TRANSFERS IN THE SALVADORAN HIGH COMMAND DESIGNED BY THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE TO STRENGTHEN HIS PERSONAL POSITION

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06629217
• 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 8, 1983

Approved for Release: 2019/08/07 C06629217
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Document:CIAA -0000 464775 Subject: TRANSFERS IN THE SALVADORAN HIGH COMMAND DESIGNED BY
THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE TO STRENGTHEN HIS PERSONAL
POSITIONC 18157CIAA 464775 MS083-0468917 MIDB
D COMET 830208 CIA-464775CO283 1 UPID
/ / * EXCLUSIVE S ET FRP: ,2�4 �� 8
MILITARY
83 0468917 MS0
PAGE 001
TOT: 082247Z FEB 83
CIA 464775
082247ZCIA 464775
TO: IMMEDIATE DIRNSA, DEPT OF STATE, DIA, ZEN/WHITE HOUSE
SITUATION ROOM, ZEN/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL STAFF,
ZEN/CIA OFFICE OF CURRENT OPERATIONS, USCINCSO QHTS PANAMA.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WARNING: INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE.
REPORT CLASS S R E T WNINTEL
DIST: 8 FEB 83
COUNTRY: EL SALVADOR
SUBJ: TRANSFERS IN THE SALVADORAN HIGH COMMAND DESIGNED BY
THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE TO STRENGTHEN HIS PERSONAL
POSITION
TEXT: 1. WITH THE PRIME OBJECTIVE OF REINFORCING HIS PERSONAL
POSITION IN THE SALVADORAN ARMED FORCES, GENERAL JOSE GUILLERMO
((GARCIA)), MINISTER OF DEFENSE, ISSUED AN ORDER ON 7 FEBRUARY 1983
WHICH TRANSFERRED VARIOUS OFFICERS IN KEY STAFF AND COMMAND
ASSIGNMENTS. THE KEY TRANSFERS AND GARCIA'S INTENTIONS IN
EACH CASE ARE AS FOLLOWS:
A. COL. RAFAEL ((FLORES)) LIMA, CHIEF OF THE ARMED
FORCES GENERAL STAFF, IS DEEPLY CONCERNED OVER HIS ASSIGNMENT,
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EFFECTIVE 10 FEBRUARY, AS SUB-SECRETARY OF DEFENSE. FLORES LIMA
FEARS THAT HE WILL NOW BE VIEWED AS DIRECTLY SUPPORTING GARCIA'S
ATTEMPT TO REMAIN IN OFFICE, WHICH FLORES LIMA CONSIDERS WILL
BE STRONGLY OPPOSED BY MANY KEY MILITARY OFFICERS. FLORES LIMA
SAID THAT GARCIA WILL SOON LAUNCH A PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGN
TO IMPROVE HIS IMAGE AND FLORES LIMA WILL BE FORCED ACTIVELY TO
PARTICIPATE IN SUCH ACTIVITIES AS ESCORTING GARCIA ON VISITS
TO MILITARY COMMANDS AND APPEARING WITH HIM AS HIS AIDE IN PRESS
CONFERENCES. FLORES LIMA SAID HE WILL OBEY GARCIA'S ORDER, BUT
PROBABLY WOULD REQUEST AN ASSIGNMENT AS A MILITARY ATTACHE IN A
NEARBY COUNTRY WITH ONE TO TWO MONTHS.
B. GARCIA HAS ASSIGNED COL. MARIO ADALBERTO ((REYES))
MENA, SECOND BRIGADE COMMANDER, TO CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES
GENERAL STAFF, PRIMARILY BECAUSE HE CONSIDERS REYES WILL
FAITHFULLY AND FIRMLY FOLLOW HIS ORDERS. DURING THE RECENT
CONFRONTATION BETWEEN LTC. SIGIFREDO ((OCHOA)) PEREZ AND
GARCIA, REYES, ALTHOUGH GENERALLY CONSIDERED POLITICALLY
NEUTRAL, WAS OUTSPOKEN IN FAVOR OF GARCIA REMAINING IN OFFICE
AND CONDEMNED OCHOA'S REBELLION. REYES IS DESCRIBED BY FLORES
LIMA AS PROFESSIONALLY ILL PREPARED AND OF VERY LIMITED ABILITY.
C. GARCIA HAS REASSIGNED COL. OSCAR ((CASANOVA)),
DIRECTOR OF THE ARMED FORCES STUDY CENTER (CEFA), TO COMMAND
THE SECOND BRIGADE AT THE REQUEST OF AND AS A FAVOR TO
GENERAL CARLOS EUGENIO ((VIDES)) CASANOVA, DIRECTOR GENERAL
OF THE NATIONAL GUARD, WHO IS RELATED TO OSCAR CASANOVA.
D. IN TRANSFERRING COL. NAPOLEON ((ALVARADO)) AS
COMMANDER OF SAN VICENTE DEPARTMENT TO CHIEF OF THE TERRITORIAL
FORCES, GARCIA IS RELEGATING ONE OF THE MOST INCOMPETENT
MILITARY COMMANDERS TO A MINOR ROLE. WHILE THIS MOVE IN ITSELF
WILL BE WIDELY APPROVED IN THE ARMED FORCES, GARCIA IS
REPLACING ALVARADO, A CLOSE ALLY, WITH ONE OF HIS MOST LOYAL
AND TRUSTED COLLEAGUES, LTC. JOSE ALEJANDRO ((CISNEROS)),
COMMANDER OF THE AHUACHAPAN DEPARTMENT.
E. THE ASSIGNMENT OF COL. REINALDO ((GOLCHER)),
ARMED FORCES G-2, AS DIRECTOR OF THE ARMED FORCES STUDY
CENTER WAS PROMPTED BY GARCIA'S SUSPICION OF GOLCHER'S
PERSONAL FRIENDSHIP WITH GENERAL JAIME ABDUL ((GUTIERREZ)),
CURRENTLY UNASSIGNED, WHO IS A LONG-TIME GARCIA RIVAL AND
POLITICAL ENEMY. FURTHER, GARCIA CONSIDERS THAT DOLCHER IS
PASSING SENSITIVE INFORMATION TO GUTIERREZ. FLORES LIMA
FAVORED THE REMOVAL OF GOLCHER, WHOM HE DISTRUSTS FOR THE
SAME REASON. FLORES LIMA FIRMLY ENDORSED GARCIA'S DECISION TO
REPLACE GOLCHER WITH LTC. CARLOS ALFREDO ((RIVAS)), CURRENTLY
A MILITARY ATTACHE IN MEXICO. RIVAS, WHO PRECEDED GOLCHER AS
THE G-2, IS A TRUSTED CONFIDANT OF BOTH GARCIA AND FLORES LIMA
AND THEY CONSIDER HIM AN EXPERT IN INTELLIGENCE OPERATIONS.
2. THESE TRANSFERS WILL BE VIEWED BY
GARCIA'S MANY OPPONENTS IN THE ARMED FORCES AS CLEAR EVIDENCE
OF HIS INTENTIONS TO REMAIN IN OFFICE. ACCORDINGLY, A
CONFRONTATION, IN WHICH KEY COMMANDERS WOULD ATTEMPT TO FORCE
GARCIA'S RETIREMENT, COULD OCCUR AT ANY TIME. AT THIS POINT,
IT IS DOUBTFUL THAT SUCH A MOVE BY THE MILITARY AGAINST GARCIA
WOULD INCLUDE PRESIDENT ALVARO ((MAGANA)) AND THE GOVERNMENT.)
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