MONTHLY REPORT -- PANAMA BUREAU -- FEBRUARY 1988

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-01355R000400120010-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 18, 2013
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: March 2, 1988
• Content Type: MEMO

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ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET
SUBJECT: (Optional)
Monthly Report -- Panama Bureau
FROM:
Chief, Operations Group
EXTENSION
NO.
DATE
February 1988
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
building)
DATE
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INITIALS
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Exec. Reg.
FORM 61 0 USE PREVIOUS
1-79 EDITIONS
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2 March 1988
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, Foreign Broadcast Information Service
THROUGH Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT Monthly Report -- Panama Bureau -- February 1988
I. GENERAL
A. The 5 February indictment of Panamanian Defense Forces
(PDF) commander Manuel Noriega by U.S. federal courts in Miami
and Tampa began a chain of events that by month's end had
resulted in another major government crisis which further
strained U.S.-Panamanian relations. An attempt by President
Delvalle to replace Noriega on 25 February failed when the
largely pro-PDF legislature reacted immediately by removing
Delvalle and Vice President Roderick Esquivel from office for
allegedly violating the Panamanian constitution. Although
Noriega and his newly appointed ministers clearly maintained
control of the country, The United States continued to recognize
Delvalle, and general confusion ruled as several other countries
struggled to decide which side to support.
The pro-Noriega forces reacted to the charges and pressure
against their leader with a barrage of anti-U.S. rhetoric, the
centerpiece being a campaign to expel the U.S. Southern Command
(SOUTHCOM) from Panama. Part of this campaign included one or
two mentions of sophisticated espionage stations, one in Chiva
Chiva, that contribute to SOUTHCOM's evil intentions. But the
bureau has yet to be singled out for special attention, as it was
in the summer of 1987. Despite what was and remains a
potentially volatile situation, things remain relatively calm.
Both U.S. and Panamanian military officials have gone out of
their way to stress that no retaliatory action is planned by
either side. Isolated incidents, however, have not been ruled
out and in fact are expected. One such event occurred when
General Noriega's daughter and son-in-law were stopped and
detained briefly on a U.S. base for speeding and offensive
actions. The next day some 30 U.S. servicemen driving to work
were stopped and detained for a few hours. This was the only
untoward event of the month involving U.S. personnel.
As usual in Panama crises, the lack of facts and hard
information has resulted in rumors galore and the resulting
confusion. Bureau personnel, somewhat hardened to events by past
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experience and a strong sense of deja vu, have exhibited a strong
sense of professionalism. They have taken developments in
stride, keeping everything in perspective. The bureau has
reinstituted the same personal safety measures employed last
summer to minimize transportation problems. We continue to
strive for a very low profile.
BBC newsroom editor arrived at the bureau for STAT
an orientation visit just as the bean dip was hitting the fan.
His luggage was the first casualty of the day, as it failed to
make the trip from Miami. The deputy chief scraped together an
assortment of "one-size-fits-all" clothing to assist him in his
hours of need, which turned out to be considerable because his
bag had still not showed up when he departed several days later
for Paraguay. On the evening President DelValle announced he
had replaced General Noriega the bureau invited back for STAT
the evening shift to observe and participate in t e ureau's
handling of a crisis situation. found himself phoning in STAT
certain information for the BBC, and with no BBC representation
on the local scene was told to stay on a few days in a
semi-official capacity until a BBC news team arrived.
B. FBA progress continued. System administrator and
technician training and system debugging resumed after a brief
LEC hiatus early in the month. Despite a major LAN crash on 23
February, the system continued to work well in general and proved
its worth during the first day of the Panamanian Government
crisis of 25-26 February. As a result of the LAN, we were able
to file 60 priority or above items over three shifts without at
any time facing a communications room backlog.
II. OPERATIONS
A. Monitorial/Editorial
1. The situation in Panama was the primary focus of our
operational effort for the month. In addition to the heavy
coverage the Noriega indictment and Panamanian Government
reaction prompted, the government crisis of 25-26 February
resulted in the bureau's staying open all night to cover
Delvalle's removal and his replacement's appointment and
acceptance speech. Continuous coverage of and numerous open
speaker watches on Panamanian Government and opposition media
also entailed a substantial effort by cruisers, main radio
boardmen, and monitors.
2. Despite our focus on Panama, events in Nicaragua
also required attention. The introduction of monetary reform and
a new currency resulted in another very late night for the
bureau, and the ongoing issue of government-contra cease-fire
talks continued to generate much high-priority copy. Also, the
reappearance of a second opposition-oriented radio, Radio
Corporacion, led us to add another newscast to an already
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crowded Managua listening menu.
3. On the organizational side, new procedures that
return translating and monitoring responsibilities to the shift
supervisor went into full swing. Although shift supervisors
retain responsibility for coordinating the monitorial workload of
a shift, they are now also expected to engage regularly in
translating and monitoring. To give supervisors time for these
tasks, all other monitors have assumed monitorial responsibility
on a rotating basis for the bureau's eight press agencies.
B. Communications
On 24 February, the bureau lost access to its remote lines
to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador as a result of the
destruction of a microwave relay tower north of Managua. Damage
to all communications traveling northward from Nicaragua was
extensive, and it is expected the lines will not be restored
until the second week of March.
C. Lateral Services
1. Immediately following Panamanian President
Delvalle's attempt to replace General Noriega on 25 February, the
bureau received approximately 10 phone calls, ranging from the
DCM's office to USARSO Commander General Loeffke's office,
requesting a translation of Delvalle's statement. Although all
local offices received the text of Delvalle's statement, some by
special courier, within 2 hours, those portions of the statement
dealing with Noriega's dismissal and replacement were read over
the phone to the USARSO chief of staff's office less than 10
minutes after Delvalle finished speaking.
2. On 15 February, the bureau received a letter of
appreciation from Colonel Paul Morgan, U.S. Army South's deputy
chief of staff for intelligence, for "outstanding support" on the
Panama situation.
D. Technical
1. The bureau was connected to a new primary power
system on 1 February. The new system replaces an over
30-year-old 2,400-volt line with a much shorter 11,000-volt line
that comes directly from Fort Clayton. In addition, our old
225-KVA transformers have been replaced with 300-KVA units.
Because the new power system has much higher voltage, covers a
shorter distance, and has a larger capacity, the reliability and
stability of the bureau's primary power should improve, even
though the old system had remained reliable.
2. By month's end, LEC had trained all main radio
boardmen and electronic technicians on LAN operations.
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3. The following accountable property was received from
headquarters:
-- 4 Motorola 83JJA1000CK Mobile Radio s/n 433HMW1546,
433HMW1547, 433HMW1548, and 433H1vIW1549. Unit Price: $1,262.38
-- 2 Antenna Transit Dome HB RRA-4418A. Unit Price:
$12.42
-- 1 LGTNG/Surge Arrestor RRX-4047A
-- 1 Antenna TDD6790A-B 100-ft Coaxial Cable
pn:30-80329A22
-- 1 Grounding Kit Type 204989-1 pn: TDN-6673A
-- 1 Base STA Power Supply Model TPN1154A
-- 1 Radio, Base station Maxar 80 Model L53TSBH3OBM s/n
475FMW1133.
III. ADMINISTRATION
A. Personnel
1. Monitor-trainee
duty 1 February.
2. Monitor-trainee
29 February.
entered on
entered on duty
B. Building And Grounds
Contractor Taller Raulito began the annual painting of
the Roset antennas.
C. Other
The bureau has completed an Inter-Service Support
Agreement with U.S. Army South (USARSO). The agreement
formalizes USARSO's responsibility for providing administrative
support to FBIS/Panama. It reaffirms current support as well as
provides contingencies for some support the bureau has not
previously requested. It also solidifies our status as a
part of the U.S. military establishment tasked with defense
of the canal. The agreement is now being staffed to the
appropriate military components.
IV. VISITS
The bureau chief and Chief Technician
made a semiannual TDY to three of the tour central
erican remote sites and San Jose, Costa Rica, from 1 to 12
February. Visa problems prevented a visit to Managua.
B. LEC's departed Panama 25 February
after spending approximately 2 1/2 months--off and on--at the
bureau installing and providing training for FBA-1.
STAT
STAT
STAT
SUM
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STAT
STAT
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the bureau's last surviving LEC contractor, will remain
until the middle of March to provide FBA support and to assist in
another project not related to FBA.
C. USARSO Chief of Staff Colonel A. T. Rossi and ISSA
Program Manager Velma Reilly paid a courtesy call on the bureau
chief on 17 February and received a briefing and tour.
D. BBC newsroom editor
23-25 February.
visited the bureau
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STAT
STAT
STAT
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Panama Bureau Production Report for FEBRUARY 1988
I. TOTALS FROM ALL SOURCES:
TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH:
TOTAL NON-PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH:
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH:
II. INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE:
(minutes or issues per week)
III. OUTPUT FROM ALL SOURCES:
BROAD-
CASTS
15360.00
min.
378040
51840
768
PRESS PUBLI-
AGENCIES CATIONS
74700.00 220.00
min. issues
(publishable words per month)
CLANDESTINE
Clandestine Radio Farabundo Marti in
Spanish to El Salvador
Clandestine Radio Venceremos in
Spanish to El Salvador
0
12450
ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires REUTER in
Spanish
4760
COLOMBIA
Bogota Emisoras Caracol Network in
Spanish
4000
Bogota INRAVISION Television Cadena
in
1
Spanish
4700
Bogota INRAVISION Television Cadena
in
2
Spanish
1190
Bogota EL SIGLO in
Spanish
690
Bogota EL TIEMPO in
Spanish
6270
COSTA RICA
San Jose Radio Impacto in
Spanish
3670
San Jose Radio Reloj in
Spanish
1570
San Jose LA NACION in
Spanish
560
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2
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
San Jose LA PRENSA LIBRE in
Spanish 0
San Jose LA REPUBLICA in
Spanish 80
San Jose LIBERTAD REVOLUCIONARIA in
Spanish 0
San Jose LIBERTAD in
Spanish 240
San Jose RUMBO in
Spanish 0
CUBA
Havana CUBAVISION Television in
Spanish
Havana International Service in
Quechua
Havana International Service in
Spanish
Havana PRENSA LATINA in
English
Havana PRENSA LATINA in
Spanish
ECUADOR
Quito Radio Quito in
? Spanish
Quito Voz de los Andes in
Spanish
0
600
2710
520
2170
EL SALVADOR
San Salvador Canal Doce Television in
Spanish 1520
San Salvador Canal Seis Television in
Spanish 1140
San Salvador Domestic Service in
Spanish 0
San Salvador La Voz Panamericana in
Spanish 750
San Salvador Radio Cadena Sonora in
Spanish 770
San Salvador Radio Cadena YSKL in
Spanish 2480
San Salvador Radio Cadena YSU in
Spanish 6820
San Salvador TCS Television in
Spanish 3700
San Salvador Television Nacional in
Spanish 540
1460
3510
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BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
San Salvador DIARIO LATINO in
Spanish 490
San Salvador EL DIARIO DE ROY in
Spanish 280
San Salvador EL MUNDO in
Spanish 220
San Salvador LA NOTICIA in
Spanish 0
San Salvador LA PRENSA GRAFICA in
Spanish 910
FRANCE
Paris AFP in
Spanish
GERMANY
Hamburg DPA in
Spanish
GUATEMALA
Guatemala City Cadena de Emisoras
Unidas in
Spanish 0
Guatemala City Radio Nuevo Mundo
Network in
Spanish 0
Guatemala City Radio Television
Guatemala in
Spanish 0
Guatemala City Teleonce Television in
Spanish 1460
Guatemala City EL GRAFICO in
Spanish
Guatemala City PRENSA LIBRE in
Spanish
HONDURAS
Tegucigalpa Cadena Audio Video in
Spanish 3120
Tegucigalpa Telecadena 7 y 4 in
Spanish 0
Tegucigalpa Televisora Hondurena in
Spanish 1270
Tegucigalpa Voz de Honduras Network in
Spanish 2310
San Pedro Sula LA PRENSA in
Spanish
20450
4610
2960
60
390
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San Pedro Sula TIEMPO in
Spanish
Tegucigalpa EL HERALDO in
Spanish
Tegucigalpa LA TRIBUNA in
Spanish
MEXICO
Mexico City Red
Television in
Spanish
Mexico City XEW
Spanish
Mexico City XHDF Television in
Spanish
Mexico City XHTV Television in
Spanish
Mexico City CERIGUA in
Spanish
Mexico City EL DIA in
Spanish
Mexico City EL NACIONAL in
Spanish
Mexico City EXCELSIOR in
Spanish
Mexico City THE NEWS in
English
Mexico City UNOMASUNO in
Spanish
Nacional 13 IMEVISION
Television Network in
NICARAGUA
Managua International Service in
Spanish
Managua Domestic Service in
Spanish
Managua Radio Catolica in
Spanish
Managua Radio Corporacion in
Spanish
Managua Radio Noticias in
Spanish
Managua Radio Sandino in
Spanish
Managua Sistema Sandinista Television
Network in
Spanish
Managua ANN Diplomatic Information
Service in
Spanish
BROAD-
CASTS
2120
1370
70
2420
58980
2870
3620
1610
17270
1360
PRESS PUBLI-
AGENCIES CATIONS
2330
0
480
60
0
1940
100
3060
250
1390
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5
BROAD PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
Managua ANN in
Spanish 1690
Managua NOTISAL in
Spanish 0
Managua NOTISAL-SALPRESS in
Spanish 0
Managua PRENSA LATINA in.
Spanish to PRENSA LATINA Havana 470
Managua BARRICADA in
Spanish 15200
Managua EL NUEVO DIARIO in
- Spanish 280
Managua LA PRENSA in
Spanish 4950
PANAMA
Panama City Cadena Exitosa in
Spanish
Panama City Circuito RPC
Television in
Spanish
Panama City Domestic Service in
Spanish
Panama City Panavision Television in
Spanish
Panama City Radio America in
Spanish
Panama City Radio Continente in
Spanish
Panama City Radio Mundial in
Spanish
Panama City Radio Verbo in
Spanish
Panama City Telemetro Television in
Spanish
Panama City Television Service in
Spanish
Panama City Televisora Nacional in
Spanish
Panama City ACAN in
Spanish
Panama City CRITICA in
Spanish
Panama City DIALOG? SOCIAL in
Spanish
Panama City EL SIGLO in
Spanish
Panama City EXTRA in
Spanish
660
3020
30580
2700
330
8100
2960
280
2040
730
16800
16990
6750
0
1750
1960
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Panama City LA ESTRELLA DE PANAMA in
Spanish
Panama City LA PRENSA in
Spanish
Panama City LA REPUBLICA DOMINICAL in
Spanish
Panama City LA REPUBLICA.in
Spanish
Panama City MATUTINO in
Spanish
Panama City QUIUBO in
Spanish
Panama City THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC in
English
Panama City EL SIGLO DOMINICAL in
Spanish
PERU
Lima Panamericana Television
Network in
Spanish
Lima Television Peruana in
Spanish
SPAIN
Madrid EFE in
Spanish
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
3500
6190
USSR
Moscow Radio Peace and Progress in
Spanish 1000
Moscow in
Spanish to Latin America 230
Moscow in
Spanish to Cuba 360
VENEZUELA
Caracas Venezolana de Television
Canal 8 in
Spanish
Caracas EL NACIONAL in
Spanish
Caracas EL UNIVERSAL in
Spanish
1610
13440
5210
12030
1290
1570
3310
1360
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0
0
0
_
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?
PANAMA BUREAU PRODUCTION REPORT FOR FEBRUARY 1988 -- ANNEX
-
TOTALS FROM ROSET SOURCES
COLOMBIA
Bogota INRAVISION Television Cadena 1 in
Spanish
Bogota INRAVISION Television Cadena 2 in
Spanish
CUBA
Havana PRENSA LATINA in
Spanish
4,700
.1,190
3,510
MEXICO
Mexico City Red Nacional 13 IMEVISION Television in
Spanish 2,120
Mexico City XEW Television Network in
Spanish 1,370
Mexico City XHTV Television in
Spanish 2,420
Mexico City XHDF Television in
Spanish 70
Mexico City CERIGUA in
Spanish 2,330
NICARAGUA
Managua ANN in
Spanish 1,690
Managua PRENSA LATINA in
Spanish to PRENSA LATINA Havana 470
PERU
Lima Panamericana Television Network in
Spanish 3,500
Lima Television Peruana in
Spanish 6,190
VENEZUELA
Caracas Venezolana de Television Canal 8 in
Spanish
1,610
TOTAL FOR FEBRUARY 1988 31,170
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