NO FORMAL ARMS REQUEST MADE DURING CODEL WILSON VISIT

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP91B00135R000500980015-5
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
C
Document Page Count: 
2
Document Creation Date: 
December 22, 2016
Document Release Date: 
October 7, 2010
Sequence Number: 
15
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
August 19, 1983
Content Type: 
CABLE
File: 
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PDF icon CIA-RDP91B00135R000500980015-5.pdf66.42 KB
Body: 
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/24: CIA-RDP91 B001 35R000500980015-5 1L.06-114 i [t'~aL OEXA/LLD INCOMING PAGE 001 TOR: 191734Z AUG 83 RR RUEAIIB ZNY CCCCC ZOC STATE ZZH UTS2324 RR RUEHC DE RUEHGT #6885 2302213 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 182210Z AUG 83 FM AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6394 INFO RUEHCR/AMEMBASSY BELIZE 3658 RUESMG/AMEMBASSY MANAGUA 9842 RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 2954 RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA 6404 RUEHSJ/AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE 0286 RUEHSN/AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR 0526 RUEHTG/AMEMBASSY TEGUCIGALPA 0684 RUEHDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2134 RUEOEHA/USCINCSO QUARRY HTS PN BT C 0 N F. I D E N T I A L GUATEMALA 06885 E.O.12356: DECL: OADR TAGS: PARM, PGOV, PINS, GT SUBJECT: NO FORMAL ARMS REQUEST MADE DURING CODEL WILSON VISIT 1. (U) ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF GENERAL HECTOR MARIO LOPEZ FUENTES IS QUOTED ON THE FRONT PAGE OF GUATEMALA'S AFTERNOON NEWSPAPER "LA RAZON" IN ITS AUGUST 17 ISSUE AS SAYING THAT GUATEMALA "MADE TO SENATOR PETER(SIC) WILSON ...A FORMAL PETITION FOR MILITARY AID". WHEN ASKED WHAT KIND OF AID WAS REQUESTED HE IS REPORTED AS SAYING THAT THE MILITARY AID CONSISTS MOSTLY OF AVIATION ITEMS SUCH AS HELICOPTERS. PLANES AND PARTS". THE AID WAS NEEDED TO COMBAT THE GUERRILLAS BECAUSE THE TERRITORY WHERE THEY ARE NOW OPERATING "IS VERY MOUNTAINOUS AND THE DISTANCES LONG. THERE ARE PLACES TO, WHICH ONE CANNOT GET BY NORMAL MEANS. THERE ARE NOT EVEN' ROADS AND ONE HAS TO TRAVEL ON FOOT OR MULE TO RESUPPLY UNITS SENT OUT TO THOSE AREAS." 2. (C) COMMENT: THE ISSUE SEEMS TO BE A SEMANTICAL ONE. DURING GENERAL LOPEZ FUENTES' BRIEFING FOR SENATOR WILSON, GUATEMALA'S MATERIAL NEEDS WERE A RE-OCCURRING THEME AND THE OFFICERS PRESENT ARGUEC THAT THE TERRAIN AND THEIR EQUIPMENT SHORTAGES PREVENTED THEM FROM FULLY IMPLEMEN'ING THEIR PLANS TO DEFEAT THE INSURGENTS. THE STAFFERS REVIEWED GENERALLY THE KIND OF EQUIPMENT WHICH THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE. WHILE SENATOR WILSON AND HIS AIDES WERE SYMPATHETIC TO GUATEMALA'S PREDICAMENT (AND AT HIS PRESS CONFERENCE THE SENATOR SAID THAT HE WAS Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/24: CIA-RDP91 B001 35R000500980015-5 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/24: CIA-RDP91 B001 35R000500980015-5 CONFIDENTIAL 83 1945006 SCR PAGE 002 NC 1945006 TOP: 191734Z AUG 83 PERSONALLY PREPARED TO SUPPORT THE RESUMPTION OF MILITARY AID TO GUATEMALA), NOTHING APPROACHING A "FORMAL" REQUEST WAS MADE DURING ANY OF THE MEETINGS WHICH THE SENATOR ATTENDED. FROM A GUATEMALAN PERSONALISTIC PERSPECTIVE, A LISTING OF THEIR NEEDS IN A BRIEFING ORCHESTRATED BY THE ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF FOR A REPUBLICAN SENATOR FROM THE PRESIDENT'S HOME STATE MIGHT CONSTITUTE AN OBLIQUE "REQUEST" FOR SUCH ITEMS. FOR THE PRESENT, HOWEVER, THERE HAS BEEN NO FOLLOW-UP FROM THE GOG. CHAPIN END OF MESSAGE CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDE TIAL Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/24: CIA-RDP91 B001 35R000500980015-5