PANAMANIAN SITUATION REPORT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00826A000800150001-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 22, 2003
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: June 6, 1966
• Content Type: IM

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OCI. No. 0835/36
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Office of Current Intelligence
6 June 1966
Panamanian Situation Report
(As of P.M. EDT)
1. The situation in the city of Colon is tense
as the result of student clashes with secret police
and the national. guard. Security forces are making
some headway in establishing control of the city.
However, according to a communique issued by the Com-
munist-dominated Panamanian Student Federation, a
meeting is planned for 6:30 P.M. EDT in Panama City
to consider plans to aid the students in Colon. If
large-scale rioting spreads to Panama City the Na-
tional Guard would be hard-pressed to control the
situation.
2. On the morning of 0 June leaflets were
scattered in Colon accusing officials of the Pana-
manian Department of National Investigations (DENT)
with the death on 1 June of Juan Navas, a Communist
student recently returned from Moscow; the leaflets
also announced plans for a demonstration at DENI
headquarters in Colon on the morning of 6 June.
3. At 8:40 A.M. students began attacking gov-
ernment and DENI offices, breaking windows, destroy-
ing property, and overturning cars. The number of
rioters grew to an estimated 1,500 with reinforce-
ments from secondary schools. According to press
and radio accounts the post office, telegraph build-
ing, and the municipal building have been burned and
the national lottery building sacked by a mob.
4. Although the National Guard used tear gas
to disperse the students, shooting broke out, with
at least three deaths reported and approximately 25
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wounded, Minister of Government Bazan has taken
over the direction of government operations in Colon
and ordered all Communists arrested. President Robles
has reportedly ordered any radio station engaging in
inflammatory broadcasts to be closed. In addition,
the transisthmian highway has been ordered closed to
prevent students from traveling to or from Colon.
5. The National Guard has been placed on full
alert and the 400-man Colon detachment has been re-
inforced by some 80 riot-control guardsmen from
Panama City. So far, no US personnel or installa-
tions have been attacked. Canal Zone police have
set up riot squads in the towns of Balboa near
Panama City and in Cristobal, near Colon, and one
company of US forces at each end of the canal has
been placed on alert.
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