ASSASSINATION OF PANAMANIAN PRESIDENT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79R00890A000500010025-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 15, 2002
• Sequence Number: 25
• Publication Date: January 4, 1955
• Content Type: BRIEF

PSC BRr IBG C ~ , I 4-January 1955
rat:.
ASSASSINATION OF PANAMANIAN PUS
I. Still no definite clue to identity and
r
*otives of assassins who gutd ` do*b
Panamanian President Reason tit i f J`ai
v'eaesuelif security dhie!ro,
3+strada' cdiidere *urder
icten la re
ludo `to Central Amer
3 Jan, he' stated that ' rears' bid
ported to 4enenue1sn "l "Ident
Pros two weeks , ago that Cuban
both mresitlnnt'No.
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B. Some indications Remon indirectly
involved in some anti-Figueres
plans of Venezeula and Nicaragua .
1. Panama has informal economic
agreement with Venezuela-bit
seems straight business
transaction.
2. Venezuelan military nis$ion
has been training PanaItbian
National Guard. Panamanian
officers being trained in
Release 20,
Venezuela.
3. Tenezuela shipped arms to
Panamanian National Guard
early in '54.
4. Friendship bttween President
Perez Jimenez and Remon is
long-standing.
proved For Release 2002
 'Apptoved ror Release 2002/05/07 CIARDP79R00890A0 {V 025-4
Although Panama ostensibly neutral
in Figueres matter-- example:
arrested one Costa Rican revolu-
tionary leader on 5 Dec '54 at
request of Costa Rican Charge,
in July '54 asked brother of Costa
Rican ex-president Picado to
leave country--Costa Ricans re-
main suspicious of Panamanian
assistance to anti-Figueres groups.
({L WMTf ( 100050 10025-4
 ?Approvedd For Release 200 -RDP79R00890A000500010025-4
CONFIDENTIAL
E. Remon and anti-Figueres Nicaraguan
dictator Somoza apparently were
cordial.
F. Available reports do not indicate
nature of relationships between
new Panamanian President, Guizado,
and Presidents Perez Jimenez, So-
moza and Figueres.
II. Murder may bring period of political
instability.
A. Jose Remon Guizado, first vice
president and foreign minister,
sworn in as president on 3 Jan.
According to constitution, will
complete Remon's term(to Oct 15q-
B. Guizado's regime will not be as
strong as Remon's, whose position
based on personal following among
politicians, National Guard--which
he once ran--and public.
_4_.
.Approved For Release -rxLJP79ROO89OA00050001
rnn-F1nFNTIAL
 ERTIAL
C. Government presently in control
of situation, however, and
National Guard--Panama's only
armed force--reportedly is support-
ing Guizado.
III. Remon's death may delay formal signing--
now scheduled for 12 Jan--of new Canal
Zone agreements with US.
A. Guizado was active in negotiations
of new treaty, visited various
Central American countries and
Mexico seeking support for Pana-
manian stand.
B. Communists (numbering only 50,
with perhaps 200 additional sym-
pathizers) might join with anti-
regime groups in an attempt to
exploit both assassination and
treaty issue by means of disorders.
CONFIDER-AL
Approved For Release 2002/05/07 : C890A000500010025-4