PRESIDENT CASTANEDA'S PLANS FOR CONTINUING IN OFFICE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R002100140009-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 12, 1999
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: November 26, 1948
• Content Type: REPORT

S ai HC HUN
Approved For Relea iD9StII91DSEP( a 2-00457R8 "DIA
:AOt1NTRY -,T 'alvador-
SUBJECT ('resident Castaneda's Tlans for Continuing in
(If fl ce
25X1A6a
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE ()N
25X1X6
DATE DISTR.
26 T`ovemb,r 1948
NO. OF PAGES
1
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
B-2 1. =olitical observers now consider it a certainty that President Castaneda
of !1 Salvador is planning-to extend his term in office, possibly using the
projected Union de Centro America as apt instrument in attaining his goal.
The plan is to unite i1 Salvador with londuras and Nicaragua into a Republica
PTayor, of which Castaneda has been proposed as. head.
2. Castaneda stated on 12 Jovember that hi) was confident of the legality of his
contention that the 1939 Constitution. establishing a presidential term of
six years, ensures him of continuance in office, as his term was established
on the basis of that document. Castaneda said that the best lawyers in the
country agreed with him that attemntac to reinvoke the 18C6 Constitution, which
limited the term to two years, had no legal basis.
3. Castaneda asserted that he was the p3ople's choice, and that of the army, and
that his past record would assure his reelection. He added that he had no
fear of competition from the preseni, field 'of?candidates because steps were
being taken to liquidate them.
T--3 4. Dr. Victor "gndoval, personal physician to President Castaneda, stated that
late ovember or early December wczld be the decisive period as regards
Central American revolutionary affairs. Ile added that extensive study, on
the part of Castaneda and himself, had led them to agree that in setting up
the proposed 1erublica t''a,,or none of the r.resent rresidents would have to be
removed. Sandoval hinted that Cs.neral xrana, Chief of the Cuatemalan Armed
orgies, might be suvported in his projected coup against President Arevalo,
since Arevalo was considered dangerous to the interests of the Republica r?avor.
F-2 5. Ulises Tlores,, a young Salvada,ran revol.utionis"t, reported having seen corre-
sr-ondence between Castaneda tiid President Carias of Honduras concerninc the
1"nrmation of the He' ublie "'a; -or. The documents had been in the. hands of
''eajor Jose i's.lberto Funes, fanner second Chief of Castaneda's staf'f', and had
been removed from the archi-ies at the Casa rresidencial in June, 1948.
hereby regraid#d to
ent is
This docum , , ar.cordanri
letter at 16 nOCtvuc
ter'gr n _, :a the
Director of 4. . r~`,00,
A,r the United T 1
NexA '~~ r el:s . .9/09/08 : CI D 8 -O
Date: