Trial Opens for Hugo Blanco

from Dave Windsor In view of the worldwide concern at the trial of Hugo Blanco, readers of fhe Week will no doubt be interested in this account of the opening sessions. It is extractec from the current ecition of World Vutlook. is feored by the defense, the Peruvi::n government opened the tricl for Hugo Blanco Galdos without adeauate notice; and selected o court in Tacna, a small town where even routine press covernge is difficult. Twenty-eight defendants were brought into court August 30. Nine others were nemed in the indictment but have not been cpprehended. The two leading figures in the case are Hugo Blanco, who is being defended by Dr. Batillano; and Pedro Candela Santillana, who is being defended by Dra. Caller. The latter attorney, together with Iicrcial Chalco, is also defending the 27 other defendants. The prosecuting attorney, Lt.Col.Oswildo Faulinich, demanded 25 years in prison for Hugo Blanco, 22 years for Pedro Candela, and from 2 to 20 years for the others. The deucand was not wi thout sinister implications. The press had freely nmredicted that the prosecution would demand 25 years for Hugo Blanco but that the judges would hana down the death sentence. The prediction proved to be nccurate as to the opening moves of the prosecution, giving rise to forebodings that the trial will end with martyrdom for Hugo Blanco. Dr. Batillana objected to the trical being held in Tacna bécause it “lacked the necessary guzrantees"* for a fair hearing. He :lso charged that the defendants were brought to Tacna hastily and without previous notice. The defense also filed objections over a series of legal “omissions and errors! in the cuse. They argued for dismissal of the czse3; and, when this was denied, demanded its postponement. This wes denied innsmuch as the Military Code does not »rovide fo postponements. In addition to all the other difficulties facing the defense, the government placed the cause under the Code of Military Justice although the alleged crimes ectuclly come under civil law. The defense also charged that the trical was unfrir, since eighty percent of the defendants spenk only Quechua, yet the ti-l is being conducted in Spanish. ‘shen the court rend the cherges to the defencants in spanish, Dra. Laure Caller objectéd. She pointed out that the Nilitary Code provides in such instrunces for an interpreter. The head of the Military tribunal,Col.Roberto Acosta, scid thet after the charges were read in Spanish a copy translated into Qechua would be handed to the defendants. When Hugo Blanco was brought into the small crowded courtboom at 8.30 a.m. he shouted the slogans of the peasants whom he had led in the valley of La Convencion in the heroic struggles of 19612 and 1962. ‘hen the hearing was suspended he rose to shout again, “Tierra o Muerte!" (lend or death) Tedro Cendela and the other 26 loudly echoed the slogan before the uppreciative spectstors who had jomaed into the csurtroon. The highly political nature of the trinl is revealed by the mere fact that the second doy of the herrings (August 31) was spent lergely with the prosece ution reading extracts from the literature distributed to the peasants, and neinteined that this ted literature" openly “incited" the land-hungry peasants to "rebellion". September lst and 2nd the prosecution read into the record of depositions of witnesses concerning cuerrilla incidents inwhich Hugo Blanco was allegedly involved. On Sevtember 3ra Hugo Blsenco spent 64 hours listening to what he had allegedly said during the investigative process. According to the press, the trial , proceeding in the usual crun-= head fashion of Peruvinn courts-martial, might last another six cays.