GUATEMALA NEWS NOTES

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP80-00809A000500410184-0
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
C
Document Page Count: 
5
Document Creation Date: 
December 14, 2016
Document Release Date: 
October 26, 2000
Sequence Number: 
184
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
March 1, 1954
Content Type: 
REPORT
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon CIA-RDP80-00809A000500410184-0.pdf375.87 KB
Body: 
U.S. Officials Only ' litl, CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY MFORMATION REPORT 25X1A ONUS OOCIJ INt. COSTA INS IIIIO~tY~T10. ?flECTINO Tw[ NATIONAL DC[(SN( OF tN( UNITED STATES, NI TOIN TN(N(.NINO OF TITL( to. SECTIONS 111 AND 711., O/ TN( U.S. COD[. AS .YEND(D. ITS TII.N1111S11ON ON NSV[. L.TION OF IOU CONTENTS TO ON NECEIITI AT AN UN.UTNO0IE(O 1[NSON 11 R SIYE TO 1 a CD N0. 00/C NO. ORR NO. 0*5 N0. OCI N0. DATE D I STR.I/f9A f{ 4 NO. OF PAGES NO. OF ENCLS. SUPP. TO REPORT NO. t1 _ 1. ::1_:aCtO, C'.isc ssi^_j; the uneasiness that ---~rC1'cilod in CL:ctemala City ' cenuse of announced tan against the Arbenz regime, commented editorially: 'The govern.^.e t must not lose its head,' and deplored the 1:idnapins by govern- l r.ient agents o- persons from 'itheir homes and public thoroughfares. Impacto re- called how th~famous kidnaping of the Spanish monarchist Calvo Sotello by agents of the Spanish Republic set off the bloody Spanish Civil War and said: 'This must no happen in Guatemala because it would ruin us, destroy us.' Lipacto says it understands the situation: 'The government is at an ir:portant cr ossro d: it L'acct a Ci?.i cl:lt :)r6 lc:.I 1 r,14 cy. tiltv '1 12 ~O C,--' ai1:L. :?G L,;.- O i ltit'1 _ trying to i O_,,_ ._O`:3 :.^ i..:@ L='. _nt of an ?nJ cc tac ov rt1~1'G?. of the current rerilae. ti_ is it ~"?'^C _ -T 0 nr.'Lur1 ,) "C t"' C'. ther is acti-. _. -, to u:' cccver the truth, to 1_. rn uhc c th? ~ e; ? ; I l a:,-- = ive, but all this be 0_0 c honestly anC: 'Gi hri~etly . ' 2. "The net:zya_ler :? ndo Libre edltcriully inauircz ;1'_y ti--! ;ovcrni' 'nt for I nor a then a .'.:J:ith had b con 12illtiilC of conuniracios cgainzt it nu the Ciueation sa"vinn; 'it al)y,ears 5.ost Zil: ly that this j' jjro; citUU, t0 ~uzti "sr in Gtn te:;:ala a " OLotnzo" even ::Crc disastrous a'1ci bloody than that n COIL:"bin ... The lead rn CL :1 be cure that) sonet1:3 ng ilis coohi l- in 'Lha ?Ot O the Co::1::unizt~C nn(] their al:Lffes in the revolutionary parties.' cailef Vi. ctor : r_ucl Guticrre::, .._A .-13U is :i.?Ci.' tery G:?earcl the CGTG ~.nl: c ...1 o 'lty i"I~'tul^.1C:i 2'O^' i?lOUCGti, .CCLL^,Ui lJ' 'G,lct J'1'llii: CQ:?i- T C ,'a inst C'I:GtC al_. 1: ; :k GCC, ~._ G_,?~r_ir '~" U.. ~.. ^.1 .. en ^C' _ :O L .--COi.'a' l.ll)OZ'^i 1:e IIa=._ th 1Ct'vl'.':' t:aN Qi?::n 1. .Iy ''the :Cl'_.ul_1 t C col t'i1C a: cntu v ere O^. ?:C ' . ._ O: U:: ul'as. said high tl'I tit Com?)an\" aou~::. LO tl'eiubl' ; with .:.r:::.^r ~'..:t . " COU. 7i: ,:ith votes. SigriflIiC"All ~'_'y', C L a ~1 i'C s Oi:C of th 3ov ct t: G1 Ti la th _ Con(Tutll)_^.Ory e1.L:C?eci a ca.)l_ Cot:: U.S. Officials Only This report is for tie use within the USA of the Intelligence components of the Departments or Agencies indicated above. It is not to be transmitted overseas without the concurrence of the originating office through the Assistant Director of the OMee of Collection and Dissemination, CIA. or Release 200/01/03 : CIA-RDP80-00809A000500410184-0 AII~proved For ReI~ ase1002/01/03 : CIA-RDP80-00809 000500410184-0 COI FID12 TIAL/US OFFICIALS ONLY 2~ government issued a white paper claming the pant as to invade Guatema a! from the Pacific coast and neighboring countries and accused Genera 1 i Yd fn_or s, ruen+es, defeated lpresidential candidate agcinst Arbenz in 1555C utfl1Carlos uastilo Armas, of leading the novemen+ _ T+ ~+~+e,~ ~'.__ _?_ __ . : _ n ranagus. - hotost is ~?rere Ix hib'ited seeking to'!prove the complicity of, those named in the charges. These! charges recall similar', accusations made following the abortive upr;sings in Salami in I?iaz ch 1952, and the tense atmosphere that prevailed in 1;o4eLber 1 whe i' military scuads rushee: to the coast to ward off rumored landings 53, and h gh- ways and railway iah Fees n-- -r- .,-...:+..~ ~,, 1d ~U~ t1 jS;~U a :u .-re lc:ent SOm6ia. The headouart'_rs of the plotters was i I' n a on Ciros, ha beer apprehended onl 23 Jan 5!+?, but later released. Horatio C6rdova,Il who spo! - sors'an anti-Co!r^:ur_'ist prograr, on one of Guatemala City's oberto Vi n radio s ta ions, an ~ I zcai?_o, Director of Radio Continental, also were arrested aria put in! prison a sue conspiracies; no hang has happened and nothi ig is going to happen. ' He denied the police had I rode arr sts . Iiowever, Charnaud said Roberto Castillo, Director of radio St ' i e en For oxaurple:l on the very day that Ch ELr_ naudl,MacDonald was discussing the conspiracy, Col fogelio Cruz STer,IChief of the Guardia Civil, was protesting: 'There are no h e result oP ,.he 'discovery of a ive plot against the government,' but the governr..ent ther, dir~ not appear publicize the m ld t The round.-up of various persons netted mostly those known for their anti- Comcunist views. It was not officially confirmed until five days a ~t[er the initial rumors in the press by Minister of ,Government, Augusto Charnaud iiac onald; Charnaud claimed that various arrests wore i 'th G. "The detained include the four leaders of the recently organized Uni 'IlNaclonalde Traba'jadores Libres I who challenged the Co:mnunist Party leaders to e lain t e part) they play in Guatemalan life. These men are Ruben Villatoro, E{ ioue Coronado, Ramiro A uilar and Miguel Angel uiroa. tirrants were iss ed for the apprehension of three members of the City Council, Luis ieltranena, Pamiro Castellanos, and Miguel Caraacho Labbe. Beltranena and Camacho tool: ref age in the Salvadorean embassy and three days later Beltranena and Camach ~rlent to E Salvador. o The anti Communist Mayor of Guatemala City, Juan Luis Lizzesalde, ?}as appointed by the City Council to investigate, the government persecution of hi colleagues. The ex idire;ctor of the weekly Tribune of Truth, Jose Guzman, the an~ti~Communist student Ricardo Lara G>Ivez, the attorney Guillermo Vila Cordova, the businessman' Gabriel Fernandez also were arrested. The etired newspaperman Carlos Gandara Duran took -asylum: in the (Nicaraguan emba syl1 Ber er, General Cashier of the Guater.iala Social Security Institute, 1 aJ~arrrOsc es ed as heI left his ho^ne alter attending the first coi:aiunior_ of Us daughtc-,z's Shortry Y 'after erCc 's detention agents of the Guardia Civil scarche.! the hou ei of Miguel Comacho. Also captured were Gabri l i' a d e ern r ez Giottiid Pl var~!e !euljne 0 Suarez de T' Fern ~n?? ez. , 11. retlxed army captain, E^_rinue Trini ad Oliv who had been detained earlier in the woe):, has denied any Violation oF1t the tr~f fie 1w:rs'which was later , given by the Guardia Civil as an excuse for 3.rrestin- 7. "Oliva 's wife said that when the car was halted, the police opened and but the door, and immediately afterwards found two hand grenades and a revolv44r'.'1 lIe said neither he nor his wife use hand grenades and he has not had a pi0tol since the was casniereci out of the army for his part in the ill-fated i}ur'ora I._.volu,.ion of 1950. Oliva asked that he be committed to the p,enetent dry when he thought his life would be more secure in view of his claims he was being framed; than in the detention quarters of the Guardia Civil. Oliva's experi- ence caused. Impacto ironically to warn its readers not~to open their cfors to any .t rangers in uniform if they didn't want to be blamed for having bombs. C. "The Comunist daily, Trlbuna Popular, claimed that a certain number o persons was inierro~ated to establish the veracity of ' concrete' denuneiat o!;, about various subversive i:!OVC:iic i l , : s . Tribunes Popular clai!'led the th-arted :rhatc cr uj~ iuirig was (planned and hqs the na!.:es of a Creat number of t iose pre- sumed o t e compro:nis d in the conspiracy. 11 CO1 FIDE14TL'J /US OFFICIALS OIILYI Approved For Release 2002/01/03 : CIA-RDP80-00809A000500410184-0 CO::FIDEi:TIAL/US of i ici. :S oi.LY "The Anti-Communist Youth Alliance telegraphed President Arbenz asking his intervention to guarantee civil rights. The same group, together with the Central Committee of Anti-Communist workers invited anti-Communists to meet at the Casa de la Libertad to protest the capture of Horacio de Cordova and other citizens. The directors of various radio stations interviewed Charnaud MacDonald, asking the Minister of Government why there had been detentions of station owners and other citizens and about the veracity of an insistent rumor that all directors of radio stations were to be detained. The directors explained that almost all radio stations have radio news- papers (news broadcasts) for which they sell only the time and have no responsibility for what is said during this period. Charnaud MacDonald replied that the government will question any person who is suspected of being involved in a subversive movement. Also the government is not going to tolerate infractions of the law by any radio stations and said that those connected with radio stations so far detained were apprehended because of complaints they had solicited for funds to overthrow the govern- ment under the threat of subjecting non-contributors to future reprisals., He said that after all, radio station directors were only individuals and subject to penalties for violation of the laws. The attorney Ramiro Castellanos Gonzalez filed suit against Guardia Civil chief Cruz Wer, claiming that he was being persecuted by members of the Guardia Civil. The appellate court accepted the suit and called on Cruz Her to explain the Guardia Civil action. 10. "President Arbenz notified the recent meeting of the Democratic Front com- posed of all the government political parties, he was confirming as Secretary General of the presidency Jaime D~az Rozzotto, accused by his political party, the Renovation National, of political corruption and mismanagement of funds of that organization of which he nad been Secretary General. The removal of DLaz Rozzotto had been recommended by Congress as an act of reprimand for political gangsterism. 11. "Although the official version of the shooting of Deputy Guillermo Ovardo Arriola, President of Congress, blamed the incident on a rabbit hunter, the accepted version is that he was ambushed at night while driving his jeep alone on the road between Quetzaltenango and Totonicapan. The official version said the shooting had no importance and did not merit the large headlines given it by the newspapers. The unofficial version, however, said the shooting occurred at 12:30 a m when obviously there are no rabbit hunters abroad. The newspaper El Espectador, 20 Jan [54], pointed out that this is not the first time Ovando Arriola has been involved in violence, explaining that he is a shock trooper of the PAR. 12i' "The second labor congress was staged by the CGTG the week end of 29-31 Jan [54J and all political parties were invited to send delegates. In the preliminary publicity published by the government press there were statements that Luis Saillan~,Secretary of the World Federation of Trade Unions and of France, Vicente Lombardo Toledano, of the CTAL, arid the Italian Communist worker leaders Giuseppe Erudi and Giuseppe Cosadel were invited to be present and to take active participation. Large de egations of Communists were requested from Chile, Ecuador and Colombia. The Ministry of Education has given financial assistance to the CGTG to stage this affair. 13. "The PAR has announced it would not approve the candidacy of Jorge Toriello G. for the mayor of Guatemala City. The PAR prefers Juan de D(os uilar or 'any person other than the reactionary' Toriello. 14 "The opposition newspapers claim the current Arbenz regime is threatening the liberty of the press in Guatemala. El Espectador calls public attention to the fact that the principal afternoon newspaper El Impartial has called upon the Association of Newspapermen of Guatemala to be vigilant and fight for maintenance of civil liberties, especially that of CONFIDENTIAL/US OFFICIALS ONLY Approved For Release 2002/01/03 : CIA-RDP80-00809A0005004101p CONFIDENTIAL/US OFFICIALS ONLY freedom of thought. El Espectador comments: 'We have seen recent days an increase of the threats against the press and newspapermen!-7no~Iconnected with the sectarianism that invades the Guatemala October Revolution. The Communists call for violence and destruction of our liberties in their own organ of publicity as well as by some leaders from the speake s rostrums each time they have an opportunity such as Gutigrrez (Communi.1t!chief Victor Manuel Guti'rrez) the lst of May last year [1953J. .-Iso .lthere are veiled threats in the official press and government cinch s: The call of Guerra Borges (Alfredo Guerra. Borges, Director of the Communist newspaper Tribune Popular) for the massacre of 'traitors" and I"reactionaries" and the aggressive measures of some of the prominent leaders fl the PRG in the closing minutes of their convention do not have the criminal a'ignificance of the exhottations openly made through the editorial columns of the semi- official newspaper Nuestro Diario. LC; 15. "Espectador adds that Nuestro Diario publishes anti-democratic oison from its non-Guatemalan columnists and editorialists whose names ar jknown and whose affiliations and antecedents as agitators of internatio1'Communism are well known. 16. "Santos Miguel Lima Bonilla, editor of the weekly I_a Pia who p, 13 up and seriously injured by four hoodlums in connection with h 's i anti- Communist publication, printed a letter of thanks to those who 'ave' him assistance afterwards and included Colonel Cruz Wer, Director IQfthe Civil Guard, explaining he did so because he was not detained. MundIIL~ibre called the beating a reappearance of the old vices of the dictators.. I i 17. "The ambassadors of the US and Mexico were not. present when Guillermo Toriello received the foreign diplomatic corps in one of his first acts after taking over the foreign ministry. Instead these two nations were represented by.charges d'affaires because the ambassadors werrabent. Toriello still has not been able to get agreement on Guatema s'participation at the next meeting of the OAS at Caracas -end-. 895.2 35E ii4.577 35E 111.7 35E 111.8 35.24 35E 14.82 35E 111.62 35E. -764.112 35e 114.572 35E ,I t is L-r I!; C01N IDLOTIAL/US OFFICIIt.L$ ONLY Approved For Release 2002/01/03 : CIA-RDP80-00809A000500410184-0 25X1X Approved For Release 2002/01/03 : CIA-RDP80-00809A000500410184-0