[The following article appeared in the May 3 issue of Avanzada Socialista, weekly newspaper of the Partido Socialista de los Trabajadores (PST-Socialist
Workers party, a sympathizing organization of the Fourth International in Argentina).
[The translation is by Intercontinental Press.]
On Friday, April 25, at 6 p.m. a bomb exploded in front of the offices of Abril Publishers at Paraguay and Leandro N. Alem streets. When it exploded, a huge number of leaflets flew into the air. The leaflet demanded that a long list of actors, playwrights, journalists, writers, and three members of the Civita family, which owns Abril Publishers-Carlos,
César, and
Mina-leave the country. If they did not follow this "order," the "Alianza Antiimperialista Argentina" [AAA-Argentine Anti- Imperialist Alliance or Argentine Anticommunist Alliance]-the Triple A, signer of the note-threatened to execute those it had listed.
In addition to the owners of Abril, the list included actors David Stivel, Carlos Carella, Juan Carlos Gené, Sergio Renán, María Rosa Gallo, Luisina Brando, Mabel Manso, Alfredo Alcón. Also the Uruguayan writer Mario Benedetti, along with the journalists and writers Roberto Cossa, Ricardo Halac, Tomás Eloy Martinez, and Carlos Somigliana. Finally there was Osvaldo Granados, who just a few days earlier had resigned as director of the official news agency Telam.
On Saturday, a special office was set up in the federal police building to aid "the condemned" in getting their passports rapidly.
In the afternoon the Comisión Integral joint committee], led by the Asociación Argentina de Actores [Argentine Actors Association], voted to stay in permanent session. It also declared the union on a state of alert and called for a work stoppage in theaters, movie houses, radio, and television to run from 8 p.m. that day until 7 p.m. Monday, April 28. In addition, the committee sent a telegram to the president of the nation requesting a meeting.
Several groups of actors went to different theaters, ensuring the carrying out of the work stoppage in all theaters where there were members of the organization.
This did not occur in several establishments with members of the Unión de Artistas de Variedades [Union of Vaudeville Artists]-the nucleus of a sector of the casts of variety shows. Their leader, José Marrone, stated that before stopping work May 19, 1975
in solidarity, "we have to ask ourselves why those persons are being threatened."
On Sunday a massive work stoppage took place. The Asociación de Actores announced that it would negotiate with the national authorities.
On Monday several meetings took place. The bloc of Radical senators [members of the UCR-Unión Civica Radical] voted to condemn the threats by the Triple A and to request that parliament investigate them. The CGT [Confederación General del Trabajo-General Confederation of Labor] issued a press release signed by recording secretaries Adalberto Winer and Casildo Herreras. It pointed out that in a meeting with leaders of the Asociación de Actores "the leaders of the CGT indicated their approval of the condemnation of any type of violence."
Later, statements of condemnation from the Frejuli [Frente Justicialista de Liberación Nacional-National Liberation Front for Social Justice, the Peronist parliamentary bloc] and the APR [Alianza Popular Revolucionaria-People's Revolutionary Alliance, a center-left parliamentary bloc] were made public. A press release from the Partido Justicialista [Justicialist party] signed by press chief Demetrio Vázquez said: "The Justicialists condemn the threats that various Argentine artists have received, and the party wants to express its most unqualified solidarity with these individuals."
In the afternoon a big assembly of the Asociación de Actores took place. About 500 persons were in the hall when the board of directors reported that the threatened artists had decided to remain in the country. Deeply moved, those present applauded. The applause turned into a standing ovation when it was announced that María Rosa Gallo, whose name was on the Triple A list, was present.
Senator Stecco, who was present, stated that "as a member of the Justicialist party I condemn threats of this type, made by organizations acting outside the law."
Also present were Congressmen Montenegro and Martijena of the Frejuli, Senator Samanillo of the UCR, and Nicéforo Castellano of the APR
Messages of support from the Agrupación Gremial de Escritores [Writers Union], the Partido Socialista de los Trabajadores, the Communist party, and the Asociación de Directores Teatrales [Theater Directors Association] were also read. The Asociación de Actores made public an extensive communiqué.
Finally, it was reported that at 8 p.m. the work stoppage would end and that the actors would remain on a state of alert.
Shortly after the meeting ended, the Sociedad Argentina de Escritores [Argentine Writers Society] reported that three of its members-Berta Solana Macías, Jorge Reboredo, and Juan Carlos Higa-had been kidnapped from a house in Gerli April 25.
On Tuesday, April 29, statements from two newspaper owners' groups were made publie. They condemned the threats and made a special point of the fact that the AAA list included three directors of Abril Publishers.
The minister of the interior issued a press release, commenting on the meeting held between several actors and Undersecretary of Institutional Affairs Dr. Héctor Millán, who voiced "the concern of this ministry, as shown in measures directed at the immediate investigation of this type of threats, to prevent them from happening again."
In addition, according to the April 30 issue of Cronista Comercial, Raúl Lastiri, president of the Chamber of Deputies, met twice with different artists, advising them not to leave the country "because it would harm the republic."
On the same day, delegations from the Asociación de Actores were received by the general commanders of the army and navy.
An assembly called Tuesday, April 29, by the executive board of the shop stewards committee of the Asociación de Periodistas de Buenos Aires [Buenos Aires Journalists Association] was attended by 150 compa- ñeros. They voted to carry out two-hour work stoppages Friday, May 2, to condemi. Triple A threats against various personalities, among them well-known journalists.
In addition, they reported the kidnapping of Ana Buzzetti, editor of the daily El Mundo, which had been closed by the government. In view of this fact, the assembly voted to carry out a twenty-fourhour work stoppage the same Friday if there was confirmation of a rumor that her corpse had been found.
The assembly also voted solidarity with the struggle in Villa Constitucion* and with compañeros from different unions who had been threatened. A petition for formation of a parliamentary commission to investigate these facts was approved, as was a demand that a doctors committee investigate the report that Dardo Cabo, former editor of El Descamisado, and Emiliano Costa, a journalist, had suffered illegal oppression since their recent arrests. Cabo is reported paralyzed and Costa unrecognizable as the result of the punishment they received.
*Several thousand metalworkers have been on strike in Villa Constitución since March 20. They are striking to win the release of their leadership, who were imprisoned on the basis of an alleged "subversive plot to halt industrial production" in the region.