REPORTED PRESSURE TO FORCE THE RESIGNATION OF PRESIDENT JULIO CESAR MENDEZ MONT

Created: 3/19/1968

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

LBJ LIBRARY

Oocoment

CINTtAl INTilllOIHCI AGINCY

Intelligence Information Cable

PRIORITY*

P AGES

DIA NMCC/MC IMCOIP JCB NAVY AIR) ClA/NMCC NIC NBA RO

UBJ*

country:

doi:

subject:

uatemala

reported pressure to force the resignat president julio cesar mendez montenegro

acq:

source: myyh

II)

eeting with presidential advisers and leaders of the

revolutionary party (pr, government party) in late afternoon of

president julio cesar mendez montenegro revealed

that he hadommunication regarding the abduction of

mario casar ie go, archbishop of guatemala. mendez said theroniiCH

IC)

fORHELEASI DATE1

EOllHBSAIMUMSYr?

10

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WAS IN THE FORMYPEWRITTEN NOTE, WHICH HAD BEEN

LEFT IN AN ENVELOPE ADDRESSED TO KIN AT TKE PRESIDENTIAL

PALACE EARLIER THAT AFTERNOON BY AN UNIDENTIFIED PERSON

OR PERSONS. THE NOTE, WHICH ACCOMPANIED THE PHOTOCOPIES

OF TWO LETTERS FROM CASARIEGO REQUESTING CERTAIN SUPPLIES

AND MEDICINES, READ AS FOLLOWS: "ATTACHED ARE THE PHOTOCOPIES

OF TWO LETTERS FROM NON SEN OR CASARIEGO. THE ORIGINALS ARE

BEIN6 RETAINED FOR HISTORY. WE HAVE MONSENOR CASARIEGO,

AND IF YOU DO NOT RESIGN AS PRESIDENT WITHINOURS, YOU

WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FORIFE.HOUR PERIOD

BEGINS AS OF NOON ON .

ENDEZ TXD KIS ADVISERS AND THE PR LEADERS PRESENT THAT HE HAD JUST HELD SEPARATE MEETINGS WITH LEADING MILITARY OFFICIALS AND WITH OFFICIALS OF THE CURIA OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN GUATEMALA. THE PRESIDENT SAID THAT HE TOLD BOTH GROUPS THAT HIS PERSONAL OPINION WAS THAT HE SHOULD NOT RESIGN, BUT THAT HE WISHED TO SOLICIT TKE VIEWPOINTS OF THE MILITARY AND THE CHURCH BEFOREINAL DECISION. BOTH THE MILITARY AND THE CHURCH OFFICIALS AGREED THAT THE PRESIDENT SHOULD NOT RESIGN.

rs 10

PAGE 3 OP 5 PAGES

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rs 10

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GOVERNMENT AND PR OFFICIALS SPECXATE THAT RIGHT EST POLITICIANS ARE BEHIND THE ABDUCTION, AND THAT THE OBJECTIVE IS TO FORCE THE REPLACEMENT OF MENDEZ BY VICE PRESIDENT CLEMENTEOJAS. PHOTOCOPIES OF THE TWO LETTERS, WHICH WERE ADDRESSED TO HON SE NOR JOSE RAMIRO PELLECER SAMAYOA AND TO THE PAPAL NUNCIO IN GUATEMALA, WERE ALSO LEFT AT THE OFFICES OF ALL NEWSPAPERS IN GUATEMALA CITY DURING THE AFTERNOON OFARCH. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF LA HORA, AFTERNOON DAILY, WHICH PRINTED THE TEXT OF THE LETTERS, ALL NEWSPAPERS CONTACTED GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES TO REPORT THE RECEIPT OF THE-LETTERS. MARROQUIN, OWNER OF LA HQRA. DID NOT TELL THE PRESIDENT HIS PAPER HAD RECEIVED THEOMMENT; IN HIS LETTERS, CASAR IE GO REQUESTED MEDICINES AND PERSONAL SUPPLIES. THERE WAS NO MENTION OF THE MEANS BY WHICH THE REQUIRED ITEMS COULD BE PASSED TO

rs 10

4.| DURING THE AFTERNOON OFARCH PRESIDENT MENDEZ REQUESTED THE IMMEDIATE RETURN OF DEFENSE MINISTER RAFAEL ARRIAGA BOSQUE, WHO IS ON AN OFFICIAL VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES).

DISSEM: STATE, ARMY, AIR, CINCSO. SENT ELECTRICALLY TO USIB MEMBERS AND EXO

Original document.

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