BELIEF BY SALVADORAN MINISTER OF DEFENSE THAT ELEMENTS OF THE OFFICER CORPS ARE PLANNING TO REMOVE HIM FROM OFFICE.

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06629982
• 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: October 11, 1982

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Document:CIAA
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-0000 353200 Subject: BELIEF BY SALVADORAN MINISTER OF DEFENSE THAT ELEMENTS
THE OFFICER CORPS ARE PLANNING TO REMOVE HIM FROM OFFICE.0 15754CIAA 353200 MSR82-
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TOT: 112002Z OCT 82
CIA 353200
112002ZCIA 353200
TO: DIRNSA, DEPT OF STATE, DIA, TREASURY DEPT, NPIC,
ZEN/WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM, ZEN/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
STAFF, ZEN/CIA OFFICE OF CURRENT OPERATIONS,
USCINCSO QUARRY HTS PA.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WARNING: INFORMA ION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE.
REPORT CLASSSE RETWNINTEL
01ST: 11 OCTOBER 1982
COUNTRY: EL SALVADOR
SUBJ: BELIEF BY SALVADORAN MINISTER OF DEFENSE THAT ELEMENTS OF
THE OFFICER CORPS ARE PLANNING TO REMOVE HIM FROM OFFICE.
TEXT: 1. DURING THE WEEK OF 26 SEPTEMBER 1982, SALVADORAN
MINISTER OF DEFENSE, GENERAL JOSE GUILLERMO ((GARCIA)) MET
SEPARATELY WITH COLONEL ADOLFO ONECIFERO ((BLANDON)),
MILITARY COMMANDER OF ZONE 2; COLONEL LEOPOLDO ((HERNANDEZ)),
DIRECTOR OF THE MAESTRANZA (ARMORY AND WEAPONS REPAIR DEPOT);
AND LTC. RICARDO ((CIENFUEGOS)), AIDE TO THE SALVADORAN
CHIEF OF STAFF, COLONEL RAFAEL ((FLORES)) LIMA. GARCIA
INFORMED THE OFFICERS THAT HE WAS FULLY AWARE OF EFFORTS TO
REMOVE HIM FROM THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE POST, BUT SAID
THAT HE WAS CONFIDANT HE COULD SURVIVE A COUP ATTEMPT.
CL BY:
CL REASON:
DECL ON:
DRV FROM:
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2. GARCIA TOLD THE THREE OFFICERS THAT HE HAD INFORMATION
IMPLICATING THEM IN COUP PLOTTING AND WANTED TO HEAR DIRECTLY
FROM THEM WHETHER THIS WAS THE CASE. GARCIA STATED THAT HE
WAS MEETING WITH THE OFFICERS AS A WARNING TO OTHERS IN THE
ARMED FORCES WHO BELIEVED THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE SUFFICIENT
POWER TO OUST GARCIA. ADDITIONALLY, GARCIA TOLD CIENFUEGOS
THAT HE WAS AWARE THE LATTER HAD BEEN DISCUSSING GARCIA'S
REMOVAL WITH FRIENDS OF FLORES LIMA.
3. ALL THREE OFFICERS DENIED THAT THEY WERE INVOLVED IN
COUP PLOTTING AND REAFFIRMED THEIR LOYALTY TO THE ARMED FORCES
AND THE HIGH COMMAND. ONE OF THE OFFICERS, HOWEVER, NOTED
TO GARCIA THAT DISCONTENT WITHIN THE ARMED FORCES WAS OF
SERIOUS PROPORTION AND URGED GARCIA TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT
THIS DISSATISFACTION. GARCIA REPLIED THAT HE WAS AWARE OF
CRITICISM BEING LEVELED AGAINST HIM WITHIN THE OFFICER CORPS
BUT DID NOT INDICATE WHAT HE INTEND
4. GARCIA HAS INDICATED IN THE PAST
THAT HE WAS AWARE OF CRITICISM AGAINST HIS CONTINUED COMMAND
BY VARIOUS OFFICERS. HE HAS ALSO PERSONALLY CONFRONTED SOME
OF THESE CRITICS, INCLUDING LTC. SIGFRIEDO ((OCHOA)) PEREZ,
COMMANDER OF CABANAS DEPARTMENT, AND LTC. JOSE DOMINGO
((MONTERROSA)), COMMANDER OF THE ATLACATL BATTALION. THIS IS,
HOWEVER, THE FIRST INDICATION THAT COLONEL BLANDON MAY BE AMONG
THE ANTI-GARCIA ACTIVISTS./
REPORT CLASSSECRET--WARNING NOTICE-
I-DISSEMINATION AND EXTRACTION OF
INFORMATION CONTROLLED BY ORIGINATOR.DECL:
RECORDED REPORTING OFFICER.
ALL PORTIONS CARRY CLASSIFICATION AND CONTROLS OF OVERALL DOCUMENT.
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