REVIEW OF INSURGENCY PROBLEMS

Created: 3/15/1966

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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OF INSURGENCY PROBLEMS

This publicationeriodic review of internal security In underdeveloped countries where therehreat from Communist-supported insurgency.

CONTENTS

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Venezuela

Guatemala . . . .

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OCI No.

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Office of Current Intelligence6

INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM

Review of Insurgency Problems

1. Thai lanu

Insurgents are becoming bolder in theprovince of Nakhon Phanom. In two separate instances during the first week of March, large groups of armed men entered villages and summoned the people to hear long harangues against the Thai Government and the US. The two incidents, which occurredarch, Involved groups oformed.

During the same period terrorists in Nakhon Phanomrovincial policeman and attacked five civilians, killing one and wounding another.

A petition from the peopleng" in Kalasin Province underscores the lack of security in_tne ecuntrys1 dp The petition asked the government to continue police suppression operations and toolice substation in the area. According to the report, the terrorists, whom the villagers identify as Communists, soem to benterested in banditry than ideology. The villagers state that the Communists, steal money and cattle and then kill anyone who goes to the police.

The clandestine Voice of the Thai Peoplea wide audience anonpnterest

in the broadens Lb uvgan rate ius iuas been on the increase. Although the students reportedly tend to discount much of the Voice's content aspropaganda, attacks on the Thanom government's

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corruption and,esser extent, charges that the government Is subservient to US interests, haveympathetic hearing. Government corruption and UShemes which tne Communist* ?rB hitting hardest, were highlighted againecent broadcast wHich marked the Voice's fourth anniversary.

The Conmunists, who evidently aro trying tntholr lnlth you rift people,League ol patriotic Youth of Thailandot the Thai Patriotic Front- Thethe new iront claimed that there haddrop in morality among the youth since USin Thailand. I

2. Argentina

An articleuenos Airosarch reporting that three truck-loads of Czech arms had been brought from Bolivia into Salta Province, Argentina, has been denied by the chief .of the gondarmerie. He said this wasumor startedewspaper reporter in Salta, and that further steps are being taken to investigate his motivation.

3. Brazil

The army has uncovered an extreme leftist plot to launch terrorist and sabotage attacks in the southorn state of Rio Grando do Sul. The ultimate objective of the plot reportedly was to install ultranatlonalist leader Leonel Brizola, now exiled in Montevideo, as governor of tho state. Brizola then would have attempted to sotgovernment" in opposition to President Castollo Branco.

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officers oi tne state military ponce were involved ln the scheme, which included plans to assassinate the incumbent governor and two high-ranking military leaders sometime this month. The conspirators also planned to disrupt telephone and radio communications and transportation services and attack some military garrisons. Tho army has arrostod the eight officers.

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Local leaders have tended to discredit the plot although an army investigation team has been organized to look into the extent of it.

The threatrizola-inspired movement in Rio Grande do Sul cannot be totally discounted. Brizola was governor of the state several years ago and still has some following there. He has long been seeking arms and funds toerrorist campaign in southern Brazil and is confident of enlisting support from students and workers, among whom there is strong dissatisfaction with Castello Branco's policies. The chances that there will be any large-scale guerrilla operation appear limited, but thererowing possibility of isolated terrorist incidents.

4. Venezuela

Public attention has continued to focus nn charges that Alberto Lovera, iorrner leader of the TjomiilUillBt Party ol Venezuela (PCV) and of tbe Armed ForcesLiberation fFALN'l . was murdered fiV^hj^nen^rni; Directorate of .Policear-leftist Deputy Jose Vicente Range1 has spear-headed the attack in Congress on the government, and heavy press coverage continues. Bqcoubq of ther congressional vpgfi of ni7fFPQL| it is possible that there will be some changes in that organization.

Lovera was arrested inut the government has consistently denied it ever held him in custody and has suggested that heictim of dissension within the PCV. His chained and weighted body was washed ashoreeach in eastern.

5. Guatemala

Guatemalan security forces have deeplythe capabilities of the subversive movements by numerous arrests of highly placed leaders of the guerrilla organizations in the past several weeks. At least four have been executed, Stepped-up raids and searches ih the urban areas have led to other arrests and have continued to keep the opposition off balance. In addition to reducing the capability

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of the opposition for action, security forces activities over the past several weeks may well have sapped the will to fight of at least some of the marginal terorists and guerrillas. At the same time, tho punishment dealt to the subversive forces may cause them to react with some fresh act or acts of violence to give public evidence that they can still perform effectively,

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Original document.

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