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GV Crowd outside church.
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GV Open coffin with Romero's body lying in state and Cardinal reading from bible
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SV Mourners ZOOM OUT TO GV Open Coffin.
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SV Army Commander General Anaya among mourners ZOOM INTO woman weeping.
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GV Mourners around coffin.
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Initials AE/2.11 AE/2.24



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Argentina was gripped by a nationwide work stoppage at the weekend (13 and 14 July) as the powerful General Labour Confederation (CGT) mourned the sudden death of its leader, Adelino Romero. Senor Romero, 51, died of a heart attack on Saturday only 48 hours after his re-election as Secretary General of the CGT -- Argentina's most powerful labour post.

His death, only a forthnight after that of President Juan Peron, should well alter the crucial power balance that has existed between political and labour circles in Argentina. Senor Romero was a moderate and loyal Peronist labour leader, and there are fears that his death could open the way for a hardline rightist takeover of the threo-million streng Confederation.

The Spanish-born labour leader was the third successive CGT boss to die suddenly in office. His predecessors, Jose Alonso and Jese Rucci were both assassinated.

Argentine's Labour Minister, Ricardo Otero was reported to have been admitted to hospital with heart trouble on Sunday after collapsing with shock when he visited Senor Romero on his deathbed.

Among the mourners at Senor Romero's wake in Buenos Aires on Saturday was the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, General Leandro E. Anaya.

SYNOPSIS: Mourners gathered in Buenos Aires on Saturday to pay their last respects to Senor Adelino Romero, the Argentine Labour leader who died of a heart attack earlier in the day.

Senor Romero died only forty-eight hours after he had been re-elected as Secretary-General of the General Labour Confederation - the CGT.

The Confederation immediately called a nationwide work stoppage in mourning. His death has posed a serious problem for the labour movement in Argentina. As boss of the three-million-strong CGT, Romero followed a moderate line as a loyal Peronist but there are fears that his death may open the way for a hardline rightist takeover of the Confederation, which could alter the crucial balance of political power in Argentina.

The two CGT bosses before Romero were both assassinated in office.