THE CARIBBEAN LEGION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP62-00865R000100070015-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: November 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 3, 2000
• Sequence Number: 15
• Content Type: REPORT

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THE CARIBBEAN LEGION
(n) History
The irregular military group of several hundred exiles and
political dissidents which took the name "Caribbean Legion" in
348. was a significant factor in Central America - Caribbean
affairs between 1947 and 1949. It had its origin in growing
dissatisfaction with traditional dictatorial forms of government
and in a fairly widespread desire for the development of political
institutions along more democratic lines. During most of that
period two rival power blocs - the "dictatorships in the
Dominican Republic and Nicaragua and the "democratic" governments
of Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Cuba - were competing for dominant
influence in the area. The Caribbean Legion was a clandestine
instrument of policy for the "democracies."
The Caribbean Legion was formed in March 1948 when various
dissidents and political exiles from the "dictatorships" - many
of whom had participated in the ill-fated Cayo Confites expedition
against the Dominican Republic in 1947 - joined Jose Figueres
(now President of Costa Rica) and gave him decisive aid in over-
throwing the Communist-supported pro-Nicaragua Costa Rican
government. At the close of the Costa Rican fighting the Legion
was at its peak in power, prestige, and influence and its leaders
were on intimate terns with Figueres and Presidents Arevalo of
Guatemala and Prio of Cuba. In December 1948 President Somoza
of Nicaragua, acting to forestall an attempt by the Legion against
his government, promoted an invasion of Costa Rica by adherents
of the deposed Costa Rican Tlegine. The speedy intervention of
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of American atates brought
the invasion to a halt and Costa Rica was advised to remove
the Legion from its territory. According to its leaders, the
organization was disbanded in December 1948. Dissension within
the Legion had been growing over the nature of the government
it had hoped to establish in Nicaragua and the remnants of the
organization apparently split into two factions, one remaining
in Costa Rica and the other based in Guatemala. In June 1949
a group of revolutionaries drawn from the ranks of the Legion
made a second abortive attempt to invade the Dominican Republic
from bases in Guatemala. After this demoralizing failure, the
revolutionaries dispersed and, reportedly, only a skeleton
general staff remained organised in Guatemala for a while.
(b) Current strength and centers of organization
The Caribbean Legion, as constituted several years ago,
is probably no longer in existence as an effective organization.
Although investigations by U8 embassy officials and service
attaches have resulted in no reliable evidence to substantiate
the periodic rumors *4! the Legion's reactivation, recent un-
confirmed reports speak of a sizeable armed force in Guatemala,
Undoubtedly conditions which led to the Caribbean Legion's
organization still persist: revolutionary plotting is endemic
in the area and political refugees from repressive regimes,
which have now increased to include Venezuela and Cuba, are
floating about the area ready to join forces should a militant
group such as the Legion be reorganized. laity of these elements
are now concentrated in Costa Rica, the area's traditional
haven for political exiles, and Jose Figueres, who worked
closely with the
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his bitter hatred for Caribbean dictators, was recently elected
president of Costa Rica.
Several former members of the Caribbean Legion are now
in Guatemala where they are employed in various capacities
by the Guatemalan government or engaged in private business.
Last June the U Embassy in Guatemala noted that "General
Miguel Angel Ramirez, former Chief of Staff of the Caribbean
Legion, and his aide Jorge Ribes Montego, were sat loose ends'
and obviously not engaged in 'any active enterprise such as
the reactivation of the Caribbean Legion."
(c) Arms and sources of supply
During its period of activity, he Caribbean Legion ob-
tained its arms and other supplies chiefly through the help of
sympathetic governments: i.e. Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Cuba.
Unconfirmed reports allege that an unstated supply of arms
which formerly belonged to the Legion is now stored in Costa
Rica. Presumably, these arms could be made available to former
legionnaires or to a new and similar organization, but there
is no evidence of such a development. In Guatemala two aircraft,
a 8-18 and a Lockheed Lodestar, which were formerly controlled
by the Caribbean Legion, have recently been sold to a political
associate of ex-President Prio of Cuba and were undergoing
repairs. Rumors that the planes were to take part in an
attempt against the present Cuban government have not been
confirmed.
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(d) Orientation
The Caribbean Legion contained individuals of a variety of
ideologies; a unified political philosophy never developed.
In fact, political factionalism within the Legion was a major
factor in its decline. The cannon goal was opposition to
dictatorships and "the reinstatement of popular sovereignty in
the Caribbean." Communists were generally unsuccessful in
their attempts to infiltrate the organization though the
Nicaraguan revolutionary, Edelberto Torres, who headed the
leftist faction of the Legion, is now regarded as pro-Communist.
There were undoubtedly some mercenaries In the Legion, though
they do not seem to have predominated.
If a new group with Legion objectives should be formed,
Communists would have an excellent channel for infiltrating
that organization through the numbers of Communist-influenced
exiles now in Guatemala. Prominent among these are Salvadorans,
Hondurans and Nicaraguans.
(e) Leadership
The leaders of the Caribbean Legion are now scattered
throughout the Caribbean area and some have disappeared from
view. The Legion's Chief of Staff, "General" Niguel Angel
Ramirez, a Dominican, is now in Guatemala where he was re-
ported last June to be in bad financial straits and engaged
in operating a sawmill near Guatemala City. It was obvious
to the US Embassy in Guatemala last June that he was engaged
in no revolutionary plotting at that time. "General" Juan
Rodriguez Garcia, a wealthy Dominican who was exiled by
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Generalissimo Trujillo in 1948, vowed to devote his life and
his property to overthrowing the dictator, and led the ill-
fated Cayo Confites expedition against the Dominican Republic
in 1947, has not been heard from in recent years. Juan Bosch,
another Dominican and top Legion leader, is now enjoying
asylum in Costa Rica. The Honduran exile, Jorge Ribas Mentes,
reputed to be an excellent soldier, is in Guatemala working
full time for the government airline. He was not engaged in
any revolutionary plotting as of last June. Another Honduran
who was formerly active in the Legion, Francisco Norazan4 an
unsavory character who took part in the assassination of the
Guatemalan Chief of the Armed Forces in 1049, is now the
private secretary of Guatemalan President Arbenz. Certain
Cubans who took prominent parts in the Legion's affairs,
particularly Eufenio Fernandez Ortega, are now engaged in
revolutionary plotting to restore the presidency to deposed
President Prio Soccaras. Enrique C. Henriquez, Prio's
brother-in-law, may also be involved in this plotting. The
Nicaraguans who were prominent in the conservative faction
of the Legion. Nathan.) Chamorro and the Arguello brothers,
are now back in Nicaragua leading the opposition Conservative
Party, Edelberto Torres, leader of the leftist Nicaraguans
in the Legion is now in Guatemala where he is prominent in
various Communist front groups.
It is difficult to determine the leadership potential of
these men at this time. Jorge Ribas Routes, "General Ramirez.
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and Juan Bosch are probably the most capable, but they now
lack a dedicated following and a single "cause" to unify the
various nationality and ideological groups which formerly
comprised the Legion.
(f) 'bald it be au &soot to a liberal or leftist government
is the area la case of a reffraution agKrist thiI-governaent7
soon
irthr Lisbilitles or weakneeses7
0 ISO ZO in Z ue o a po en a
Aa evaluation of assistance from the CarIbbeaD Legion
to a liberal or leftist Caribbean government threatened by
revolt would necessarily be speculative. The Legion was al-
legedly motivated by purely ideological considerations during
its active period. It was comprised mainly of political
exiles but contained some mercenaries. It can be pointed
out that even were its manpower aseet in defense of a
sympathetic regime, its open toleration by the government in
any country would be a diplomatic liability, inasmuch as official
assistance to any exiles engaged in revolutionary plotting
could always be interpreted an support for the overthrow of
mother government,
Despite reports that the Legion could be reactivated in
si little as two months, there is no information here on
which an estimate of required mobilization tine or potential
streagth could be based. Such an estimihte would mininally
require reliable inforaation, currently unobtainable, on:
whereabouts and present attitudes of ex-Legionnaires
availability and type of arms and equipment availability of
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recruits and non-Legion organizations for integration with the
Legion, etc. Reports of unknown reliability received since
May 1953 variously set Legion forces at 1500 to 6000. There
is a strong inference that the main components of these forces
are Cuban or Venezuelan exiles, committed primarily to the
reinstatement of Prio in Cuba or Betancourt in Venezuela.
Ruch reports often implicate the Guatemalan and Costa Rican
governments as active in Legion activities, providing safe
locations for training camps and supply depots. Moreover,
unconfirmed reports allege that high officials of the Guatemalan
and Costa Rican Governments have participated personally in
negotiations among revolutionary factions. These include
Toreign Minister ?segued*, President Arbenz, and former Presi-
dent Arevalo of Guatemala, and President Figueroa of Costa
Rica. Nevertheless, the Guatemalan government is careful
to maintain good diplomatic relation* with Cuba.
(R1 GeuEd it be bought for support of revolution against such
a govertnef If so, fiow valuable would it be to any group
it might supportt
While the Legion probably does not exist as an armed
force dedicated impartially to the defense of democracy, a
group of revolutionaries exiled from one country could con-
ceivably undertake a comnittment against the government of
another country in exchange for a promise of assistance in
furthering personal or factional aims. Though the Legion
was traditionally "liberal," and presumably therefore could
not be bought to overthrow a liberal regime, there is
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currently insufficient information to show whether a new group
'under the old name could or could not be motivated by political
or mercenary considerations to undertake an advantageous cow-
ment contrary to the original concept of the Legion.
In the absence of confirmation of the identity and aims
of any group proposing to call itself the Caribbean Legion,
an evaluation of the Legion's role in the overthrow of a
liberal or leftist regime could only be speculative.
CV'S
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