MONTHLY REPORT - PANAMA BUREAU -- JANUARY 1985

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86-00040R000300590011-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 13, 2010
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: February 7, 1985
• Content Type: MEMO

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FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICE
PANAMA BUREAU
DRAWER 927
APO MIAMI 34004
7 February 1985
MPA 5008
MEMORANDUM FOR: Acting Director, Foreign Broadcast Information Service
THROUGH : Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT : Monthly Report - Panama Bureau - January 1985
The main focus of attention during the month for the bureau's two
ROSET antennas was the identification of European and Soviet television
transmissions for a high-level headquarters project. The round-the-clock
cruising effort necessary for the project was completed on time with the
help of an MOD cruising officer from headquarters. Although restricted by
the television project, the bureau still managed to file over 42,000 words
from ROSET sources during the month. The two biggest coups in that regard
were the monitoring and processing of live pass-feed television interviews
by Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega on 24 January and by Israel's Shimon Peres on
28 January.
Radio teletype continues to be the single most productive satellite
medium thus far with Havana's PRENSA LATINA services far and away the
leader in that category. In many cases we have found that the PRELA
circuits often carry important reports concerning Central America hours
before local Central American media carry the stories.
A. Monitorial/Editorial
Following a Christmas truce in El Salvador, renewed fighting
between rebel and government forces began as both sides sought to
strengthen their military positions. A third round of peace talks between
the two groups, set to be held in late January, failed to materialize.
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During the month, Nicaragua again captured the bulk of the
bureau's attention. Cuban President Fidel Castro was the leading guest at
Daniel Ortega's inauguration as president of Nicaragua. During his
three-day visit to Nicaragua, Castro delivered a two and one half hour
speech to dedicate the Victoria de Julio sugar refinery in Malacatoya,
which was built with Cuban assistance. In the speech Castro announced
Cuba was canceling the debt that Nicaragua had incurred in building
the refinery. Other prominent visitors to Nicaragua during January
included Juergen Moelleman, minister of state in the FRG Foreign Ministry,
and Iranian Prime Minister Hoseyn Musavi.
On 18 January, the United States abruptly suspended the talks it
had held with the Nicaraguan Government over the previous seven months in
Manzanillo, Mexico, because of lack of substantive progress. The
suspension of the Manzanillo talks as well as an earlier U.S. decision to
disregard a World Court ruling in a suit filed by Nicaragua drew heavy
fire from the Sandinista regime during the month.
Daniel Ortega reappointed three Catholic priests, who serve as
foreign relations, culture, and education ministers, to his revamped
Cabinet. Priestly participation in government posts is forbidden by Canon
Law and the clergymen were ordered by their religious superiors to choose
between the priesthood and their political posts. Father Edgar Parrales,
who holds the post of ambassador to the OAS, resigned from the priesthood,
while Culture Minister Ernesto Cardenal announced that he would ignore the
Vatican ban on his performance of sacred rites. Father Cardenal was
subsequently awarded the Augusto Cesar Sandino Order in its highest
degree, and President Ortega himself presented Cardenal with the award at
an elaborate state ceremony.
Near month's end, Pope John Paul II began a Latin America tour
that would eventually take the pontiff to Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and
Trinidad and Tobago.
B. Communications
During the month, the Bureau's primary AUTODIN communications
circuit experienced five outages totaling almost eight and a half hours.
The majority of the downtime was a result of equipment failures at the
Panama Automated Relay (PAR).
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C. Lateral Services
In response to two separate requests, the bureau provided a local
embassy section and a headquarters consumer with audio cassette tapes of
Fidel Castro's 11 January speech at the inauguration of a sugar mill in
Nicaragua.
Responding to an urgent headquarters consumer request, the bureau
wirefiled the Spanish-language version of a U.S.-attributed article on
"Cuban diplomatic couriers and subversive activity in Latin America" that
appeared in a local Panama City newspaper on 14 January.
Also in response to a headquarters consumer request, the bureau
filed from a Costa Rican paper a two-part interview with the U.S.
ambassador to Costa Rica.
D. Technical
Panama Bureau's automatic switching system from commercial power
to the emergency generator was repaired by Army engineers on 21 January.
The bureau was without power for approximately one hour.
The bureau procured locally its third IBM Personal Computer: One
IBM PC-256, Two disk Drive, Model 5150, Serial No. 11461335150, One
Keyboard Keytronic, One IBM Monochrome Display, Model 5151, Serial No.
0197496, One Okidata ML93 Printer (160 C.P.S.), Model 8226, Serial No.
206584, One Monochrome Parallel Adapter, One Printer Cable and one AC
FLTR/Surge propector Orange. The total price was $4,852.95.
A. Personnel
STAT Junior editor successull completed a three-month
STAT editorial TDY and departed on 8 January. will be reassigned to
the Daily Reporting Division in Headquarte s.
STAT Junior editor
Panama on 7 January.
arrived for a three-month TDY at
During January, the bureau continued its recruiting campaign
to hire five Spanish monitors, one associate editor, one cruising monitor,
one radio operator, and one teletypist. By month's end, respondents to a
December newspaper advertisement were being interviewed and tested for the
various openings. A breakdown of the candidates for the positions
follows:
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Position
Candidates
Strong Candidates
(based on interview/tests)
monitor
29
interview/testing in progress
associate editor
16
interview/testing in progress
cruising monitor
13
interview/testing in progress
radio operator
10
3
teletypist
17
2
Once formal ambassadorial approval is received for the increase in the
bureau T/0, the strongest candidates in each position will be offered
jobs. Applications to EOD new personnel should begin next month.
Staff employees are now receiving earnings and leave
statements through the DHL courier system; the statements accompnay the
payroll checks of our local employees in the biweekly DHL package. As a
result of the new arrangement, made by C/B&F and C/Admin, staffers are
getting the statements within a week of pay day rather than three or four
weeks as in the past when the statements were being pouched. The
arrangement has eliminated, for Panama at least, a long-standing irritant
for employees who have been uncertain of their bank balances.
B. Building and Grounds
During the month, local contractors welded hangers for
security bars at the entrance to the bureau administrative office, thus
enlarging the safehaven area.
Ambassador to Panama Everett E. Briggs, Deputy Chief of Mission
William T. Pryce and political officer Donald Winters visited the Bureau
for a briefing and tour of the facilities on 30 January.
Chief of the Executive and Planning Staff, visited
Panama from 22 to 26 January during a tour of Latin America and African
bureaus.
A three-person crew from the computer application firm of Chase,
Rosen and Wallace, Inc. of Alexandria, Virginia, conducted a two-week
training seminar in applications of the IBM personal computer. The team,
composed of company executive Stan Rosen and Paul Nistico and Connie
Corrigan, conducted classroom instruction and individualized self-help
workshops for the bureau IBM PC users.
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MOD cruising officer) visited Panama from 16 January
to 1 February to assist in a high-level request to identify Soviet and
European television signals monitorable from our ROSET antennas and to
receive an orientation on the ROSET equipment.
ED logistics officer) visited Panama from 7 to 11 January to
review and assimilate ROSET accountable property receipts.
The embassy's Community Liaison Officer, Elizabeth Belt, and a GSO
officer, Rosalyn Anderson, visited the bureau on 15 January for a briefing
and walk-through.
Chief, Panama Bureau
Attachment
Production Report
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PANAMA BUREAU PRODUCTION REPORT FOR JANUARY 1985
I. TOTALS FROM ALL SOURCES:
TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 532,440
TOTAL NONPUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 21,850
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH: 1,445
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
II. INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE: 9,865 42,540 202.23
(minutes or issues per week) min min issues
III. OUTPUT FROM ALL SOURCES:
(publishable words per month)
ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires LATIN in
Spanish
AUSTRIA
Vienna OPECNA in
Spanish
COLOMBIA
Bogota Domestic Service in
Spanish 3,040
Bogota Emisoras Caracol Network in
Spanish 8,680
Bogota Cadena Radial Super in
Spanish 3,080
Bogota EL TIEMPO in
Spanish
Bogota EL SIGLO in
Spanish
COSTA RICA
San Jose Radio Reloj in
Spanish
San Jose Radio Impacto in
Spanish
* San Jose PRELA in
Spanish
San Jose LA NACION in
Spanish
San Jose RUMBO CENTROAMERICANO in
Spanish
San Jose LA PRENSA LIBRE in
Spanish
San Jose LA REPUBLICA in
Spanish
San Jose LIBERTAD REVOLUCIONARIA in
Spanish
9,630
8,850
4,970
5,670
2,790
4,660
0
2,600
1,750
1,750
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CUBA
Havana International Service in
Spanish
Havana International Service in
Quechua
*Havana PRELA in
English
*Havana PRELA in
Spanish
*Havana IPS in
Spanish
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
59,410
(CLANDESTINES)
Radio Tenceremos in
Spanish to El Salvador 17,930
Radio Farabundo Marti in
Spanish to El Salvador +? 160
Voice of Sandino in
Spanish to Nicaragua 10,700
*Radio Venceremos Press Service in
Spanish
CZECHOSLOVAKIA
*Prague CTK in
Spanish
ECUADOR
Quito Voz de los Andes in
Spanish
Quito Radio Quito in
Spanish
3,150
1,760
EL SALVADOR
San Salvador Domestic Service in
Spanish 0
San Salvador Radio Cadence YSKL in
Spanish 15,180
San Salvador Radio Cadena YSU in
Spanish 4,720
San Salvador Radio Cadence Sonora in
Spanish 4,240
*San Salvador NOTISAL in
Spanish
*San Salvador SALPRES in
Spanish
San Salvador EL DIARIO DE HOY in
Spanish
San Salvador PROCESO in
Spanish
San Salvador IA PRENSA GRAFICA in
Spanish
27,140
21,030
370
3,350
0
5,560
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BROAD- PRESS
CASTS AGENCIES
PUBLI-
CATIONS
San Salvador EL MUNDO in
Spanish
San Salvador DIARIO LATINO in
Spanish
San Salvador THE NEWS GAZETTEE in
English
2,870
1,160
0
FRANCE
Paris AFP in
English
Paris AFP in
Spanish
GERMANY
*Hamburg DPA in
Spanish
2,320
21,200
4,700
GUATEMALA
Guatemala City Radio Television Guatemala in
Spanish
2,570
Guatemala City Cadena de Emisoras Unidas in
i
h
020
2
s
Span
Guatemala City Radio Nuevo Mundo in
Spanish
,
1,420
Guatemala City Domestic Service in
Spanish
Guatemala City EL GRAFIC0 in
Spanish
Guatemala City PRENSA LIBRE in
Spanish
1,430
1,670
1,020
HONDURAS
Tegucigalpa Domestic Service in
6
570
Spanish
,
Tegucigalpa Voz de Honduras Network in
420
2
Spanish
,
Tegucigalpa Cadena Audio Video in
Spanish
12,380
Tegucigalpa Televisora Hondurena
Spanish
in
1,470
Tegucigalpa Radio America in
Spanish
4,140
Tegucigalpa EL HERALDO in
Spanish
650
Tegucigalpa LA TRIBUNA in
Spanish
450
San Pedro Sula TIW 0 in
Spanish
5,020
San Pedro Sula LA PRENSA in
Spanish
850
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BROAD- PRESS
CASTS AGENCIES
PUBLI-
CATIONS
ISRAEL
*Jerusalem Television Service in
English
4,340
MEXICO
*Mexico City CERIGUA in
Spanish
Mexico City EL DIA in
Spanish
5,630
Mexico City EXCELSIOR in
Spanish
1,700
Mexico City UNOMASUNO in
Spanish
860
Mexico City EL UNIVERSAL in
Spanish
1,200
Mexico City EL NACIONAL in
Spanish
Mexico City THE NEWS in
English
NICARAGUA
Managua Domestic Service in
Spanish 35,840
Managua Sistema Sandinista Television Network in
Spanish
6,610
Managua Radio Sandino in
Spanish
13,490
Managua Radio Sandino Network in
Spanish
26,270
Managua Radio Noticias in
Spanish
5,890
Managua International Service in
Spanish
150
*Managua Television Service in
Spanish
2,040
*Managua ANN in
Spanish
*Managua PRELA in
Spanish
3,840
3,760
Managua BARRICADA in
Spanish
10,440
Managua EL NUEVO DIARIO
Spanish
in
3,460
Managua LA PRENSA in
Spanish
9,690
PANAMA
Panama City Domestic Service in
Spanish
Panama City Televisora Nacional in
Spanish
1,760
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BROAD-
CASTS
PRESS
AGENCIES
PUBLI-
CATIONS
Panama City Circuito RPC Television in
Spanish
1,260
Panama City ACAN in
Spanish
14,570
Panama City CRITICA in
Spanish 310
Panama City LA ESTRELLA DE PANAMA in
Spanish 6,010
Panama City LA PRENSA in
Spanish 10,480
Panama City LA REPUBLICA in
Spanish
5,780
Panama City MATUTINO in
Spanish
18,570
Panama City EL SIGLO in
Spanish
1,820
Panama City STAR AND HERALD in
English
Panama City THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC
English
in
Panama City QUIUBO GRAFICO in
Spanish
Panama City LA REPUBLICA DOMINICAL in
Spanish
SPAIN
Madrid EFE in
Spanish
VENEZUELA
Caracas Domestic Service in
Spanish
Caracas Radio Rumbos Network in
Spanish
Caracas EL NACIONAL in
Spanish
Caracas EL UNIVERSAL in
Spanish
2,670
10,950
2,100
3,440
2,570
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PANAMA BUREAU PRODUCTION REPORT FOR JANUARY 1985 -- ANNEX
TOTALS FROM ROSET SOURCES
COSTA RICA
San Jose PRELA in
Spanish
(CLANDESTINE)
Radio Venceremos Press Service in
Spanish
CUBA
Havana PRELA in
English 3,990
Havana PRELA in
Spanish 20,000
Havana IPS in
Spanish 370
CZECHOSLOVAKIA
Prague CTK in
Spanish
EL SALVADOR
San Salvador NOTISAL in
Spanish
San Salvador SALPRES in
Spanish
GERMANY
Hamburg DPA in
Spanish
ISRAEL
Jerusalem Television Service in
English
MEXICO
Mexico City CERIGUA in
Spanish
4,340
NICARAGUA
Managua Television Service in
Spanish 2,040
Managua ANN in
Spanish 4,410
Managua PRELA in
Spanish 3,760
TOTAL FOR JANUARY 1985 42,500
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PANAMA BUREAU PRODUCTION REPORT FOR JANUARY 1985 -- ANNEX
TOTALS FROM ROSET SOURCES
COSTA RICA
San Jose PRELA in
Spanish
(CLANDESTINE)
Radio Venceremos Press Service in
Spanish
CUBA
Havana PRELA in
English 3,990
Havana PRELA in
Spanish 20,000
Havana IPS in
Spanish 370
CZECHOSLOVAKIA
Prague CTK in
Spanish
EL SALVADOR
San Salvador NOTISAL in
Spanish
San Salvador SALPRES in
Spanish
GERMANY
Hamburg DPA in
Spanish
ISRAEL
Jerusalem Television Service in
English
MEXICO
Mexico City CERIGUA in
Spanish
4,340
NICARAGUA
Managua Television Service in
Spanish 2,040
Managua ANN in
Spanish 4,410
Managua PRELA in
Spanish 3,760
TOTAL FOR JANUARY 1985 42,500
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