MONTHLY REPORT -- PANAMA BUREAU -- JUNE 1986

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120007-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 22, 2012
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: July 7, 1986
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120007-2
FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICE
PANAMA BUREAU
DRAWER 927
APO MIAMI 34004
7 July 1986
MPA-6015
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, Foreign Broadcast Information Service
THROUGH : Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT : Monthly Report -- Panama Bureau -- June 1986
Site preparation for the Bureau's INTERNET facility began in earnest
with the arrival of Mr. Howard Hargis of HMH Construction and Mr. Tam
Stuart of COMSAT's Management Facilities Planning Staff on 25 and 30 June
respectively. By month's end the antenna base had been poured and most of
the civil works completed. We were advised unofficially that as of 9
June, our frequency allocation request had cleared all Government
ministries and was in the hands of the Panama Defense Forces.
Unfortunately, the spate of allegations regarding PDF Commander General
Antonio Noriega, which began with a NEW YORK TIMES article on 11 June, has
made what was expected to be smooth sailing for the request a bit more
uncertain. No word, official or unofficial, on the status of the request
was available at month's end.
A. Monitorial/Editorial
The month of June began with a 2-hour live speech by Salvadoran
President Jose Napolean Duarte. The occasion of the speech was to
commemorate the Duarte administration's 2d year in office. Duarte
concluded his speech by inviting the rebels to new talks to be held at the
end of July or during August. Rebel reaction to the speech and invitation
came in the form of several commentaries by Radio Venceremos and Radio
Farabundo Marti. The FMLN officially agreed to participate in the talks
in a communique carried by the rebel radio stations on 3 June.
The 6 June Contadora meeting began amid continuing confusion and
disagreement. The meeting adjourned on 7 June without the final Contadora
document being signed, but the Contadora Group did present a new document,
the "Panama Declaration." This declaration purported to outline the
future path the negotiations process should take to reach a consensus.
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On June 10 in Nicaragua, FDN contras released eight FRG volunteer
workers they had captured on 17 May in the eastern part of the country.
The release followed several days of intense negotiations conducted by
West German SPD official Hans-Juergen Wischnewski and reports of clashes
beteween EPS troops and the contras in the area where the hostages were
being held.
On 12 June, the bureau began filing reaction reports from
Panamanian media on an 11 June article appearing in THE NEW YORK TIMES
alleging that Panamanian General Antonio Noriega is involved in drug and
arms trafficking and other illegal activities. Both President Eric
Delvalle and General Noriega appeared on Panamanian television on the
night of 12 June to refute the allegations. In succeeding days, the
bureau filed numerous commentaries and reports from Panamanian media on
the allegations.
On 17 June, Panamanian media reported the seizure in Panamanian
waters of a Danish ship which was carrying arms. The ultimate destination
of the arms was reported variously to be Peruvian guerrillas, the
Nicaraguan contras, the Salvadoran guerrillas, and the Salvadoran
Government. Local authorities are continuing their investigations.
Following the House of Representatives' approval of aid for the
Nicaraguan rebels on 25 June, Panama Bureau filed numerous reports from
Managua media, including three speeches by Nicaraguan President Daniel
Ortega. On 26 June, the Managua regime announced the closing "for an
indefinite period" of the opposition newspaper, LA PRENSA. In addition,
Ortega stated that the current state of emergency "will be implemented
strictly and severely." A foreshadowing of this appeared in an
ANN-reported speech by FSLN member Bayardo Arce on 28 June in which Arce
said the Sandinist government will harden its stance regarding those
Nicaraguans "who think like Americans, feel like Americans, and frequently
leave the country to request support for the counterrevoluntionaries and
then return to the country as if nothing had happened."
The bureau also filed several reports on the Nicaraguan
Government's response to the verdict of the International Court of Justice
in which the Court upheld Nicaragua's contentions that the United States
had violated international law by financing and directing the contras.
Finally, to top off an active month, the bureau monitored from
Panamanian television on 30 June an interview given by Cuban President
Fidel Castro. The focus of the interview was Castro's support for General
Noriega. Castro insisted that Noriega had never passed intelligence on
the United States to Cuba and that the press allegations were a U.S. plot
to get rid of Noriega.
The Bureau's dedicated telephone line to the Managua Embassy
remained inoperable during the month. The line has been out since 24 May
because of cable problems between the Embassy and Telcor, the Nicaraguan
PTT. A formal protest has been filed through the INTEL office in Panama
City demanding resumption of service and threatening nonpayment for the
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period that the line has been out. The Bureau also is in frequent contact
with the Managua Embassy GSO regarding the problem. Unfortunately,
similar experiences in the past do not augur well for a quick solution to
the problem. Meanwhile, the Managua feeds are being made by commercial
phone at a cost of $3,000 to $5,000 per month.
B. Communications
As of month's end, no word had been received regarding the status
of the Bureau's request to the Panamanian Government for allocation of
frequencies to relay our communications to the Embassy via microwave.
A TSO was received from DCA Washington scheduling the Bureau's
current Autodin circuit for rehoming via tone pack to Ft. Detrick on 7
July. It was discovered in conversations with Army communciations
personnel that although the TSO had been addressed to USAISC Panama, no
one there was aware of the scheduled change. Copies of the relevant
messages were sent to USAISC.
C. Lateral Services
As a result of the local political furor caused by THE NEW YORK
TIMES articles on General Noriega, embassy political officers, including
the acting DCM, kept in close phone contact with bureau editors during the
month in order to keep track of Panamanian reaction.
D. Technical
A number of problems developed with the ROSET equipment during
the month. The azimuth/elevation function on the 13-meter analysis dish
failed. A shorted wire inside the armature was found to be the cause and
was repaired. In the process of investigating a suspected worn bearing in
one of the blower motors of the analysis dish, it was discovered that
about an inch of water had accumulated inside the base of the blower and
driver motor. This had caused the blower fan to rust and subsequently
most of the fan had disintegrated. Checks of the other blower motors on
analysis and operations 13-meter dishes revealed varying amounts of water
in them as well. With the concurrence of UAI, the blower motor housings
were removed and sealed; holes will be drilled in the bases to allow any
moisture that might accumulate from condensation to escape. Worn bearings
were replaced on one motor. A replacement fan and a spare motor are being
sent by UAI.
The following accountable property was procured locally:
Two Sanyo Memo-Scriber transcribers, Model TRC-9100, Serial
Nos. 41501503 and 41404252. Unit price: $289.00
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120007-2
A. Personnel
Two local employees received promotions effective 22 June:
Spanish monitors I(from FBN 8/2 to FBN 9/1) and
(fr
Deputy
Panama 13 June for home leave and Head r s. who
will replace arrived s wife ate 19 June on PCS.
Chief Editor and family arrived 2 June on PCS from
London Bureau.
Interim Bureau Chief arrived 5 June on TDY.
On 24 June, the interim bureau chief and new deputy chief paid a
courtesy call on Colonel P. H. Corbett, the Southern Command's deputy
chief of staff for treaty affairs.
On 30 June, the interim bureau chief and deputy visited Colonel R.
0. Abney, commander of the U.S. Army Information Systems Command, Panama.
STAT
STAT
J 1 N I
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
Acting Chief, Panama Bureau
FBIS
Attachment
Production Report
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TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 486780
TOTAL NON-PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 19870
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH: 1192
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
II. INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE: 11715.00 90870.00 212.00
(minutes or issues per week) miry. ruin. issues
III. OUTPUT FROM ALL SOURCES:
(publishable words per month)
ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires REUTER in
Spanish
Buenos Aires REUTER in
English
CHILE
Santiago Television Service in
Spanish 0
Santiago REUTER in
English 250
CLANDESTINES
Clandestine Radio Farabundo Marti in
Spanish to El Salvador
Clandestine Radio Venceremos in
Spanish to El Salvador
COLOMBIA
Bogota Cadena Radial Super in
Spanish 1510
Bogota Domestic Service in
Spanish 0
Bogota Emisoras Caracol Network in
Spanish 3250
Bogota Television Service in
Spanish 4600
Bogota REUTER in
Spanish
Bogota REUTER in
English
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Bogota EL SIGLO in
Spanish
Bogota EL TIEMPO in
Spanish
COSTA RICA
San Jose Radio Impacto in
Spanish 5840
San Jose Radio Reloj in
Spanish 5970
San Jose LA NACION in
Spanish 2720
San Jose LA PRENSA LIBRE in
Spanish 1110
San Jose LA REPUBLICA in
Spanish 2120
San Jose LIBERTAD REVOLUCIONARIA in
Spanish 0
Sari Jose LIBERTAD in
Spanish 740
San Jose RUMBO CENTROAMERICANO in
Spanish 0
San Jose RUMBO in
Spanish 1130
CUBA
Havana International Service in
Quechua 0
Havana International Service in
Spanish 57610
Havana Television Service in
Spanish 12040
Havana PRENSA LATINA in
English
Havana PRENSA LATINA in
Spanish
ECUADOR
Quito Radio Quito in
Spanish
Quito Voz de los Andes in
Spanish
Quito REUTER in
Spanish
Quito REUTER in
English
EL SALVADOR
Sari Salvador Canal Doce Television in
Spanish
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120007-2
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
San
Salvador
Spanish
Channel 2 Television in
520
San
Salvador
Spanish
Domestic Service in
12890
San
Salvador
Spanish
La Voz Panamericana in
2480
San
Salvador
Spanish
Radio Cadena Sonora in
6410
Sari
Salvador
Spanish
Radio Cadena YSKL in
5170
Sari
Salvador
Spanish
Radio Cadena YSU in
1860
San
Salvador
Spanish
Television Educativa in
1150
San
San
San
San
San
Sari
Sari
Salvador
Spanish
Salvador
Spanish
Salvador
Spanish
Salvador
Spanish
Salvador
Spanish
Salvador
Spanish
Salvador
English
DIARIO LATINO in
EL DIARIO DE HOY in
EL MUNDO in
EL TIEMPO in
LA PRENSA GRAFICA in
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 Ernisoras
Unidas in
Spanish
Guatemala City Radio Nuevo Mundo in
Spanish
Guatemala City Radio Television
Guatemala in
Spanish
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Guatemala City TELEONCE Television in
Spanish
Guatemala City EL GRAFICO in
Spanish
Guatemala City PRENSA LIBRE in
Spanish
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
HONDURAS
Tegucigalpa Cadena Audio Video in
Spanish 6450
Tegucigalpa Domestic Service in
Spanish 0
Tegucigalpa Televisora Hondurena in
Spanish 2310
Tegucigalpa Voz de Honduras Network in
Spanish 8390
San Pedro Sula LA PRENSA in
Spanish 420
San Pedro Sula TIEMPO in
Spanish 2480
Tegucigalpa EL HERALDO in
Spanish 1510
Tegucigalpa LA TRIBUNA in
Spanish 1690
MEXICO
Mexico City XEW Television Network in
Spanish 8070
Mexico City XHDF Television
Network in
Spanish 5390
Mexico City CERIGUA in
Spanish 1830
Mexico City ENFOPRENSA in
Spanish 0
Mexico City REUTER in
English 0
Mexico City REUTER in
Spanish 0
Mexico City EL DIA in
Spanish
Mexico City EL NACIONAL in
Spanish
Mexico City EL UNIVERSAL in
Spanish
Mexico City EXCELSIOR in
Spanish
Mexico City THE NEWS in
English
970
820
16940
1160
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BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
Mexico City UNOMASUNO in
Spanish
NICARAGUA
Managua International Service in
Spanish
16500
Managua Domestic Service in
Spanish
16200
Managua Radio Noticias in
Spanish
160
Managua Radio Sandino in
Spanish
950
Managua Sistema Sandinista Television
Network in
Spanish
2060
Managua ANN Diplomatic Information
Service in
Spanish
0
Managua ANN in
Spanish
23410
Managua PRENSA LATINA in
Spanish
1950
Managua SALPRESS-NOTISAL in
Spanish
0
Managua BARRICADA INTERNACIONAL in
English
1480
Managua BARRICADA in
Spanish
6800
Managua EL NUEVO DIARIO in
Spanish
0
Managua LA PRENSA in
Spanish
4330
PANAMA
Panama City Circuity RPC
Television in
Spanish
5900
Panama City Domestic Service in
Spanish
3120
Panama City PANAVISION Television in
Spanish
1050
Panama City Television Service in
Spanish
0
Panama City Televisora Nacional
Spanish
in
6260
Panama City ACAN in
Spanish
Panama City CRITICA in
Spanish
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BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
Panama City DIALOGO SOCIAL in
Spanish
860
Panama City EL SIGLO in
Spanish
1220
Panama City EXTRA in
Spanish
3440
Panama City LA ESTRELLA DE PANAMA in
Spanish
8590
Panama City LA PRENSA in
Spanish
18980
Panama City LA REPUBLICA DOMINICAL in
Spanish
1170
Panama City LA REPUBLICA in
Spanish
4460
Panama City MATUTINO in
Spanish
8080
Panama City QUIUBO GRAFICO in
Spanish
Panama City STAR AND HERALD in
English
Panama City THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC in
English
PERU
Lima Panarnericana Television
Network in
Spanish
Lima Television Peruana in
Spanish
Lima REUTER in
English
Lima REUTER in
Spanish
SPAIN
Madrid EFE in
Spanish
USSR
Moscow TASS in
Spanish
VENEZUELA
Caracas Television Service in
Spanish
Caracas REUTER in
English
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BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
Caracas EL NACIONAL in
Spanish
Caracas EL UNIVERSAL in
Spanish
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PANAMA BUREAU PRODUCTION REPORT FOR JUNE 1986 -- ANNEX
TOTALS FROM ROSET SOURCES:
ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires REUTER in
Spanish
CHILE
Santiago REUTER in
English
COLOMBIA
Bogota Television Service in
Spanish
Bogota REUTER in
English
CUBA
Havana PRENSA LATINA in
Spanish
ECUADOR
Quito REUTER in
English
MEXICO
Mexico City XEW Television Network in
Spanish
Mexico City XHDF Television Network in
Spanish
Mexico City CERIGUA in
Spanish
NICARAGUA
Managua ANN in
Spanish
Managua PRENSA LATINA in
Spanish
PERU
Lima REUTER in
English
SPAIN
Madrid EFE in
Spanish
VENEZUELA
Caracas Television Service in
Spanish
Caracas REUTER in
English
4,600
10,040
1,540
8,070
5,390
1,830
23,410
1,950
2,100
5,150
TOTAL FOR JUNE 1986 66,250
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