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"My government," answered Imbert, "is convinced that the most just and effective solution is the return to constitutionality by means of a free election." Moreover, it would be a genuine election. Imbert ruled out himself and members of his junta as candidates, agreed that all previously recognized political parties could enter candidates. This meant that Joaquin Balaguer, 57, who served as President before and after the death of Dictator Rafael Trujillo, could run. as well as Antonio Guzman, the Minister of Agriculture under deposed President Juan Bosch—and even Bosch himself, if he ever chooses to leave his Puerto Rican exile.
Imbert's decision cut the ground from under Caamaño, who claims that he is fighting for a return to democracy. At the news of Imbert's agreement, Caamaño muttered: "It's a fairy tale." He flatly refused to participate in new elections, still demanded a return to the 1963 constitution—which means that Caamaño would serve out the remaining two years of Bosch's term. Ignored was the technicality that the 1963 constitution forbids military officers from holding office. "First," cried Caamaño, "the revolution's goal must be fulfilled. After that we can talk about elections." To some Americans this sounded like a rerun of Fidel Castro's old tapes—and the scenes in the rebel-held area of downtown Santo Domingo did little to dispel the impression. When OAS cars arrived outside Caamaño's headquarters, hostile crowds closed around them chanting, "With or without the OAS, we will win!" At a rally in the rebel area, he shouted to a crowd of 8,000: "We will never lose!" "Yankees out! Yankees out!" chanted the mob. The rebel newspaper Patria—Fatherland—called the Americans "the direct inheritors of the Nazism of Adolf Hitler."
When three U.S. paratroopers made a wrong turn and were captured in rebel territory, Caamaño refused to turn them over to the OAS without a witness from the United Nations. He ordered his followers not to cash OAS checks for back government pay, refused to place the cable and banking facilities in his area under OAS auspices. Throughout the week, snipers pecked away from the rebel zone, adding one more wounded to the list of 139 U.S. casualties, and several mortar shells, fired probably by Imbert's troops, hit rebel territory, killing at least two people.