MONTHLY REPORT--PANAMA BUREAU--DECEMBER 1982

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86-00040R000100120001-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 2, 2008
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: January 4, 1983
• Content Type: MEMO

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FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICE
PANAMA BUREAU
DRAWER 927
APO MIAMI 34004
4 January 1983
MPA #3001
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, FBIS
THROUGH : Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT : Monthly Report -- Panama Bureau -- December 1982
I. OPERATIONS
A. Monitorial/Editorial
1. The month opened with a flurry of activity as President
Reagan arrived in Colombia on 3 December, visiting Costa Rica that same
night and passing through Honduras on 4 December en route home. In the
process he met with five area presidents. Full staffing was maintained
through the weekend and watches kept on area radios during the Presiden-
tial tour. Extensive high precendence filing was used.
2. Preparations for the Presidential visit were complicated by
a high-interest inaugural speech by the new Mexican president, which was
FYI'ed by Panama Bureau but texted from uncharacteristically good recep-
tion at Key West Bureau. This was followed by a Castro speech on 3 De-
cember, processing of which was delayed to handle the Reagan visit.
3. A more important Castro speech on 11 December was processed
expeditiously, as the premier said Cuba had not re-exported Soviet weap-
ons to Central America.
4. Severe government action against oppostion demonstrations
in Suriname on 8 December exposed a weakness in coverage of the eastern
northern tier area, which cannot be heard in Panama. The Bureau covered
Bonaire Trans-World Radio and Hilversum in Spanish to Latin America as
the best available secondary sources, butthe results were inconclusive
and the utility of these stations will have to be studied again during
any future crisis.
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5. Experimental free trial printing of Hamburg DPA's Spanish
satellite service to Latin America began on 10 December. The trial pe-
riod is 2 months.
6. The FM parallel transmission of Radio Venceremos was brief-
ly off the air during the month as the government swept the area of its
transmitter. The FM cast has been very useful as a backstop for poorly-
heard reports from the HF cast,- which is heavily jammed by the govern-
ment. The FM cast is fed by the San Salvador contractor the next morn-
ing after broadcast.
B. Communications
The phase out of the local Autodin relay, PAR, scheduled for the
end of the month, never materialized. Initiation of the Bureau's Mode I
circuit is to coincide with the disappearance of the PAR. The new unoffi
cial date for this long-awaited event is now set for March, according to
PAR personnel.
C. Lateral Services
In a message to FBIS Headquarters, the American Embassy/Panama
City declared that it gives the "greatest importance to the lateral dis-
semination of FBIS material."
II. ADMINISTRATION
A. Personnel
1. Panama held a nationwide census on Sunday, 12 December, which
required all Panamanians to stay at their residences until counted. Work-
ing Bureau personnel had to pre-register and receive special credentials
in order to travel to work. There were no problems during the day.
B. Building and Grounds
Security awareness was emphasized for Bureau personnel during
the month when two strangers were spotted taking pictures of the Bureau
operations building. Senior Secretary spotted the two STAT
men, both wearing civilian clot i or and immediately
alerted Bureau Chief Technicianh~" When challenged STAT
by the men identified themselves as U. . military person- STAT
ne and sa they were reconnoitering the area in preparation for the an-
nual Kindle Liberty training exercise scheduled for early 1983. Although
their ID's appeared to be genuine, several calls were made to military
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units the men said they were with to verify them. This was eventually
accomplished, but the process apparently triggered the interest of
the local military counterintelligence unit. A Mr Roche, an investiga-
tor from the unit, visited the bureau the next day. He was fully brief-
ed on the incident and appeared satisfied nothing was amiss. He noted
during the visit, however, that there had been a number of similar in-
cidents recently, not all of which could be explained as easily. Roche
complimented the Bureau personnel on their alertness.
III. VISITS
A. To the Bureau: a radio information officer for STAT
USIS in San Salvador who has provided the Bureau's radio feeds since the
inauguration of the remote system there, visited Panama 12-18 December
on a personal visit. spent one day at the Bureau and several days STAT
and nights sampling t e sights and sounds of Panama as the guest of var-
ious Bureau personnel.
Major Black from the U.S. Army psyops unit in
Panama visited the Bureau 15 December to request assistance in provid-
ing recorded broadcast materials for a psyops project being prepared at
Ft. Bragg.
A Warrant Officer Fabianni and Sergeant Caballero
of the 193d Military Intelligence Company visited the Bureau for a brief-
ing and tour 14 December.
A Mr Roche from the 470th Military Intelligence
Group visited the bureau 15 December in connection with Bureau efforts
the previous day to confirm the identity of two unannounced visitors who
had been seen photographing the Bureau parking area.
B. From the Bureau: The Bureau Chief to see Mr Fulton (Dick) Brecker,
SOUTHCOM civilian personnel advisor, regarding pay scale and other person-
nel policy matters, 10 December.
The Bureau Chief to brief Col Felix Gomez,
SOUTHCOM deputy chief of staff for treaty affairs, on INTERNET, 10 Decem-
ber.
The Bureau Chief to brief Ambassador Everett
Briggs and DCM Bill Pryce on INTERNET, 13 December.
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IV. COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
A. The Bureau Social Activities Committee was quite active during
the month, sponsoring a picnic for employees and their children at a lo-
cal park on 5 December and the annual Christmas party on the 12th. Both
events were roundly enjoyed by all participants.
B. At the initiative of Panama Bureau's "Santa Claus," teletypist
bureau employees chipped in again this year to buy STAT
Christmas presents and other goodies for underprivileged children. This
year 0 selected 26 children from the village of Utive. The gifts, STAT
including a swing set for a plaza in the Village, were presented at a
day-long "fiesta" on 19 December. A number of employees and their fami-
lies, including monitors teletypists STAT
an Pchnician~ attended. J I H I
are food for the group and the children and technician re and cruising monitor STAT
hosted the group at their houses. has origi- STAT
nated such gift-giving expeditions to various loca i ies an organizations
over the last several years, including horse-back trips into the mountain-
ous Panamanian interior.
STAT
ief, Panama Bureau, FBIS
Attachments:
Monthly Production Report
cc: Paraguay Bureau
Key West Bureau
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I. TOTAL FROM ALL SOURCES
TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 320,480
TOTAL NON-PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 14,990
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH: 875
BROAD- PRESS PUBLIo
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
II. INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE: 7,735 40,380 136.23
(minutes or issues per week) min min issues
III. OUTPUT FROM ALL SOURCES:
(publishable words per month)
ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires LATIN in
Spanish 5,960
Buenos Aires TELAM in
Spanish 0
Buenos Aires NOTICIAS ARGENTINAS in
Spanish 0
AUSTRIA
Vienna OPECNA in
Spanish
COLOMBIA
Bogota Domestic Service in
Spanish 6,880
Bogota Emisoras Caracol Network in
Spanish 9,350
Bogota Cadena Radial Super in
Spanish 1,800
Bogota Radio Sutatenza Network in
Spanish 470
Bogota EL TIEMPO in
Spanish
Bogota EL ESPECTADOR in
Spanish
(CLANDESTINE)
Radio Venceremos in
Spanish to El Salvador 12,670
Radio 15 September in
Spanish to Nicaragua 0
Voice of Sandino in
Spanish to Nicaragua 12,090
COSTA RICA
San Jose Radio Reloj in
Spanish
San Jose LA NACION in
Spanish
14,980
2,280
6,020
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BROAD- PRESS
CASTS AGENCIES
PUBLI-
CATIONS
CUBA
Havana International Service in
Spanish
Havana Domestic Service in
Spanish
Havana PRELA in
English
ECUADOR
Quito Voz de los Andes in
Spanish
Quito Cadena Ecuador Radio in
Spanish
40,670
11,400
3,510
Quito Diplomatic Information Service in
Spanish
EL SALVADOR
San Salvador Domestic Service in
Spanish
450
San Salvador Radio Cadena Central in
Spanish
0
San Salvador Radio Cadena Sonora in
Spanish
0
San Salvador Radio Cadena YSKL in
Spanish
6,310
San Salvador Radio Cadena YSU in
Spanish
620
San Salvador La Voz Panamericana in
Spanish
900
San Salvador EL DIARIO DE HOY in
Spanish
2,300
San Salvador EL MUNDO in
Spanish
1,240
San Salvador DIARIO LATINO in
Spanish
1,300
San Salvador LA PRENSA GRAFICA in
Spanish
2,780
San Salvador PROCESO in
Spanish
0
San Salvador EL TIEMPO in
Spanish
720
San Salvador El Salvador THE NEWS GAZETTE in
English
540
FRANCE
Paris AFP in
English
Paris AFP in
French
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BROAD-
CASTS
PRESS
AGENCIES
PUBLI-
CATIONS
Paris AFP in
Spanish
16,540
GERMANY
Hamburg DPA in
Spanish
GUATEMALA
Guatemala City Domestic Service in
Spanish
1,970
Guatemala City Cadena de Emisoras Unidas
Spanish
in
1,360
Guatemala City Radio Nuevo Mundo in
Spanish
1,840
Guatemala City Radio Television Guatemala in
Spanish
3,440
Guatemala City Radio Mundial in
Spanish
590
Guatemala City DIARIO DE CENTRO AMERICA
Spanish
in
Guatemala City PRENSA LIBRE in
Spanish
Guatemala City DIARIO EL GRAFICO in
Spanish
HONDURAS
Tegucigalpa
Spanish
Domestic Service in
2,330
Tegucigalpa
Spanish
Voz de Honduras Network in
4,930
Tegucigalpa
Spanish
Cadena Audio Video in
9,320
Tegucigalpa
Spanish
Televisora Hondurena in
2,040
Tegucigalpa
Spanish
EL HERALDO in
1,250
Tegucigalpa
Spanish
LA TRIBUNA in
830
San Pedro Sula LA PRENSA in
Spanish 2,310
San Pedro Sula TIEMPO in
Spanish 1,640
MEXICO
Mexico City International Service in
Spanish
4,510
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BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
NICARAGUA
Managua Domestic Service in
Spanish 27,680
Managua Sistema Sandinista Television Network in
Spanish 1,530
Managua Radio Sandino in
Spanish 4,160
Managua Radio Sandino Network in
Spanish 8,200
Managua International Service in
English 590
Managua International Service in
Spanish 160
Managua BARRICADA in
Spanish 4,190
Managua EL NUEVO DIARIO in
Spanish 11,940
Managua LA PRENSA in
Spanish 360
PANAMA
Panama City Televisora Nacional in
Spanish 2,420
Panama City Circuito RPC Television in
Spanish 2,230
Panama City Domestic Service in
Spanish 1,810
Panama City ACAN in
Spanish
Panama City CRITICA in
16,970
Spanish 1,730
Panama City IA ESTRELLA DE PANAMA in
Spanish 7,740
Panama City STAR & HERALD IN
English 280
Panama City LA PRENSA in
Spanish 6,590
Panama City LA REPUBLICA in
Spanish 4,300
Panama City THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC in
English
Panama City MATUTINO in
Spanish
SPAIN
Madrid EFE in
Spanish
7,100
1,310
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BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
UNITED KINGDOM
London REUTER in
French
VENEZUELA
Caracas Radio Continente Network in
Spanish 2,170
Caracas Radio Rumbos Network in
Spanish 150
Caracas Domestic Service in
Spanish 1,270
Caracas EL UNIVERSAL in
Spanish
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