ARDE CHRONOLOGY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86M00886R001400140027-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 14, 2009
• Sequence Number: 27
• Publication Date: June 5, 1984
• Content Type: MEMO

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Central Intelligence Agency
[Executive Registry
5JUN1984
MBIORANtflJM FOR: The Honorable Robert M. Kinunitt
Executive Secretary
National Security Council
ARDE Chronology
Attached is the ARDE Chronology as requested on 1 June.
Executive Secretary
Attachment:
As stated
Original
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- Addressee
- DDI (with
- DDO
- D/ALA/DDI
- ER
- C/MCD
- C/CA
- MCD Files
- CA Files
DDI/ALA/MCD/
attachment & basic)
(5 June 84)
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Significant Events Through 1983
15 APR 82 Eden Pastors announces opposition to Sandinista
government at San Jose press conference.
22 MAY 82 Costa Rica expells Pastora after he publicly
welcomes 11 Sandinista deserters at the border.
28 MAY 82 Following arrests by Costa Rican security forces of
13 of his followers at their Saraniqui camp,
Pastora flies to Honduras to seek aid from General
Alvarez but later says Alvarez only invited him to
join the Nicaraguan Democratic Force.
3 JUN 82 In Lisbon, Pastora announces creation of a
Revolutionary Government of Popular Unity (GRUP),
and is received by key Socialist International
leaders during European tour in Portugal, Spain,
Germany, and Italy.
JUN 82 Clandestine Voice of Sandino begins operation.
16 JUN 82 Alfonso Robelo, former junta member and leader of
the Nicaraguan Democratic Movement (MDN), announces
alliance with Pastora at Panama press conference.
Pastora meets with an FDN representative in
Honduras, according to source of undetermined
reliability, and expresses his desire for an
eventual alliance.
Pastora visits the Dominican Republic at time of
Socialist International meeting in Santo Domingo,
and asks Costa Rican President Monge for a
residency permit. Pastora returns to Panama.
Costa Rican Council of Government authorizes
Pastora's return but limits him to political
activities.
10-12 SEP 82 Membership in the FDN of former Somoza National
Guardsmen is a divisive issue at an anti-Sandinista
unity meeting in Caracas. The delegates planned to
send a delegation to meet with Pastora and Robelo,
who did not attend.
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25 SEP 82 Democratic Revolutionary Alliance (ARDE) is
officially formed by representatives of Sandino
Revolutionary Front (FRS), Nicaraguan Democratic
Movement (MDN), Nicaraguan Democratic
Union/Nicaraguan Revolutionary Armed Forces
(UDN/FARN), and Miskito, Suma, Rama, Sandinista
Unity (MISURASATA).
Late OCT 82 Four ARDE leaders meet with General Alvarez in
Honduras in a renewed attempt to persuade him to
switch his support from the FDN to ARDE.
15 NOV 82 Pastora criticizes US support of the FDN in a New
York Times interview.
NOV 82 Pastora reportedly sends word to the Sandinistas
through intermediaries that he is willing to open
discussions on how his group could participate in
elections. According to a source of undetermined
reliability, the Sandinistas reject the offer.
Another report from the same source indicates
Pastora hopes to induce Daniel Ortega to purge
hard-line Directorate members.
Pastora and Robelo are rebuffed in a hurried
meeting with a Socialist International delegation
visiting San Jose.
ARDE leaders outline a formula for democracy in
Nicaragua which they describe as a "last chance"
for the regime at a San Jose press conference.
ARDE leaders reportedly plan to move men into
Nicaragua for reconnaisance, making contact with
the population, and establishing infrastructure for
internal opposition.
7 JAN 83 Francisco Fiallos, former Sandinista Ambassador to
the US, joins ARDE.
14 JAN 83 Pastora travels to Panama as Costa Rican security
forces uncover insurgent camps.
JAN 83 Fernando Chamorro quietly breaks off from ARDE and
in March joins the FDN.
31 JAN 83 Pastors and Miskito leader Rivera visit Colombia,
Peru, and the Dominican Republic. A planned trip
to Europe is cancelled. reports 25X1
that the aim of these trips was to gather Socialist
International support for an ARDE peace plan and to
initiate armed actions if the Sandinistas reject
the call for an election.
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15 FEB 83 Robelo publicly praises representatives of the
recently reorganized FDN Directorate after meeting
with them in San Jose.
MAR 83 Clandestine Radio Free Nicaragua is notecl using the
same transmitter as The Voice of Sandino.
Costa Rica privately requests that Pastora leave
the country after he implies that hostilities will
begin on 15 April.
ARDE announces the start of the armed campaign.
The Mexican government refuses to allow Robelo to
make the announcement from Mexico City.
Robelo rules out unity with the FDN in a San Jose
news conference because former Guardsmen dominate
its military leadership. MDN leaders were
reportedly upset with Pastora's criticisms of
Robelo on this issue.
23 JUN 83 Pastora, claiming that ARDE lacks money and
supplies and that the US was blocking donations
from other countries, tells his troops to stop
fighting. Fighting resumes by 28 June, with
Pastora announcing that he has received new
supplies.
29 JUN 83 A former Sandinista official and his driver are
killed by the bomb they are carrying to a San Jose
meeting with Pastora and Robelo.
3 JUL 83 ARDE hands over 37 Sandinista prisoners to Costa
Rican authorities.
11 JUL 83 Pastora, complying with a promise to the MDN, says
there are "a few" Somocistas in the FDN and that
ARDE is not against the organization as a whole.
11-14 JUL 83 Pastora adviser Carlos Coronel meets with Cuban
officials in Havana at Cuban request. The Cubans
suggest another meeting with Pastora and Robelo for
"exploratory talks."
28 JUL 83 ARDE communique sets conditions for unity with the
FDN, including purging its general staff and
agreeing to ARDE's political plan to rescue the
Sandinista revolution.
23 AUG 83 Pastora claims his forces captured and executed in
July 25 Cubans who were fighting with the
Sandinistas.
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1 SEP 83 ARDE Directorate expanded to include the Christian
Democratic Solidarity Front (FSDC) led by former
Social Christian Party Vice-President Jose Davila.
8 SEP 83 Two ARDE aircraft attack Sandino Airfield, damaging
the terminal building. An unsuccessful attack also
is attempted on a Cuban-supervised communications
intercept site near Foreign Minister D'Escoto's
home. One aircraft is downed in the attack,
killing the pilot.
9 SEP 83 The petroleum storage area at the main port of
Corinto is attacked by two small ARDE aircraft,
causing minor damage to several chemical tanks.
10-12 SEP 83 Carlos Coronel meets with Cuban Americas Department
officials in Panama City. Havana proposes more
talks but is unable to respond to Coronel's request
for a specific offer.
13 SEP 83 Costa Rican authorities detain Basque ETA terrorist
member suspected of plotting to assassinate
Pastora.
SEP 83 According to an informant, Sandinista leader Jaime
Wheelock sends a message to Pastora on behalf of
the National Directorate requesting a dialogue.
Another source of undetermined reliability reports
a series of exchanges with Wheelock in September.
SEP 83 Costa Rican authorities take more actions against
ARDE including seizure of a helicopter.
28 OCT 83 Pastora announces his resignation from ARDE and
accuses Robelo of betraying the movement by forming
an MDN military staff and secretly training his men
in Argentina.
Early NOV 83 Pastora reconciles with ARDE. As part of the
settlement, the Democratic Assembly will be
established as a new decision-making body.
political and Military Developments this Year
10 JAN 84 Exiled workers join ARDE, calling themselves the
Nicaraguan Democratic Workers Solidarity. (STDN).
10 JAN 84 An ARDE communique states unity objectives. The
following day, Robelo meets with FDN
representatives to discuss ARDE unity offer.
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JAN 84 Pastora has lonq complained of supply problems, but
they seem to worsen early this year. On 17 January
he orders a cease fire. ARDE claims to have 5,700
members, includinq 1,000 unarmed volunteers who had
joined since December 1983.
29 JAN 84 Pastora creates a problem for the Costa Rican
government by sending 192 refugees to Costa Rica
claiming he could not feed or clothe them.
18 FEB 84 ARDE attacks the Sandinistas at Penas Blancas
border crossing, drawing return fire by the
Sandinistas across the border.
20 FEB 84 ARDE issues six points which state conditions for a
cease-fire with the Nicaraguan government.
22 FEB 84 ARDE attacks Conventillos, near Penas Blancas. The
Sandinistas respond by firing at Costa Rican border
guards. The incidents provoke Costa Rican protests
and a sharp downturn in relations.
FEB 84 Fernando Chamorro reaffiliates with ARDE.
11-13 MAR 84 Managua protests to Costa Rica border attacks by
ARDE aqainst El Papaturro, Los Chiles, and Penas
Blancas.
24 MAR 84 A DC-3 on an ARDE resupply flight crashes near San
Carlos, Costa Rica. The incident is exposed in the
press in early April, leading to new charqes of CIA
involvement.
15 APR 84 ARDE captures the southeastern port of San Juan del
Norte, its most important victory in a year of
fighting. Clearly embarrassed by their defeat, the
Sandinistas retaliate with an air and ground
attack, driving the insurgents out after a week of
fighting.
19 APR 84 Costa Rica claims that a Nicaraguan aircraft fired
rockets at Delta del Colorado guard post near
battle of San Juan del Norte.
24 APR 84 Costa Rican security forces raid ARDE offices and
residences in San Jose, probably in response to
recent insurgent activity and to allegations in US
newspapers of CIA bribery of Costa Rican officials.
29 APR 84 Costa Rica claims two more Sandinista air attacks
on northern border towns in retaliation for nearby
ARDE attacks. In telephone calls with President
Monge, Sandinista officials say that Costa Rica
must close down ARDE or "face the consequences."
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5 MAY 84 An ARDE delegation--including Pastora
representatives--aqrees to a unity agreement at a
meeting of insurgent groups hosted by the Honduran
military. reports that Pastora later
accused ARDE leaders of exceeding their
instructions and threatened to publish a communique
denouncing the agreement.
8 MAY 84 Sandinistas claim ARDE attacks on Palo de Arco
originated in Costa Rica. Press claims 45 killed
in the battle.
14 MAY 84 Pastora makes unauthorized trip to Honduras to seek
military aid.
17-18 MAY 84 ARDE leaders vote for convergence of insurgent
groups at meetings which Pastora's group
boycotts. The draft document provides for a
unified directorate and military staff, both of
which would exclude former Guardsmen.
21 MAY 84 Pastora again halts military activities and issues
a communique criticizing internal and external
pressure for unity.
20-21 MAY 84 Six ARDE members arrested in Costa Rica.
24 MAY 84 Pastora travels to Panama to seek military aid.
Pastora boasts to General Noriega that he now has
more than 8,000 combatants, but we estimate that
ARDE's armed strength is currently closer to 4,000.
28-30 MAY 84 The ARDE Assembly meets again on unity and votes to
replace a Pastors supporter. The FRS withdraws
from the Assembly and press reports indicate both
sides issue ultimatums.
30 MAY 84 Pastora is wounded in an assassination attempt at a
press conference in southern Nicaragua where he was
probably going to announce a break with other ARDE
leaders.
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EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT
ACTION
INFO
DATE
INITIAL
1
DCI
2
DDCI
3
EXDIR
4
D/ICS
5
DDI
6
DDA
7
DDO
8
DDS&T
9
Chm/NIC
10
GC
11
IG
12
Comps
( IS
C~ l~l
13
D/Pers
14
D/OLL
15
D/ PAO
16
SA/IA
17
AO/DCI
18
C/IPD/OIS
19
NI0/LA
X
20
LA DD0
X
21
D AI.A DD I
X
22
Please provide response for my
signature NLT 1200 hours, 5 June.
Executive Secre ary
4 June 1984
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SECRET
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
WASHINGTON. D.C. 20506
Executive Rcgiytry
June 1, 1984 84. 2484
Executive Secretary
Central Intelligence Agency
SUBJECT: ARDE Chronology
The NSC would like a chronology of significant milestones in
the development of the anti-Sandinista group, ARDE.
The NSC would also like a detailed chronology of ARDE actions
since 1984, including military and diplomatic relations with
other anti-Sandinista groups and relations with Costa Rica. C
Please provide chronologies by COB Tuesday, June 5.
Robert 11. Kimmitt
Executive Secretary
SECRET
DECLASSIFY ON: OADR
e a% O-wn
_J25 I
SECRET EX(
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