Human freedom made gains in '82, report says

Freedom House reported Tuesday that 1982 was an encouraging year for freedom, particularly in Latin America, ''which has never been freer.''

But there were setbacks in Poland, the Mideast, and Africa. A survey by the nonpartisan human rights organization, which has monitored political rights and civil liberties for over 40 years, said the percentage of the world's population living in free areas increased from 35.9 percent in 1981 to 36.3 percent in '82. Advances were made in Honduras and Bolivia, which became free nations during the year, Freedom House said.