PP -- LABOR OPERATIONS

Created: 6/4/1954

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

CtfHISTORICAL REV1QV PROGRAM

UR THE KBCORD

SANITIZED

t*

SUBJB.TI rPi*bor OperaUons

redorJjinntly agricultural country where industriala comparatively small minority. Nevertheless, industrial labor loons largerpolitical scene than indicated by mere statistics, mainly because

workers are concentrated in key locaticaiB (GuatemalaBarrios, railroad line, Atlantic Highway constructionfarmers and farmhands are scattered all over the country;

comparatively high percentage of the industrial workers belongs to

labor unions whose development haa been strongly fostered by all government*

labor unions are today Cr-controlled and internationallythe GTal and the HFTO.

I'BSUCGESS, labor in Guatemala hasegativo (threatening) Under ccesainiat leadership, organised labor any

se armed force to quell an uprising, either ln support of the regular arnn-or instead of the army. If the latteralt-anl-eee attitude, or possibly even against the army;

eneral strike to prevent friendly forces from taxinggovernment, possibly even to oust friendly forces which haveover the government;

*

lntornaticnaj support and oolidarity in defenae of thepossibly affecting even non-ccannunist labor unions ln thesphere.

have not seen eny intelligence which would givelear picture ofcommunist capabilities in the Guatemalan labor field, as against thepossibilities tentatively listed in the precodlng pnrogri.ph. In anyseems to have boon so far no significant rBSGCCEKJ progress in the laboratangible part of the possibilities described above must be considered

a definite threat to the final outcome of rBajUCESa.

b. so farould ascertain from available records, efforts to mobilize. labor action to Influence the Guatemalan unions were made at an earlyf raSO^CESS and failed. Attempts to defect individual union leaders or to fosteragainst communist leadership have been contemplated, but apparently not Lmplemente-".

5.in the Labor field are*

a) OR IT (Committee of non-connunlst tin American Unions, withhlt^ ln Kexico;vhichongress (SALEMj on,ommittee

bj EL UBREttU ilBKK, paper of Ouatemalan labor in exile, published in Mexico by Kuben ViUatoro. ssues published thus for. ihero has been aome doubt (presumably unsubstantiated) as to ViUatoro personally* KSmEHAlDITK once accused him ofouble agent, but this vas apparently not taken acrloucly, certainly not by the CauLlGfclUS forces. We fw.ve asked forwhether and to what extentQ<0manages to get into Guatemala tnd are still awaiting reply.

c) Catholic Church contacts in the Labor field, to be obtained primarily by SUPERIOR, are at tho moment mostly wishes and premises. Kecent reports indicate that tho Uhurch does not want toao If by interfering with union act!vities.

0. Uoncluslonst The Ouatemalan labor situation and tha state of our operational assets ln thla field, are thoroughly unsatisfactory and possibly endanger the outcome of our project. Af there is but little time leftay, we can only

try to give added Impetus to our assets, as listed inboveery United poesibility);

pay due attention to labor problems In our general propaganda output, notably via ahfclRwuOD (little has bean done alone thaao lines thus far, owing to higher priority being assigned to other. atl-commuiils'fl the army, the Uhurch, agrarian reform, personal attacks on government leaders, and ao forth;.

IX more time is available, re-appraisal of thla problem is reccesnenUed, in the frameworkeneral overhauling of the rV sector ln rEHJCCESSaa recommended In my Memo for the Kecord, dateday, subject "rt Operations in tBSUCCKSS; review and recem-nendotiono".

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Original document.

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