DISPATCH HO.
4
to hief, anuary 19
L> Attachedopyetter from the Anerican Ambassador to Mr. Raymond G. Leddy of the Department of State dated, and copies of each of the attachments thereto.
2. This material is being rushed into the current pouch, which does not afford time for comments thereon.
Kenneth S. Givloch
as noted
U
Distribution!
ncl
CIA HISTORICAL REVIEW PROGRAM RELEASE AS SANITIZED
American Embassy,
Guatemala City, Guatemalau
NFORMALECURITY INFOWATION
Dear Rayi
Enclosedemorandum preparedeliable contact of tha Embassy who Last week visited Salvador where ho had two interviewi with Luis CORONA DO Lira who la aotiv* In the anti^ommunlst group aupportlng CASTILLO Areas. Hat only Is Coronado high ln this group but between tho two interviews hepecial messenger to Tegucigalpa to consult with leaders of the movement there and brought back oortaln wTlttonrepllaa from them. These written replies were subsequently destroyed but their contents is included in tho attached memorandum.
The aecond memorandum was proparedombor of thcEobassy staff on tho baala of information given him verbally enlarging upon tho contact's written momorandua.
Sincerely yours
John E. Peurifoy
Raymond G. Lcddy, Esquire, Officer in Charge,
- SECURITY lift'CRIiftTION
Central America and Panama Affairs,ew State, Department of State, Washington, D. C.
ATitfardLanim
Verbal Explanations and Additions to Attached Memorandum of January 9,egarding the Plana of CASTILLO Armas
The London Pact mentioned in the first paragraph was an agreement between Idigorae and certain of tho anti-Communists to make Idigoras the candidatenified opposition, and In tho event, .'orcceenertainty, of his being defrauded of the election, to overthrow toe Guatemalan Government. Thla agreement was the result of negotiations carried on for one month ln London where Idigoras waa serving as Guatemalan Ant-baesador. However, Idigoras greatly disappointed his supporters during the campaign by his spineless activity. When his arrest .was ordered by the Government he should havo stood out boldly and challenged the authorities to arrest him. His supporters assured hla that even if the authorities should arrest him, they would not dare kill him, and his popular appeal vould be greatly Incroaoed by the persecution. Instead, he wentn! did not carryigorous cajnpalgn.
In preparation for the uprising to follow Idigoras' defeat, the ant*-Coamunlsts collected considerablo funds in Guatemala with which they purchased arms. After the election, Idigoras, Jorge Toriello, and Idigoras' son-in-law whocotsman named Munn and lives Inalvador and British Honduras, sold the arms to ^resident Trujlllo of the Donlnloan Republic, and kept the money for themselves. The entl-Comisunists would haveIdigorae this betrayal If he had shown an* real leadership while in exile, but while inalvador he has displayed neither courage or leadership.
(This story is interesting In vieweport given the Embassy some months ago that Bernardino, the former Comlnlcen Consul General in Kew York who vas acting aaontact man with one group plotting an attempt in Guatemala, stated that Trujlllo was not disposed to give more money to Idigoras or ^unn, since money which he had given them earllor hod beeninca for Munn In Salvador.)
^ The ineidontigh Salvadoran official and Arbenz which led President Osorlo of El Salvador to give his hacking to Castillo Armas rather than Idigoras vas as follows: oome months ago, Osorio wishing to learn Arbens* views on the twodera,igh official to complain to Arbenzalvadoran exile who waaadio station in quezaltenango from which he was dally attacking Osorio. The Salvadoran official suggestedrbenz would do something about the man in 'iuezaltenango, Osorio might dc something about some of the Guatemalan exiles living Inalvador. Arbenz replied that he was not Interested in Idigoras, tha' Osorio could *ive Idigoras all the aras and rsono; ho wantedt woald not bother Arbenz, bat ths: Arbenz would
be vory much interested in setting nla hands on Castillo Aroas That decided the matter for Osorio, end ho haa aince backed Castillo Areas.
Osorio'a becking of Castillo Armaa* followers ia auch that If they complain of the presenceuatecjUan spyalvador, Osorio immediately arreataan* deporta him.
Uy Informant waa not able to get any Information about the alio of the forcea ln exile which Caatlllo Ansae haa at his ooomnnd. He alao had no Information aa to how far Castillo Armas considered the Guate-ialan Army neutralized, or how many Guatemalan Army officers were believed to be loyal to him.
informant reported that his contact Indicated that the organisation hadno^"tlsfaejjory contact with. Babuay in
ontact said that he aaa Informed that the Castillo
0 ofcoffee ImI i ld ba "Id, however, that
ld be donem-teilatelj so that it would go Into effect before the movement takes plaoo and so that lt would apply while large stocks of coffee still remain on hand in -ustenala, December throughbeing the aontha of heaviest anipmenta.
Inforeant was ^lvcn no information aa to when
Hi tXVlCt t0 "trlife' hetr.at tney would like to do ao aa quickly as possible, depending on
when they could deliver tho necessarymaterUUto
agents In Guatemala, but in any case would try to move In
fooruary.
Im-Amit ^rZ7mntt hlsthat the
leaders of his group fait that the Embassy sho.ld be a
.ortroaa at the time of the uprising. The informant aald that the reaaon for thla teller -as not explainedutthatea In the course of the
ycnorandum Prepared by Sellable Contact on Intentions and Views of CASTILLO Anas Opposition Croup,
1/Organisation t
wspapor reports and nubllcotions inra" by tha forner prominent Idlclrlotaa to tho effect, that general Idlroras is not the supreme chief ofvoBcnt is now fully confined. All the onposition hoao and abroad, Including all the factiona inith the exception of "Ponciatas*', who are tainted with ncnories of short-lived, corrupt and brutal racial under generala now firmly united and recornlsee Castillo Arras as tholr euprerw co-rander. 'ihe organisation Ls cospleto, compact and conceive, and fnl? of purpose; even tc isost devoted Idigoristas aubnit cheerfully to hieand thero ia no doubt as to his courage, doterrdnation and abilitieseader inituation as this.
Idigorae ia lonely, Bulking, voiceless and without Influence abroad! the only people at ill with his there are Putaoya. Garcia and one or two othorn, while Barrios 'ona ia altting on the fence. In tho country the movement has not loat any former Idl^oriatas, on the contraryi it hae gained all such elements which formerly hesitated toan lntiemtely connected in the past with Ubico1 despotism.
It ie obvioaa that both iovernnents (Honduras and Salvador) are very pleased wit this developaont and that C. t. haa their complete, ungtinglnr. support. Head-quartera of the organisation are now definitively lr. Tegucigalpa. Ita counterpa inside the country ia tight, aelected, extremely careful, contain, all desirable olecents of tha population inclusive the Army and la in coaplete cooperation and -amony with .erocigalpa, from where the airnal will conej it oust be concluded that action, rhon it cones, will start fron both sldoB, coordinated and under on commend.
2/Arna u munition!
Organisation abroad ia root oxcollently and completely equipped and lacks nothing. Thoy havo teen and aro sending some of it, by tfiichevor route avaiLablo, to tha country, but this lancreanin.-ly difficult. In this respect they need help urgentlyhey are aaJdnc for it. Venue lralpa needa to know as early as ooosible if this help will le given, and which types and how much of oach ev that they would not duplicate. Thla aide of the Picture is even rore acute owingact that it is virtually irposaiblc today to purcase in Ute ^ity or in prorinceanail callfier arm and respective ammunition, mt.llc it ie widely known that largo nu-abcro of corministmembers and any ireunt of aJTaiats are well araod, sone of then even vith li htns andenadea.
Organization abroad has ample neans and dooa not require help In t'is respect, while inside tho country nore funds are needed. Again here they urpe that sonc help be riven throughand if so, Tegucigalpa wishes to know ho* nuch, so that they will not need to get it in here fro* there. It is apparent thatast organisation ae this noeda large suns.
*iJ tSe9Vn3wer* matconsidered asi ownpecial courier flew to Teruc to obtain then for no.
Apart froa that, they requested an accelerated and intensified anticowainiotarpaign or. the part of local opposition newspapers, this -tUter will te doalt with through local leaders.
One cannot but bo inproaoed with too qualityis aovonent,its background and backing, its diaciplino and its ut^st discretion!and care with nhlflh ratters are dealt with affords assuranceaeon to presage that such cannot fall. oadoroliip ia at tha nowto exploit the present highly favourable circumstances fairly ooon: Itpointed out al>ove all that delay ouldhange to unfavourablesoft spots and there is no desire to await tho outcotv. of thosince covraunist Pront forces all over Utin America arccounteract USA leadership and^
There is one nore concern strongly on the nines of thisCTJch oC Perils to themselves when
rW Wut fat*opulation.
'ichJf*ctand a.
JtTTJ TOrM'of class hatred. Invited and i.
hi^eU
at least on one occasion insinuated this sinister threat, and it oust be rc*cnb ad that even in the Police Porce*en are brutal, vilewith cS' nal record. The city population Is increaeinely sensing this anxiety and danre, and fewhave even sent their children away already. And hope Ta tllC
oe CUy that^ieanaldll notXiiJ this* fully realised and conpro! hended, but it is being argued tbatood neighbour, could not very w
wouldthan floiThU would allow children beinc rmrderodeighbouring houso, if ho know of it
o"lnrynfc,
forcee hundred of.UaSiir by in Salvador, To rue or road
applauded and lauded even abroad and would xin unking rratitudo. adVjv, Jou7
cr 'n.chld ba consideredcynical It
l^h n,.'
nt
-AU-JandroComcho.
Original document.
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