THE TUPAMAROS HAVE A LARGE FOLLOWING AMONG URBAN AND RURAL WORKERS AS WELL AS AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. AVOIDING INDISCRIMINATE TERRORIST ACTS, THEY HAVE CONCENTRATED ON ROBBING OR KIDNAPPING WEALTHY URUGUAYANS AND FOREIGNERS AND THEN REDISTRIBUTING THE PROCEEDS TO THE POOR. THE LEADERS OF THE TUPAMAROS BEGAN ORGANIZING OPPOSITION TO THE GOVERNMENT THROUGH A LEFT WING TRADE UNION OF SUGAR BEET WORKERS IN THE EARLY 1960'S AND DID NOT FORMALLY IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS A GROUP UNTIL 1965. THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN UNABLE TO SUPPRESS THE MOVEMENT, BUT HAS BEEN PROMISED MORE U.S. FUNDS TO COMBAT URBAN INSURGENCY. ALTHOUGH THE TUPAMAROS DID EXECUTE ONE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE OFFICER WHEN THE URUGUAYAN GOVERNMENT REFUSED TO NEGOTIATE THE RELEASE OF THREE TUPAMAROS IN PRISON, THEY GENERALLY HAVE USED VIOLENT TACTICS ONLY IN SELF-DEFENSE. THE TUPAMAROS' TARGETS ARE THE REPRESSIVE POLITICAL MEASURES AND ECONOMIC POLICIES OF GOVERNMENT WHICH HAVE CREATED UNREST AMONG THE POORER CLASSES AND A VOLATILE POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE. WHILE TRADITIONAL ANTI-INSURGENT TACTICS DO NOT WORK IN THE CROWDED URBAN ENVIRONMENTS IN URUGUAY, THE TUPAMAROS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN INFILTRATING THE GOVERNMENT AND POLICE, APPLYING MANY OF CHE GUEVARA'S TACTICS OF RURAL INSURGENCY TO THE URBAN ARENA. TUPAMAROS SEE URBAN INSURGENCY AS A PROTRACTED EFFORT AND AVOID MASS CONFRONTATIONS WITH THE OPPOSITION; THEY HAVE GAINED THE SYMPATHY OF THE MASSES BY EFFECTIVE MILITARY ACTION AGAINST THE COUNTRY'S ELITE. REVOLUTIONARY GROUPS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD ADOPTING THE TUPAMAROS' TECHNIQUES COULD USHER IN A NEW ERA OF REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE. (MJM)