SOCIALIST GUERRILLAS IN ASTURIAS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R002100350007-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 4, 1999
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: December 2, 1948
• Content Type: REPORT

CLASSIFICATION S TTROL - U.S. OFFICILLS OFLY
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INFORMATL N REPORT
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DATE DISTR. 2 December 1948
NO. OF PAGES 2
NO. OF ENCLS.
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SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
1. Twenty-nine Asturian PRIETO Socialist guerrillas, including the entire
Executive Committee of the Socialist Party of Asturias and the Executive
Committee of the miners' Union General de Trabejadores (UGT), escaped
from Spain to France in the latter part of October 1948. Indalecio
PRIETO s.nd Amador FER`TANDEZ had been. preparing this expedition for four
months, according to source.
2. The regularly organized Socialist Party Committees having been arrested,
the Party directed that new committees be selected partly from among the
guerrillas and that the remaining members join the guerrillas, and the
resulting committees were thus able to avoid arrest.
3. The majority of the guerrillas did not want to go to France, but were
compelled to go by Party orders. Some of them will return if possible to
Asturias, in order to raise the morale of their comrades who remained there,
and to continue some form of opposition activity. Their activities for
some time past have been largely confined to defense against the Police
and the Guardia Civil, because offensive action met with reprisals against
women and the aged. They received orders from PRIETO some time ago to
cease collaborating with the Communist guerrillas.
4. The Socialist guerrillas said that the majority of the Communists had been
eliminated, and that those who remained were virtually powerless since few
of them were native to the country and they had only two or three guides
r~ 1 1who _new the country well. They need weapons and ammunition, although
Spain/France
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DATE OF INF
they have more than the Socialists. Both the Socialists and the Communists
frequently buy ammunition from Franco men, paying for it in gold.
e situation, according to these guerrillas, is as desperate for the
c easing and reinforcements are constantly being sent in by the Government,
?.\C unists as it is for the other guerrillas, since retaliatory action is
disguised as shepherds, as miners and even as guerrillas. The
oernnent counterespionage is very well organized. Summing up the situation,
t}: 'Socialist guerrillas said: "If arms and money were available, much
could be done. Without them, absolutely nothing can be done if we get no
help from outside."
CLASSIFICATION SECRET/CO f'TROL - U49. OFFICIALS ONLY
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Most of the Socialist guerrillas were sent by the French authorities to
a work caran at I3esangon. The eight members of the two committees
expected to go to St. Jean de Luz to see PTIETO. They are:
Socialist Party Committee
President: Jose IvIATA Casero
Secretary: Mario F ;I'T J TPflZ Garcia
'Members: Faustino IIELC.UERA Garcia and 11anuel FER'TI,,TIDEZ Casas
IJGT Miners' Committee
President: Aristides LLA.T7L,ZA Jove
Secretary: Manuel FERTATTDEZ Villanueva
Members: Juan HELGUERIL Garcia (brother of Faustino) and
Manuel FERITA'TDEZ Peon.
Approved For Release 1999/09/08 : CIA-RDP82-00457R002100350007-7