MONTHLY REPORT -- PARAGUAY BUREAU -- MARCH 1985

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86-00040R000300600009-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 9, 2010
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: April 2, 1985
• Content Type: MEMO

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MPY-5026
2 April 1
985
ME~JRANDUM FOR: Director, FBIS
i
~8,~~T
: Chief, Operations Group
Moa~thly Report -- Paraguay Bureau -- March 198
5
A_ ~ mark the visit to Asuncion by FBIS Deputy Director
and Associate Deputy Director for S&T James u;rsch, the bureau
chief hosted an early evening bureau coffee on the 22d.
briefed all bureau employees on the FBIS modernization program. The
bureau chief used the occasion also to announce the promotion of eight
local employees, which made for a joyous meeting.
B, March produced the second highest total wordage ever filed
by Paraguay Bureau, some 456,000 words, second only to the file produced
at the height of the Falklands War in May 1982 (492,000). Similarly, the
publishable wordage for March (375,000) was second only to the May 1982
figure (426,000). The March totals reflect the on-going trend of the past
12-18 months as the bureau's file has shown a constant overall increase of
up to 50-80 percent over comparable months as recently as 1983. The March
wordage was caused by the events noted below, as well as by the return of
AFP coverage to the bureau following a 2~mnth hiatus and by a productive
file from the Moscaw Spanish to Chile casts..
II . OPERP,TICNS
A. Monitorial/Editorial
1. In Brazil, late on the eve of his inauguration, President-elect
Tancredo Neves was rushed to the hospital for an emergency intestinal
operation. The bureau caught the report when the monitor covering Sao
Paulo Radio Bandeirantes tuned in the scheduled cast early. Asa result,
the bureau remained open 4 hours late that night to report on developments.
The following day, on the 15th, the bureau covered the subdued inauguration
ceresronies in Brasilia live, ceremni.es marked by the swearing of Vice
President Jose Sarney, who now is acting president. Surprisingly, a local
Asuncion television station carried the 6 hour proceedings from Brasilia
live, for which the bureau filed a VSL. Since the inauguration, Neves
has been operated on two more times. Zb cover reports on the operations
and Neves' state of health, the bureau stayed open late several nights and
opened on the 17th, a Sunday morning, to cover the first meeting of the new
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Brazilian achministratian atwhich?Sarney read a policy speech previously
prepared by Neves.
2. On the 1st, Julio Sanguinetti was sworn in as president of Uruguay
to head the first democratic government since the military took power in
1973. 'Itao of Sarig'uinetti's first decisions were to propose. a general 'amnesty
for political prisoners, including members of the Tupamaro movemexit. Since
assuming power the new administratian has been canfronted by a series of
labor strikes and is reportedly inwlved in a "silent struggle" with the
military to restrict its powers.
3. A 16-day Bolivian Labor Confederation (COB) strike plunged Bolivia
further into its econani_c and social quagmire. Before and during the strike,
peasants and miners supporting the COB staged several demonstrations in La Paz
punctuated by the miners exploding dynamite caps. 7.b calm the situatian,
President Siles offered to co-govern with the COB, but COB leader Juan Lechisi
inmediately turned dawn the offer. On the 19th, the gaverru~ient for the first
time ordered the Arnty to take control of the streets and to dismantle
barricades and roadblocks erected by the demonstrators. The strike ended
an the 23d with the government granting wage increases, far less than the
COB had demanded, and making other promises on supplies of staples to the
p~opulatian. At month's end, the goverrueent issued a series of statements
responding to U.S. Senator Paula Hawkins' criticises of Bolivia's drug-
fighting efforts. ~e goverrurent also rejected U.S. offers of logistics
aid to help Bolivia prepare for the general elections scheduled for mid-
July, calling the aid offer interference in Bolivia's domestic affairs.
4. In Argentina, at the beginning of the month the Alfonsin ac3minis-
tratian carried out a purge of top-ranking military officers which er~ck~d
with the naming of an Air Force general as Aneed Forces chief of staff, a
marked break with Argentine military traditian. On the 14th, Alfonsin set
off an a tour that took him to Brazil for the inauguratian, to the United
States for a state visit, and to Mexico for a state visit during which he
strongly criticized the handling of the Latin American debt problem.
5. Coverage of Buenos Aires Danestic Service has been hampered since
the 5th, when the service dropped virtually all use of shortwave to broadcast
its programming, using instead a microwave net. 'lhe bureau's reception
of the service, previously good, is now poor-fair. The bureau expects
that a new lang~wire antenna that it is currently constructing for testing
purposes will improve reception in the mediutrsaave band. Hawoever, as luck
will have it, a brush fire an the 29th at the AIVTELCO field where the new
antenna was under construction destroyed the new antenna poles and wires.
Completion of the project, originally set for the first week of April, now
is scheduled for late April.
6. Chilean events were marked by a. devastating eetaake an -tt~e-'3d
in the central area of the country, which includes Santiago. 'Ilse quake
caused 224 deaths and at last estimate $ 1.5 billion in damage. Zhe
bureau augmented coverage of the disaster by filing VSL's from Paraguayan
and Argentine TV reportage an the damage. On the 4th, the government
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declared a stric~f curfew in Santiago to prevent looting and on the 9th
anrbounced a "s to of danger of disturbance of internal peace" following
a series of terrorist incidents. The bureau's Santiago contractor also
suffered same damage to his home and equigrient. Zhe bureau has made
arrangem~.nts, via USIS/Santiago, for additional equi~trent to be shipped
and loaned to the contractor.
B. Lateral Services
Zhe Dnbassy's new GSO has been added as a local consumer for items on
Paraguay.
C. Cruising
Zhe bureau's cruising effort concentrated on seasonal Moscow International
changes and checking out Argentina's Radio National domestic and international
beaming and reception.
D. Technical
1. Zhe bureau's new 300~neter long wire antenna was nearing completion
at the ANTEGOO antenna field when a brush fire on the 29th destroyed the new
poles and wires. Coirq~letion of the project is now scheduled for late April.
2. 'Ihe bureau purchased locally four Sharp Model 5H12 5-inch color
television sets with NTSC and PAL N capability for use at the m~nitor-
supervisor positian to enhance the bureau's flexibility and coverage of
monitored events. With the receipt of these TV's, only the final construction
of a unit to hold them remains before completing the reconstruction of the
supervisors' position.
3. With Headquarters approval, the bureau is supplying fran stock and/or
purchasing and forwarding to its Santiago contractor on a loan basis via
USIS two audio cassette recorders, one reel-to-reel recorder, one VCR,
and one shall carbination TV/radio/cassette recorder. ~e damage done to the
contractor's equigrent during the. recent eartYx;ualte accelerated the plan to
provide appropriate equigrnxLt to the contractor, who will buy also two
timexs in Santiago.
A. Personnel.
1. Out of a total of 57 applications for the monitorial position that
was recently advertised in the local press, initial testing has resulted in
7 promising candidates. At this writing, the bureau awaits the final
headquarters go-ahead before advertising the newly approved associate
editor position.
2. On the 22d, at the above~reritioned bureau coffee with Messr
~
and Hirsch, the following pramtions were anr~atanced: Moni.tor
from FBN- 9 to 10; monitors
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fran FBTi- 8 to 9 ; monitor-trainee from FBt~T-6 to 7 ;
'cations Section chief from FBTT-6 to 7; and teletypists
from FBN-5 to 6.
3. A Paraguayan-goverrureazt mznda~d increase of 10 percent of the
minimun wage, i.e., 3,955 guaranies/month, for all workers in the country
was approved for the mission local employees effective 3 February. As
this followed the recently approved cost-of-living increase noted in last
moa~th's report, new wage scales had to be recanputed so that this COL
increase was premised on the correct base.
1. P&TB officers) Ito the bureau TDY 18-20
March for orientation.
2. DD/FBIS and Associate Deputy Director for S&T
James Hirsch to the bureau TDY - 3 March for a managem~alt visit.
3. On the 23d, a Saturday,, DCM Dan Clare unaru~anced brought U.S.
Ambassador to Uruguay Tlzanas Aranda to the bureau for a visit and detailed
briefing, given by Deputy Chief Ambassador Aranda, who was
in Asuncion at the invitation of Ambassador Davis, expressed appreciation
for the file the bureau sends to Montevideo, particularly for the materials
leading up to the recent elections in Uruguay which brought an end to 11
years of military rule.
1.1 wife of staff. senior editor
2. On the 23d, a ladies tea was held in a downtown hotel for coimsani-
cations section chie in honor of her upcaning marriage
scheduled for 4 May.. A picture of the gathering made the society pages of
the local press.
Chief, FBIS Paraguay Bureau
OC: Panama Bureau
Att'd: Nbnthly Production Report
PMS/clr
04/02/85
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PARAGUAY L ..EAU PRODUCTION REPORT FOR ..ARCH 1985
!TOTALS FROM ALL SOURCES:
F
:TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING THE MONTH:
'TOTAL NON-PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING THE MONTH:
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING THE MONTH:
I. INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE:
II. OUTPUT FROM ALL SOURCES:
ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires Domestic Service in
455,940
3T~,830
81,110
1,049
BROAD- PRESS PUBLIC-
CASTS AGENCY ATIONS
8,585 39,360 14,200
(min) (min) (issues)
Spanish 7,070
Buenos Aires Argentina Televisora Color
Network in Spanish 1,060
Buenos~lires Radio Belgrano in
Spanish 330
Buenos Aires TELAM in
Spanish 25,740
Buenos Aires NOTICIAS ARGENTINAS in
Spanish 19,010
Buenos Aires DYN in
Spanish 5,670
Buenos Aires BUENOS AIRES HERALD in
English 17,080
Buenos Aires CLARIN in
Spanish 0
$uenos Aires GENTS in
Spanish 0
Buenos Aires LA NACION in
Spanish 3,920
Buenos Aires LA PRENSA in
Spanish 4,440
Buenos Aires AMBITO FINANCIERO in
Spanish 130
30LIVIA
La Paz Radio Illimani Network in
Spanish
;a Paz Cadena Panamericana in
Spanish
.a Paz EL DIARIO in
Spanish
.a Paz PRESENCIA in
Spanish
2,790
38,730
1,220
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BRAZIL
BROAD- PRESS PUBLIC-
CASTS AGENCY ATIONS
Brasilia Domestic Service in
Portuguese 16,090
Porto Alegre Radio Guaiba in
Portuguese 3,780
Sao Paulo Radio Bandeirantes Network in
Portuguese 10,150
Sao Paulo Radio Bandeirantes in
Portuguese' 7,080
Rie de Janeiro JORNAL DO BRASIL in
Portuguese
Rio de Janeiro LATIN AMERICA DAILY POST in
English
Rio de Janeiro MANCHETE in
Portuguese
Rio de Janeiro 0 GLOBO in
Portuguese
Sao Paulo FOLHA DE SAO PAULO in
Portuguese
Sao Paulo 0 ESTADO DE SAO PAULO in
Portuguese
Sao Paulo VEJA in
Portuguese
CHILE
Santiago Domestic Service in
Spanish
Santiago Radio Chilena in
Spanish
Santiago COSAS in
Spanish
Santiago EL MERCURIO in
Spanish
Santiago HOY in
Spanish
,~rantiago LA TERCERA DE LA HORA in
Spanish
Santiago QUE PASA in
Spanish
12,220
4,500
2,860
0
0
6,610
2,210
5,810
0
1,190
4,100
1,340
CHINA
9eijing in Spanish to
Latin America 0
?RANCE
'ARIS AFP in
Spanish 43,250
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BROAD- PRESS PUBLIC-
CASTS AGENCY ATIONS
PARAGUAY
Asuncion Domestic Service in
Spanish 3,870
Asuncion Radio Primero de Marzo in
Spanish ~ 70
Asuncion Cerro Cora Sistena Nacional
Television in Spanish 370
Asuncion Red Privada de Teledifusora
Paragusya Television in Spanish 150
Asuncion EL DIARIO NOTICIAS in
Spanish
Asuncion EL PUEBLO in
Spanish
Asuncion HOY in
Spanish
Asuncion PATRIA in
Spanish
Asuncion SENDERO in
Spanish
Asuncion ULTIMA HORA in
Spanish
Lima Domestic Service in
Spanish 650
Lima Television Service in
Spanish 2,750
Lima Cadena America Television in
Spanish 1,690
Lima Cadena Panamericana Television in
Spanish 4,660
Lima Television Lima in
Spanish 3,240
Lima Radio del Pacifico in
Spanish 3,180
Lima Radioprogramas del Peru in
Spanish 100
MADRID EFE in
Spanish
UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS
Moscow in
Portuguese to Brazil 650
2,810
0
1,290
330
3,900
4,100
42,660
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BROAD- PRESS PU$LIC-
CASTS AGENCY ATIONS
UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS - continued
Moscow in
Spanish to Latin America 1,240
Moscow in
Spanish to Chile 15,970
Moscow in
Spanish to Cuba 0
Moscow Radio Peace and Progress in
Spanish to Latin America 0
Moscow Radio Magallanes in
Spanish to Chile 0
URUGUAY
Montevideo Radio E1 Espectador Network in
Spanish 9,330
Montevideo Radio Carve in
Spanish 2,260
Montevideo Radio Oriental in
Spanish 1,510
Montevideo EL DIA in
Spanish
Montevideo OPINAR in
-Spanish
Montevideo Radio Montecarlo in
Spanish 4,920
Montevideo LA HORA in '
Spanish
5,510
6,380
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