PROBABLE CAUSE OF FORTUNY'S TEMPORARY RETIREMENT AS SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE GU

Created: 6/4/1954

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

CIA HISTORICAL REVIEW PROGRAM RELEASEAS SANITIZED

Cause of Fortuny's Temporary Retirement ae Secretary General of the Qua townlan Labor Party

1. The orobeble eauae of Fortuny's temporary retirement aa Seoretary rencral of the Ouatemalan Labor Party (POT)hia being called to Europe or Koeoov for consultations in view of tha repld developments affecting Oustemala during the paet few wenka. The POT probably decided that the situation was Just too hot at preoent to beitular leader forhort tire duringemporary absence, ao hia deputy was appointed to hold his place. emporary retirement also gavehance toover story of illnesseason for going to Europe.

?. The two reasons for For tuny'a removal epeculatlvrly advanced inRCJ* meaon'ndiiau, Subjecti rort-uny/'lvor:nzcei, can both be discarded as entirely unlikely and probably falee. The first reason advanced was that Fortuny'a removal may well be the result of Internal Party dissension between Fortuny and vto tor Manuel Outierree. If this were the reason, Fortuny would not have been replaced by hie eloeest associate, his deputy and generally his ctoogeDernardo ALVARAPO Mora on. he would have been replaced by someone closer to futlerres, since, if this theory were correot it would have been Outlerres pressure causing the ouster.

3. The second reason advanced was that the POT apreed to oust Fortuny at 'rbens' insistence ln an effort to renovo the stigrsa of Con*unlen from the government. Tf thla were true it would bo unthinkable to replace the number one Ccanu-nlst with hie deputy the number two Communist. The only conclusion Is that this isikely und laalse hypothesis.

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