Page 94 - Anatomy-of-a-Fraud

International news services confirmed La Prensa’s version. For instance, a
UPI report, wired by its special correspondent covering the Panamanian elections,
stated that “some journalist who witnessed last night’s shooting… said that Ardito
Barletta’s supporters, armed with pistols, snub-nosed rifles, and submachine guns,
opened fire against Aria’s sympathizers”.

AP reports that “young men with hand machine guns and other weapons, and
identifying themselves as PRD commandos, roamed the area of the Palace until
36
midnight…”. However, government-controlled radio stations and television channels
and the ERSA newspapers put the blame for these incidents on ADO. They were
unable, though, to produce a single photograph or any impartial evidence to support
their allegations. Barletta himself, at a press conference held on May 17, indirectly
blamed the opposition, ignoring the overwhelming evidence –both testimonies and
photographs– to the contrary.

The General Staff’s complicity was evidenced by the fact that the “PRD
Special Commando” began shooting right after the Guard’s detachment went inside the
building, thus giving the PRD hoodlums absolute freedom to hunt down opposition
demonstrators for three or four hours. At no point did the Defense Forces protect, as it
was their duty, the thousands of citizens who had peacefully assembled to express
support for the candidate of their choice. Quite the contrary, they sought refuge inside
the Board’s building, obviously under orders not to intervene, and allowed the “PRD
Special Commando” to turn the streets into a shooting gallery. And as if this dereliction
of duty were not enough, they also allowed armed men inside the building to threaten
those gathered there. “The Defense Forces were untrue to their oath and their duty to
ensure peace and order and guarantee life and property. Indeed, for several hours’
members of the National Returns Board were unable to leave the building where they
held their deliberations because no one would guarantee their safety”. 37 When they
finally were able to leave, at about 10:00 p.m., after Rómulo Escobar Bethancourt, the
PRD representative to the National Returns Board, made “some phone calls”, those
patrolling the area were not guardsmen but rather hoods in the PRD’s payroll.

The results of this “official” shooting were two people dead and injured. One
of the dead men belonged to MOLIRENA. The other, who died subsequently of his
wounds, was the father of several PDC precinct representatives.

The events of May 7 have been fully documented with photographs (see
exhibit 38), videotapes and the testimony of numerous witnesses, including Messrs.
Jack Hood Vaughn and Raymond Gastil, prestigious United State personalities present
in Panama as international observers at the invitation of the Panamanian Committee on
Human Rights. The chairman of this non-political organization, Dr. Osvaldo
Velásquez, was with them at the time and also witnessed these events. And yet, the
Office of the Assistant Attorney General for the Republic made no arrests. At the same

36 La Prensa, May 9, 1984, page 1A.
37 Op. cit., “Hoy por Hoy”, May 8, 1984, page 1A.