Oh, Come to the Fair!

To lure U.S. tourists scared off by its growing reputation as a center of Communist influence. Guatemala this year decided to stage a lavish international fair. Jorge Toriello, a high-powered businessman who backs the regime, was put in charge with $1,080,000 to spend. Promising the republic a gambling casino, horse races, Miami-style dog racing, Ferris wheels, a roller-coaster and a brand-new bullring, Toriello pitched right in.

Abroad he laid out $100,000 for publicity, including $30,000 for full-page ads in the New York Times ("Guatemala--Panorama of Progress"). In the capital's Aurora park he set thousands of masons and carpenters working to finish the fair for last week's grand opening. But heavy rains and the breakdown of the country's only cement plant were too much for even the protean Toriello. On the day the show was to open with a bigtime bullfight, featuring bulls and toreros imported from Spain and Mexico, the new bull ring was not ready; there was no outer wall around the stadium to bar gate-crashers.

But the inaugural corrida had been advertised as the little republic's first high-style bullfight, and all 15,000 seats had been sold, some for as much as $12. So Impresario Toriello decided that the show must go on. The gate-crashers, with no fence to stop them, flocked into the plaza. Soon many choice ringside seats on the shady side had barefoot occupants. By fight time the plaza was packed and some 8,000 angry ticket-holders could not get in. Inside, the unticketed aficionados howled: "We want bulls!"

After an hour's delay, Toriello made a new decision: "The show must not go on." "Thief!" "Gangster!" yelled the gate-crashers, showering the arena with bottles and refuse. Then, joined by angry ticketholders, they grabbed wooden chairs and seat cushions, and began hurling them into the arena. Breaking down the wooden ringside barrier, they heaped the debris in the arena and set fire to it all. They smashed half the toilets beneath the stands. When it was all over, 23 had been hurt, including eight cops.

As if the riotous bullring inaugural was not bad enough, Toriello's casino attracted little betting, his dog races were put off because of construction strikes, and his fellow businessmen showed no interest in the fair's industrial pavilions. A big hall labeled "International Exposition" held only four exhibits, one of them Toriello's steel office furniture. And to top it all, the hopefully awaited crowds of U.S. tourists failed to show.

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