Weekly Summary

Approved for Release: 2023/03/28 C03154550
BRAZIL SECURITY FORCES HIT TERRORISTS
Military forces and security
units have dealt severe blows to
terrorists in southern Brazil. The
principal target was the Popular
Revolutionary Vanguard (VPR), which
has been responsible for many major
terrorist operations during the
past two years.
The security forces‘ current
campaign was largely made possible
by leads obtained from suspects in
the attempted kidnaping of US Con-
sul Curtis Cutter in Porto Alegre
on 4 April. The abduction was planne
by the VPR and coordinated with othe
terrorist groups. When this attempt
failed, they selected other targets,
including the West German ambassador
another US consul, and several Bra-
zilian military officers and govern-
ment officials. These plans were
frustrated by the arrests of sev-
eral important terrorists in Porto
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Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao
Paulo. Two of the four members of
the national command of the VPR were
captured, another committed suicide,
and only the organization's leader,
renegade army Captain Carlos Lamarca,
remains at large. In addition to
many bank robberi
arms, the VPR was
the assassination
tain in Sao Paulo
and the kidnaping
consul general in
G s and thefts of
responsible for
of a US Army Cap-
in October 1968
of the Japanese
that city last
March.
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‘the government
has mounted a joint operation of
army, air force, and state police
units to locate training bases of
the organization in a remote area
of southeastern Sao Paulo State
close to the border with Parana.
Near the town of Jacupiranga, mili-
tary forces found two sites that
the VPR intended to use for guer-
rilla training. The troops also en-
countered a band of VPR militants,
and among those captured was Darcy
Rodrigues, a former army sergeant
who deserted with Lamarca and was
one of his chief lieutenants.
Military authorities believe
that Lamarca himself is in the area
along with several of his followers,
and the air force has been using
napalm bombs in an attempt to drive
the terrorists out of hiding in the
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extremely thick jungle. Security of-
ficials believe that if Lamarca and
his group can be captured, one of the
most important terrorist organiza-
tions in Brazil will have been er-
manently crippled. (b)(3)
Page 29 WEEKLY SUMMARY 8 May 70
Approved for Release: 2023/03/28 C03154550