BRAZIL: GOVERNMENT PREPARES TO ACT IN RESPONSE TO LETTER FROM KIDNAPPED SWISS AMBASSADOR, AS HIS REPLACEMENT TAKES OVER IT RIO

Record ID: 1081108

  • Title: BRAZIL: GOVERNMENT PREPARES TO ACT IN RESPONSE TO LETTER FROM KIDNAPPED SWISS AMBASSADOR, AS HIS REPLACEMENT TAKES OVER IT RIO
  • Date: 10th December 1970
  • Summary: 1. GV Tilt Down to entrance church (2 shots) 0.10 2. Gv Tilt Down interior church 0.14 3. MV Int. Swiss Embassy, ambassador arriving 0.21 4. MV Ambassador speaking to journalists (3 shots) 0.34 5. SV Photographers 0.37 6. MV Ambassador leaves 0.38 Initials CM/MB/OS/443 CM/MB/OS/455 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 24th December 1970 13:00
  • Keywords:
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  • Location: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
  • Country: Brazil
  • Reuters ID: LVAE2WE81CMRXNB6S9MZ9II7A4I0
  • Story Text:The Brazilian Government is preparing to act in response to the demands of the guerrilla kidnappers of Swiss ambassador Giovanni Enrico Bucher, after the finding of a letter on Wednesday (9 December) from Mr. Bucher in a Lebanese Maronite Church in suburban Tijuca.

    A temporary successor to Mr. Bucher, Swiss ambassador to Luxembourg Mr. Max Feller, took over the Rio Embassy on Wednesday (9 December).

    Mr. Bucher was kidnapped driving to his office on Monday (7 December), by Brazilian urban guerrillas. His letter, written in French, was found in the Church two days later.

    Embassy Counsellor Mr. William Roch said the letter from Mr. Bucher, which was addressed to him, was definitely in the hand-writing of Mr. Bucher, a 57 year-old bachelor.

    Previous notes purporting to come from his left-wing guerrilla captors have asked for the release of 70 political prisoners in exchange for the ambassador's life.

    The letter said Mr. Bucher was well, and being treated correctly. It asked the Brazilian Government to do the necessary for Mr. Bucher's liberation, as in previous cases.

    Mr. Bucher's letter was accompanied by a note from his guerrilla kidnappers, but Mr. Roch gave no indication of what this contained.

    Left-wing guerrillas have staged three diplomatic kidnappings in Brazil in the past fifteen months, winning the release of 60 political prisoners.
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