GROWING DISCONTENT WITHIN THE GUATEMALAN ARMED FORCES

Created: 11/18/1992

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

I INTERNAL AMDKSSUiuiS UN THE HILITARY, HOWEVER, ARE CAUSING CROWING DISCONTENT WITHIN THE MILITARYHOLE AND DISAFFECTION WITH THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS. DETERIORATING RELATIONS WITHARTICULARLY IN THE HUMAN RIGHTS FIELD,AJOR SOURCE OF DISCONTENT, ESPECIALLY WITHIN THE HIGH COMMAND. IN ADDITION, LOW SALARIES, GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION, UNCERTAINTIES OVER THE ARMY'S FUTURE ROLE, AND PERCEIVED ATTACKS ON THE ARMY AS AN INSTITUTION ARE FUELING THE DISCONTENT. TENSIONS WITHIN THE MILITARY ARE NOTEVELOVE AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT IS LIKELY. IF THE CAUSES OF THIS DISCONTENT ARE NOT ADDRESSED, HOWEVER, THE LIKELIHOODOUP ATTEHPT WILL INCREASE.

I GROWING

PRESSURES ON THE MILITARY FROM BOTH WITHIN ANU WUHUUt Irit INSTITUTION, HOWEVER, ARE CAUSING DISCONTENT WITHIN THE OFFICER CORPS AND DISAFFECTION WITH THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS. TENSIONS WITHIN THE ARMY HAVE RISEN CONSIDERABLY, ALTHOUGH NOTEVELOVE AGAINST THE GOVEPNMENT BY THE HILITARY IS LIKELY. THERE IS GROWING DISCONTENT WITH THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESSELIEF THAT THE ARMY'S SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRACY HAS NOT YIELDED ANY TANGIBLE BENEFITS. IF THE CAUSES OF THIS DISCOHTENT ARE NOT ADDRESSED. THE LIKELIHOOD

A MAJOR SOURCE OF THE GROWING DISCONTENT WITHIN THE ARMED FORCES, ESPECIALLY IN THE HICH COMMAND, IS WHAT MILITARY OFFICERS RECARD AS THE DETERIORATION IN RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATESND GUATEMALA. MOST SENIOR OFFICERS BELIEVE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES ARE AT THEIR LOWEST POINT IHEARS FOLLOWING. GOVERNMENT'S ISSUANCEUGUSTOURIST VISA TO GRADE SCHOOL TEACHER'S ASSISTANT AND COHHON LAW WIFEIDLEVEL GUATEMALAN INSURGENT LEADERGARCIA. (FIELD COMMENT: URRUTIA WAS KIDNAPPED ONULY IN GUATEMALA CITY AND RELEASED SHORTLY THEREAFTER BY AN UNIDENTIFIED CROUP OF ARMED INDIVIDUALS. THE GUATEMALAN GOVERNMENT IDENTIFIES URRUTIAUERRILLA SYMPATHIZER AND ACTIVIST AND DISAVOWS ANY KNOWLEDGE OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR HER KIDNAPPING. URRUTIA, HOWEVER, CLAIMS SHE WAS ABDUCTED BY MEMBERS OF GOVERNMENT SECURITY FORCES.)

THE GUATEMALANS ALSO VIEW. EMBASSY IN MEXICO CITY'S ISSUANCEISA TOOLITICAL LEADER FOR THE GUERRILLA UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION GUATEMALAN NATIONAL REVOLUTIONARY UNIONR. LUISGUZMAN, TO TRAVEL TO.ONFERENCE AS COMPARABLE TO. GOVERNMENT'S HARBORINGERRORIST. MOREOVER, SOME SENIOR GUATEMALAN ARMY OFFICERS BELIEVE. GOVERNMENT IS SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO IMPLICATE OR IDENTIFY GUATEMALAN ARMY OFFICERS AS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE0 MURDER OF GUATEMALAN ANTHROPOLOGISTHACKj) uCHANG.

1. AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE GUATEMALAN HILITARY PERCEIVES. AS HAVING TAKEN ACTIONS SYMPATHETIC TO THE GUATEMALAN GUERRILLAS, THEREERCEPTION. CRITICISM OF THE ARMED FORCES FOR ALLEGED HUMAN RICHTS ABUSES IS UNJUST. THIS CRITICISM IS VIEWED AS COMINGIME WHEN THE HUMAN RIGHTS PROBLEM IH GUATEMALA HAS IHPROVED MODERATELY; YET THE ARMY CONSIDERS ITSELF UNDER GREATER ATTACK THAN BEFORE. SENIOR GUATEMALAN ARMY OFFICERS FREQUENTLY ARE ANCERED BY THE PERCEIVED ATTITUDE. OFFICIALS THAT GOVERNMENT FORCES ARE ALWAYS GUILTY OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES EVEN BEFORE INVESTIGATIONS HAVE BEGUN. THE GUATEMALAN OFFIICIALS VIEW MOST CF THE ACCUSATIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES AS LEFTIST-INSPIRED PROPAGANDA WHICH COMES FROM PERSONS AFFILIATED WITH POLITICAL FRONT GROUPS FOR CUERRILLA ORGANIZATIONS. MILITARY OFFICERS ARE ANCRY THAT. GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO DENY MILITARY ASSISTANCE TO THE GUATEMALAN ARMED FORCES BECAUSE OF ALLEGED HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. THEY ALSOENERAL TREND THAT. ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE IS ERODING AND FORESEE LITTLE INCENTIVE TO ACCEPT ANY. GOVERNMENT PRESSURE TO INVESTIGATE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE ALLEGATIONS.

ATTEMPT WILL INCREASE.

THE GUATEMALAN ARMY VIEWS ITSELF AS UNDER ATTACK NOT ONLY BY. GOVERNMENT AND INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CROUPS BUT BY GUATEMALAN OFFICIALS AND POLITICIANS, AS WELL. JUNIOR OFFICERS, IN PARTICULAR, RESENT THE LOW SALARIES THEY EARN EVEN THOUGH THEY SACRIFICE THEIR LIVESEGULAR BASIS WHILE MEMBERS OF THE GUATEMALAN CONGRESS ARE PERCEIVED TO BE CORRUPT AND CONCERNED ONLY WITH PERSONAL FINANCIAL GAIN. (FIELD COMMENT: OFFICERS' MEDIAN SALARY IS QUETZALESER MONTH, EQUIVALENT TO0 AT THE CURRENT EXCHANGE RATE IN COMPARISON, CONGRESSMENER MONTH, EQUIVALENT TO0

. SYMPATHY FOR THE GUERRILLAS, WHAT THE MILITARY SEES AS UNJUST CRITICISM BY. AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES, LOW SALARIES, AND UNCERTAINTIES OVER THE FUTURE ALL ARE CONTRIBUTING TO GROWING DISCONTENT 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 OF GUATEMALAN SOCIETY AND INTERNATIONAL GROUPS ARE TRYING TO DESTROY THE HILITARY 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 ADDRESSED THE LIKELIHOODOUP ATTEMPT WILL INCREASE.