GEN. MEJIA RAISES POSSIBILITY OF U.S. AID DURING MEETING WITH SENATOR WILSON

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91B00135R000500980017-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 7, 2010
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: August 16, 1983
• Content Type: CABLE

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TOR: 162025Z AUG 83
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ZNY CCCCC ZOC STATE ZZH
UTS8962
00 RUEHC
DE RUEHGT #6744/01.2281828
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
0 161826Z AUG 83
FM AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6327
RUEOEHA/USCINCSO QUARRY HTS PN IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEHCR/AMEMBASSY BELIZE 3635
RUESMG/AMEMBASSY MANAGUA 9818
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO 2923
RUEHZP/AMEMBASSY PANAMA 6366
RUEHSJ/AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE 0260
RUEHSN/AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR 0499
RUEHTG/AMEMBASSY TEGUCIGALPA 0656
RUEHDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 2111
BT
C 0 N F I D E N T I A L GUATEMALA 06744
E. 0. 12356: DECL: 8/16/89
TAGS: PGOV, GT, ES, HO, OREP
SUBJECT: GEN. MEDIA RAISES POSSIBILITY OF
U.S. AID DURING MEETING WITH
SENATOR WILSON
2. SUMMARY: DURING HIS MEETING WITH SENATOR,;,
PETE WILSON OF- CALIFORNIA ON AUGUST 12, HEAD
OF STATE AND MINISTER OF DEFENSE GENERAL
OSCAR HUMBERTO MEDIA VICTORES RAISED THE
POSSIBILITY OF RECEIVING U.S. MILITARY
ASSISTANCE EITHER DIRECTLY OR VIA EL SALVADOR.
END SUMMARY.
3. GENERAL MEDIA VICTORES TOLD.SENATOR WILSON
THAT HE PERSONALLY WANTED TO "ACCELERATE" THE
ELECTORAL CALENDAR IN GUATEMALA, BUT THAT THE
GUERRILLA PROBLEM WAS ONE OF THE MAJOR VARIABLES
TO BE CONSIDERED. WHILE GEN. MEJIA FELT THAT
THE INSURGENCY PROBLEM WAS CURRENTLY UNDER
CONTROL, IT COULD GROW IF THE GUERRILLAS RECEIVED MORE
OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE. IN THAT EVENT GEN. MEJIA
SAID THAT HE WOULD REQUEST MILITARY ASSISTANCE,
ESPECIALLY ARMS. BECAUSE GUATEMALA'S STOCK WAS
BOTH OF LOWER QUALITY THAN THAT OF THE GUERRILLAS
AND ALMOST TOTALLY EXHAUSTED. THE GENERAL
NOTED THAT WHILE THE ISRAELI GALIL WAS THE
GUATEMALAN ARMY'S BASIC WEAPON, THE GUERRILLAS
USED M-16S. SENATOR WILSON OBSERVED THAT THE
SALVADORAN GUERRILLAS ALSO USED THE M-16, AND
GEN. MEJIA REPLIED THAT IN BOTH CASES THE WEAPONS
ORIGINATED IN VIETNAM AND WERE SHIPPED
TO CENTRAL AMERICA.
OEXA/LLD
INCOMING .
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WILSON THAT GUATEMALA'S IMMEDIATE NEED WAS FOR
ARMS AND HELICOPTER PARTS. HE ELABORATED BY
SAYING THAT WHEN HE, GENERAL GUSTAVO ALVAREZ
OF HONDURAS AND MINISTER OF DEFENSE VIDES
CASANOVA OF EL SALVADOR VISITED WITH GEN. GORMAN
ON THE USS RANGER ON AUGUST 6, GENERAL VIDES
CASANOVA HAD RAISED THE POSSIBILITY OF GUATEMALA
RECEIVING AID VIA EL SALVADOR SINCE DIRECT AID
TO GUATEMALA WAS BLOCKED BY THE U.S. CONGRESS.
SENATOR WILSON EXPRESSED SURPRISED THAT THE TOPIC
HAD BEEN DISCUSSED IN GENERAL GORMAN'S
PRESENCE AND WONDERED WHAT GEN. GORMAN'S
REACTION HAD BEEN.
5. LATER IN THE CONVERSATION, GENERAL MEDIA
SAID THAT THE CENTRAL AMERICAN DEFENSE COUNCIL,
OF WHICH GUATEMALA WAS CURRENTLY CHAIRMAN,
WOULD BE REACTIVATED. HE, GENERAL VIDES CASANOVA
AND GENERAL GUSTAVO ALVAREZ WERE GOING TO
MEET TO DISCUSS WAYS OF COORDINATING THEIR
EFFORTS.
6. COMMENT
- A MAJOR GUATEMALAN NEWSPAPER, "EL GRAFICO
CARRIED ON PAGE TWO OF ITS AUGUST 16 EDITION A WIRE
SERVICE STORY FROM NEW YORK REPORTING THAT ACCORDING
TO THE NEW YORK TIMES, GUATEMALAN AND EL SALVADORIAN
MILITARY OFFICIALS HAD REACHED AGREEMENT WHEREBY
GUATEMALA WOULD PROVIDE TRAINING FOR SALVADORIAN
TROOPS IN RETURN FOR LIGHT ARMS AND AMMUNITION
SUPPLIED TO EL SALVADOR BY THE UNITED STATES.
AT NO POINT IN THE CONVERSATION WITH SENATOR
WILSON DID GENERAL MEDIA INDICATE THAT ANY SUCH
AGREEMENT HAD ALREADY BEEN REACHED. THE PROPOSAL
TO TRANS-SHIP ARMS TO GUATEMALA.VIA EL SALVADOR
PUT FORWARD BY GEN. MEJIA COULD HAVE BEEN INTENDED
AS A TRIAL BALLOON BY GENERAL MEDIA WHO SEEMED TO
BELIEVE THAT SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT COULD INDEED
BY-PASS THE CONGRESSIONAL PROHIBITION AGAINST
GUATEMALAN MILITARY ASSISTANCE.
7. FOR USCINCSO: IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE FOR
GENERAL GORMAN OR GENERAL WOERNER RECALL CONCERNING
THE CONVERSATIONS ON THE CARRIER RANGER OR IN
E. 0. 12356: DECL: 8/16/89
TAGS: PGOV, GT, ES,.HO, OREP
SUBJECT: GEN. MEDIA RAISES POSSIBILITY OF.
HONDURAS CONCERNING MILITARY COOPERATION BETWEEN
GUATEMALA AND ITS NEIGHBORS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT
THE SALVADORAN GOVERNMENT HAS ALREADY DENIED THE
EXISTENCE OF ANY SUCH AGREEMENT.
CHAPIN
END OF MESSAGE CONFIDENTIAL
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