CENTRAL AMERICA: RECENT EVENTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88B00443R000100240003-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 24, 2007
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: June 25, 1984
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/03/26: CIA-RDP88B00443R000100240003-5
June 25, 1984
Central America: Recent Events
Recent actions of Nicaragua (since the June 1 visit of
Secretary Shultz)
-- Nicaragua increased its hostile rhetoric and actions.
-- June 2 Foreign Minister D'Escoto called the visit a
"propaganda stunt."
-- June 6 Ortega said Nicaragua to be placed on a "war
footing" because the "US was going to invade."
-- June 9 Ortega said Nicaragua has a right and need to have jet
fighter aircraft (NIO/USSR says evidence exists that a third
country ship might be used to bring-in South Yemen MIG-17s).
-- June ? Ortega visits with Fidel Castro in Havana. Cubans
provide Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs to counsel Nicaragua
on talks with US 25X1
-- June 18 Ortega meets with Chernenko in Moscow and visits other
Soviet bloc countries, presumably seeking additional weapons.
-- Continuing Nicaraguan offensive against ARDE forces in
Southern Nicaragua following the likely Sandinista
responsibility for the May 30 assassination attempt against
ARDE leader Pastora.
-- No slowdown in the increased pace of Nicaraguan airfield
construction; 3 may be ready for limited fighter operations by
Sept/Oct 1984 June 1984 warning report to 25X1
DCI) .
Cuban/Nicaraguan efforts to use negotiations to neutralize
countries in Central America
-- Consistent intelligence community findings since 1982 that
"Cuba, Nicaragua, and the Salvadoran guerrillas... will
continue to float negotiations schemes... these will be largely
for tactical political use" (including).
-- "To create or aggravate divisions within the
governing coalitions in each target country and sow
distrust between these governments and the United
States." (SNIE
1982.)
-- We saw this in March 1982 when Secretary Haig publicly met
with the Mexican Foreign Minister on Central America. Cuba
and Nicaragua used their agents of influence to immediately
spread the word that the US was getting ready for a sell out.
The Hondurans and Salvadorans told the US that if we were
going to make a separate deal they would make their own
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25X1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/03/26: CIA-RDP88B00443R000100240003-5
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/03/26: CIA-RDP88B00443R000100240003-5
SECRET 2
Honduras--since the autumn of 1979 a continuing Cuban and
Nicaraguan effort to entice or intimidate Honduras into
neutrality including:
-- late 81/early 82 Cuban efforts to persuade the Honduran
military to become neutral;
-- recent intelligence shows the Sandinistas are now-making
similar overtures to the Honduran military
-- many Nicaraguan military incurs Honduras starting
late 1979; most recent was last week;
-- covert action to train and insert Honduran terrorists.
Costa Rica--a similar pattern by Cuba and Nicaragua to entice or
intimidate into neutrality:
-- July 1982 Nicaraguan agents behind terrorist bombings plus
many other examples and various assassination efforts against
ARDE;
-- a number of military incursions; most recently in May 1984;
-- covert penetration of elements of the Costa Rican government
including our concern that the Minister of Interior and the
Vice President are cooperating with Cuba/Nicaragua;
-- e.g., intelligence report on early May 84 meeting among those
and other Costa Rican officials, Sandinistas, and Salvadoran
guerrillas with the purpose being "improve the relations with
Nicaragua" and "undermine" pro-Costa Rican officials
25X1
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/03/26: CIA-RDP88B00443R000100240003-5