MONTHLY REPORT -- PANAMA BUREAU -- FEBRUARY 1986

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120011-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 22, 2012
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: March 5, 1986
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120011-7
FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICE
PANAMA BUREAU
DRAWER 927
APO MIAMI 34004
5 March 1986
MPA-6008
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, Foreign Broadcast Information Service
THROUGH : Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT : Monthly Report -- Panama Bureau -- February 1986
Significant progress has been made on the three new ROSET's. Three
contractors from Engineering and Technical Services, Inc. (a
sub-contractor for Universal Antennas, Inc.) arrived at the bureau late in
the month and have moved quickly with the construction of the antenna
bases and the assembling of the reflectors. An operational date of late
March appears yet to be a realistic estimate. A contractor from
Electrospace Systmes, Inc. also arrived in late February to begin the
installation of modification kits for the closed loop cooling of drive
motors for the existing two ROSET's. This was a project begun in November
but subsequently delayed due to a mismatch of parts.
During February the bureau began experimenting with the wire-filing to
Headquarters, through a leased reperforator, of TASS Romanized Russian
(Managua TASS in Russian to TASS Moscow) monitored from satellite. The
experiment is a pilot project for future INTERNET operations.
The first major efforts toward rtilization of an INTERNET site in
Panama bean in Februarv with the arrival of staff engineers
who provided essential information "tothe
bureau chief and o ers on the planned workings of the system. The bureau
completed and forwarded to Headquarters (and to London Bureau, for its
information) a concept paper and an activation schedule for INTERNET.
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120011-7
A. Editorial/Monitorial
The month of February began with the holding of the third Central
American election in recent months, this time in Costa Rica. The bureau
maintained an open speaker watch on Costa Rican radios throughout the
evening of 2 February, and, shortly before midnight Costa Rica time, was
able to report that Oscar Arias Sanchez, the candidate of the National
Liberation Party, had won election as president.
On 4 February, the long-awaited Third Congress of the Communist
Party of Cuba began in Havana. Throughout the 4-day congress, Panama and
Key West Bureaus coordinated joint coverage plans. The bureaus used a
tested but until then operationally untried phone patch feed from Florida
to Panama to expedite processing of Fidel Castro's 6-hour-long main report
at the opening of the congress as well as Castro's closing address on 7
February. Interestingly, neither of the speeches was broadcast live over
the Havana International Service, which has usually carried events of this
magnitude in the past. Panama Bureau provided to Key West, on a TDY
basis, two Spanish monitors and a teletypist, and processing of congress
materials was further speeded by Panama's week-long midnight shift laid on
specifically for the congress. The bureau also processed speeches at the
congress by Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega and the FMLN delegate
Shafik Jorge Handal, among others. Key West and Panama Bureaus were
jointly commended by the Chief, Operations Group, for the flexibility,
initiative, and team effort involved in coverage of the Cuban Communist
Party Congress.
In Haiti, the situation remained tense with reports of continuing
demonstrations and violence. Rumors that President-for-Life Duvalier was
considering leaving the country were given substance by Western news
agency reports on 5 and 6 February that "Baby Doc" had requested asylum in
several West European countries. Following the announcement by U.S. media
in the early morning hours of 7 February that Duvalier had fled Haiti en
route to France, the bureau filed numerous press agency reports on the
composition of the new Haitian government and on the situation in the
country.
Nicaragua and Costa Rica reestablished full diplomatic relations on 13
Februrary following an exchange of letters between the presidents of the
two countries. Cost Rica had charged Nicaragua with responsibility for
the deaths of two Costa Rican Civil Guardsmen in last May's "Las Crucitas
incident," and had conditioned the reestablishment of relations on the
receipt of an apology from Managua for the deaths, Reports on the renewal
of relations were filed from both Managua and San Jose radios.
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120011-7
Venezuelan President Jaime Lusinchi spoke to the nation on 27 February
to update the Venezuelan people on the current oil and economic
situations, and to review terms of Venezuela's debt refinancing plan. The
speech was carried live on Venezuelan radio and television and texted for
wire use from Caracas television monitored via ROSET.
On 21 February, a 2 and 1/2-hour program on the launch of a French
Ariane rocket was videorecorded off the 24.5 West Intelsat and pouched to
headquarters. Coverage alternated between Toulouse, France, and Kourou,
French Guiana, and included a detailed explanation of the French remote
sensing satellite "SPOT" as well as shots of the control rooms at the two
locations and the actual launch.
On 23 Februray, 15 items from the bureau's Spanish-language press
agency sources were filed at immediate precedence on the stepping down of
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. Coordination with headquarters
confirmed the value of our reports and 7 of the 15 items were used by the
wire service.
B. Lateral Services
In response to an immediate request from the American Embassy in
Bog,a, Colombia, the bureau on 14 February filed three Nicaraguan reports
on Colombian Foreign Minister Augusto Ramirez Ocampo's remarks in
Washington which were critical of U. S. policy toward Nicaragua.
On 2 February the bureau filed an item from the Salvadoran media
which had implied the Salvadoran Government was to begin exercising prior
censorship of radio and television broadcasts. In an unusual request, the
Public Affairs Officer at the American Embassy in San Salvador requested
the bureau to file an explanatory note -provided by the embassy -- to the
recipients of the 2 February item. The note stated that a high-level
Salvadoran Government official, in a meeting with an embassy officer,
affirmed that the government does not seek to exercise any form of prior
review, control, or censorship of the Salvadoran media.
C. Technical
During the month, the following accountable property was
received:
Four Hybrid Termination Units received from British Telecom. Unit
Price: $400.00
Typewriters, IBM Selectric III correcting typewriters 115V 60HZ
with Selectric II ribbon mechanism Serial Nos: 6327477, 6327478,
6327505,6327502, 6327519, and 6327521. Unit Price: $877.00.
The following was transferred to the Army Property Disposal
One Mustang Lawn Mower, Model 245. Unit Price $237.00.
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120011-7
III. ADMINISTRATION
A. Personnel
Staff editor
Teletypist
and chief technician
to FBN 11/10) during -t
moted from FBN 3/2 to FBN 4/1
received a PSI (from FBN 11/9
Spanish monitor) received a cash award of $1,000
for her sustained superior performance over the past several months. The
award was presented at an appropriate ceremony in the bureau chief's
office on 20 February.
Administrative assistant began maternit leave
on 26 February, after delivering a healthy young girl, the
previous night.
B. Building and Grounds
The operations building carpeting project begun in January was
finished by the end of February. A second lunch counter has been built in
the dining room.
The acoustical walls for a new monitoring booth have been
erected, and the cabinet and electronic work for it will begin in March.
The booth is in the area vacated by the staff secretary, who has since
moved to a cubical in the library. When completed, this will bring the
total of monitoring booths to 18.
The bureau chief was in Headquarters for a brief TDY on 18 and 19
February.
INTERNET site survey an
departed on the 7th andd-o~
was promoted to GS-12.
Hof ESG arrived on 3 Februar for an
engineering support activities.
on the 13th.
Spanish monitors
and teletypist
provided support to Key West Bureau during the Cuban
Party Congress in early February.
Paragu ief and Paraguay Bureau staff
technician visited Panama on 11 and 12 February for a
ROSET orientation in anticipation of Paraguay's receiving a small ROSET.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120011-7
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120011-7
AG analyst in Panama on private travel, spent 24
February at the bureau for orientation.
Contractors
Engineering and
Technical Services, Inc.) and
Systems, Inc.) arrived at the bureau late
(o
(of
Electrospace
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
Chief, Panama Bureau
Attachment:
Production Report
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120011-7
PANAMA BUREAU PRODUCTION REPORT FOR FEBRUARY 1986 -- ANNEX
TOTALS FROM ROSET SOURCES:
COLOMBIA
Bogota Television Ser
vice
Spanish
Bogota REUTER in
English
Bogota REUTER in
Spanish
CUBA
Havana PRENSA LATINA
in
Spanish
Havana EFE in
Spanish
ECUADOR
Quito REUTER in
Spanish
EL SALVADOR
San Salvador NOTISAL in
Spanish
San Salvador SALPRESS in
Spanish
GERMANY
Hamburg DPA in
Spanish
in
4,650
350
840
18,170
MEXICO
Mexico City XEW Television Network in
Spanish 1,790
Mexico City XHDF Television Network in
Spanish 4,340
Mexico City Domestic Service in
Spanish 5,550
Mexico City CERIGUA in
Spanish 180
Mexico City REUTER in
English 4,170
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120011-7
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120011-7
NICARAGUA
Managua ANN in
Spanish
Managua PRENSA LATINA in
Spanish
6,590
3,910
PERU
Lima REUTER in
English
SPAIN
Madrid EFE in
Spanish
1,410
VENEZUELA
Caracas Domestic Service in
Spanish
5,460
Caracas Television Service in
Spanish
3,880
Caracas REUTER in
English
2,010
65,620
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120011-7
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120011-7
Panama Bureau Production Report for February 1986
TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 515480
TOTAL NON-PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 24670
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH: 1192
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
II. INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE: 10745.00 42150.00 212.00
(minutes or issues per week) min. min. issues
III. OUTPUT FROM ALL SOURCES:
(publishable words per month)
ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires REUTER in
Spanish
CLANDESTINES
Clandestine Radio Farabundo Marti in
Spanish to El Salvador
Clandestine Radio Venceremos in
Spanish to El Salvador
COLOMBIA
Bogota Cadena Radial Super in
Spanish 730
Bogota Domestic Service in
Spanish 0
Bogota Emisoras Caracol Network in
Spanish 1010
Bogota Radio Sutatenza Network in
Spanish 1040
Bogota Television Service in
Spanish 4650
Bogota REUTER in
Spanish
Bogota REUTER in
English
Bogota EL SIGLO in
Spanish
Bogota EL TIEMPO in
Spanish
COSTA RICA
San Jose Cadena de Emisoras Columbia in
Spanish
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120011-7
San Jose Radio Impacto in
Spanish
San Jose Radio Reloj in
Spanish
San Jose LA NACION in
Spanish
San Jose LA PRENSA LIBRE in
Spanish
San Jose LA REPUBLICA in
Spanish
San Jose LIBERTAD REVOLUCIONARIA in
Spanish
San Jose LIBERTAD in
Spanish
San Jose RUMBO CENTROAMERICANO in
Spanish
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
540
700
1460
620
CUBA
Havana International Service in
Quechua 650
Havana International Service in
Spanish 43460
Havana Domestic Service in
Spanish 36140
Havana EFE in
Spanish 770
Havana PRENSA LATINA in
English 5020
Havana PRENSA LATINA in
Spanish 18170
ECUADOR
Quito Radio Quito in
Spanish
Quito Voz de los Andes in
h
pan s
S
i
Quito REUTER
Spanish
in
EL
San
SALVADOR
Salvador
Spanish
Canal Dace Television in
770
San
Salvador
Spanish
Channel 2 Television in
1450
San
Salvador
Spanish
Domestic Service in
10360
San
Salvador
Spanish
Radio Cadena Sonora in
1500
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120011-7
BROAD- PRESS
CASTS AGENCIES
PUBLI-
CATIONS
San
Salvador
Spanish
Radio Cadena YSKL in
2290
San
Salvador
Spanish
Radio Cadena YSU in
5680
San
Salvador
Spanish
Television Educativa in
3110
San
San
San
Salvador
Spanish
Salvador
Spanish
Salvador
Spanish
NOTISAL in
SALPRESS in
DIARIO LATINO in
0
San
Salvador
Spanish
EL DIARIO DE HOY in
3240
San
Salvador
Spanish
EL MUNDO in
1680
San
Salvador
Spanish
EL TIEMPO in
0
San
Salvador
Spanish
LA PRENSA GRAFICA in
1170
San
Salvador
Spanish
PROCESO in
0
San
Salvador
English
THE NEWS GAZETTE in
FRANCE
Paris AFP in
English
Paris AFP in
Spanish
GERMANY
Hamburg DPA in
Spanish
GUATEMALA
Guatemala City Cadena de Emisoras
Unidas in
Spanish
720
Guatemala City Domestic Service in
Spanish
8170
Guatemala City Radio Nuevo Mundo in
Spanish
310
Guatemala City Radio Television
Guatemala in
Spanish
6880
Guatemala City EL GRAFICO in
Spanish
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120011-7
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
Guatemala City PRENSA LIBRE in
Spanish 1890
HONDURAS
Tegucigalpa
Spanish
Cadena Audio Video in
9620
Tegucigalpa
Spanish
Domestic Service in
1510
Tegucigalpa
Spanish
Radio America in
2550
Tegucigalpa
Spanish
Televisora Hondurena in
1150
Tegucigalpa
Spanish
Voz de Honduras Network in
9150
San Pedro Sula LA PRENSA in
Spanish
1450
San Pedro Sula TIEMPO in
Spanish
4710
Tegucigalpa
Spanish
EL HERALDO in
0
Tegucigalpa
Spanish
LA TRIBUNA in
1090
MEXICO
Mexico City Domestic Service in
Spanish
Mexico City XEW Television Network in
Spanish
Mexico City XHDF Television
Network in
Spanish
Mexico City CERIGUA in
Spanish
Mexico City REUTER in
English
Mexico City EL DIA in
Spanish
Mexico City EL NACIONAL in
Spanish
Mexico City EL UNIVERSAL in
Spanish
Mexico City EXCELSIOR in
Spanish
Mexico City THE NEWS in
English
Mexico City UNOMASUNO in
Spanish
NICARAGUA
Managua International Service in
Spanish
1050
1010
2250
4430
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120011-7
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
Bluefields Radio Zinica in
Spanish 930
Managua Domestic Service in
Spanish 33180
Managua Radio Noticias in
Spanish 1650
Managua Radio Sandino in
Spanish 29280
Managua Sistema Sandinista Television
Network in
Spanish 1730
Managua ANN in
Spanish
Managua PRENSA LATINA in
Spanish
Managua BARRICADA in
Spanish
Managua EL NUEVO DIARIO in
Spanish
Managua LA PRENSA in
Spanish
PANAMA
Panama City Circuito RPC
Television in
Spanish 1300
Panama City Domestic Service in
Spanish 1290
Panama City Televisora Nacional in
Spanish 2380
Panama City ACAN in
Spanish
Panama City CRITICA in
Spanish
Panama City DIALOGO SOCIAL in
Spanish
Panama City EL SIGLO in
Spanish
Panama City EXTRA in
Spanish
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
10220
5310
1600
2840
0
780
1580
3010
16140
0
3790
3640
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120011-7
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
Panama City QUIUBO GRAFICO in
Spanish
Panama City STAR AND HERALD in
English
Panama City THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC in
English
PERU
Lima REUTER in
English
SPAIN
Madrid EFE in
Spanish
VENEZUELA
Caracas Domestic Service in
Spanish 5460
Caracas Radio Rumbos Network in
Spanish 530
Caracas Television Service in
Spanish 3880
Caracas REUTER in
English
Caracas EL NACIONAL in
Spanish
Caracas EL UNIVERSAL in
Spanish
220
1840
0
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/22 : CIA-RDP87-01104R000100120011-7