CONCERNS OF PRESIDENT MAGANA AND MINISTER OF DEFENSE GARCIA THAT ARENA IS ATTEMPTING TO UNDERMINE THE GOVERNMENT.

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06629887
• 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: July 28, 1982

Approved for Release: 2019/08/07 C06629887
SBCRET
Document:CIAA -0000 287596 Subject: CONCERNS OF PRESIDENT MAGANA AND MINISTER OF DEFENSE
GARCIA THAT ARENA IS ATTEMPTING TO UNDERMINE THE
GOVERNMENT.
D COMET 820728
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PAGE 001
TOT: 280138Z JUL 82
CIA 287596
280138ZCIA 287596
TO: DIRNSA, DEPT OF STATE, DIA, TREASURY DEPT,
SECRET SERVICE, FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, DEPT OF JUSTICE,
ZEN/WHITE HOUSE SITUATION ROOM, ZEN/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
STAFF, ZEN/CIA OFFICE OF CURRENT OPERATIONS,
USCINCSO QUARRY HTS PA.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WARNING: INFORMATION REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE.
REPORT CLASSSE RETWNINTEL
COUNTRY: EL SALVADO
SUBJECT: CONCERNS OF PRESIDENT MAGANA AND MINISTER OF DEFENSE
GARCIA THAT ARENA IS ATTEMPTING TO UNDERMINE THE
GOVERNMENT.
1. ON 20 JULY 1982, GENERAL JOSE GUILLERMO ((GARCIA)),
MINISTER OF DEFENSE, SAID THAT HE AND PRESIDENT ALVARO ((MAGANA))
HAD DISCUSSED THAT DAY THEIR SERIOUS CONCERNS THAT THE
NATIONALIST REPUBLICAN ALLIANCE (ARENA) IS ENGAGED IN A CONCERTED
EFFORT TO DISCREDIT THE NEW GOVERNMENT AND THE ARMED FORCES, WITH
THE AIM OF EVENTUALLY CONTROLLING THE GOVERNMENT.
2. GENERAL GARCIA REFERRED TO RECENTLY PUBLISHED PRONOUNCE-
MENTS BY LEADING SALVADORAN BUSINESSMEN AND INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATIONS
CONDEMNING THE ASSASSINATION ON 15 JULY OF NICOLAS ESTEBAN
((NASSER)), PROMINENT BUSINESSMAN AND PRESIDENT OF THE 1982
SALVADORAN INTERNATIONAL FAIR. GENERAL GARCIA SAID THAT HE AND
S\C R E T
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PRESIDENT MAGANA, AS WELL AS LEADERS OF THE MILITARY HIGH
COMMAND, VIEW THE PRESS ARTICLES AS HIGHLY TENDENTIOUS AND
ARE CONVINCED THAT ROBERTO ((D'AUBUISSON)), LEADER OF ARENA
AND PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, IS INVOLVED IN A SUBTLE
ATTEMPT TO WEAKEN THE MAGANA GOVERNMENT AND CREATE DIVISION
IN THE ARMED FORCES. ACCORDING TO GENERAL GARCIA, D'AUBUISSON
WISHES TO REMOVE PRESIDENT MAGANA AND GARCIA FROM THEIR
POSITIONS AND REPLACE THEM WITH LOYAL ARENA FOLLOWERS.
3. THE LOCAL PRESS ON 17 JULY PUBLISHED
A RELEASE SUBMITTED BY THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PRIVATE
ENTERPRISE (ANEP), THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SCIS),
THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF SMALL BUSINESS (FENAPES) AND OTHER
BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIAL GROUPS CONDEMING NASSER'S KILLING AND
CALLING ATTENTION TO THE "EXISTING REIGN OF ANARCHY AND FAILURE
OF THE ARMED FORCES TO PROTECT HONEST CITIZENS". THE RELEASE
WENT ON TO NOTE "THE HIGH PROFESSIONAL SPIRIT AND PATRIOTISM OF
SOLDIERS IN THE FIELD OF BATTLE, WHILE SOME.CIRCLES OF THE HIGH
COMMAND SEEM TO HAVE FORGOTTEN THE ELECTORAL MANDATE OF 28 MARCH
WHEN THE SALVADORAN PEOPLE VOTED TO END THE ANARCHY AND STOP
THE FLOW OF BLOOD.")
4. GENERAL GARCIA SAID THAT D'AUBUISSON IS ATTEMPTING TO
USE THE PRESS TO DIVIDE THE ARMED FORCES BY PRAISING THE OFFICERS
AND MEN IN THE FIELD WHILE CRITICIZING THE HIGH COMMAND. GARCIA
SAID HE IS CONVINCED THAT ARENA HOPES TO CREATE DISSENT IN THE
ARMED FORCES TO DESTROY THEM, AS THEY ARE THE ONLY VALID COHESIVE
GROUP IN THE COUNTRY WHICH OPPOSE ARENA POLICIES. HE SAID THAT
D'AUBUISSON AND ARENA WILL STOP AT NOTHING IN ORDER TO TAKE
CONTROL OF THE GOVERNMENT.
5. FOLLOWING THE DISCUSSION WITH GARCIA, PRESIDENT MAGANA
DECIDED THAT GARCIA SHOULD MAKE AN APPEARANCE ON NATIONAL
TELEVISION THAT SAME DAY TO REFUTE THE PRESS PRONOUNCEMENTS.
(FIELD COMMENT: DURING HIS TELEVISED MESSAGE THAT EVENING,
GENERAL GARCIA SAID THAT THE ARMED FORCES ARE NOT DIVIDED AND
THAT THE MILITARY REMAINS SOLID AND OBEDIENT TO INSTITUTIONAL
PRINCIPLES.)
6. ALTHOUGH GENERAL GARCIA'S SPEECH
NOTED THAT THE PRINCIPLE OF "DIVIDE AND CONQUER" IS A FAVORITE
MARXIST TACTIC, HIS SPEECH CONTAINED A CLEAR MESSAGE TO THE
RIGHT WING POLITICAL PARTIES AS WELL WHEN HE STATED THAT
"REGRETTABLY, THOSE WHO ARE NOT MARXISTS SOMETIMES USE THE SAME
TACTICS".)
7. IN DISCUSSING ARENA'S POSSIBLE CHANCES FOR SUCCESS,
GARCIA SAID THAT MOST MILITARY LEADERS WOULD REMAIN LOYAL TO
THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT, AND WOULD AVOID BEING PULLED INTO A
DEBATE WITH ARENA AND POLITICIZED.
COLONEL SIGIFREDO ((OCHOA)) PEREZ, COMMANDER OF CABANAS
DEPARTMENT, HAS BEEN A CLOSE SUPPORTER OF ARENA, BUT OCHOA'S
RECENT REMARKS DURING MEETINGS OF SENIOR OFFICERS
APPEAR TO BE INCREASINGLY CRITICAL OF D'AUBUISSON
AND ARENA. WHETHER THIS IS OCHOA'S TRUE ATTITUDE IS NOT KNOWN
AT THIS TIME, BUT IT MAY BE AN INDICATION THAT D'AUBUISSON IS
LOSING POLITICAL CLOUT.
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