PANAMA MAY GO RED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000600040073-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 15, 1998
• Sequence Number: 73
• Publication Date: February 10, 1964
• Content Type: NSPR

Sanitized - Approved Fr tRpp : Cl
The Communist guerrillas -
Panamanians, Cubans, Mexi-
cans and other Latins, some of
them veterans of the recent Iced
terrorirst operations in Venezue-
la--were flown to Mexico, From
there, a number have gone to
Cuba.
Directly involved in this se-
crel exodus are two ?1op Pana-
manian officials - Education
Minister Solis Palma and Eloy
Rcnedetti, legal adviser to tile
Foreign Minister.
A detailed intelligence report
charges that the two leftist Pan.
amanian officials not only
.cleared the way for the surrelr
titious departure of the train&
,Red guerrillas and snipers, bill
arranged for their coming lc
Panama and were in constant
touch with them during the mur
dcrous demonstrations.
Benedetti particularly is cred
iced with being in close contac
with the imported Comrnunis
goons. He was especially active
in getting those jailed released
These sensational disclosure;
are being witheld from the U.S
public it the insistence of tht
State Department - on tilt
that their publicatiot
ground
might further complicate the for
tuous and uncertain delibera
Lions with the leftist-tinged re
game of President Roberto Chi
an.
Intelligence and military au
thoridtes vigorously dispute till
view. They are urging Presi
dent Johnson to make then
facts known to prepare th
American people for a possibl
Communist take-over in Pane
ma.
CPYRGHT
tc so extensively infiltrated with
tremist demands of Palma and
leaders arc claiming that only
can block Communist seizure Senate investigators of 1116!
are operating both underground
and in the open. lision course with, Secre
t tary Dean Rusk.
l
i_he
cund is 1'inaMC I The Senate Internal `Seeurlty-
ie
ppl
trots the leftist. wing or the So-ing of the State Department's
cialist Party, with more than handling of security problems.
10,000 members. In a bluntly-worded memoran-
over the Canal and the Panama- following:
lion and Agriculture are heavily, puted to have derogatory infor-
Communist infiltrated, as are the, mation in their security film.
schools of law, journalism and A full report on whether the
education of the University of i Slate Department uses' govern-'
Panama. The university is 'he', mtent agencies, such as the Cen
paid Red agitators, who hold key' ping and investigative work. in,
places on the campus. Washington.
member of the Panamanian Con- sonncl files reputedly contain
gress, is a forefront figure of derogatory information,. Senator
nificantly, she returned from ~ a' to report (1) when the list was,
visit to Cuba just bofore tii"y prepared and by whom,.
rioting and killings. She made what, if anything, has been don?~
the trip by way of Mexico-:as, about these employes, and (3)
gan is radio station. Tribuna.'; been dismissed, and'the'reasons :
SUN
11efz-Scott etLqrt
Pa am-a
vll a
CPYRGHT
(G"."), Red
By R(3D tiT S. ALLEN
AND PAUL SCOTT
score Communist s hi, c
agitators, in the forefront of the
'destructive rioting and slaying
CPYRGH f four soldiers in Panama,
have been quietly allowed to
leave that country.
They include eight profession-
al Red killers who were seized
and jailed by Panama National
Guardsmen during the costly
FOIAb3b
CPYRGHT .
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP75-00149R000600040073-5