(DELETED) DETERIORATION IN RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND GUATEMALA

Created: 11/18/1992

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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Z. A MAJOR SOURCE Or THE GROWING DISCONTENT WITHIN THE ARMED FORCES. ESPECIALLY IN THE HIGH COMMAND, IS WHAT MILITARY OFFICERS REGARD AS THE DETERIORATION IN RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND GUATEMALA. MOST SENIOR OFFICERS BELIEVE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES ARE *T THEIR LOWEST POINT IN 10 YEARS FOLLOWING. GOVERNMENT'S ISSUANCE ON S AUGUST 0? A TOURIST VISA TO GRADE SCHOOL TEACHER'S ASSISTANT AND COMMON LAW WIFE OF IDLEVEL GUATEMALAN INSURGENT LEADER MAftlTZA RRUTIA)) GARCIA. (FIELD COMMENT: URRUTIA WAS KIDNAPPEO ON 23 JULY IN GUATEMALA CITY ANO RELEASED SHORTLY THEREAFTER BY ANENT IFIE 0 GROUP OF ARMED INDIVIDUALS. THE GUATEMALAN GOVERNMENT IDENTIFIES URRUTIAUERRILLA SYMPATHIZER AND ACTIVIST AND DISAVOWS ANY KNOWLEDGE OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR HER KIDNAPPING. URRUTIA, HOWEVER. CLAIMS SHE UCTED BY MEMBERS OF GOVERNMENT SECURITY FORCES.)

5. THE GUATEMALANS ALSO VIEW THE. EMBASSY IN MEXICO CITY'S ISSUANCEISA TO ALLOW A POLITICAL LEAOER FOR THE GUERRILLA UM3RSLLA ORGANIZATION GUATEMALAN NATIONAL REVOLUTIONARY UNION LUIS FELIPE ECKER)) O TRAVEL TO. ONFERENCE AS COMPARABLE TO THE. GOVERNMENT'S HAR30RING OF A TERRORIST. MOREOVER, SOME SENIOR GUATEMALAN ARMY OFFICERS BELIEVE . GOVERNMENT IS SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO IMPLICATE OR IDENTIFY GUATEMALAN ARMY OFFICERS AS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SEPTEMBER 0 MURDER OF GUATEMALAN ANTHROPOLOGIST MYRNA Agipi CHANG.

4. AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE GUATEMALAN MILITARY PERCEIVES THE. AS HAVING TAKEN ACTIONS SYMPATHETIC TO THE GUATEMALAN GUERRILLAS, THERE IS A PERCEPTION . CRITICISM OF THE ARMED FORCE'i FOR ALLEGED HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IS UNJU5T. THIS CRITICISM IS VIEWET AS COMINGIME WHEN THE HUMAN RIGHTS PROBLEM IN GUATEMALA HAS If PROVED MODERATELY; YET THE ARMY CONSIDERS ITSELF UNOER GREATER ATTACK THAN BEFORE. SENIOR GUATEMALAN ARMY OFFICERS FREQUENTLY ARE ANGERED BY THE PERCEIVED ATTITUDE OF. OFFICIALS THAT GOVERNMENT FORCES ARE ALWAYS GUILTY OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES EVEN BEFORE INVESTIGATIONS HAVE BEGUN. THE GUATEMALAN OFFIICIALS VIEW MOST OF THE ACCUSATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES AS LEFTIST-INSPIRED PROPAGANDA WHICH COMES FROM PERSONS AFFILIATED WITH POLITICAL FRONT GROUPS FOR GUERRILLA ORGANIZATIONS. MILITARY OFFICERS ARE ANGRY THAT THE. GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO DENY MILITARY ASSISTANCE TO THE GUATEMALAN ASHED FORCES BECAUSE OF ALLEGED HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. THEY ALSO SEEENERAL TREND THAT NONMILITARY. ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE IS ERODING AND FORESEE LITTLE INCENTIVE TO ACCEPT ANY FUTURE. GOVERNMENT PRESSURE TO INVESTIGATE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE ALLEGATIONS.

THE GUATEMALAN ARMY VIEWS ITSELF AS UNDER ATTACK NOT ONLY SY THI. GOVERNMENT AMD INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS 8UT UATEMALAN OFFICIALS AND POLITICIANS* AS HELL JUNIOR OFFICERS. IN PARTICULAR. RESENT THE LOW SALARIES THEY EARN EVEN THOUGH THEY SACRIFICE THEIR LIVES CN A REGULAR 9AS IS UNTIE MEMBERS Or THE GUATEMALAN CONGRESS ARE PERCEIVED TO ORRUPT AND CONCERNED ONLY WITH PERSONAL FINANCIAL GAIN. (FIELD COMMENT: OFFICERS' MEDIAN SALARY IS OUSTZALES PER MONTH, EQUIVALENT TO. SJ4C AT THE CURRENT EXCHANGE RATE OF Q. II. IN COMPARISON, CONGRESSMEN EARN Ql PER MONTH. EQUIVALENT TO. TO

. SYMPATHY FOR THE GUERRILLAS. UH AT THE MILITARY SEES AS UNJUST CRITICISM BY. AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FOR HJMAN RIGHTS ABUSES. LOW SALARIES. ANO UNCERTAINTIES

THE FUTURE ALL ARE CONTRIBUTING TO GROWING OISCONTENT WITHIN THE MILITARY OFFICER CORPS. MOREOVER, THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS IS PERCEIVED AS NOT HAVING YIELDED ANY TANGIBLE BENEFITS TO THE MILITARY. FINALLY, THE ARMY PERCEIVES THAT VARIOUS SECTORS CF GUATEMALAN SOCIETY AND INTERNATIONAL GROUPS ARE TRYING TO DESTROY THE MILITARY AS AN INSTITUTION. WHILE THE MILITARY'S DISCONTENT HAS NOT YET RISENEVELOVE AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT BY THE MILITARY IS LIKELY. IF THE CAUSES OF THIS DISCONTENT ARE NOT ADDRGSSSO THE LIKELIHOOD CF A COUP ATTEMPT WILL INCREASE.