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INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Office of Current Intelligence3
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM SUBJECT: Military Junta in Ecuador
1. ilitary junta took over the government of Ecuadorear-bloodless coup onuly. President Arosemena and Vice President Varoa were both exiled.
ventlon since1 because of Aroserena'sattitude toward Communist infiltration and his lack of leadership in instituting needed reform programs.
3. Among the first moves of the junta wasroclamation outlawing the Communist Party of Ecuador (PCE). Orders were Issued for the arrest of PCE Secretary General Pedro Saad and other high-ranking aid on PCE headquarters netted several rank-and-file Communists, the PCE files and financial records, and two truckloads of propaganda. Saad and other PCE leaders had fled into hide-outs previously prepared. The Junta also ordered the detention of all known terrorists and extremists. ersons were rounded up, some of whom have already been sent to prison farms in the trans-Andean eastern provinces.
nationalms as a
member of the Organization of American States and
Junta has met
and haseturn to elective constitutional government as soon as possible, in line with previous verbal assurances to the ambassador that civilianwould bo restored in about one year.
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to the junta range fromon the part of parties of the right andguarded toleranco by the moderate left. Most ofis relieved by the easing of tension and byof the uncertainty that had long existed. groups and the press strongly support the junta.
A potential threat exists, however, from the Communists and other leftist extremists, who realize that the junta will take repressive Measures against them even without provocation.
extreme left probably will attempta series of terrorist acts, after aof hiding, and may try to Implement plansactivities they have been preparing for The armed forces and the police are capable ofeventually destroying guerrilla units, but
will be hard put to eliminate terrorism altogether so long as terrorists are at large.
International reaction has been moderate so far. Cuban and Soviet propaganda broadcasts havethe junta. Onuly, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry formally suspended diplomatic relations with Ecuador, stating that the move was in keoplng with the national policy of withholding recognition of anygovernment. Several Latin American countries indicate thoy will recognize the government if the junta meets the normal qualifications.
This paper has been coordinated with ARA and INR in the Department of
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Original document.
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