BELIEF OF SALVADORAN MINISTER OF DEFENSE THAT HE HAS SUFFICIENT SUPPORT TO EFFECT THE REMOVAL OF A POLITICAL OPPONENT WHO IS A KEY ARMY COMMANDER

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 15702887
• 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: January 4, 1983

Approved for Release: 2019/08/07 C06629995
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Document: Subject: : BELIEF OF SALVADORAN MINISTER OF DEFENSE THAT HE HAS
SUFFICIENT SUPPORT TO EFFECT THE REMOVAL OF A POLITICAL
OPPONENT WHO IS A KEY ARMY COMMANDERC
MIDB
D COMET 830104 15 6 UPID
09/ /61 S RET 09 FRP: 2
ISZ83-0209765
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83 0209765 ISZ
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TOR: 042300Z JAN 83
WNINTEL INTEL
,REPORT CLASS S E
E T WNINTEL
C R E T 042225Z
COUNTRY: EL SALVADOR
SUBJ : BELIEF OF SALVADORAN MINISTER OF DEFENSE THAT HE HAS
SUFFICIENT SUPPORT TO EFFECT THE REMOVAL OF A POLITICAL
OPPONENT WHO IS A KEY ARMY COMMANDER
TEXT: 1. ON 3 JANUARY 1983, GENERAL JOSE GUILLERMO ((GARCIA)),
CL BY:
CL REASON:
DECL ON:
DRV FROM:
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MINISTER OF DEFENSE, REAFFIRMED HIS INTENTION TO TRANSFER ABROAD
LTC. SIGFRIEDO ((OCHOA)) PEREZ, COMMANDER OF CABANAS DEPARTMENT,
BECAUSE OF OCHOA'S OUTSPOKEN OPPOSITION TO GARCIA AND HIS CLOSE
ALIGNMENT WITH ROBERTO ((D'AUBUISSON)), HEAD OF THE NATIONALIST
REPUBLICAN ALLIANCE (ARENA) AND PRESIDENT OF THE CONSTITUENT
ASSEMBLY.. GARCIA HAS DECIDED TO ASSIGN OCHOA AS MILITARY
ATTACHE TO URUGUAY, REPLACING COL. ARISTIDES ((TOVAR)) MOLINA,
WHO RECENTLY RETURNED TO EL SALVADOR.
2. ON 2-3 FEBRUARY 1983, GARCIA AND HIS CLOSE ALLY,
COL. RAFAEL ((FLORES)) LIMA, CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES GENERAL
STAFF, PRIVATELY DISCUSSED PLANS FOR TRANSFERRING OCHOA
WITH THE FOLLOWING OFFICERS, SOME OF WHOM SUPPORTED THE DECISION,
WHILE NONE EXPRESSED OPPOSITION: GENERAL EUGENIO ((VIDES))
CASANOVA, DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL GUARD; LTC. JAIME ERNESTO
((FLORES)), COMMANDER OF SAN MIGUEL DEPARTMENT; LTC. MIGUEL
ALFREDO ((VASCONCELOS)), COMMANDER OF USULUTAN DEPARTMENT;
LTC. DOMINGO ((MONTERROSA)), COMMANDER OF THE ATLACATL BATTALION;
LTC. OSCAR RODOLFO ((CAMPOS)) AMAYA, COMMANDER OF THE CAVALRY
REGIMENT; COL. ANTONIO ((LOPEZ)) NUILA, DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL
POLICE; LTC. RAMON ANTONIO ((MORALES)) RUIZ, COMMANDER OF
LA UNION DEPARTMENT AND COL. FRANCISCO ((MORAN)), DIRECTOR OF
THE TREASURY POLICE.
3. WHILE GARCIA AND FLORES LIMA EXPECT SOME ADVERSE
REACTION TO THE TRANSFER OF OCHOA, THEY REMAIN CONFIDENT
THAT THEY HAVE SUFFICIENT SUPPORT TO CONTROL ANY OPPOSITION
WHICH MAY DEVELOP IN THE MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT. HOWEVER,
BOTH GARCIA AND FLORES LIME EXPECT A SUBSTANTIAL PROTEST FROM
D'AUBUISSON, SUPPORTED BY ARENA MEMBERS OF THE CONSTITUTENT
ASSEMBLY.
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4. GARCIA PLANS TO REPLACE OCHOA WITH LTC. RENE EMILIO
((PONCE)), SUBDIRECTOR OF THE TREASURY POLICE, BASED ON PONCE'S
LOYALTY TO GARCIA AND PROFESSIONAL ABILITIES. PONCE WILL BE
REPLACED BY LTC. JUAN CARLOS ((CARRILLO)) SCHLENKER,
CURRENTLY EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF CUSCATLAN DEPARTMENT. THESE
AND OTHER PERSONNEL TRANSFERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON 6 JANUARY
IN A MINISTRY OF DEFENSE ORDER. FLORES LIMA IS CONFIDENT THAT
GARCIA WILL ACCEPT HIS PREFERENCE TO REMAIN AS CHIEF OF THE
ARMED FORCES GENERAL STAFF, DESPITE GARCIA'S DESIRE THAT
FLORES LIME FILL THE SUBSECRETARY OF DEFENSE POSITION LEFT
VACANT BY THE CAPTURE OF COL. ADOLFO ((CASTILLO)).
REPORT CLASSSECRET--WARNING NOTICE-
-DISSEMINATION AND EXTRACTION
OF INFORMATION CONTROLLED BY ORIGINATOR.
DECL, RECORDED REPORTING OFFICER.
ALL PORTIONS CARRY CLASSIFICATION AND CONTROLS OF OVERALL
DOCUMENT.
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