ARMY SCHEMING TO SEIZE POWER IN ARGENTINA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000100150016-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 29, 2012
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: December 1, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

T Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/29 :CIA-RDP90-009658000100150016-1
Army Schemin
~.
To Seize Pa~~-er
In Argentina .
Argentine President Re~valdo
Bignone will be overthrown before
the month is out
This, at leas`ti is the prediction
contained in a secret Argentine army
document, which reveals that the
man who is the real power behind
Bi~*none, Army Corr:mander-in-Chief
Cristino Nicolaides, intends to seize
thE presidency as well as the pow-
er-and soon.
ThE document, stamped "Se-
creto," w~ translated and confirmed
authentic by my associate` Jon
LeE Ande-son and Da)E Van Alta.
Dated Aug. 19, it is from Brig. Gen.
Rodolfo %nrique Luis ~Vehner to the
army's top intelligence officer, Brig.
Gee. Alfredo Sotera, laying out in-
structions from their "jefe maximo,'
Gen. Nicolaides.
"ThE ascension of His Fa:cellencv
the Commander-in-Chief to the
presidency o,` the nation ...should
be achieved toward the end of this
yea:," the orders state uneouivocally.
.Ever since Bignone took over the
military regime from disgraced Gen.
Leopoldo Fortunato Galtieri in the
? aftermath of the disastrous Fa)kland
THE VvASHINGTON POST
1 December 1952
Islands soventurE, there Have been
repeated rumors that I~icolaider was
not sstas; ed w~ his behind-the-
scenes role. Nicolaide< routinely dis-
missed these rumors as "malicious
gossip.'
lr, the sE:cret dire~ve, Yvehaer
reminds Borers of _`thE meeting we
both had with Iva Exceliency,? and
alludes t4 the consmander-in-chief's
concern about disloyalty ?witsin the
arrr:y high command, some of Whom
evident}~? have politics] ambitions of
their own,
It is vi'.al, the intelligence chief i<
told, that they "tmpenE the rise of
interns) aissident teadencie` which
(would) aal:e it impossiole for (Ni-
colaides) to exerciSE the necessary
control' over the army.
A disinformation campaign u
called for. Borers i ordered to "make
It known that It L Dot in tde tntel-
est of His Exceiienc}? the Com-
mZnder?in-Chief to occupy the pres.
idenc}' of the nation, that this would
onh' occur in casE the current gov?
ernment headed by President
Reynaldo Bignone doesn't wort; ou.''
AL the seine timE, though, `there
should bE created ... tbE sense of a
lacl; of stability, f power vacuum,
and increased concern over the oe-
veiopment of the social and econom-
ic crisis,' the document stette;?.
using the phrase `political deci-
sion" for the planned takeover, the
secret instructions tell the intelli-
gence?chief to contact `pertinent ci-
~'ihen sectors"-=that is, politicsarLs
chosen by NicelaideF--t,o nsake ce;=?
fain `that theti-:go 81ong with tb~= ~b-
Iitical deasion,' which will ensure 8
normal zraaafer- of pave:." ; i
The orders continue: "At the same"
time, develop ~ and inciease the ,con.
facts ?with-the~va~y and 'Air ForrB
High Comrasr-ds. Let it rhea bE per..
fectly understood that the
of (I3icolaioes) =~ ?that `the :
P;~
(his presioencv~ s}wulda't go oa for
longer than"the first -months of L41~1:
Lr f prolongation sbotild Doss :.:.jir:
would only happen after previous.
agreement with `the most represeai.
I.n ott,er words, the anJCipated,,
suspicions .among the other arrae~`,=
forces that `Iv"icolaides plans to Yeeg'
control indefiniuh~ should. be shaved
b~? an assurance that ?lae wiD give ttp''
the presidency in about a year uasiesE ?'
civilian )eaoers agree that he sboitld ::
stay on.
It ~is possible, of course, tbat~?v'i=l
coiaides may decide w give up' his-~
plan= for - a `coup-..or at least' his
timetable foi_ .one-now that Abe =;
blow, hiP cdvei. .. . ,
`AA. the Commander?in-Chief . or_,'
dared," thE secret order` state, "the ~,
taking of the 'political deQaion' ? aF
pends, for the most. pear-ti upon, the.'
level of confidenti8lit}~ maiDtaiaed::.
For this reason, it is important tA.;
take all the precautions Deoeasary to
ensure the success of the opesitioa~.
Sorry about first, general. t .
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/29 :CIA-RDP90-009658000100150016-1