etc imi
U.S. Officials Only COHPIafelAL ,
SCCU4ITT IMFORMltlOH
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
COUNTRY
subject
INFORMATION REPORT
kw PROGRAM
RELEASE AS SANITIZED
OuatemaOa/Hicaragua 8oaoza*e
PLACE ACOUSREO Managua Isy
OATE ACCUIRED mld-Aug 53
sOURCCt4." f
id-Aug 53
WawSSISB)
'iin irr ir'rrui
this IS UNEVALUATEO information
of encls.
supp. to report no.
SOURCE D3 citizen. 'Banting executive3 corporation vhlch doei business in the Central American, countries.
His business Interests require periodic trips to Central America and extensive dealings vith government officials. Daring3 he visited 8en Salvador, Guatemala City, San Jose end Managua for conferences vith minor officials of Ms corporation aad vith representatives of the respective governments. Ee speaks Spanish haltingly bat understands spoken Spanish quite veil.
1. General Somoza of Hlcaragua plans to accomplish the overthrow of the Arbenz government in Guatemala during- The leader of the revolutionary forces vill be aPre do (fnu) vho vas formerly an officer in the Guatemalan army sad vho Isolitical exile in JO. Salvador. Munitions and aircraft for the revolutionary forces vere acquired ln thearing the late spring and early summer3 by one of Boaoza'a aides. Somoza expects encouragement andmall amount of. actual support from the governments of XI Salvador and Bandores. Ie, believer that Kexieo vill remain strictly neutral. Bethat the sympathies of Fignares vill be with Ooatemala bat that he rill probably do nothing effective. 1
The foregoing information'vas given to me,during the course of severaltlons lnthe Hicaraguan
COBF
OF?ICIAlfi 0SXj/8ecurit7 Information
2 -
and aa feared that the laissez-faire policies of Galvez would ultimately encourage cooaanlat infiltration. Into Bondurafl. Scooza envisaged hlnaelf being caught In the/middle, vlth leftist govBrumenls on all sides of him. He hopedong timewould do something-to turn tha tide, particularly lnwhere.pressurea no easily exerted, hut he has- nov decided that If anything la to.be done he vill hare to do It, and ha has laid his plans accord-
lngly.
US. ne told me that on that trip he had purchased machino guns,nd, ostensibly for ths Blcaraguan government but actually for. thej.use of the revolutlcnlsts. He did not mention any quantitiesid not think it politic to press him. He said that he vas sure that vhat be had bought would be sufficient for -the revolutionaries' needs. He alsoconfidence in "the ability of ColiPrado to lead the revolution to aconclusion. sked.whether he thought the Guatemalan army vould remain, loyal to Arbenz. He replied that,Somoza thought the Guatemalan army was reasonably loyal and that lt vould remain so as long as Arbenz vas alive. He Intimated that the revolution vould be Inaugurated by the "removal* of Arbenz and some of his chief supporters. After that had been accomplished Somoza believed that tho prestige of Col Prado vould be sufficient to assure tbe defection of all, or at least the major part, of the Guatemalan armed forces.
Blcaraguan troops will- actively support the revolutionaries, but in anonly. Bia$ is, .they vill not vear Hicaraguan uniforms or Insignia andjc officially identified as members of the Hlcaraguan armed forces. the revolution toait accompli before any of the Centralhave time to intervene. ISomoza would do if ?igueres
for example, vent to Arbenz' assistance.he vasn't sure but he guesse.
that ln such case Somoza vould probablyn active and official part.
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US OFFICIALS 0HL1/Security Information
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