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6/3/1956 - Return to Lima by Charles R. Temple

INSTITUTE Ol CUKKiNT WOKLD AIFAIKS CRT Hotel Bolivar Lima Lima Peru June Nr walter S Rogers Institute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York New York Dear Rogers At plane flying Southward Peru there spectacular sights which evoke foreigness country below To jagged silhouette Andes continuous string fantastic geometrical shapes stands backdropped copper smoothness The Andean ranges higher stretching endlessly north south lifeless infinitelyimorssiVe Below looking frozen coastal covers wedged among Andean foothills From solidity which belies condensed vapor which could sweep As lowers typography mounds ridges crater depressions imitatio mountsins So Substantial there feeling anygne might until plane grayness dissolves shreds masses We cloud Once Lima reached still forge alien quality Andes garda especially since slight drizzle wishfully called limeos falling signs winter City Kings Yet racing fs2Ailiarly along hurtling traffiC noting summer white uniforms police replaced winter slate counting buildings which since eginning adjusting factory fumes always trapped gardao Downtown acquitted makeup which unexpected color stoned buildings Hundreds plastered every available spacei tuting running presidency PerU Lavale The goorest money virtue Prado The posters apear haphazardly applied closer inspection finds Prade poster Lavalle Beiamde Terry Some large poster bearing Lavalle photo cutouts S headWere carefully pasted lenses opponent glasses And politics which occupy conversations streets cafes everywhere Peruvians Altheugh obviously foreigner first driver forgot I going The second sneered Shewte money represented posters illtuninated signs billboards Yet Prado getting richer One elevator hotel emoaons everyone postponements June June suspects dirty A business pointed marking thepolitical situation straightened afraid outlays money until assurance oresident going continue General Odras econemie Exploring actual tical scene confusin because strange issues dlffer cayuse there seems clarity regard uppor actually issues really Prdo financier wartime president Peru campaigning offering Previou mervice program He hindered byhaving suffered heart ttack rscently theught reason running despite Hernando Lavall anethr upper class Candidate promises continuing peace prosperity seems supoort party Fernand Belamde Terry young architect shouts reform every spher national including scale agrarian reform feudalimm theneeds desires forgotten He celers untried vigorous thesle ranes stress youth clean sweep while Belamde offer concrete program although hiss_ seeches explain implemented three content themselve with_ genera21 sharpened occasionally cliches cogenial themselves that_ obserwer still dark_as president candida uncertain behind their grand words electorate equally unsure judging comments I heard Two questions prime importance women Some women conservative tried thing meaning Prado Others impressed Lavalle financial success after growing upasthesonofaknownbutnotwealthyfamily Andotherscaus tically assert Beladnde Tery youth looks feminine Vote No woman I talke commit herself Theapristas members outlawed ieftist APRA party mainly interested Candidate guarantee emlegal statUs apristas government hierarchy At first Lavalle grounds ction suade President Odria recognize bring party underground state But failed materialize their SU _ODort Beladnde program nearer aprista trinal position received their outspoken supoort It asserted apristas count total If critical outcome Of elections A Cl campaign apathetic The central remains there passionate interest which government national years President Odria benevolent authoritarian incbency praised decried quite feling peace within nation desirable other thingS provide despite sporadic moments Violence Such Christmas trouble Arequipa CRT WHM There however equally strong 6onviction among groups military politics prefer dictatorships least cline towards arbitrary action civilian ferably compact Armed Forces presi dential palace There sense aiting violence Lima perhaps growing frustration knowi future The night before thpartisans dndeTegathered Plaza San Martln called aelay inscrip EaCh dldatehas certified Eleatori resentation certain credentials ofIoi ifimtion enter electiOnS For clear police attaCked thisilmeetingth sbombs manifestation breaker special rUckwhich amongother throws fierce stres water In spite march which Beladnde stalked alone PeruVian Avenida Merced protest persohally S chief police chief comment forces merely obeying orders couldnt desist taring paving stones Plaza weapons assaults Finally thoroughly soaked truck Beladnde tired headquarters there heard Electoral Jury certifed after which demonstrators unusual Lima morning Later Beladnde claimed Jury which refusedthrough through popular ction Perhaps thinking cracked heads asphyxiation suffered partisans Yesterday morning Plaza San another smaller manifestation Beladnde Down La Colmena major streets Paza marched orderly rocessionOf students shouting Beladnde basic Peruvian politiciansvecabulary liberty They which Continuance Dioatorship Belande Liberty Con tinuance Exploitation Beladnde Jstice Even Beladnde might being categorically equated abstractions taking Semed bothered short speeches given carried nearer apotheosis Around crowd arguments flared between demon strators hecklers stopped short fights The willingness Violence there WhenI returnd after marchers Vacated Plaza I found leaning window shouting crowd below We do__nt Withall sound confusion tension Lima manages along electien Perhaps street clashes entertainments accompanying election One This expected trouble Perhaps taken indict tions Of something convulsing future The general attitude seemsto rmains first Jue17 July28 president officially office Until Even LA PRENSA which g0vernment whose editor Pedro Beltrn still smarting imprisonment LaFront6n recently found dedicate columns editorilpage explaining manifestati meter system obtain exsct count number Deople attendance meetingo Based persons square meter space density occupation broken categories Lord iracles persons square meter COmpact square meter Full square meter Dispersed square meter The religious orocessions Lord iracles November attended thousands persons people probably crowd streets other The oapers contention thiswill forever resolve problem peoole reporter meeting Life Received New York