire and before the Army forces could machine gun them into submission three policemen, a pedestrian and four rebels were killed, nearly a dozen wounded. Strong Man Benavides and his Ministers called off their holiday, rushed back to Lima in time to supervise the disposition of the bodies.