MILITARY STRENGTH OF COL. HUMBERTO VILLALTA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R002400660012-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 23, 1998
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: March 14, 1949
• Content Type: REPORT

CLASSIFICAT
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INFORM CD NO.
COUNTRY j.1 Salvador
SUBJECT
PLACE
ACQUIRED
c TEAL DATE DISTR. 14 i::ar 1949
Military Strength of Col. Hb rrto Villalta
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NO. OF PAGES 1
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
DATE OF INF TO Clk LIBRARY SUPPLEMENT TO
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REPORT NO.
1,. On 4 February 1949, Roberto Arbizu Bosque, who had been acting as Major
Humberto Villaita' a go-between with the Villalta partisans in the
Salvadoran aray, stated that Villalta could effectively count on the
support of seventy per cent of the young army officers#, This bloc
comprises the Cavalry logiment and some officers of the let and 2nd Infantry
hegiments, The garrisons at Santa Ana, San 1.%guel, Cojutepeque, and
San Vicente were also described as pro-Villalta,4
2. on 5 February Carlos Castillo ibarra, Nicaraguan revolutionary who was
in El Salva~:or at that time, informed Villalta that President Arevalo of
Guatemala had offered whatever funds, arms or other aid he might need.
Castillo Ibarra conveyed the offer through Sra, t'.la Barrentos, with whom
Villalta had stayed in El Salvador. Viillalts is said to have replied
that the offer "was understood", which Castillo Ibarra construed to be
a brush-off. Villalta did, however, consult his "secret council", whom
Sra. Barrientos revealed to include Dr. Manuel Antonio Mendoza, Dr, Julio
c:duardo Jimenez Castillo, and Dr. Obedio Velasquez, and some unidentified
arty officers.
3,, The secret council's verdict to Villalta was that, while aid from Arevalo
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might in itself be acceptable, Villalta should shun mediation by Castillo
lbarre because of the latter's close contact with Guatemalan Foreign
Minister Lunoz Meary, who is believed .to be a Communist,
The Salvadoran governing; junta also offered Villalta money to enable
him and his family to leave the country to undergo medical treatment
at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.** Through Sra, Barrientoe,
Villalta begged his secret council to match the government offer, which
he preferred not to be forced to accept. The council, however, advised
that %ie accept the government money, and promised that it would attempt
to procure supplementary funds for Villalta.
Comment. This estimate of Villalta's strength is believed to be
exaggerated, perhaps to spread favorable propaganda for him. According to
Major Jose Alberto Funs,, the list and 2nd Infantry Regiments and the police
are loyal to the militarist group behind Osorio.
Comment. Hajor Villalta has since departed for the United States.
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