MONTHLY REPORT - PANAMA BUREAU -- MAY 1985

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86-00040R000300590007-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 13, 2010
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: May 6, 1985
• Content Type: MEMO

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FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICE
PANAMA BUREAU
DRAWER 927
APO MIAMI 34004
6 May 1985
MPA-5024
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, Foreign Broadcast Information Service
THROUGH : Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT : Monthly Report -- Panama Bureau -- May 1985
I. GENERAL
May 1985 was a record-breaking month, with a total of 608,520
publishable words filed, an all-time high. While the bulk of coverage
came from the Central American region, the leading coverage event was the
launching of the U.S. anti-Castro station Radio Marti. Cuba reacted
swiftly to the move by suspending the immigration agreements with the
United States; the first report on the suspension came from our ROSET
monitoring of PRELA circuits. Within a matter of hours of the startup of
Radio Marti we dispatched one of our senior monitors to Key West Bureau
for a two-week TDY to assist in covering Cuban reaction, and we went into
a 24-hour operation for the better part of two weeks. During this time we
monitored Havana International's English and Spanish services continuously
and cruised all of its international shortwave transmissions, particularly
its English-language programs beamed to the United States. Our intensive
ROSET coverage of PRELA circuits resulted in the loss of important
television coverage from Mexico, Venezuela, and Colombia.
Communications problems continued to plague bureau operations during
May. Outages totaling 93 hours were experienced. As is usual, none of
the outages were caused by in-house problems, all of them resulting
instead from problems at the army communications facility at Corozal. A
10-day outage of our primary communications circuit, the longest outage in
the bureau's history, was finally corrected by army technicians on 3 May
and, on 25 May, a 14-hour outage caused when power problems at Corozal
interrupted the bureau microwave communications resulted in a total
communications loss including primary and telex circuits, all telephone
lines, and bureau Central America remote circuits. As a result of these
problems, the bureau deputy chief, chief technician, and communications
chief are examining alternatives; these will be presented for Headquarters
consideration later in the summer.
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II. OPERATIONS
Monitorial/Editorial
In Nicaragua, the month opened with strident Nicaraguan criticism of
the U.S. embargo and the recall for consultations of the Nicaraguan
ambassador to the United States, but the regime seemed to be making some
efforts to patch fences on several fronts.
A group of Cuban military advisers left Nicaragua on 2 May as a
"concession" by President Daniel Ortega to pave the way for a resumption
of talks with the United States. President Ortega also extended his East
Bloc funds-seeking tour to include several West European capitals, in what
could be seen as an attempt to assuage the anxiety caused by his stops in
Havana and Moscow.
On the home front the Sandinists made efforts to resolve their
differences with the MISURASATA faction led by Brooklyn Rivera and with
the ARDE faction led by Eden Pastora, at the latter's insistence. Both of
these ventures ended in failure, and at month's end Pastora was on his way
to the United States to seek economic assistance to continue his anti-FSLN
struggle while the FSLN was announcing the beginning of a "heavy
offensive" against Pastora's forces.
Fighting against the ARDE and FDN rebels continued during May,
however, with the usual share of border incidents with neighboring
Honduras and Costa Rica. The Sandinist Peoples Army shelled a Honduran
border area early in May, and on 31 May EPS soldiers attacked a Costa
Rican Civil Guard patrol, straining relations with Costa Rica almost to
the breaking point.
Costa Rican President Luis Alberto Monge presented a lengthy
state-of-the-nation speech on 1 May that accounted for a significant
increase in wordage and in Honduras, the Suazo administration's
confrontation with the Supreme Court and with the peasants and workers
association demanded close attention until it was resolved in mid-month.
In El Salvador, rebel attacks continued as the Duarte administration
and FMLN-FDR remained in a stalemate over the details of the next round of
peace talks. In Guatemala, the Constituent Assembly presented the
nation's new constitution to President Mejia Victores on 31 May. General
elections are now slated for 3 November.
The Panamanian cabinet resigned en masse on 3 May following the
ruling coalition's demand for more posts in the administration. This
demand, which was granted in a revamped cabinet announced on 5 May, added
fuel to opposition demonstrations organized and held on 6 May, the
anniversary of President Ardito Barletta's first year in office.
We have reached an agreement with a local contractor to furnish
copies of the Cuban newspapers GRANMA, JUVENTUD REBELDE, and TRABAJADORES
on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Several copies of the newspapers
were furnished on a trial basis, and were air mailed to ELAAD after
scanning and selection.
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III. ADMINISTRATION
A. Personnel
Six new local employees entered on duty durin
monitor ; Spanish monitors
associate ed
teletypist
Spanish Monitor
the month: cruising
received a PSI from FBN-6/1 to 6/2,
effective 12 May 1985.
Spanish Monitor
departed Panama 20 May 1985 on a
two-week TDY to Key West Bureau.
Edito departed Panama 31 May upon completion of a
three-month editorial training stint, and editor arrived
Panama 13 May to begin his three-month editorial training.
Radio operator resigned on 24 May to
accept a position as full electronic technician at the GTE of Panama. We
have found a replacement, now in the preemployment
processing stage.
On 24 May a farewell barbeque was held in the bohio for
and for the departing
B. Building and Grounds
Contractor completed modifications and a partition in
the communication room.
The long-simmering issue of where to place the Panama municipal dump
came to a head on 23 May when we were told by SOUTHCOM's Treaty Affairs
officers that a new dump site was being prepared at Cerro Patacon, about
four kilometers from the bureau. According to the officers, SOUTHCOM has
authorized the use of the Chiva Chiva Road as an access road to the dump
for thirty days only. After that, access must be through non-military
land from the Tumba Muerto Highway. There is obvious SOUTHCOM concern
over the use of the Chiva Chiva Road, but there is even more concern over
the effect the dump might have on the water table, as several of the small
streams which run through Ft. Clayton and Albrook Air Force Station also
traverse the dump site. To date we have experienced a notable increase in
traffic on the Chiva Chiva Road and a predictable deterioration of the
road surface; we have also learned, from newspaper reports, that the
thirty-day limit may be extended to allow more time for construction of
the alternate road to the dump from the Tumba Muerto Highway.
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Bangkok Bureau's Deputy Chief-designate) (spent a profitable
four days of TDY at the bureau from 21 to 24 May, focusing on the ROSET's.
Other visitors during the month were
+ Counsel General James Hughes;
+ Col. Paul Morgan, new Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence (G-2),
accompanied by one staff officer and two civilians from his component;
+ SOUTHCOM (J-2) operations watch officers Captains Susong and
Philbin;
+ Mr. M. F. Connolly, Special Assistant for Command Support in
SOUTCHOM;
+ Five staffers from the Army's Program Support Group;
+ Three representatives from LATIN/REUTER Press Agency -- Graham
Williams (Editorial Chief/Central America), Berd Debusman (Correspondent
Chief/Central America), and Fernando Plata (Sales Executive/Central
America).
Chief, Panama Bureau, FBIS
Attachment:
Production Report
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Panama Bureau Production Report for May 1985
TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 608520
TOTAL NON-PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 24860
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH: 1562
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
Ii. INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE: 11280.00 42300.00 206.00
(minutes or issues per week) min. min. issues
III. OUTPUT FROM ALL SOURCES:
-(publishable words per month)
ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires LATIN in
Spanish
CLANDESTINES
Clandestine Radio Farabundo Marti in
Spanish to El Salvador 9670
Clandestine Radio Venceremos in
Spanish to El Salvador 27200
Clandestine Voice of Sandino in
Spanish to Nicaragua 0
COLOMBIA
Bogota Cadena Radial Super in
Spanish 3390
Bogota Domestic Service in
Spanish 2090
Bogota Emisoras Caracol Network in
Spanish 5130
Bogota Television Service in
Spanish 2270
Bogota EL SIGLO in
Spanish 4090
Bogota EL TIEMPO in
Spanish 9240
COSTA RICA
San Jose Domestic Service in
Spanish
San Jose Radio Impacto in
Spanish
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San Jose Radio Reloj in
Spanish
San Jose LA NACION in
Spanish
San Jose LA PRENSA LIBRE in
Spanish
San Jose LA REPUBLICA in
Spanish
San Jose LIBERTAD REVOLUCIONARIA in
Spanish
San Jose LIBERTAD in
Spanish
San Jose RUMBO CENTROAMERICANO in
Spanish
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
CUBA
Havana International Service in
Quechua 320
Havana International Service in
Spanish 57020
Havana International Service in
English 1930
Havana EFE in
Spanish 210
Havana PRELA in
English 32530
Havana PRELA in
Spanish 24270
Havana GRANMA in
Spanish
Havana JUVENTUD REBELDE in
Spanish
Havana TRABAJADORES in
Spanish
ECUADOR
Quito Radio Quito in
Spanish
Quito Voz de los Andes in
Spanish
EL SALVADOR
San Salvador Domestic Service in
Spanish 0
San Salvador Radio Cadena Sonora in
Spanish 5980
San Salvador Radio Cadena YSKL in
Spanish 4400
4110
240
5510
750
5370
0
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BROAD- PRESS
CASTS AGENCIES
PUBLI-
CATIONS
San
San
San
Salvador
Spanish
Salvador
Spanish
Salvador
Spanish
Radio Cadena YSU in
NOTISAL in
DIARIO LATINO in
440
San
Salvador
Spanish
EL DIARIO DE HOY in
3080
San
Salvador
Spanish
EL MUNDO in
2780
San
Salvador
Spanish
EL TIEMPO in
0
San
Salvador
Spanish
LA PRENSA GRAFICA in
3490
San
Salvador
Spanish
ORIENTACION in
480
San
San
Salvador
Spanish
Salvador
English
PROCESO in
THE NEWS GAZETTE in
FRANCE
Paris AFP in
English
Paris AFP in
Spanish
GERMANY
Hamburg DPA in
Spanish
GUATEMALA
Guatemala City Cadena de Emisoras
Unidas in
Spanish
2640
Guatemala City Domestic Service in
Spanish
1010
Guatemala City Radio Nuevo Mundo in
Spanish
1260
Guatemala City Radio Sonora in
Spanish
450
Guatemala City Radio Television
Guatemala in
Spanish
5030
Guatemala City EL GRAFICO in
Spanish
Guatemala City PRENSA LIBRE in
Spanish
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BROAD-
CASTS
PRESS
AGENCIES
PUBLI-
CATIONS
HONDURAS
Tegucigalpa
Spanish
Cadena Audio Video in
11470
Tegucigalpa
Spanish
Domestic Service in
6380
Tegucigalpa
Spanish
Radio America in
3070
Tegucigalpa
Spanish
Televisora Hondurena in
0
Tegucigalpa
Spanish
Voz de Honduras Network in
10820
San Pedro Sula LA PRENSA in
Spanish
2810
San Pedro Sula TIEMPO in
Spanish
13670
Tegucigalpa
Spanish
EL HERALDO in
4860
Tegucigalpa
Spanish
LA TRIBUNA in
MEXICO
Mexico City XEW Television Network in
Spanish
Mexico City XHDF Television
Network in
Spanish
Mexico City EL DIA in
Spanish
5110
Mexico City EL NACIONAL in
Spanish
990
Mexico City EL UNIVERSAL in
Spanish
2870
Mexico City EXCELSIOR in
Spanish
10830
Mexico City NOVEDADES in
Spanish
360
Mexico City THE NEWS in
English
1340
Mexico City UNOMASUNO in
Spanish
2060
NICARAGUA
Managua International Service in
Spanish
Managua Domestic Service in
Spanish
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BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
Managua Radio Noticias in
Spanish
2860
Managua Radio Sandino Network in
Spanish
31640
Managua Radio Sandino in
Spanish
17540
Managua Sistema Sandinista Television
Network in
Spanish
1930
Managua ANN in
Spanish 10660
Managua ANN in
English 370
Managua PRELA in
Spanish 5890
Managua BARRICADA in
Spanish 10220
Managua EL NUEVO DIARIO in
Spanish 550
Managua LA PRENSA in
Spanish 6120
PANAMA
Panama City Circuito RPC
Television in
Spanish
Panama City Domestic Service in
Spanish
Panama City Radio Continente in
Spanish
Panama City Televisora Nacional in
Spanish
2880
3050
1450
5000
Panama City ACAN in
Spanish 18340
Panama City CRITICA in
Spanish
750
Panama City DIALOGO SOCIAL in
Spanish
1520
Panama City EL SIGLO in
Spanish
910
Panama City EXTRA in
Spanish
1340
Panama City LA ESTRELLA DE PANAMA in
Spanish
6180
Panama City LA PRENSA in
Spanish
4890
Panama City LA REPUBLICA DOMINICAL in
Spanish
0
Panama City LA REPUBLICA in
Spanish
960
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Panama City MATUTINO in
Spanish
Panama City QUIUBO GRAFICO in
Spanish
Panama City STAR AND HERALD in
English
Panama City THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC in
English
SPAIN '
Madrid EFE in
Spanish
Madrid PRELA in
Spanish
USSR
Moscow TASS in
Spanish
VENEZUELA
Caracas Radio Rumbas Network in
Spanish
Caracas Television Service in
Spanish
Caracas EL NACIONAL in
Spanish
Caracas EL UNIVERSAL in
Spanish
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
780
1750
0
710
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TOTALS FROM ROSET SOURCES:
COLOMBIA
Bogota Television Service in
Spanish
2,270
CUBA
Havana PRELA in
Spanish
Havana EFE in
Spanish
24,270
EL SALVADOR
San Salvador NOTISAL in
Spanish
MEXICO
Mexico City XEV Television Network
Spanish
in
3,490
Mexico City XHDF Television Network
Spanish
in
6,510
NICARAGUA
Managua ANN in
English
370
Managua ANN in
Spanish .
10,660
Managua PRELA in
Spanish
5,890
SPAIN
Madrid EFE in
Spanish
4,660
Madrid PRELA in
Spanish
USSR
Moscow TASS in
Spanish
VENEZUELA
Caracas Television Service in
Spanish
6,370
66,150
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