REMARKS BY PRESIDENT SERRANO ON RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DISMISSAL OF MENDOZA A

Created: 12/21/1991

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY WARNING: INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE.

december 1

COUNTRY: guatemala

BY PRESIDENT SERRANO ON RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN

THE DISHISSAL OF HENDOZA AND THE DESIRE TO DEFEND GUATEMALA ON HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES

DOI: SOURCE:

TEXT: 1. ACCORD-' ti:

ERRANO DISMISSED FORMER MINISTER OF DEFENSE GENERAL LUIS ENRIQUEENDOZA)) CONTINUED BLOCKING OF THE-^WffSTIGATIORS^FSEVERAL human RIGHTSTCaSES. TWO INVOLVINO-DTT. CITTZKNS. (SOURCE COMMENT: ITED BY jERRANO WERE THEEVINE)) ajw'THE ASSAULT ON DIANARTIZ)). /sERRANCxHOPES THAT nenj>oju*SDISHISSAL EVENTUALLY will help ALLEVIATE INTERNATIONAL PXtSSOTfEON GUATEMALA REGARDING THE MILITARY AND^HOMAN RIGHTS ISSUES. SERRANO FURTHER HOPES THAT THE new MINISjLER'Tjr DEFENSE GENERAL JOSE DOMINGOARCIA)) SAMAYOA WILL BE

ESPONSIVE TO HIS WISHES AND WILL UNDERSTAND THAT SERRANO RUNS the COUNTRY and THE ARMY. GARCIA SAMAYOA ALREADY HAS PROMISED SERRANO that he WILL IMMEDIATELY ADVANCE the INVESTIGATION SURROUNDING. CITIZEN KILLED IN THE PETEN IN JUNEER SERRANO'S INSTRUCTIONS. (SOURCE COMMENT: GARCIA WAS SELECTED PRINCIPALLY BASED ON SERRANO'S TRUST in HIM AND HIS OUTSTANDING MILITARY CREDENTIALS WITHIN THE GUATEMALAN ARMY.)

SERRANO FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD TIRED OF DEFENDING THE GUATEMALAN MILITARY'S RECORD ON HUMAN RICHTS IN INTERNATIONAL ORA AND HOPED THATHANGING THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE HE COULD EVENTUALLY PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE TO GUATEMALA'S INTERNATIONAL IMAGE, WHICH RAD BEEN TAINTED BY DELAYS IN RESOLVING SEVERAL KEYIGHTS CASES. THE PRESIDENT OBSERVED THAT IN THE PAST WHEN INSTRUCTED BY SERRANO TO TAKE CERTAIN ACTIONS IN HUMAN RICHTS INVESTIGATIONS, HENDOZA WOULD EITHER DO AS HE (HENDOZA) WISHED OR IGNORE SERRANO'S INSTRUCTIONS ALTOGETHER.

SERRANO BELIEVES THAT, EVEN THOUGH HE HAS DONE MORE IN THE AREA OF CONTROLINC AND RESTRICTING THE ARMY THAN SOME FORMER MILITARY PRESIDENTS OF GUATEMALA, HE CONTINUES TO BE ATTACKED UNJUSTLY IN DIFFERENT INTERNATIONAL FORA ON HUMAN RICHTS. SERRANO EMPHASIZED THAT IT HAD REACHED THE POINT WHERE IT WAS NO LONGER POSSIBLE TO DEFEND THE ARMY AND ITS HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD. SERRANO CITEO THE LATEST ATTACK ON THE MILITARY'S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD WHICH CAME DURING THE41 CENTRAL AMERICAN PRESIDENTIAL SUMMIT HELD IN TEGUCIGALPA, HONDURAS. DURING THE SUMMIT COSTA RICAN PRESIDENT RAFAEL ANGELALDERON)) ATTACKED SERRANO OVER GUATEMALA'S STANCE ON DEMILITARIZATION IN THE CENTRAL AMERICAN SECURITY COMMISSION (CASC) AND HUMAN RICHTS GENERALLY IN GUATEMALA. SERRANO SUPPOSEDLY WAS AT THE POINT OF WALKING OUT OF THE MEETING WHEN HONOURAN PRESIDENT RAFAELALLEJAS)) REQUESTED HE REMAIN.

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Original document.

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