ARENA PARTY ATEMPTS TO PROVOKE A MILITARY COUP

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06504109
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: April 18, 2018
• Case Number: F-2016-02029
• Publication Date: December 29, 1984

Approved for Release: 2018/04/11 C06504109
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(S/CIA-IUO/NF) SUBJ: ARENA PARTY ATTEMPTS TO PROVOKE A MILITARY COUP
Central Intelligence Agency
29 December 1984
Doc Number:
SOURCE
(S/ CIA-IUO/NF) DIST: 29 DEC 84
COUNTRY: EL SALVADOR
SUBJ: ARENA PARTY ATTEMPTS TO PROVOKE A MILITARY COUP
DOI:
SOURCE:
TEXT: 1. LT. COL. ROBERTO MAURICIO ((STABEN)), COMMANDER OF
THE ARCE IMMEDIATE REACTION BATTALION AND WELL KNOWN AS LEADING
RIGHTIST IN THE SALVADORAN ARMY, TOLD A CLOSE CONFIDANT ON
27 DECEMBER 1984 THAT THE NATIONALIST REPUBLICAN ALLIANCE (ARENA)
PARTY HAS BEEN PROVOKING FOURTH BRIGADE COMMANDER, LT. COL.
SIGFREDO ((OCHOA)) PEREZ INTO ATTEMPTING A MILITARY COUP IN
EL SALVADOR. STABEN SAID THAT ARENA PARTY DEPUTY, JUAN ANTONIO
((MARTINEZ)) VARELA, AND SEVERAL ARENA PARTY LEADING FIGURES
INCLUDING ARTURO ((MASON)), JULIO ((RANK)), TITO ((SACA)),
BILLY ((KORN)) AND BOBBY MURRY ((MEZA)) PERSONALLY MET WITH
LT. COL. OCHOA IN MID-DECEMBER. THEY TOLD OCHOA THEY HAD
INSIDE INFORMATION THAT PRESIDENT JOSE NAPOLEON ((DUARTE))
PLANNED TO PROMOTE VICE-MINISTER OF PUBLIC SECURITY, COLONEL
CARLOS REYNALDO ((LOPEZ)) NUILA TO THE RANK OF GENERAL AND TO
MAKE HIM MINISTER OF DEFENSE AS SOON AS GENERAL CARLOS EUGENIO
((VIDES)) CASANOVA RETIRED IN EARLY 1985.
2. LT. COL. STABEN SAID THAT LT. COL. OCHOA IS VERY MUCH
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UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE ARENA PARTY AND THAT HE IMMEDIATELY
BEGAN TO SOLICIT ASSISTANCE FROM OTHER MILITARY COMMANDERS TO
STAGE A COUP D'ETAT OVER THE ISSUE OF WHAT HE PERCEIVED AS AN
EXCESSIVE INTERFERENCE BY PRESIDENT DUARTE IN THE INTERNAL
AFFAIRS OF THE SALVADORAN MILITARY. STABEN SAID THAT THESE
SAME ARENA PARTY LEADERS HAD APPROACHED HIM (STABEN) ON
17 DECEMBER 1.984 WITH THE SAME STORY ABOUT THE PROMOTION OF LOPEZ
NUILA. STABEN STATED THAT HE IMMEDIATELY WENT TO GENERAL VIDES
CASANOVA AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS NO SUBSTANCE TO THE ARENA
RUMOR AND THAT VIDES HIMSELF HAD RECEIVED THE ASSURANCE OF
PRESIDENT DUARTE THAT NO ATTEMPT WOULD BE MADE TO FORCE THE
PROMOTION OF LOPEZ NUILA AT THIS TIME.
3. ACCORDING TO STABEN, GENERAL VIDES ALSO TOLD OCHOA
THAT LOPEZ NUILA WOULD NOT BE PROMOTED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER,
LT. COL. OCHOA CONTINUED TO BELIEVE THE ARENA STORY AND BEGAN TO
CONTACT OTHER RIGHTIST MILITARY OFFICERS TO GAIN SUPPORT FOR A
COUP PLAN. OFFICERS CONTACTED BY OCHOA INCLUDED STABEN OF
THE ARCE BATTALION; LT. COL. GILBERTO ((RUBIO)), C-II, ESTADO
MAYOR CONJUNTO (EMC-II); LT. COL. JOAQUIN EDUARDO ((ZACAPA)),
EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE FIRST BRIGADE; LT. COL. OSCAR RODOLFO
((CAMPOS)) AYALA, COMMANDER, FIFTH MILITARY ZONE; LT. COL.
RENE EMILIO ((PONCE)), C-III (EMC-III); LT. COL. MAURICIO
ERNESTO ((VARGAS)), ATONAL IMMEDIATE REACTION BATTALION (BIRI)
COMMANDER; AND LT. COL. JUAN CARLOS ((CARILLO)) SCHLEUKER,
COMMANDER OF BIRI ATLACATL. STABEN ALSO SAID THAT COLONEL
JUAN RAFAEL ((BUSTILLO)) WAS APPROACHED INDEPENDENTLY BY ARENA
PARTY LEADERS OFFERING TO SUPPORT HIM IF HE WOULD ATTEMPT A COUP.
ACCORDING TO STABEN, COL. BUSTILLO WENT TO GENERAL VIDES CASANOVA
AND REPORTED THIS APPROACH AND WAS TOLD THAT HE SHOULD IGNORE
ANEUVER BY THE ARENA PARTY AND THAT THE RUMORS
THAT PRESIDENT DUARTE INTENDED TO MAKE LOPEZ NUILA A GENERAL
WERE FALSE.
4. STABEN SAID THAT IF THE RUMOR OF LOPEZ NUILA BEING
PROMOTED TO GENERAL BY PRESIDENT DUARTE HAD BEEN TRUE, THE
MILITARY COMBAT OFFICERS, INCLUDING CHIEF OF THE JOINT GENERAL
STAFF, COLONEL ADOLFO ONCECIFERO ((BLANDON)), WOULD HAVE
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SUPPORTED A COUP ATTEMPT. STABEN SAID THAT HE ANTICIPATES THAT
COLONEL BLANDON WILL REPLACE GENERAL VIDES CASANOVA AS THE
MINISTER OF DEFENSE WHEN THE LATER RETIRES IN 1985. STABEN
ALSO SPECULATED THAT COLONEL BUSTILLO, ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF
GENERAL VIDES CASANOVA, WILL BECOME THE CHIEF OF THE JOINT GENERAL
STAFF REPLACING COLONEL BLANDON.
WARNING: REPORT CLASSSECRET--WARNING NOTICE--INTELLIGENCE
SOURCES OR METHODS INVOLVED--NOT RELEASABLE TO FOREIGN NATIONALS--
NOT RELEASABLE TO
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