'cia historical review program
, of .'taticr.,
Plot bynited
lie: 9JH
In complianceecent instructJon fron UiiCIUi tnen that Meld Hqs. waa in op-ration, the Uuatcmala sution destroyed its rccordf pertaining to i'R:that reason we are unable to furnUh cable numbere of cables which were eent tond Watnlngton during the latter part ofowever, it is recalled that in those cables pertaining to the above-captioned subject, we advised we had obtained certain information indicating the then Guatemalan fovernnent planned to bury cartes of American-made stow and anmunit^on on United Fruit Company property in uustemula. government planned to invite members of the Diplomatic Corps to an unearthing of those crateahereafter Rive considerable publicity to the plot" of the United Fr^lt Conpany agsintst the,government.
Fduardo Peres Asturias, "uporintendent of Agriculture for the 1IFC0 in liananera, wat. confidentially tipped offhit friend Fernando Carrera of ti:ls plan of the Government. Peres wae also told that he waa to be acs&sEiruted during tha operation. Perez immediately left for the United .tates and on his arrival in Hew Orleans war interrogated on several occasion; by officers whom
he later stated to be connected with KIJ3ARX. Jurinj; those interrogations Peres stated tie fumlched all known iuform-tion concerning tbe coBsaunit't pl-n.
Upon returning to Guatemala, following the overthrow of the Arbenz jioverrmwnt, Perer.e contact with Fernando Carrera and the latter furnishedi^med et-tcment concerning hio knowledge ofovernment plot. Carrera'B original statement signed by him ie being forwarded to iieadquartere aa an enclosure to thia dispatch. One informal translation from the Spanish ir. also being forwarded as an enclosure.
The Col. Domingo Arevalo mentioned in Carrara's statement wac introduced by Peres to reporting agent on the night of .Areyajo. related to writer substantiality the bams Information that Carrera set forth in hia statement. In addition, Arevalo stated It was hit original impreesion Persy, be tipped off. He stated both he and Carrera areeres and both wwr* agreed that rerps ihnuld be advised of hie danircr. Carrera feelc indebted to Peres for personal reasons ami Apparently wa& glad ofortunit$ to tia off Perez.
luge, 2
5. Arevalo stated thatevernor thebutforced to leave thct ost due to hi* re fatalinvolved in Arbena* political intrii.ues. 'nrt timevernor ofa?inf tlie du-tenalan Army Intelligence and naintainec nil'the ^residential reiiHtnce In uu^ttimala -IV.. nii if ich cint'nued ftp to th* tine Arln* resi,ned,evalo cl*;r. thatmove that Arbena ande. He olslm heaie of Arbena' -jcliciep ami for that reason was kept In thea ir.-jor portion o; the tine. Itnib -ositlonrvice that he.ofesult the Information waa leaked to Perez.
. Areyalo Jtfctttodatcmalan aithorlties' neard several foreign roadcasts which told of the plot against the 'JPCO and a:esult the eratot were_ never af^jf1or.property although site* had bner. selected. It waa due*Xo the radio broadcasts that the plan fell through.
7. uatemalan named Zambron. according to Arevalo, was formerly employedlerical capacity in ihe office of the Guatemalan Intelligence fervice. At the tine Arbens resigned from his position, Zaxbron stole iev*ral incriminating files from the offlcs and carried then with him to toeaoassy where hw if In asylum. Through Zambron's wife, Arevslo har le.rned thatbron wants to sell tltooe file* wnloh he claim* will furnish-roof that the ^aitcmaltn government had In fact devised trie_ the TTCD tn oarttcular ana 'vTWSr" In general. Source BCffill furnished ch were givenev-io who in turn intends to pass the moneyr.bron's wife as ttoon SJ Kambron snaggles the file* out of the Kexicantu Arevalo,revklo ,that he believes the riles willis poesanslon on Friday, Arrangement* have been made with him by the writer to take bsneditte possession of those files which will be forwarded to heea^uartert if received.
Gyrus Hurnette
Attachment*! Carrera'sags. Translation of tssml
r.'B/sgl
iHs-tributitt.
Guatemala, uly4
Sr. Kduardo Perez Asturlsa Bananera. Tzabal.
near don Kduardo:
Irief account of how the plan Tor the destruction of Hunan era was conceived and failed. You may use It for any purpose you wish and for thatish to state that without any type of pressure whatsoever,recompense of any kind, money, promise of employment or gain orraw up this report so that it might be used In the manner deemed best by you. emain at your disposal for any confirmation that may bo necessary.
I take advantage of tills opportunity to extend toriendly groctlng.
ernando A. Carrera E.
On Kayas summoned to the Casa Presidencial for an Interview with Col. Domineo Arevalo, friend andof the writer, who told me that the "chief" wanted to apeak to me;e had asked for me two or three times and that he probably wanted to nake me some offer. He then asked several questionsepliedad no idea why he. desired my services.
It must have been aboutoursas presented to Col. Arbenz who was accompanied by Sr. Morazan, one of his secretaries.
Orders received for the destruction of Bananera:
To maintain strict silence concerning the missionas to carry out.
That the commandroup ofen would be given to
me. These men would be divided into groups ofnd each
group would have two leaders. The majority of the men were
to be fruit company workers In the north and from different fincas.
wur mission was to hide, in adequate places on fruit companyhipments of arms. Each shipment would be perfectly packed In boxes made of well soldered galvanized sheets and was to be buriod for discovery later.
I was to leaverip to Bananera, Puerto Barrios and Santo Tomasould contact the group leaders who were to work under my orders. Together with the fare and the costs
of the trip, the names of the mentioned group leaders would be given to mo. These leaders were to receive priorfrom Alaric Bennett and CarlosIficpr.hat they would be ready to place themselves at my orders and could explain to me the major considerations involved In hiding the arms.
To point out exactly the placesas to hide the armsap of the fruit company which would be delivered to me in Bananera by Sr. Humberto Figueroa Carrillo.
Not to leave my house unless absolutely necessary, but inent out, to leave word of my whereabouts soight be located immediately, and to2 every day0 hoursethod of accounting for myself.
These are the orders received at the first interview with Col. Arbenz which was attended only by Arbenz, Paco Morazan and me.
ernando A. Carrera E,
Mechanics and reasoning behind the nl sn for the destructl on of Bananera.
After having the arms hidden on fruit company2 wouldenunciation signed by Vidal A. Hejia and other workers "loyal" to tho government which would staten the places named suspicious boxes were found and that on Investigating they had discovered that the company had hidden the art'srder to give themroup of traitors which was being readied for an invasion of the country on the Islands of "uanaja and Utile.
The Guatemalan Military Attache in Honduras, Col. Morales, would alsoeport to the Ministry of Defense,nd to the Presidency statingovement for theof Guatemala was being propared in Honduras aided by the Department of State and fruit company money.
It would also be reported through several channels that Sr. Eduardo Perez Asturlas, by moons ofadarge sum of money to the traitors and that he was responsible for the distribution or the hidden arms.
With these "reports"vernment would mobilize their lntelli ence services to determine whether the fruit company waa actually in league with the invaders and if they had hlddon arms. Once the arms were located, the Diplomatic Corps (friendly representatives, of course) would be They would be asked toormlsslon to witness tho removal of the arma and thus the maneuvers or the fruit company against the constituted government Jn order tothe American Embassy Into recognizing the reasons Tor measures to he taken by the government against those Involved.
So that no doubt would remain among tho people concerning tho sedition of the rruit company, representatives oT the (political) parties, reporters, photographers, etc. would be present.
The leaders and others would incite the campesinos and they would attack theThe campesinos snd indignant workers would destroy tho colony and in the midst of tho tumult certain men among theould be assigned tothe manager, Pereznd other ranking employees and also secondary employees considered to be enemies.
In view of such grave events, the government would Intervene the company and try to locate those responsible for destroying and burning the colony and installations.
3. Prisoners would he takon anong the trusted emuloyees and they would be forced to "conroas" the "plans of the fruit company for overthrowingvernmcnt und its connections with the invaders."
On Mayas urgently called to the Cgsa Prssidenciall. Arbenz, Major hosontoE Julio Vera were present. On ny presenting myself, Rosenberg tookopy of El Es-pectador, dated Mayolieve, and showed me an article In it in which the fruit company categorically stated that it had never dealt in nor had arms and that what the clandestine radio had said to the effect that "arms would appear in Abaca and other parts of fiananei-a" could not be moreaneuver on the part of persons Interested in harming the company if the news fiven by the radio was true.
Col. Arbenz rebuked me for having "talked" and told me to
reply frankly to the questions which Major hosenberg would ask me.
Q: To whom have you communicated the order that you received from the President?
epliedad not talked much less "communicated" with, anyone concerning the orders received with the exception of the group leaders withpoke In the labor union bulldin. In Puerto iiarrios.
eries of questions along the same line,were convincedad not talked andeach other that somemong the group leaders had
I was ordered to await orders and they again confirmed that the date of the arms find would be the 6th of June at the latest.
Not having been called to proceed to find the arms, Iat home until the governments of Arbenz and Diaz fell.
a/ Fernando A. Carrera E.
Guatemala,4
Scfior don
iduardo Perezar.*ra. Izabel,
MiliiflO Hon -di*arde;
Adjunto unaunciAia do como sov soanjobra queer la desUuccion de 3ananera. ouede drrle el use queor osa razon doclardT.
Que sin coaccion de ninnuna cl^se- sin roco^pensa al^uno eniro-uftsa douelquierranj-rfa. "ana este relaio para quo lo use come nejor le converge,u disoos?-cion para raiifirarlo riond^necesario-
la cporn idad para eat re char su -ano
ra unfttow*, ona!
suserlte; dic?(od*iie est*erfj ?u*bfe -pro^uniadoeces .jorv* probatlee quorfa darae algi'inice varfas pregoi-fssoue tenfa idea param ftas*
sarian lusoras cuiido fuf iatrodu&lho con o! coror.elan estabaorazan uno
fufcoron si arbenz si *st*barestarla un ser-
?l, resp^df quer<*wr*ue teni? ou*
ordcnes recibidas para la destruction deera:
uardar estriho silencio sobre ta nision que tenfe que desc^pe^ar.
se rne darfa ol cc-nando do grupo dft hanhres (cuarente) los que as-tar fan divididos en grupos de diezj cad* *rupe iendrfe dos jofe!,
u ^ayoria eran trabajadores dole dincas*
nuestra vision era escondor on lucres *det.uarfosf dentro de !oa de la frutera. cuatro carganentos de ?mas,erier, toe^ipacado dentro de cajas deladrs y muy tendr ian oue scr enterr*das oaf a su sostr
llazyo,
saldrfa de viaje para ^anan^ra, pto,anto to 'as, donrie to* nana comacto con los jefes d- irupo quetrien a lis ord^es, junto con !osiaje arier los no^bres de di-chos jefes de jrupo. los que previa ^entoe .mlancarloslle^er para quo seisxp!icaran cuales eran los no lores puiios ^ra osconder los *r-
enalar exacia-iente en un mapa do lara oue entre^ar'a cnol serior humberto figueroa carrillo, los "luy^ree donde debfa de esconderse el armamento,
o sallra,si' no,xtrictamenten case de sa-
lir dejar 'jicho dondeor^liz^cion inmidiata. teleton-^ar todos losas^sr
^astains orc*enos recibidas en lantrevisla cor- ol ooron^ty en la cual unicanente estuvt^ios arbenz. pacoS9
Prjjjroi mcvifn:
:i I! datRs en curio, rocihf orrl nes lir riosfc
T r-, onndole-icUl -te servleforl coronelderfcresff* alaulftnU.
de Qru.io.
lf* trees a lasoras aho-do* el Iren en "oreleiseflor Finu',roe ca-
rriUo,do de un so/for de nombre Cocer a. Woy. nosa.'ioa
nutuamente, oxpl men dorsal Sefior Bigot-roe Carrlarrfn?-
y que el liosiorrios en un mi- do iWrios
P*r* 'r c* -Abies-erieaos ? troi es "uehecHos".
Tfecluos*reunion,ore^enie hc--bres,odoy, Udislado Sandoval G, fosc'ar f? Hitroo es'.uvoy lienor de aaellidoe fncrw.ron en un re pa de Us pro-pi edades de I* frute.ra cuetroero esconder el arm.-nento. iJivLrfos.g1 ascondito cn Abaca, Dos esconditos on Bar.anera,l otro en >a,
ustfaaaJa con el lo entregu*oroneI Arbenz, quion mo dljo que dells Hea listca para esconrferlas -in les ounlos t i los, -no dio" otros Oienna automatic*as de parquo, ord nadomo que esoerar? su
la"iado.
9 reelsfdo aalir el sabadoonrios para reco ;er Us cajas prep>radas coneon ia >yuda grupos, esconderlas en lo* tugeres ya oscojidos.
Zn los Ta Herat do la Maestranza del Ejerofto puder(o
o par? escondor en olonn-Uba solo do ar^as
"orteamer Iy en loe que Irfan rios"egufdo de un? nuTier.>ci^n,
arabien o del dc meno verias
boib-sOasolir. nosa.
r* ! rf '
lo. AI tenor olnento oscon<?idc or. les terrenes de la2 recihlrfe una denuncia firw.de por Vsdal Amelia ales" al gobiernoido, d^ que en losolios senataban se encontraban cajasfuestcsi ^arver j n f ose*s-
cend ido paran nrvpo d* fr^ Morese estaban preparando en lasas de ?uanaar un* n =1 oafs.
iirejado doonduras, coronal 'tarries taaibien pasaria un informs alo laaa de que,Honduras so oslaba ^estandcvimi en to douaapoy^do por elen to dov con dinvrosnited Fruit Co.
3o. Tarobion se infor^arfa por varies conductos, aue si senor 1du?rdosturias por lediacion del udo" "iderthainan" habfa envfadolosores un? fuertc soma de dinaro, ; ?! era el rdado du 1- di^tri-bucion de1 armamentoo.
4o. Conn forierneusnciaonstatar siz rente lafa Frutera ssta-ba en convivencia con lesi ten ian ar-asc-adAS1' la*1,nas sefa ha infio. ? losigos por supuesio) ue las manjohras do la Conpanf,-confra el gobierno constiiuido, sena co^ision de ellos <jueo sacada He las arnas, para asfla Imbajada Americ^naa que reconoci^r* las razenes de Usor el Eohierno contra los sotficlosos.
?o. Tstarian raor**sonts de los -cr-Mcs, ruportoros, fotorr^fos etc.ra *jue no quedara duda en el pueblo de la sedicion io la CoipaSfai
6o. Lostros dirhjentes azuzarianz*rian
sobre la colon ia,ampenosnadoo arrasa-
rian con lanl tumultodesijn^do^ enire e!
orupo do cuarenta hor^bres asosin.rfan alerea
otros emplcados de categorfa, asftrosja enipleadosos quo consideraben enenigos.
7o, Zl 3ob ierno on vista do Ion proves aconteci^isntoa, Entervondrfa r- laratarfa doos quen-cendiado larsnslac ionos.
(?o. SQisioneros entre los empleados dertharfr conf esaranes de la Fruterarnousnes con les Inv^soreS11
9o. Searariosampesinos quean parte enestruccionanera, para denostrar qu^ el gebierno eraue las nodidas que adoi>taba ictaba le necesidad.
Zle mayo fuf lU'in^do deasa presitfoncial* dondarbenz,era,ern^ prasente, Hoso^boraco un periodico nzl ^specta^or"echae i^rt ieu loo I, quo laraa.bente que Je'iasdon idoue lo quodi censor? eland estabia dicho conuaV.parvv'ernas ontros lucres do bananera'1 no podia ser raa3 ^ue unada personal interesadas ona compafifat si la noiicia que la cl-?ndestina daba era ciertf.
increpo Arbenz de que yo ab fa fdo do lauo respond! cate^oricamente las preguntas qu-;harfaayor nosenb^rg.
ft.uien le ha conunicado ur>ted la orden que rectbio del Senior Preside**
Qespondf que no habfaonesie les ordenesxepci on de los j'jf cs do grupo que se entrevisiarin connirjodificio de laSindical de "to. Berries.
Oeopues de un? seri^ da nreguntas sohrecer se convencioron do nue yo no Mentre alios quo pro-bablemente algun inibecil de los jefes de grupo so le hr-tia Ido la len^ua.
Se ne que osperara ordenes, o1vieron *ratificar que Ir'hallazgo dor>as ser fa lo nas tarda el seid de junio.
Suateaala Io de Julio de 19
Noo Ilanado, parascondor elento, estuvo en mi casa hasta cue cay^ el jObierno deiaz,
Original document.
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