<SANITIZED> TRIP TO SAN SALVADOR

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06629524
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: November 6, 2017
• Case Number: F-2016-01938
• Publication Date: February 6, 1984

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Approved for Release: 2017/11/06 C06629524
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Document
ASR84-3298710A
840206
/ /
-0000 60376 Subject:
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(b)(3)11:160376CO284
MIDB
TRIP TO SAN SALVADORC 1190
FRP:
STAFF
84 3298710A ASR
CORRECTED COPY
FEB 84 STAFF
CITE
TO:
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TOR: 061528Z FEB 84
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IN
N 329(b)(3)
UPID
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A. SALVADORAN MILITARY ARE UNITED IN RECOGNIZING THAT
STRONG U.S. HELP AND GUIDANCE ARE INDISPENSABLE TO THEIR SUR-
VIVAL AS AN INSTITUTION AND TO THEIR COUNTRY'S DEVELOPMENT AS
NON-COMMUNIST STATE. HOWEVER, THEY DISAGREE IN THEIR INTERNAL
POLITICAL SYMPATHIES. APOLITICAL ONLY IN THEORY, THE ARMED
FORCES HARBOR PREFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO LEADING CANDIDATES,
AND HAVE THE PERCEPTION THAT THE U.S. FAVORS NAPOLEON ((DUARTE))
THIS PERCEPTION HAS SWAYED "SOPHISTICATED" OFFICERS TO FAVOR (b)(1)
DUARTE, WHILE THE LOWER RANKS FAVOR ROBERTO ((D'AUBUISSON)).
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MIN DEF GEN CARLOS ((VIDES)) CASANOVA IS ALMOST SURE
TO STAY IN OFFICE UNDER DUARTE. VIDES WOULD NOT HOWEVER, SERVE
UNDER D'AUBUISSON DUE TO PERSONAL DISLIKE, EVEN IN "THE UNLIKELY
CASE HE WERE ASKED." GEN RAFAEL ((BLANDON)) HAS A (b)(1)
BETTER CHANCE THAN VIDES TO STAY IN HIGH POSITION UNDER D'AUBUISSOk(b)(3)
ALTHOUGH LATTER MORE LIKELY WILL PLACE IN KEY POSITIONS KNOWN HARD
LINERS SUCH AS COLS ((CARRANZA)) AND ((BUSTILLO)). RE LATTER TWO,
THEIR PROMOTION TO GENERAL WAS WIDELY EXPECTED LAST DEC �'
THEY SHOULD NOW BE QUITE DISAPPOINTED (A FACT D'AUBUISSON UNDOUBT(b)(1)
H. CONTINUING MEDIA MUCKRAKING AGAINST THE (b)(3)
MILITARY PROMOTES SYMPATHIES FOR D'AUBUISSON. THE ((AVILA)) AFFAIR
IS A CASE IN POINT. SALVADORAN OFFICERS AT THE WDC EMBASSY WERE
COMMENTING RECENTLY THAT RADIO HAVANA IS ALSO PLAYING UP AN
ALLEGED ACCUSATION BY THE FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR THAT NATIONAL
POLICE CHIEF COL REINALDO ((LOPEZ)) NUILA HEADS THE SECRENT ANTI-
COMMUNIST ARMY (IESA) AND THAT TREASURY POLICE COL NICOLAS (b)(1)
((CARRANZA)) IS INVOLVED IN RIGHT-WING VIGILANTE ACTIVITIES. (b)(3)
SALVADORAN OFFICERS IN WDC HAVE COMMENTED THAT TO BECOME
INTEL CHIEF FOR ANY SERVICE IS TO INVITE PROFESSIONAL "DISCREDIT
AND RUIN." IT CERTAINLY WAS THE CASE IN THE TRANSFER
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OF LTC ARISTIDES ALFONSO ((MARQUEZ)) FROM NATIONAL POLICE G-2.
MARQUEZ HAD BEEN A SUCCESSFUL INTEL OFFICER RESPONSIBLE FOR DIS-
COVERING AND NEUTRALIZING SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT SUBVERSIVE
ACTIVITIES.
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C. ALTHOUGH D'AUBUISSON IS PERSONALLY "ANTIPATHETIC" (bw3\
A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF SENIOR OFFICERS, TRADITIONAL SYMPATHA�lk
AT LOWER LEVELS FAVOR D'AUBUISSON. VIDES HAS NO RPT NO
SYMPATHY FOR D'AUBUISSON, BUT CANNOT EFFECTIVELY KEEP LOCAL
MILITARY LEADERS IN THE MANY COUNTRYSIDE VILLAGES WHICH ABOUND
IN EL SALVADOR FROM TELLING PEASANTS TO FOLLOW THEIR NATURAL
INSTINCT AND VOTE FOR STRONGMAN D'AUBUISSON. D'AUBUISSON IS
EFFECTIVELY PLAYING UP NATIONALISM AND THE TRADITIONAL STRONG
RULE APPEAL, CHANGING THE POLITICAL CLIMATE TO THE POINT THAT
D'AUBUISSON MIGHT WIN A RUN OFF ELECTION AGAINST
DUARTE.
D.
WILL NEED TO TAKE MORE SOUNDINGS AMONG
OFFICERS IN EL SALVADOR TO DEVELOP A BETTER PICTUR(b)(1)
OF THEIR POSSIBLE REACTION TO A VICTORY BY EITHER DUARTE OR (b)(3)
D'AUBUISSON. AS OF NOW, INDISPENSABLE U.S. AID AND
GUIDANCE AGAINST THE COMMON ENEMY (COMMUNIST SUBVERSION) ARE
PARAMOUNT AMONG MILITARY: THEY WILL SUPPORT EITHER DUARTE OR
D'AUBUISSON AGAINST SUBVERSION. IT IS TAKEN FOR GRANTED THAT
"DEFINED ULTRA RIGHTISTS, SUCH AS LTC SIGIFREDO ((OCHOA)),"
WILL PLAY KEY ROLES UNDER D'AUBUISSON, WHEREAS UNDER DUARTE
CURRENT MILITARY KEY "MODERATE" OFFICERS WILL REMAIN
RE REF A PARA 2, LTC ((CACERES))
IS KNOWN FOR A QUICK TEMPER AND TENDENCY TOWARD MORE
ACTIONS. THE NEW CHIEF OF NAVAL OPS. COL HUMBERTO P
IS ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE "TANDA SINFONICA" OF 44 WHO
AND HAS BEEN MANEUVERED UPSTAIRS BY HIS "TANDA." BE
ERATE RIGHTIST,"
IN POWER,
CABREDA
AGGRESSIVE
. ((VILLALTA)),
IS CAPA1( b ) ( 1 )
IS A "MC(b)(3)
2. THE MILITARY HAVE BEEN INCREASINGLY
"POLITICIZED" AND PLACED IN A TOUGH POSITION BY THE NEED T;',,x14x
FIGHT THE WAR ON ONE HAND AND "DEATH SQUAD" ALLEGATIONS MO)
THE OTHER (THE LATTER HAS BECOME FOR THE MILITARY A VERITA(b)(3)
"BETE NOIRE," . THE ELECTIONS AGGRAVATE THIS DILEMMA
BY FEARS FOR PROFESSIONAL PROSPECTS: LTC OCHOA, FOR EXAMPLE,
SEES HIS "FUTURE MADE" IF D'AUBUISSON WINS, WHILE OFFICERS
KNOWN AS "MODERATES" WOULD BENEFIT UNDER DUARTE.
CAN STILL PLAY "BOTH ENDS"
WILL SEEK OUT MILITARY FRIENDS FROM BOTH SIDES
TOWARD
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AND TRY TO PAVE THE WAY
NEXT "IDEAL POSITION:"
U.S. AS QUALIFICATIONS EITHER
DISPENSABLE GRINGO ALLIANCE."
AND D'AUBUISSON SYMPATHIZERS
PROCESS (AND THROUGH OTHER CONTACTS),
(PER REFS).
SIDE NEEDS,
IN
TO FOMENT THE "IN-
BOTH DUARTE
IN THE
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ALL SEC
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