EMCFA OFFICER'S COMMENTS ON DISAFFECTION IN THE FOURTH BRIGADE AND MANAGEABILITY OF MILITARY RESTIVENESS

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00004670
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: April 18, 2018
• Case Number: F-2016-02029
• Publication Date: October 12, 1985

Approved for Release: 2018/04/11 C00004670
MEP
SUBJ:
BRIGADE AND MANAGEABILITY OF MILITARY RESTIVENESS
PAGE 0002
TOR: 120140Z OCT 85
EMCFA OFFICER'S COMMENTS ON DISAFFECTION IN THE FOURTH
DOI: 11 OCTOBER 1985
TEXT: 1. ON 11 OCTOBER 1985, SALVADORAN ARMED FORCES JOINT GENERAL
STAFF (EMCFA) CHIEF OF OPERATIONS (C-III) LT. COLONEL RENE EMILIO
((PONCE)) COMMENTED TO A COLLEAGUE THAT A SERIOUS PROBLEM EXISTS
AMONG THE OFFICERS OF THE FOURTH BRIGADE. HE SAID
THAT THIS HAS BEEN CAUSED BY FOURTH BRIGADE COMMANDER
AND COMMANDER OF MILITARY ZONE FOUR COLONEL
SIGIFREDO ((OCHOA)) PEREZ. PONCE EXPLAINED THAT OCHOA FUNDAMENTALLY
DISAGREES WITH THE MANNER IN WHICH PRESIDENT JOSE NAPOLEON
((DUARTE)) IS HANDLING THE KIDNAPPING OF HIS DAUGHTER, INES
GUADALUPE ((DUARTE)) DURAN. PONCE SAID THAT OCHOA HAS COMPLAINED
TO THE EMCFA ABOUT ORDERS FORBIDDING MILITARY OPERATIONS IN THE
EASTERN PART OF CHALATENANGO DEPARTMENT. ACCORDING TO PONCE, OCHOA
HAS STATED THAT HE CANNOT ACCEPT THE IMPACT OF THIS "POLITICAL
DECISION" ON THE MILITARY CONDUCT OF THE WAR.
2. PONCE SAID THAT OCHOA MET WITH CHIEF, EMCFA, GENERAL ADOLFO
ONECIFERO ((BLANDON)) ON THE MORNING OF 11 OCTOBER; BLANDON ORDERED
OCHOA TO STOP HIS OPEN COMPLAINING AND INCITING HIS OFFICERS
AGAINST THE PRESIDENT.
3. PONCE COMMENTED THAT WHILE HE UNDERSTANDS THE OFFICER CORPS'
FRUSTRATION OVER PRESIDENT DUARTE'S BEHAVIOR, HE DOES NOT BELIEVE
THAT THE SITUATION WILL BECOME UNMANAGEABLE BECAUSE OF THE STRENGTH
AND RESPECT WHICH GENERAL BLANDON COMMANDS OVER THESE OFFICERS.
4. PONCE ALSO REMARKED THAT THE EMCFA HAS BEEN GIVEN APPROVAL
TO PLAN AN ATTEMPT TO RESCUE INES DUARTE. PONCE EMPHASIZED THAT
THE PLANNING AND EXECUTION OF A RESCUE OPERATION AUTHORIZED BY THE
PRESIDENT WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT HELP IN REGAINING SUPPORT FOR THE
PRESIDENT FROM DISGRUNTLED OFFICERS.
5. PONCE ADDED THAT GRUMBLING IS OCCURRING AMONG OTHER MILITARY
CONTINGENTS BUT HAS NOT REACHED THE EXTENT OF THAT IN THE FOURTH
BRIGADE. PONCE SAID THAT OCHOA'S FOLLOWERS ARE ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY
LIMITED TO THE OFFICERS OF HIS OWN BRIGADE. HE ALSO REMARKED THAT
DISCONTENT IN OTHER BRIGADES, SUCH AS THE THIRD BRIGADE, IS NORMAL
IN VIEW OF THE RIGHTIST POLITICAL TENDENCIES OF SOME OF THE OFFICERS
IN THE EASTERN ZONE.
pproved for Release: 2018/04/11 C00004670