EFFORTS BY A SALVADORAN ARMY OFFICER TO PROMOTE A COUP; INCREASING PRESSURE IN THE ARMED FORCES FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE.

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 15702748
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: March 8, 2023
• Document Release Date: August 8, 2019
• Case Number: F-2017-01057
• Publication Date: February 4, 1983

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Document:CIAA -0000 460741 Subject: EFFORTS BY A SALVADORAN ARMY OFFICER TO PROMOTE A COUP;
INCREASING PRESSURE IN THE ARMED FORCES FOR THE REMOVAL
OF THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE.0 09.088CIAA 460741 MS083-0432734
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CIA-460741CO283 1
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MILITARY
UPID
83 0432734 MS0
PAGE 001
TOT: 040319Z FEB 83
CIA 460741
040319ZCIA 460741
TO: IMMEDIATE DIRNSA, DEPT OF STATE, DIA, WHITE HOUSE
SITUATION ROOM, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL STAFF,
ZEN/CIA OFFICE OF CURRENT OPERATIONS,
USCINCSO QHTS PANAMA.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WARNING: INFORMA ION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE.
gEPORT CLASS S E
E T WNINTEL
COUNTRY: EL SALVADOR
SUBJ: EFFORTS BY A SALVADORAN ARMY OFFICER TO PROMOTE A COUP;
INCREASING PRESSURE IN THE ARMED FORCES FOR THE REMOVAL
OF THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE.
TEXT: 1. IN RECENT DAYS, LTC. SIGIFREDO ((OCHOA)) PEREZ,
THE FORMER CABANAS DEPARTMENTAL COMMANDER WHO LED A REBELLION
AGAINST GENERAL JOSE GUILLERMO ((GARCIA)), MINISTER OF DEFENSE,
HAS BEEN ATTEMPTING TO ENLIST THE SUPPORT OF AIR FORCE AND ARMY
OFFICERS TO FORCE THE REMOVAL OF GENERAL GARCIA AS WELL AS
PRESIDENT ALVARO ((MAGANA)) AND COL. RAFAEL ((FLORES)) LIMA,
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CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES GENERAL STAFF. OCHOA HAS RECENTLY
VISITED OFFICERS AT THE ILOPANGO AIR FORCE BASE ON SEVERAL
OCCASIONS FOR THIS PURPOSE. COL. MAXIMILIANO ((LEIVA)),
COMMANDER OF THE 4TH INFANTRY BRIGADE, HAS BEEN ASSISTING OCHOA
IN PROMOTING A COUP AMONG THE OFFICERS CORPS. GENERAL GARCIA,
WHO IS WELL AWARE OF OCHOA'S ACTIVITIES, IS ADAMANT THAT OCHOA
WILL DEPART FOR HIS ASSIGNMENT TO THE INTER-AMERICAN-DEFENSE
COLLEGE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. NO LATER THAN 7 FEBRUARY 1983.
2. ACCORDING TO FLORES LIMA ON 3 FEBRUARY 1983, THERE .
IS NOT YET SUFFICIENT SUPPORT IN THE MILITARY FOR A COUP BUT THE
SITUATION IS DELICATE AS GENERAL GARCIA, WHOSE RESIGNATION IS
INCREASINGLY SOUGHT IN THE OFFICER CORPS, HAS PROVIDED NO
ASSURANCES OF RESIGNING AND, IN FACT, WANTS TO REMAIN IN OFFICE.
IN FLORES LIMA'S VIEW, IF GARCIA DOES NOT RESIGN OR MAKE A
COMMITMENT TO DO SO IN THE NEAR FUTURE, ELEMENTS OF THE ARMED
FORCES, SUPPORTED BY THE NATIONALIST REPUBLICAN ALLIANCE (ARENA)
PARTY, COULD BE PROMOTED TO ATTEMPT A COUP.
3. ONE INDICATION TO FLORES LIMA OF GARCIA'S INTENTIONS TO
REMAIN IN OFFICE IS THE VERY HEAVY PRESSURE HE IS EXERTING
ON FLORES LIMA TO ACCEPT THE CURRENTLY VACANT POSITION OF
SUB-SECRETARY OF DEFENSE. FLORES LIMA SEES THIS AS PART OF A
PLAN BY GARCIA TO STRENGTHEN HIS POSITION AND IMPROVE HIS CHANCES
TO REMAIN IN OFFICE. FLORES LIMA SAID THAT GARCIA HAS GIVEN HIM
UNTIL 4 FEBRUARY TO ACCEPT THE SUB-SECRETARY POSITION OR BE
ASSIGNED ABROAD AS A MILITARY ATTACHE OR RESIGN. GARCIA'S
CANDIDATE TO REPLACE FLORES LIMA IS COL. MARIO ADALBERTO ((REYES))
MENA, COMMANDER OF THE 2ND INFANTRY BRIGADE, WHOM FLORES LIMA
DESCRIBED AS POLITICALLY NEUTRAL AND A "GOOD SOLDIER". PRIOR TO
COMMITTING HIMSELF, FLORES LIMA WILL MEET WITH GARCIA ON 4 FEBRUARY
IN AN ATTEMPT TO DETERMINE GARCIA'S INTENTIONS AND STRATEGY. '
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