BACKGROUND PAPER EL SALVADOR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84B00049R000902310007-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 11, 2007
• Sequence Number: 7
• Content Type: REPORT

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SUBJECT:
DIA Review
Completed.
DrM Kenneth Nolde, DB-3 :2 ~
Background Paper, El Sa vador
command exists only on aper and represents what t
prescribed.
to the Armed Forces Chi f of Staff. In practice th
Territorial Service. I elements of the regular m
Public Security (MOD) u der him. Directly subordin
Armed Forces Chief of S aff and the Director Genera
Corps: Treasury Police National Police, National
chains of command: the nominal and real or actual.
the Chief of State Is tie overall head, with the Mi
1. (C/E== Within tie Salvadoran military there
support MOD decisions,
agencies under him, fur tion only in administrative and planning roles to
receiving orders from him, the Chief of Staff, and the General Staff
commanders are meaningl ss except as an administrative accounting devise.
111
and their additional ti les as brigade, military detachment or battalion
of the 14 departmental ommanders are the most important field commanders
commanders who report directly to the MOD. Officers designated as one
The Chief of Staff and he General Staff are bypassed by departmental
no influence and the Minister of Defense makes all military decisions.
as it ac ua y functions. In practice the Chief of State has little or
are two identifiable
In the nominal system
nister of Defense and
ate to the MOD are the
is of Public Security
Guard and the paramilitary
ilitary are subordinated
Constitution has
2. (C The real or actual system reflects the chain of command
to nave contributed to the reduction in abuses.
punished is not great, its effects are becoming widespread and is believed
that has no historical precident. While the number of personnel bein
accountability for actions in the field or elsewhere is an innovation
military are being held responsible for their actions. Personal
Further, the military has been removing undesirables and members of the
has made it almost im ssible for acts of wanton violence to go undetected.
cease. The effect has en a marked decline in acts of violence by the
all commanders that ar itrary violence and human rights abuses are to
removed for refusing t obey. Publically and privately, the MOD has told
to limit the individualism of these commanders, the MOD now requires
judgment because their orders or directives were very general. In order
matters in their depar nt and could exercise a great deal of individual
departmental coasmander had the direct responsibility for all security
centralized contro). T is has meant that the traditional autonomy of
3. (C/ The mill ary leadership and the MOD, in particular, have
been ry hard o bring all elements of the regular forces under
Decla,^.aiiy a:
T~~ 1
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4. (CO Within the blic security forces, the situation is not as
clear as that of the regul r armed forces. The major difference is that they
are, not part of the formal structure of the Armed Forces and outside of the
Armed Forces chain of command. The security forces operate in the same
areas as do the regular A d Forces and are theoretically subordinate to
the departmental commander. Nevertheless, very often these units ignore the
departmental commander in vor or reporting to their respective Director
General. In this traditio 1 role as a police force they are used to
settling disputes on the spot and are normally stationed in isolated
outposts with poor comnuni tions, imprecise orders and often not
well trained. At any time, there are more than one hundred outposts
manned by security forces and in most cases they represent the only law or
protection in their immediate area because the Armed Forces are unable to
provide a presence. The psical and communicative isolation of the security
forces has reinforced their tradition of independent action and makes direct
command and control extremely difficult. Nevertheless, security force
menbers have been removed, prosecutions are pending for some, improved
trained with emphasis on protecting the rights of non-combatants and
increased coordination with the regular Armed Forces are all measures that
have been introduced in t past year to improve control over security forces.
5. (C~ The Ministe
on record as opposing any a
suffering of the people or
Armed Forces, in March 1982
his position that abuses of
found guilty of such abuses
of Defense, General Jose Guillermo Garcia, is
Lion by the military which would add-to the
buse their human rights. His message to the
and subsequently repeated, strongly reittrated
human rights would not be tolerated and these
would be severely punished.
NFIDENTIAL
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UIIa IWINIV. lisle,"
Minister of Defense
and
Public Security
REAL. CON" AUTKIRITY
Chief, Armed Forces
General Staff and
Commander, Army
apt Cdr Dept-Cdr Dept Cdr Dept Cdr I Dept Cdr
nta Ana huacha n
a Libertad uscatla an Salvador,
1 11
Dir Gen,
National Guard
Dir Gen,
National Police
Dir Gen,
Treasury Police
Commander,
Territorial
Service
Sub-Secretary of
Defense and Public
Security
Dir Gen,
National
Fireman Corps
Commander,
Air Force
Com n ender,
Navy
Coraaanders of
Separate Units
(Artillery, Cav.,
Quick Reaction)
ciessrit r;' ba-3
Declass;:; c:i 11_
CONFIDENTIAL
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 NOMINAL CON" AUTHORITY,
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president I
Mini!sier oT-I*fens@
and
Public Security
Regional
Conrnands
T'mffonall Pollre rector enera ,~
Santa Ar: ~.
Regional I
Commands
Sub-Secretary
of Defense and
Public Security
~d-
omnander, Any
rector Genera
Treasury Police
Regional
Conmands
tender
'Territorial
Service
Regional
Conmands
rec r Genera
National Firman
Corps
Commander, Coninander of
6th Brigade/ Separate Units
Military Zone (Artillery, Cav. ,
ry t tary et
and and
Com anies I Companies
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