MONTHLY REPORT--PARAGUAY BUREAU--JANUARY 1986

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87-01104R000100130012-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 2, 2012
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: February 4, 1986
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100130012-5
FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICE
PARAGUAY BUREAU
ASUNCION, PARAGUAY
MPY-6006
4 February 1986
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, FBIS
THROUGH i Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT i Monthly Report--Paraguay Bureau--January 1986
1. General John Rogers Galvin, commander-in-chief of the U.S.
Southern Command, headquartered in Panama, visited Paraguay and the
Asuncion Mission 26-28 January. The Bureau Chief attended the
limited country-team briefing chaired by Ambassador Taylor on the
26th. The Ambassador introduced the Chief to Gen Galvin and
explained the Bureau's mission. The general said he is familiar
with FBIS and particularly the work of Panama Bureau. The Chief also
attended a Paraguayan-style asado (barbecue) at the Ambassador's
residence that night for Gen Galvin. The bureau provided the Office
of Defense Cooperation with a compendium of television reportage on
the general's visit.
2. Paraguay and southern Brazil have been suffering the hottest
and driest summer on record. Temperatures have consistently been
above 100 degrees and rainfall has been insignificant, causing
severe crop damage and significant problems for the
agriculture-based Paraguayan economy. Additionally, a sudden, freak
dry-wind storm hit Asuncion on the 12th with hurricane-force winds
of over 80 mph. As winds of this strength are rare in Asuncion, the
storm was a good test for the Bureau antennas at both the remote
site and on the Embassy compound. No damage was discovered.
3. Because of the drought, the Rio Paraguay is at a record low
level, resulting in river shipment problems for some commodities,
including crude oil. Shortages have occurred, the most troublesome
being automobile alcohol, which reportedly will be out of supply for
four months, and various grocery store items. The Bureau has made
contingency plans for the driver to transport staff who own
alcohol-fueled cars to and from work when their cars' thirst cannot
be quenched and public transportation is unavailable. The government
monopoly that produces automobile alcohol says it can do nothing
about the shortage, which affects some 10,000 cars in Asuncion.
Evidently the "black market" and "contrabandistas" will have to
supply car alcohol -- of course, at exorbitant prices. Meanwhile,
prices for other commodities also have risen drastically recently --
all of which points to a tough economic year for the Paraguayans.
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A. Monitorial/Editorial
1. Ambassador Taylor on 3 January met with the National Accord,
a loose coalition of four small opposition parties. Government
officials, high-ranking members of the ruling Colorado Party, and
the official press reacted strongly and negatively to the meeting.
The Bureau filed several broadcast and published statements and
editorials condemning the ambassador's "meddling" and
"interference," some of which were hand-carried to the ambassador
as soon as they were translated. On the 7th, the Ambassador sent
the Bureau a memo expressing his thanks for the rapid and accurate
reporting on his meetings and subsequent media reaction. He later
forwarded a copy of a letter he received from U.S. Congressman Tony
P. Hall of Ohio commending the Ambassador for the meetings, which
Hall said he learned about "from information carried by the Foreign
Broadcast Information Service."
2. As the storm over the Ambassador's meeting was subsiding,
U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy, on a trip to South America -- which did
not include Paraguay -- said on the 10th in a telephone interview
from Brazil with Asuncion Radio Nanduti that he hoped Paraguayan
President Alfredo Stroessner would open a dialogue with the
opposition. A tape of Kennedy's interview was sent to Ambassador
Taylor, who again thanked the Bureau, which braced itself for the
ensuing barrage of editorials and statements blasting Kennedy's
"interference."
3. Senator Kennedy received more than a "warm" reception in
Chile on the 15th. As he was trying to leave Santiago's airport by
car, progovernment demonstrators blocked the road and damaged his
car. He returned to the terminal building and waited 2 hours before
being taken downtown in a police helicopter. Chilean Foreign
Minister Jaime del Valle denied any government involvement in the
demonstrations. Later that day Kennedy addressed an"opposition
rally in Santiago and met with Chilean Cardinal Raul Silva
Enriquez. A bomb threat forced Kennedy to interrupt the meetings he
was holding in the Spanish Circle Club in Santiago. On the 16th,
Kennedy departed Santiago for Lima after giving a press conference
at the airport.
4. Terrorist bombings continued in Chile throughout the month.
On the 19th bombs hit the U.S. Cultural Center and the railroad
station in Valparaiso. On the 25th, there was an explosion in the
Cardoen Arms Factory in Iquique, north of Santiago, where cluster
bombs are manufactured. According to unofficial reports, 30 people
were killed in the explosion, and the government did not rule out
sabotage.
5. On the 13th, a large, leftist-organized demonstration was
held in Buenos Aires to protest the visit by U.S. banker David
Rockefeller to Argentina to chair a meeting of the Society of the
Americas. A general strike was called by the General Labor
Confederation (CGT) on the 24th. It is difficult to determine
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/02: CIA-RDP87-01104R000100130012-5
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whether the widespread participation in the strike was motivated by
worker discontent, as the COT claimed, or by the desire for a long
summer weekend, as the government insinuated.
6. On the 9th, Brazilian official and diplomatic sources leaked
that despite U.S.-imposed sanctions against Libya, Brazil planned
to remain one of al-Qadhdhafi's main suppliers of weapons and
planes. The Libyan Embassy in Brasilia, moreover, announced that a
commerical and military mission would visit Brazil in February to
buy more products. In an official note on the 13th, the Brazilian
Foreign Ministry denied knowledge that a Libyan mission would come
in February to discuss arms sales. In the and, the Libyans
cancelled the visit.
7. In keeping with energy rationing in southern Brazil caused by
the severe drought, a general on the 21st ordered that soldiers be
given haircuts with manual rather than electric clippers. `?.r N.*,y
B. Cruising
At headquarters' request, the cruiser surveyed Lisbon, Madrid,
and Beijing International Services. He also checked Brazilian
stations to find a substitute for the morning cast of Radio
Bandeirantes, which had to be dropped because of poor reception.
C. Technical
1. The long-wire antenna project at the remote site got under
way this month. It will replace the temporary one currently being
used. The Bureau purchased most of the equipment it will need, and
a contractor cleared the area where it will be erected and laid the
foundations and prepared the poles. We have ANTELCO's verbal
agreement to put up the antenna, and once we have the written
agreement it should be up quickly. The Bureau expects this aintenna
to improve medium wave reception of Uruguay in particular as well as
of Argentina and Brazil.
2. The technicians drew an updated azimuthal equidistance map
showing the orientation of all the Bureau's antennas, including
those at the remote site. It will be forwarded to Washington with a
package of pictures on the Bureau and the antennas.
Personnel
1. Monitor who has been on LWOP for i year,
resigned her position on the 2t4 h. She is living in Montevideo and
will not be able to return to Asuncion. She has found, however, a
contract position with the ODC office in Montevideo.
2. The Paraguayan Government mandated a 13-percent increase in
the minimum wage effective 17 January, which will result in a
monthly increase of 7,832 guaranies for all FBN employees.
STAT
,__ Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100130012-5
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100130012-5
IV. VISITS
1. Bureau Chief
on the 10th.
returned from leave in the States
2. As noted above, General John R. Galvin, Commander-in-Chief,
U.S. Southern Command, Panama, visited the Mission 26-28 Jan.
Accompanying him were, among others, Richard Moon, polrep to U.S.
SOUTHCOM.
3.] ]while on an inspection visit
of thel ]visited the Bureau on the 24th for a briefing on Bureau
operations and L_ ureau relations. The Bureau Chief was able to
assure him that cooperation between the two units is excellent and
that the Aur--u as absolutely no complaints on its communications
CCi Panama Bureau
Key West Bureau
Attachmentsi Monthly Production Report
Chief, FBIS Paraguay Bureau
STAT
STAT
STAT
JIAI
STAT
STAT
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/02 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100130012-5
f.k.rrez=ar_t Production Report for January 1986
TOTALS FROM ALL SOURCES:
TCYI-A .. F'UFi1... I C HAE:rt...E: W!ORD(1(3E FILED DURING MONTH:
TOTAL NON f:,I.JI_iL I GI?IAL+L..E' WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH:
T (..7'AL NUMBER C.)F E"'I.IDL.. I SHABI...E ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH:
II. INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE:
(mint-ties
Cyr 1 r:rit.lEa~i: I:irr r'Jc & I: )
III. OUTPUT FROM ALL. SOURCES;
252080
81970
1214
I=3ROAD..- PRESS Ptint.. I
CASTS AGE :NC., I E:S CAT I ONS
7502.00 4077o. 00 177.23
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