MEXICO: GEOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVES ON THE STRATEGIC SOUTHEAST

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85T00283R000600010003-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 17, 2010
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: June 1, 1984
• Content Type: REPORT

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Directorate of
Intelligence
Secret
Mexico: Geographic Perspectives
on the Strategic Southeast
A Research Paper
State Dept. review completed
Secret
GI 84-10086
June 1984
r
Copy J
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Directorate of
Intelligence
Secret
Mexico: Geographic Perspectives
on the Strategic Southeas
A Research Paper
Information available as of
30 March 1984 was used in this report.
This paper was prepared b
of Global Issues. It was coors mates wit e
Directorate of Operations. Comments and queries
are welcome and may be directed to the Chief
Geography Division, OGI,
Office
Secret
GI 84-10086
June 1984
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Mexico: Geographic Perspectives
on the Strategic Southeast
Southeastern Mexico, from the Isthmus of Tehuante-
pec to the borders with Guatemala and Belize, is an
area of abundant natural resources and growing
security concerns. Its proximity to the volatile Central
American region has led to press speculation that
leftist insurgency might spill over into Mexico and
endanger the country's vital petroleum facilities. The
presence of large numbers of Guatemalan refugees in
the border zone and Guatemalan Army incursions
into Mexico in search of insurgents have generated
new tensions between neighboring nations that have
long viewed each other with suspicion. This paper
briefly examines the refugee situation, describes the
region's resources, and assesses the influence of physi-
cal and cultural characteristics of the area that make
it suitable for guerrilla operations. It does not attempt
to assess the probability of insurgency or to gauge the
degree of social unrest in southeastern Mexico; no
Mexican guerrillas are known to be active in the area,
and no Guatemalan uerrillas have threatened Mexi-
can installations.
Problems Along the Southern Border
Mexico and Guatemala have a history of strained?
relations over territorial problems. Although their
mutual boundary is not in dispute, Guatemalan guer-
rilla use of Mexican territory, the influx of Guatema-
lan refugees, and border intrusions by Guatemalan
security forces have the potential for further aggra-
vating relations between the two countries
Guatemalan Insurgents in Mexico. Guatemalan in-
surgents use Mexican territory to infiltrate men and
supplies into Guatemala, to provide medical care for
their wounded, and for refuge from Guatemalan
security forces.
each of the
three largest Guatemalan insurgent groups maintains
a supply infrastructure traversing southern Mexico.
Supply routes cross at places along almost the entire
border, and everything from tractor trailers to canoes
and mules are used. US Embassy reports indicate that
Guatemalan insurgents have received assistance from
local leftists
The Refugee Influx. Thousands of Guatemalans have
fled to Mexico to escape violence in their homeland.
Beginning in late 1980, successive waves of peasants
have moved across the border. The Government of
Mexico and the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR) estimate that they are assist-
ing about 41,000 Guatemalan refugees in eastern
Chiapas. Scores of camps are strung along the Guate-
malan border; the largest shelters more than 4,000
people, but most are much smaller. US officials
escorted through the largest camps report that almost
all of the refugees are Indians; many are probably
sympathetic to the Guatemalan insurgency.
insur!ents use some of
the camps for support
Regional Security. During the past several years,
,Guatemalan military forces are known to have
crossed the border into southern Mexico in search of
Guatemalan insurgents. US Embassy officials
in addition to these unau-
thorized intrusions, illicit cross-border operations, in-
cluding drug smuggling and gun running, are com-
mon along Mexico's borders with Guatemala and
Belize
Since 1982 Mexican military and security forces in
the frontier region have been strengthened. An addi-
tional infantry battalion has been moved to Chiapas,
and a new military zone has been established along
the Guatemalan border. More naval vessels patrol the
southern shores, and exercises have been conducted
near offshore oil facilities in the Bahia de Campeche.
On the Pacific coast, the small marine detachment
stationed at Puerto Madero to guard the zone near
the border has been reinforced. Mexican immigration
and army posts along the border have been integrated,
and additional immigration officials have been as-
signed to the region. Mexica n Army units have been
ordered to report on any intrudin Guatemalan force
but to avoid confrontations.
Resources of the Region
The Southeast is underdeveloped compared with other
parts of the country, but it oontains enormous assets
that are vital to the Mexican economy and strategical-
ly important to the United States. Of principal inter-
est are the region's abundant petroleum resources,
among the richest in the world. Also significant is the
vast hydroelectric potential of the area. Facilities
associated with these energy, sources could become
prime tar ets should insurgency flare up in southern
Mexico
Petroleum Facilities. Withlin the past decade, major
oilfields have been discovered and exploited in the
Bahia de Campeche and the; adjacent lowlands of
Campeche, Tabasco, and northern Chiapas. This
southern oil zone now accoutits for more than 90
percent of Mexico's total crude oil and natural gas
production. The availability of salt, sulphur, and
petroleum have made the gulf coastal area a principal
focus of the petroleum indusitry. PEMEX (Petroleos
Mexicanos), the national petroleum enterprise, has
located its south zone headquarters at Villahermosa,
the capital of Tabasco. Major refineries are located at
Minatitlan on the Gulf coast and at Salina Cruz on
the Pacific. Other major petrochemical sites are Coso-
leacaque, Ciudad Pemex, and La Yenta. Natural gas
plants are in operation at Cactus and La Cangrejera.
Huge quantities of oil are shipped out of the port of
Coatzacoalcos. Increasing aimounts are also shipped
from an offshore facility at Cayos de Arcas and from
Dos Bocas, a new port still under construction but
already in partial operation. On the Pacific coast, oil
is shipped from Salina Cruz which receives its crude
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702021 (A04639) 6-84
Population
Tuxtla
Sutler"'
Senna
Cruz
702023 (A04633) 6-84
Data based on 1970
census by municipio
Persons per square kilometer
0 10 25 50 190
RE1111011
0 26 65 130 259
Persons per square mile
Chronology of Recent Events on the
Mexico-Guatemala Border
1981
? Guerrilla violence and harsh counterinsurgency
campaign initiated by Guatemalan Army cause
thousands of peasants to flee to Mexican side of
border.
? Mexican President and Defense Minister deny
Guatemalan charges that Guatemalan guerrillas
are training on Mexican territory.
1982
? By January, refugee problem is attracting interna-
tional attention; United Nations High Commission-
er for Refugees (UNHCR) announces branch to
open in Mexico.
? In February, President of Mexico denounces kid-
naping and killing of two Mexicans by Guatemalan
troops in Mexican territory.
? Violent incidents involving intrusions into Mexico
by presumed Guatemalan security forces reported
during August and September.
? In October, Mexicans detain four Guatemalan in-
surgents in Chiapas near a refugee camp; the
insurgents admit using Mexican territory for trans-
porting arms and explosives into Guatemala.
? Mexican authorities launch investigation of reports
that peasants in southern Mexico are arming them-
selves against Guatemalan soldiers who cross the
border in pursuit of leftist rebels.
1983
? Sporadic abductions and killings of refugees contin-
ue through early part of year.
? In March, UNHCR reports armed attack, possibly
by Guatemalans, against a refugee settlement, half
of which is destroyed by fire.
? In July, Mexicans uncover a safehouse in the
border town of Tapachula used for moving men and
materiel into Guatemala.
? In December, Guatemalan Army patrol enters
small refugee camp on Rio Usumacinta, kills one
male, and kidnaps another whose body is later
found in river.
1984
? In early January, one or more aircraft reportedly
drop handgrenades on two refugee camps causing
one injury and little damage but much fear.
? In March, a Guatemalan survey team working
along the Rio Usumacinta is warned to leave area
by armed insurgents; local villager says that the
insurgents had entered Guatemala from Mexico
that same morning.
Estado boundary
National capital
Estado capital
Primary road
Secondary road
Proposed road
Railroad
Airport
Oil and gas field
Petroleum refinery
Hydroelectric plant
Resort
Mayan ruins
Area of refugee camps
Cuirlad del
Car tp
702020 (A04640) 6-84
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Physiographic Regions
and Natural Vegetation
alma
Cruz
Pacific
Coastal
Lowlands
702022 (A04633) 6-84
NATURAL VEGETATION
MI Rain forest
NI Mixed forest
RI Scrub
[Zi Swamp
oil via pipeline across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec:
Local campesinos, angered by inadequate compensa-
tion for thousands of hectares of land polluted by
petroleum industry activities, have protested from
time to time by blocking roads leading to PEMEX
facilities. Security for even the more important petro-
leum facilities is limited to guards and fences; none is
protected by electronic monitoring systems.
Hydroelectric Facilities. The region's principal riv-
ers, the Rio Grijalva and the Rio Usumacinta, provide
Mexico with its greatest hydroelectric potential. The -
country's three largest hydroelectric plants are al-
ready in operation in Chiapas on the Rio Grijalva:
Angostura (0.9 million kilowatts), Chicoasen (1.5 mil-
lion kilowatts), and Netzahualcoyotl (0.7 million kilo-
watts). A joint Guatemalan-Mexican commission for
several years has studied the feasibility of a dam on
the Rio Usumacinta, but construction is likely to be
delayed by financial constraints and border tensions.
Power lines and other components of the electrical
network are vulnerable to sabotage, and costly power
outages could occur.
Geographic Setting and Military Operating Conditions
The physical environment and demographic charac-
teristics of southeast Mexico strongly influence its.
military security. Although far larger than any of the
Central American countries, the region has only 5
million inhabitants?about the same as tiny El Salva-
dor, one-tenth its size. The population is unevenly
distributed and, where vast areas are sparsely settled,
illicit activities could go undetected. Physiographical-
ly, the region can be divided into the Isthmus of
Tehuantepec, the Gulf Coastal Lowlands, the Yuca-
tan Peninsula, the Chiapas Highlands, and the Pacific
Coastal Lowlands
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Military Zones and
Deployment
Chetuma
Salina
Cruz
tAr
Dinzoff 36
31
702024 (A04633) 6-84
Military zone boundary
26 Military zone number
Ir infantry unit
VP, Motorized cavalry unit
Isthmus of Tehuantepec. This lowland depression is
often taken as the physical boundary between North
America and Central America. Maximum elevations
are only 250 meters, and the land mass narrows to
200 kilometers between the Gulf of Mexico and the
Pacific Ocean. Thus, the Isthmus forms a convenient
coast-to-coast transshipment route. Freight is carried
via railway and road between Coatzacoalcos in the
north and Salina Cruz in the south. Highways also
parallel the coasts, but, except for the transisthmian
route, the road network of the interior is sparse. Much
of the Isthmus is covered with tropical forest that
would provide excellent concealment for guerrilla
operations aimed at disrupting transisthmian trans-
portation. Most of the population is clustered around
Coatzacoalcos and Minatitlan in the north and
around Juchitan, Tehuantepec, and Salina Cruz in
the south. A large percentage of the people, especially
in the south, are Indian. Press reports indicate that a
locally strong leftist coalition has attempted to exploit
grievances against the Mexican Government.
Guatemalan guerrillas engage in
smuggling activities along the southern coast?an
area of swamp-fringed lagoons that is difficult to
patrol.
Gulf Coastal Lowlands. Facing the gulf east of the
Isthmus of Tehuantepec lies a broad plain comprising
all of Tabasco and the lowland portion of northern
Chiapas. Beaches backed by lagoons and marsh form
its seaward margin. The lower courses of rivers
meandering across the plain are flanked by forested
natural levees; beyond the levees stretch swamps and
marshy areas that make cross-country movement
practically impossible. Firmer ground lies farther
inland. On the better drained areas, much of the
natural forest has been replaced by plantations of
bananas and sugarcane or is used for cattle pastures.
Traditional pursuits such as farming and fishing
continue to occupy the majority of the inhabitants,
but the oil boom of recent years has brought thou-
sands of professionals and technicians to the urban
centers. Villahermosa, the capital of Tabasco, now
has More than 180,000 residents. The main east west
highway from Mexico City to the Yucatan Peninsula
passes through Villahermosa. Traffic on this and
other roads is often delayed by long lines of trucks at
oil facilities. East of Villahermosa the highway is
subject to flooding, and along the coast irregular ferry
service may also cause delays. A more reliable route
eastward follows a course farther inland. The main
pipeline carrying crude oil from the region passes just
to the south of Villahermosa.
Yucatan Peninsula. This broad limestone platform
juts northward into the Gulf of Mexico. Covered with
thorny scrub in the north and rain forest in the south,
it is a forbidding region. Most of the inhabitants are
Maya Indians, who are concentrated in the north,
especially in and around Yucatan's capital, Merida
(344,000 inhabitants). Henequen plantations, now in
decline, and subsistence farming on shallow soils
provide employment for most of the people in the
countryside. The tourist industry, capitalizing on
spectacular Maya ruins, such as those at Chichen
Itza, and on beach resorts, such as Cancun, is also
important to the local economy. The southern two-
thirds of the peninsula, including most of Quintana
Roo, is covered by rain forest and supports only a
sparse population. It is extremely difficult to patrol
and ideally suited for cross-border movement, smug-
gling, and guerrilla operations.
Chiapas Highlands. The Sierra Madre de Chiapas,
with peaks reaching elevations of more than 3,000
meters, forms a steep escarpment overlooking the
Pacific coast. Few roads and no paved highways cross
this barrier to link the coast and the interior. The
backslope of the range descends more gradually and is
drained by tributaries of the Rio Grijalva. The north-
ern part of the highlands, composed mainly of lime-
stone, includes hills, steep-sided plateaus, and rolling
surfaces pitted with sinkholes. The population is
widely dispersed. Most of the Indians (about half the
total) are scattered through the higher, colder, remot-
er sections where they tend subsistence plots; the
mestizos are concentrated in the larger towns and
cities at lower elevations. Tuxtla Gutierrez (popula- ?
tion about 200,000) is the state capital, principal city,
and transportation hub. Downstream on the Rio
Grijalva is the reservoir of the Netzahualcoyotl hy-
droelectric facility, and upstream is the Angostura.
The Inter-American Highway passes through Tuxtla
Gutierrez on its way to the Guatemalan border.
Significant towns on the highway east of the city
include San Cristobal de las Casas and Comitan, the
latter a strategic military post, headquarters of a
motorized cavalry regiment.
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Although many slopes in the highlands have been
denuded by slash-and-burn agriculture, sufficient veg-
etation is available throughout most of the area to
provide concealment for clandestine activities. The
Inter-American Highway and the nearby Rio Sele-
gua, which also crosses the border, are reportedly used
as smuggling routes by Guatemalan insurgents. Other
routes farther to the east, especially to the south of the
Rio Lacantum, are also used for smuggling; PEMEX
has reportedly suspended oil exploration in eastern-
most Chiapas because of guerrilla activities.
Pacific Coastal Lowlands. This region, consisting of a
narrow coastal plain between the slopes of the Sierra
Madre de Chiapas and the Pacific Ocean, forms a
principal transportation corridor leading to Guatema-
la. A railroad and two paved highways link the two
countries in this area. Fertile soils support extensive
cotton plantations on the lowland plains and coffee
and sugarcane on the better drained slopes of the
adjacent foothills. A number of towns are strung
along the main coastal highway, but the only sizable
place is Tapachula (population about 100,000) near
the Guatemalan border. Tapachula is a transit point
for thousands of seasonal migrants from Guatemala
who enter Mexico to harvest cotton, coffee, and cocoa.
The town is also notorious as a smuggling center.
Puerto Madero, a small fishing port linked by a
railroad to Tapachula, is one of the few populated
places directly on the coast; it, too, probably thrives on
smuggling. Most of the coast is fringed by shallow
lagoons and mangrove swamps through which small
craft can move with little risk of detection.
Palenque is one of the more famous of the
hundreds of Mayan archaeological ruins
scattered throughout southeastern Mexico.
Secret
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I h iii 1 au theastern i4exico are among
th, ru he, . 'u iii productive in the horld
1)en.,e vegetation maker much at the Mevicti.
Guatemala border sane Y:4itahle tor guerriliii
operations-
tic ,ert f the Guatemalan refugee amp in
VC\ /1'0 ',Jr the Guatemalan border
Children make up about hatI the population ok
the Guatemalan refugee iamps
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