CASTRO CALLED REAL PRESIDENT OF NICARAGUA

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP90-00552R000404640008-7
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
K
Document Page Count: 
1
Document Creation Date: 
December 22, 2016
Document Release Date: 
July 14, 2010
Sequence Number: 
8
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
November 29, 1982
Content Type: 
OPEN SOURCE
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PDF icon CIA-RDP90-00552R000404640008-7.pdf117.69 KB
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/14: CIA-RDP90-00552R000404640008-7 ARTICLE APPEARED ON PAGE WASEINGTON TIMES 29 NOVEMBER 1982 Castro called real president of Nicaragua UN1nRVrW From the beginning, thousands of Cubans arrived and began to take key -positions all over the country. And The commander of Nicaragua's National Liberation Army, Pedro Ortega, also known as "Juan Carlos," on fighting Castro in Nicaragua. not just Cubans. There had been mas- sive aid from international terrorist -organizations like the Montoneros and STAT then goes back to Cuba. Sometimes he comes two or three times in the same week. There is something else about Puerto Cabezas. They have taken all the Miskito Indians who lived there - the Chilean MIR and from Libya, and about 10,000 or 15.000 - and sent these people began to occupy positions them to the mountains in order to in the government. The Nicaraguans leave a free zone for a big military were relegated to a back seat. base operated totally by Cubans. al Libera- Nicaraguans are not permitted there. t h th tio Q Wh N a as e a n : One of the groups of Nicaraguan . lion Army done against the Sandinistas? It is a restricted zone, where exiles fighting a guerrilla war against A: We have been inside Nicaragua internationalists are trained, who are Nicaragua's Sandinista government fighting, and continue now with much sent to Honduras and El Salvador. is led by a former businessman, Pedro more strength, in the northern zone, Q: They are training guerrillas? Ortega, who uses the nom de guerre, A: Thee have trained thousands of on the Atlantic coast, in countless "Juan Carlos." Born in Spain, he came places and villages. The campesinos Salvadorans. Airplanes leave constantly to Nicaragua as a child and owned a have given us their total support, even for the mountains of El Salvador, ere men and wai equipment are match factory in Managua when the serving as guides in the mountains. where--m--e-n- Sandinistas took power in 1979. We have hundreds fighting in Nicaragua dropped. This is the way the Salvadoran "Juan Carlos" now commands the ' and have executed huge operations, guerrillas have been able to maintain lvational Liberation Army (LLN)? The not just along the border, but in the official Sandinista newspaper calls interior to weaken the Sandino- , him "the Chief of the Jackals." communist economy. We believe that When "Juan Carlos" visited Washing- more than 800 Sandinista soldiers ton last week, Latin American expert have died in these operations. Roger Reed interviewed him in Spanish for The Washington Times and trans- Q Is your command post in Honduras? fated the following excerpts: A: I move all around and have no Q: What is the National Liberation Army? A: The National Liberation Army was formed in mid-August 1979, at first as a humanitarian organization to aid the thousands of Nicaraguans who had to flee their country when the Sandino-communist forces took fixed position. The people of the National Liberation Army who are fighting are inside Nicaragua. Q: How many men are in the In Nicaragua they also train and supply the Honduran terrorist group, the Chinchoneros. All their war mate- rial comes from Nicaragua. In the northern zone, near Esteli, there is.a base where hundreds of Hondurans were trained to destabilize the Honduran elections. They failed, because the Honduran military knew about this. But they were able to get lots of men and arms into Honduras. There is something else. The accordin to our Sandinistas and the Russians have have A: The y , U. intelligence service and to ex-Sandinista already arranged to cut a canal. sympathizers, about 25,000 in the Russia intends, through Cuba, to begin regular force and a reserve of about as soon as possible to build a canal R' J don composed of thousands of Nicara- 100,000. The Sandinista Front has guans, in the majority ex-members of begun a tremendous arms race. They the National Guard, inside and out- have turned Nicaragua into.one of side the country. We have the signa- the best-armed republics in the 000 men who support Caribbean, after Cuba. tures of about 7 , us. Our goals are to give real freedom Q: It is said that Puerto Cabezas is being converted into a military to the suffering people of Nicaragua , to help eradicate communism in all of Zone_..-. Central America, and to establish a real pluralistic, democratic government. Q: Why are you fighting the Sandinistas? A: When the Sandinistas took power, they said they were going to establish a government that represented the people, that they would soon hold elections. But in a few months, the people realized that what had come to Nicaragua was not a democracy, but uan rver, crossing from the San Lake Nicaragua, and cutting through the department of Rivas at its most narrow part. This way, the canal would go to the Pacific Ocean. It would be an inter-oceanic canal. We know this is already arranged. If they haven't already begun to dig the canal, they could begin next month. have three important air bases, where %Z` I VU ed ho armed a hundred thousand armed men. How do ki d n ny of aircraft, such as the MiG-21, can land. These bases are at' Puerto Cabezas, Bluefields, and Montelimar. Montelimar is the airfield that Fidel Castro uses privately. Castro is in Montelimar every eight to ten days. He goes to advise and to tell the Sandinista commanders what they have to do. He arrives, is there one you expect to defeat them? Is that your goal? A: Correct. The people of Nicaragua were tricked and are suffering. They are ready to confront any military a '011,."U Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/14: CIA-RDP90-00552R000404640008-7