CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06498250
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: July 11, 2023
• Document Release Date: May 20, 2022
• Case Number: F-2015-00983
• Publication Date: June 8, 1961

Approved for Release: 2022/05/19 C06498250
'IDE.711TIAL
COPY NO.
OC1 NO. 0283/61
June 1981
CURRENT
INTELLIGENCE
WEEKLY
SUMMARY
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE DocumENTN0
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SE
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY soma
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
The composition of the
Dominican Government has remained
essentially the same following
the assassination on 30 May of
Generalissimo Rafael Leonidas
Trujillo, absolute ruler of his
country since August 1930. Gen-
eral "Mantis" Trujillo, the
dictator's 32-year-old son who
returned from Europe immediate-
ly after his father's death,
was named head of the Joint
chiefs of staff of the Dominican
armed forces on 1 June. The ap-
pointment was unanimously ap-
proved by the rubber-stamp Con-
gress. Indications are that
the regime is in full control
throughout the country.
Ramfis'appointment to the
highest armed forces. post places
him in apositiOirof power compar-
able to that of bin late father.
However, he does not have the
respect of numerous older of-
ficers, who resent his youth,
his rashness, and his reputation
as an international playboy.
Ramfis will almost certainly
have to rely on continued force
to maintain his position. His
clique of personal supporters, .
who also share his hatred of
the United States, include some .
of the most radical and ruthless
elements in the regime.
American Consul Dearborn,
after a conversation with Presi-
dent Balaguer on 4 June, com-
mented that the President is
"showing some -spunk" but is still
far from being an independent
agent. Although Balaguer seemed
to be sincere in expressing his
desire to create democratic con-
ditions in the country, he ap-
peared uncertain whether Rant is
would permit him to do so. The
consul believes the President
may ask for US military support
if his program is obstructed.
Ealaguer/
\had
threatened to resign rather than
accede to arequest from "the
armed forces" to expel Roman
Catholic bishops Reilly and
Panel.
8 June 61
Rant is, other members of
the Trujillo family, and close
associates probably realize that
they stand to lose everything
if they permit a significant de-
gree of free opposition. There
are few grounds for hope that
Balaguer has the courage or
ability to assume any role other
than his accustomed one as a
lackey for those exercising real
power.
Government leaders are mak-
ing a strong-effort to convince
international opinion that the
regime no longer merits the
police state label. The pres-
ence of American newsmen has
served as a brake on police ex-
cesses that terrorized the dis-
sidents immediately after the
assassination. Some of those
arrested have apparently been
released.
The presidential decree
of 6 June canceling the army
commission of John Abbes is
clearly designed to dissociate
present leaders from this hated
symbol of police brutality. It
is too soon to know whether
this move has any real signifi-
canoe; last year Abbes was re-
placed as head of the Military
Intelligence Service (SIN) for
similar reasons, but he continued
as de facto head of the organ-
ization and was most recently
observed in SIN headquarters on
2 June.
/ndications of loyalty to
the Trujillo family have been
observed among low-income groups
in the capital as well as in
the countryside, where units of
a peasant militia were observed
on 4 June performing patrol
duties with considerable enthu-
siasm. It is among the usually
inarticulate lower classes that
the "father image" of the late
dictator had its greatest
strength, 'Middle-class elements
with at least some formal educa-
tion, from which future Domini-
can governments will have to
draw :.their% versonneli;..are
WEEKLY REVIEW Page 6 of 22
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CURKEKT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUWWAFy,
believed to bo largely anti-
Trujillo.
Trujillo is known
te.harbor'deep'resenMenta
against the.United.Sta*ea,-and
it he. and other government
lead-
ers fail in their. 'current effort
to-obtain-at leant passive US
support, he is. likely to rosin*
his earlier ,f forts to reach "an
accommodation with the Soviet
bloc And in any other way
avail-
able AO .him to try to Undercut
US influence'.
COmmunist.Xtban:RxEloitation
Communists And pro-Castro
groups among the thousands of'
Dominican exiles abroad are 'al-
ready seeking to eaploit the
dictator's death and may well
obtain covert asnistancnfrow
the Castro regime..
On 2 June,. leaders Of the
Dominican People's Socialist:
(CamiUniet)'party.in,Cubi laSued
astatemetit warning of an impend-
ing "imPeriAlistmane0Ver�:
do-
signed to prevent the Dominican
_people from.eStabliehingAn
.dependentand_deMoCiatie".re-.
gine; The statement was trans
Mitted the next day in English
hy.theofficial Czechoslovak:
Sews agency.
,In response to a request_
for comment On the assassination,
Raul:Castro said that .Cuba 'should
"do no More than listen, look,
and keep quiet" He also implied
that the'USOovernment had been
involved in the assassination
becauSe Trujillo had Outlived
his usefulness to "imperialism,"
'which wished to use Dominican
territory asar,base against 'the
Cuban revolution, He termed
"ridiculous' several reports that
he was preparing a Cuban expedi-
tionary force to invade the Do-
minican Republic. Other Cuban
coverage Of 'the Trujillo death
has been entensive,and siMilar
in content to the younger C1417
tro's remarks.
Proposed InterAMerican Action
Venezuelan PreSident'Beian-
court; in a conversation of more
than four hoursCwith Ambassador
Adial Stevenson on .4 June,., urged
a:series of OAS actions "up to,
and 'including possible collective
mi/itAry.action" .to bring down
the. Dominican regile. The'Oree-
'edent thus established, he .said,
.could later be employed in CUba.
:v4t.h 1**Oct to the,Cubnn_01.0,
he PraPcise1,0AgOi'Oidilrmin-
isters' sleeting after the inter-
4inerienneconomiP-Onfgret*de in
UtugilaY1,15.4u4;* The PAS%rcon-
ferees would give the Castro:re-
gime. 90 :d4g to .dissociate
it-
self � from .the Sine-Soviet bloc,
observe civil liberties) and . �
shold free elections. -,If:Castro
!June 61 WEEKLY RE JEW
Pa me 7 -of 22
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CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY
did not comply, the foreign min-
isters would again convene to
apply the same sanctions against
Castro that had been imposed
against the Dominican regime.
The Ametican ambassador in
Bogota, after lengthy conversa-
tions with Colombian President
Lleras Camargo and his foreign
minister, reported on 5 June '
that Colombian leaders had hoped
that the extermination of Tru-
Jill() would be followed by a pop-
ular, democratically oriented
uprising, and were disappointed
when such a movement failed to
develop. Colombian leaders doubt
thatRamris will change the old
order and fool that Balaguer is
not a promising liberal leader.
Bogota apparently prefers to
assess the internal Dominican
situation further before decid-
ing on any action to be taken.
CONS/OVENS! IN BRAZIL OVER QuApnos POLICIES
President Quadros of Brazil
has made repeated gestures to-
ward the.Sino-Soviet bloc since
his inauguration in January.
These gestures and his policy
toward Cuba have been criticized
by the clergy, a prominent state
governor, some newspapers, and
some of the military, but the
public has not seemed concerned.
Brazilian conservatives have in-
stated that he was expanding
diplomatic and commercial rela-
tions with the bloc merely to
conciliate the country's left-
ists andCommunista and that
his basic conservative orienta-
tion was indicated by his do-
mestic economic austerity pro-
gram. .
Quadros' policy.toward East
Germany, however, has caused
considerable Concern in the For-
eign Ministry, because Several
of his moves seemed to verge On
.de facto recognition.. Quadros
on 24 May'ibstrutted Foreign
Minister.Afenio Arinos to invite
the East German trade minister
to visit Brazil. Joao Dantas,
Quadros' crony and emissary, hae
been visiting Eastern Europe
to expand commercial relations
there. The Brazilian Foreign
Ministry had apparently assured
West Germany of a friendly Bra-
zilian policy, but public an-
nouncement that Dantas had signed
a trade agreement with East Ger-
many has undercut this policy.
Secretary General Leitao
da Cunha, an old-line Foreign
Ministry official, has resigned.
stating that he planned a year's
leave of absence from the dip-
lomatic service. Afonso Arinos
also threatened to resign.but
apparently consented to stay
on; he told the press that the
exact terms of "the document"
were unknown but that "it is
not a diplomatic agreement, be-
cause Bantam has n�uthority
to conclude agreements."
� The resignation of Leitao
da Cunha has aroused public con-
troversy in Brazil, with edi-
torial reaction predominantly
in his _support and critical of
Dantas and Quadros. A group
of military"officers�although
primarily discontented with
Quadros' military 'appointments
and his economic austerity pro-
/Tam rather than his foreign
policy�is taking advantage of
the. controversy :to present griev-
.ances to QuadrOs at this time.
Discontent among these of-
fiders�who appear to be Men
who held high posts under the
previous administration�has
been heightened by Quadros' or-
der for the arrest of Marshal
Lott, defeated candidate in the
1860 presidential campaign, for
making a political statement.
They undoubtedly feel that Lott,
as titular headof the opposition.
8 June 61 WEEKLY REVIEW
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