via:_
TO
subject:
2.
, contains furthor information regarding and the relative strength of the Guardia Is information is believed to be ESQUIRE.
Enclosed areemoranda containing information of possible interest to PBSuccess.
b.
atedanuary Ij&k, refersonversation between Dr. Robort ALKKAtoHl. of Rutgers OniveflSityepresentative of the Aoerican Federationabor,nardoJpSTILLO Flores. Secretary General of the Confedsracion Hacional Carapesina fle Guatemalauring which the latter reportedlyerious breach in relations between his orjpnization andGeneral deTrabajadores de GuatesialaTGj^L^
Enclosure Ho.atedi, contains material of interest inwith General Miguel XDrCQftftS.yuentes and his alleged personalin Guatemala, QuiXlenao flAvTjft Cordova. Ihe latter was arrestedU, has since been expelie/ from the country, and is now reported to bo in Mexico. Attached to this enclosureopyemorandum which DAVTLA left with the interviewing Embassy officer.
To: Elr. Krieg
From: A. B. Wardlaw
A finquerc who has on previous occasions supplied ae certainrecently told ne that he had learned froa the CzechJmJEi* whoext-door neighbor of Colons! Flfqpo jjOHZOW that WColonel seems to be prepared psychologically for joining the opposition. Colonel Wonzon reportedly stated that hefficers on his side, but rry informant did not know nftether this meant they were merely well disposed towards Horizon or actually had come to some sort ofwith him. Colonel Horizon is quoted as having stated that it would be too bad to have the uprising occur just at this time when things were not quite ready*
A few days ago Colonel Monzon was shocked to learn that the Guardia Civil had recentlyub-machine guns from Belgium and he was particularly annoyed that despite his position in the Guatemalan Army this delivery had been effected without his having been informed. He arranged to inspect one of these guns and reported it toery fine weapon. The guns fire clips ofartridges. He is reported to have said that the delivery of these guns to the police was an affront to the Army.
informant was of the opinion that the police aro now better equipped for fighting inside the city than is the Army. Supporting his vie that the Army's weapons areery poor state, he remarked that anby the name of JulioKAITAH, whom he knows slightly, told him that he had recently visited the/barracks at Guardia de Honor where heoldiers working away St rifle cartridges with files. He asked ai officer what tho soldiers wore doing and waa informed that they were filing down Czech cartridges which did not quite fito. rifled used by the Guatemalan Army. informant took this as evidence that the Guatemalan Army isesperate shortage of ammunition.
)fy informant also reported that it is said by many people in Guatemala that the oppositionarge store of arms in Ahuachapan, El Salvador, which is not far from the Guatemalan border. He had no further information on this.
I am convinced of the reliability of ray informantave noabout the reliability of Kubes or Caitan.
? COHWERSATIOH
Dr. Robert Alexander, Rutgers University; William L. Krieg, Counselor of Embassy SUBJECT: elations with GOTO
Dr. Alexander told me that he hadather lengthy talk with Sr. Leonardo CASTILLO Floras, Secretary General of the ConfadoracIon Campesina de Guatemala (CrEG) and had gained the impression that Castillo Flores was Tar from enthusiastic about his relations with the Communists of the CGTG andotential rivalry existed between the two organizations.
Dr. Alexander said that Castillo Flores made no effort to conceal his dislike for the CGTO in his conversation. Alexander had inquired whetherhere were conflicts of jurisdiction between the two organizations and Castillo Flores had replied that his organization concentrated onfarmers whereas the* CGTO concentrated on farm laborers who were employed by landowners or by the Government. Dr. Alexander had then asked what effect the Agrarian Reform was having on the two organizations, and Castillo Flores had replied that when the peasants received land of their own they usually transferred to the CH3G. In many cases, ho went on, the CGTG unions had transferred en masse to the C'JCG because it was able to do more for them in the way of agricultural advice and credits whereas the CGTO was principally interested in higher pay and work conditions. Dr. Alexander said that he had asked Castillo Flores whether tho leaders of the CGTG were Communists; Castillo Flores said that they were. Alexander had then asked whether there were any Communists among the leadership of the CfEG and Castillo Flores had replied emphatically that there were not, adding, "That's why thoy'ro jealous of us."
Dr. Alexander said that when ho wont to CHCG Headquarters he had asked to seo Sr. Clodoveo TORRES Moss with whom he had talked last summer and had been informed, "He doesn't work here any more."
COPY
HEJKEAKDUl. CP CONVERSATION"
Ji
Participants: Guillermo DAVILA Cordova
John Calvin Hill, Jr.
I talked for about one hour this morning toIIA who had called on the Ambassador without appointment or reference, stating that he was the personal representative of General Uiguel TDIGORAS Puentes.
Lie. Davila described at some length the elections and what ha considered the frauds that had deprived General Idigoras of the Presidency He said the General enjoyed more support than any other Guatemalan anti-communist leader, and should be aided. The CASTILLO Armas and Juan CORDOVA Coma group were infiltrated by Guatemalan government agents, some of them paid from IGSS funds. Tho opposition to tho government was united in sonticont and all that was needed tohen into actionoader who enjoyed the necessary material support.
I told Lie. Da vila repoatodly that the United States was comitted to inter-Aaoricxn non-intervention agreements and how this applied to theof international Communism would be doternined at the Caracasnow mi weeks away. Our opposition to Communist intervention in the hemisphere, including Guatemala, had been mado clear many times and, within the framework of ourtha Caracaswere disposed to do what was possible to halt it. However, it was useless even to discuss aid to any anti-ConaJunist group or wider political or economic action until (a) the Caracas Conference had Made recommendations with respect to Communis* and (b) there shouldepresentative, unified opposition to CoEoinisa. Neither tho united States nor the hemispheric community could choose between tho rival and conflicting anti-Communist leaders; this was an affair for the Guatemalans themselves. It was ray personal thought that if when thestates had to re-orient thoir policies ln the light of Caracas, allwhether or not now formally attachedolitical group, wouldnited directivo representative of opposition to CoonunisQ, they wouldetter chance.
Lie. Davila Cordova said ho was in contact with the principaloffiiinist leaders and would work actively for unity before Caracas. He left the attached memorandum.
Rough Translation
UtriLLKRiK) DA VILA CORDOVA Lawyer and Notary Etc.
UELIORANDUl! TO HIS EXCELLENT THE AMBASSADOR OF THE UKTTED STATES
Neither division nor substantial differences exist among the groups opposed to the Communist Government headed hy Colonel Arbenz. What has happened is that the persons who have been supplied with financial aid lack sympathy and prestige in popular opinion; and those who do have the confidence and sympathy of the people and who would be backed by the people in any action, such as General Engineer lliguel Ydigoras Fuentes, live in poverty, and have not received the necessary financial support to enable them, followed by the people, to liberate Guatemala from Communist oppression. Because of tills lack of aid, any concrete action has been physically impossible.
Help from Guatemalan capitalists has been impossible since strict financial controls are placed over their books, making all their investments known; for this reason, and because of constant threats from the Government, they are afraid to make any sizable allotments which they cannot justify to government officials cheeking on them. Further, national capitalists have most of their funds invested in non-liquid assets.
f the Guatemalan people are in the opposition. Colonel Arbenz' government was Imposed by fraudulent moans employed by the ex-President, Dr. Juan Jose Arevalo so that his successor could carry on the sovietizotion of the country, and the sentiments of the nation attest to tho fact that the people really wanted Oeneral Eng. lliguel Ydigoras Fuentes as President. Despite the fact that the government engaged in hll kinds of fraud, fearing that they would
I fct! AP4
be defeated by popular will, they were forcod to resort to violence, jailing the principal Ydigorlst loaders and persecuting candidate Idigoras himself for months before the elections.
o do not believe that direct intervention by any government isfor the solution of the Cccmnist proglem in Ouatenala; sufficient material aid would be enough. The amount to be determined by the military technicians headed by General Idigoras Vuentes who is already in possession of the most important item namely popjilar prestige throughout tho Nation which would support him ln any revolutionary movement.
he undersigned is the personal representative of Gen. Uiguel Idigoras Fuentes and maintains contact in all militant Ydigorlst groups throughout the Republic, and with all sympathisers in the opposition. Ho ia therefore fully authorised to deal with all matters related to this transcendental problem which affects continental security.
h.
Original document.
Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: