CONTINUED OPPOSITION TO MINISTER OF DEFENSE BY TWO KEY MILITARY COMMANDERS.

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06629930
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: March 8, 2023
• Document Release Date: August 8, 2019
• Case Number: F-2017-01057
• Publication Date: March 29, 1983

Approved for Release: 2019/08/07 C06629930
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Document:CIAA -0000 514851 Subject: CONTINUED OPPOSITION TO MINISTER OF DEFENSE BY TWO KEY
MILITARY COMMANDERS.0 62260CIAA 514851 MS083-0844035 MIDB
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TOT: 292240Z MAR 83
CIA 514851
292240ZCIA 514851
TO: IMMEDIATE DIRNSA, DEPT OF STATE, DIA, WHITE HOUSE
SITUATION ROOM, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL STAFF,
ZEN/CIA OFFICE OF CURRENT OPERATIONS,
USCINCSO QHTS PANAMA.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WARNING: INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE.
REPORT CLASS S E
COUNTRY: EL SALVADOR
SUBJ: CONTINUED OPPOSITION TO MINISTER OF DEFENSE BY TWO KEY
MILITARY COMMANDERS.
TEXT: 1. ON 26 MARCH 1983, COLONEL JUAN RAFAEL ((BUSTILLO)),
CHIEF OF THE SALVADORAN AIR FORCE, VISITED LIEUTENANT COLONEL
MAXIMILIANO ((LEIVA)), COMMANDER OF THE FOURTH INFANTRY BRIGADE
IN CHALATENANGO DEPARTMENT. BUSTILLO COMPLAINED ABOUT LEIVA'S DEC-
LARATION OF SUPPORT FOR MINISTER OF DEFENSE GENERAL JOSE GUILLERMO
((GARCIA)), MADE DURING AN 18 MARCH MEETINGOF FIELD COMMANDERS WITH THE
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CL BY:
CL REASON:
DECL ON:
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HIGH COMMAND.. BUSTILLO WAS PERTURBED WITH LEIVA WHO PREVIOUSLY
HAD FIGURED PROMINENTLY AMONG THE OFFICERS PROMOTING GARCIA'S
REMOVAL. LEIVA TOLD BUSTILLO THAT HE NOW STRONGLY SUPPORTS
GARCIA BECAUSE THE SITUATION IN THE ARMED FORCES HAS IMPROVED
SINCE THE JANUARY 1983 REBELLION OF LIEUTENANT COLONEL SIGIFREDO
((OCHOA)) PEREZ. LEIVA ALSO TOLD BUSTILLO THAT OCHOA HAD BEEN
COLLABORATING WITH RIGHTIST POLITICAL ELEMENTS AND THUS DESERVED
TO BE REASSIGNED.
2. ALSO ON 26 MARCH, COLONEL RAFAEL ((FLORES)) LIMA, VICE
MINISTER OF DEFENSE, DISCUSSED THE CONTINUED OPPOSITION OF BUSTILLO
AND LT. COL. ADOLFO ((BLANDON)) WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HIGH COMMAND.
FLORES LIMA SAID THAT BUSTILLO AND BLANDON CONTINUE TO SEEK GARCIA'S
REMOVAL AND ARE ACTIVELY PLOTTING TO ACCOMPLISH THIS. HOWEVER,
FLORES LIMA SAID HE SERIOUSLY DOUBTS THAT EITHER OFFICER WOULD RESORT
TO VIOLENCE TO EFFECT GARCIA'S REMOVAL FROM OFFICE. HE SAID THAT
IT WAS MORE LIKELY THAT BUSTILLO AND BLANDON, TOGETHER OR INDIVIDUALLY,
WOULD CONFRONT THE PRESIDENT OVER THE GARCIA ISSUE, PERHAPS WITH
A CONTINGENT OF THEIR OFFICERS. FLORES LIMA, HOWEVER, DID NOT
RULE OUT A POSSIBLE DISPLAY OF FORCE TO DRAMATIZE THEIR POINT,
PARTICULARLY BY THE AIR FORCE.
WARNING: REPORT CLASSSECRET--WARNING NOTICE--INTELLIGENCE
DISSEMINATION AND EXTRACTION OF INFORMATION CONTROLLEC BY ORIGINATOR.DECL:
RECORDED REPORTING OFFICER.
ALL PORTIONS CARRY CLASSIFICATION AND CONTROLS OF OVERALL DOCUMENT.
ORIG/REL:
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