RESIGNATION OF COL. MANUEL CORDOVA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R002300070010-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 1, 1998
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: January 31, 1949
• Content Type: REPORT

FORM NO.51.4A
SEPT.1948
s3k~W
Saniti
CENTRAL
25X1A2g
CIA-RDP82-00457RO02
E AGENCY REPORT NO.
TELLIGET
N
COUNTRY El Salvador DATE DISTR. 31 Tan 1949
SUBJECT Resignation of Col. Manuel Cordova NO. OF PAGES 1
25X1 A6a
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF IN
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF.THE ESPIONAGE ACT 50
25X1X6
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
25X1X6
PORT CD NO.
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
4ccording to a report from El Salvador;--newe-pape.r aocounts__of the re ignation
of Lt. Col. Manuel Cordova from the governing Junta of El Salvador were
fabrications put out to conceal the personal rivalry between Cordova and
Major Oscar Osorio, which source believes to be the true cause of Cordova's
resignation. The newspaper stories conveyed the impression that Cordova
had sacrificed his position in order to achieve a balance in the Junta between
civilian and military members.
2. kccording to source, Cordova had incurred the enmity of associates by his
high-handed, dictatorial methods. He was mainly responsible for the
appointment to government positions of leftist elements which wer causing
the most serious criticism that the new government had to face. ,Student
leaders of Communist and anarchist tendencies could. easily obtain favors
from him. They and Cordova were reportedly engineering a crisis which might
have involved a general labor strike.
3. The ?artido de Orientation Revoluaionaria (POR) had prepared a list of demands
to present to the governing Council and had asked for an audience on 5 January.
VThis is believed to have been one of the causes which precipitated the removal
of Cordova., A vote on the demands would have divided the Council, with Cordova
and the two civilian members against Osorio and Major Oscar Bolanos,
4. It was recently predicted that Osorio would soon be elected president of
El Salvador through a series of quick political maneuvers. It is known that
he was scheduled to meet with a group of capitalists on 6 January who were
reportedly worried about the present "illegal" basis of the government.
5. Julio F'austo Fernandez, Secretary General of the Communist Party, and Rodolfo
been arrested si~oe
t
dl
e
y
Jimenez Barrios, prominent Communist, have repor
s 11
h th
e
em
d wit
Cordova is removal. Cordova is known to have associat
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