Arnulfo Again

Thanks to its taciturn strong man, Police Chief Jose ("Chichi") Remon, Panama had three Presidents last week.

The merry-go-round began when Remon tossed out President Daniel Chanis, who had tried to fire Remon on charges of graft (TIME, Nov. 28). But Chanis' successor, Vice President Roberto Chiari, lacked effective political support; after two days Chanis tried a comeback. He rescinded his resignation in the presence of the National Assembly, then led a hastily organized march on the palace to reclaim his job.

Police turned the marchers back with tear gas and gunfire.

Angry Panamanians denounced the police tactics. Almost nightly, cops tangled with citizens. The Panama-America called for a general strike against the "police state." Merchants shut their shops, workers walked out on their jobs. Then the Supreme Court decided to review the constitutionality of the Chiari regime.

Legality at the Palace. That convinced Remon that he would have to try a third President. Even before the court spoke, the disgusted strong man cried: "If they want legality, I'll give them legality. I'll give them Arnulfo!"

Arnulfo was dapper, yanqui-baiting ex-President Arnulfo Arias, an old enemy of Remon but a politico who has the support of the powerful Authentic Revolutionary Party and would have won the 1948 presidential elections if an electoral jury had not thrown out 2,714 of his ballots. When the Supreme Court declared ousted Daniel Chanis still the lawful President, Remon went straight to Arnulfo's Bella Vista home and invited the man he helped toss out in 1941 to take over at the palace.

Arnulfo had slept through Remon's first coup, then had been jailed for a few hours when he went downtown to find out what was going on. But this time he was more than ready. Quickly summoned crowds rushed to the Presidencia and roared approval as Remon, presenting the new President, shouted: "Arias is legality." Arnulfistas who had been dodging Remon's cops for years yelled: "Viva Remon!"

Knives in the Streets. Within hours, the electoral jury amiably announced that Arnulfo had really won in 1948 after all and should be President now. Next day Arnulfo named two of the jury to his cabinet. The Assembly approved his election. Arnulfistas roamed the capital, shouting, singing, smashing up Liberal Party headquarters, beating and knifing Liberals caught in the streets. Three ex-Presidents, including Chanis, hastily checked in at the Canal Zone's Hotel Tivoli, so as to avoid checking in at Panama City's model jail.

The general strike rolled on. Arias, declaring himself opposed to a "police state," let it be known that he had in his pocket the signed resignations of Police Chief Remon and his two principal aides. But for the moment wily Arnulfo delayed taking action. After all, unpopular as Remon had become, he still commanded 2,400 well-trained police, the only armed force in the republic; any doublecross of him would have to be expert--and permanent.

Three Presidents in a week was too much for the U.S. State Department, especially when the last to emerge was such an old Hitler-lover as Arnulfo Arias. Assistant Secretary of State Edward Miller Jr., who had called on Chanis in the Presidencia only ten days earlier, frostily announced that the U.S. had not yet recognized the new regime. Unperturbed, Arnulfo replied that recognition was "only a question of time." Even Miller had said that after a period of observation, the U.S., following recent hemispheric practice, could consult with other American republics about resuming normal relations.

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