REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT IN GUATEMALA

Created: 5/5/1953

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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INFORMATION REPORT

C|mRAL INTfLllGENcl AGE^fS^s^

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PiACE ACQUIRED Guatemala, Guatemalaeferences

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SOURCE: Guatemalan professional man with good contacts in anti-Government circlesppraisal of Content; 3-

The abortive revolt oft Saiama, Guatemala, was led by Carlos SIMONS and his group, who were prodded into actionenetration agent of the Guatemalan Government, in the hope that it would bring to light the entire anti-Communist organization existing in Guatemala. Because SIMONS failed to ally himself with the.CORDOVA Cerna group, planned poorly, lacked arms, was penetrated, and was motivated primarily by personal ambition, the attempt felled. Although Juan CORDOVA Cerna was not involved, he was arrestedpril, tortured for nineteen days, and pushed across the frontier into Honduras onpril, but no information compromising the main revolutionary movement is believed to have 'been' disclosed.

The possibility of CORDOVA Cerna's arrest had been foreseenubstitute selected. The new man has taken.over the anti-Communist revolutionary movement with Guatemala, but he acts directly under the orders of Colonel Carlos CASTILLO Armas, who has been agreed upon as the military leader. CASTILLO Armas is respected and admired and is patriotically motivated. The CORDOVA Cernaremains intact. The men are organized in cells of five throughout the country, andotal strength of Given the necessary arms, success of the movement is assured because of ths determination and careful organization of the group, plus the support promised from part of the Army and police. inimum of twenty-five per cent of the Amy may be counted on,ajority of the officers who are graduates of the Polytechnic School are out of sympathy with the government. No one can say what percentage of the police are members of the anti-Communist movement, but the number-two nan of the police kept CORDOVA Cerna's friends informed while CORDOVA Cerna was under arrest, and told them not to worry. The two guards who helped CORDOVA Cerna across the frontier into Honduras are now being sought by the Guatemalanbecause they failed to shoot CORDOVA Cerna. The antJ^-Cjsnmunistorganization_has,located caches of"arms belonging to the Guatemalan

"'Government, to be made available to the workers in caseevolution.

SECRST/i

plans hsva been laid to prevent such forces loyal to the Guatemalan government froa gaining access to these caches. Not even people close to CORDOVA Corns have been informed of the names of the Army officers or top members of the police who will support tha movement. Only two individuals In Guatemala are fully informed. Oreat care and discretion havs been exercised in keeping this secret*

. S. OFF

Other Central American countries are anxious to assist any movement aimed at overthrowing the Guatemalan Government, but have thus far hesitated, so as not to find themselves embroiled in charges of violating various international pacts.

Original document.

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