STATUS OF CONFLICT BETWEEN THE CABANAS DEPARTMENTAL COMMANDER AND THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06629799
• 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 8, 1983

Approved for Release: 2019/08/07 C06629799
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Document:CIAA -0,000 434204 Subject: STATUS OF CONFLICT BETWEEN THE CABANAS DEPARTMENTAL
COMMANDER AND THE MINISTER OF DEFENSEC 11786CIAA 434204 MS083-0238718
MIDB
D COMET 830108 CIA-434204Q9183 1 UPID
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MILITARY
83 0238718 MS0
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TOT: 082250Z JAN 83
CIA 434204
082250ZCIA 434204
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: INFORMATIO1 REPORT, NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE.
REPORT CLASSSEC ETWNINTEL
COUNTRY: EL SAVADOR
SUBJECT: STATUS OF CONFLICT BETWEEN THE CABANAS DEPARTMENTAL
COMMANDER AND THE MINISTER OF DEFENSE
TEXT: 1. GENERAL JOSE GUILLERMO ((GARCIA)), MINISTER OF DEFENSE,
AND COL. RAFAEL ((FLORES)) LIMA, CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES
GENERAL STAFF, VIEW AS INCREASINGLY SERIOUS THE SITUATION TAKEN
BY LTC. SIGIFREDO ((OCHOA)) PEREZ, COMMANDER OF MILITARY
DETACHMENT 2. OCHOA REMAINS AT HIS HEADQUARTERS IN CABANAS
DEPARTMENT WITH HIS TROOPS ON FULL ALERT AND CONTINUES TO
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INSIST THAT GARCIA RESIGN.
2. ON 8 JANUARY, OCHOA PLANS TO ORGANIZE A LARGE
DEMONSTRATION IN CABANAS, COMPRISED OF THE POPULACE AND CIVIL
DEPARTMENTAL OFFICIALS. THE DEMONSTRATION WILL STRESS THAT
THE ORDERS TO TRANSFER OCHOA AS MILITARY ATTACHE TO URUGUAY WAS A
PERSONAL AND POLITICAL MOVE BY GARCIA.
3. ON THE MORNING OF 8 JANUARY, OCHOA CALLED
FLORES LIMA AND REQUESTED THAT HE ORGANIZE AND CHAIR A MEETING
IN CABANAS OF ALL MILITARY COMMANDERS. FLORES LIMA DID NOT
COMMIT HIMSELF TO OCHOA ON THE PHONE BUT HAS NO INTENTIONS OF
ASSISTING OCHOA AND REPORTED THIS DEVELOPMENT TO GARCIA, WHO
HAS CONTROLLED ACCESS TO CABANAS WITH TROOPS FROM
MILITARY DETACHMENT 5, UNDER THE COMMAND OF LTC. ROBERTO
ARMANDO ((RIVERA)).
4. GARCIA AND FLORES LIMA REMAIN IN CONTINOUS CONTACT
WITH KEY MILITARY COMMANDERS. ALTHOUGH ALMOST ALL AGREE THAT
OCHOA SHOULD HAVE OBEYED GARCIA'S ORDER AND DO NOT SUPPORT
OCHOA'S DEFIANCE OF AUTHORITY, THE FOLLOWING HAVE CLEARLY
STATED TO GARCIA THAT THEY PREFER HE RESIGN: LTC. MIGUEL ANTONIO
((MENDEZ)), COMMANDER OF THE RAMON BELLOSO BATTALION; LTC. DOMINGO
((MONTERROSA)) BARRIOS, COMMANDER OF THE ATLACATL BATTALION;
COL. JAIME ERNESTO ((FLORES)), COMMANDER OF SAN MIGUEL DEPARTMENT;
LTC. MIGUEL ALFREDO ((VASCONCELOS)), COMMANDER OF USULUTAN
DEPARTMENT; AND LTC. NAPOLEON HERSON ((CALITO)) ARBAIZA,
COMMANDER OF THE ATONAL BATTALION.
5. FLORES LIMA SAID THAT IT IS CLEAR THAT ALMOST ALL
AIR FORCE OFFICERS PREFER THE REMOVAL OF GARCIA AND MANY, SUCH
AT LTC. HECTOR LEONEL ((LOBO)) PEREZ, CHIEF OF OPERATIONS,
ARE PERSONNALLY SYMPATHETIC WITH OCHOA. GARCIA AND FLORES LIMA
CONSIDER THAT THE MAJORITY OF ARMY JUNIOR OFFICERS, WHILE
PERHAPS NOT SYMPATHETIC TO OCHOA, PREFER THAT GARCIA RESIGN.
FLORES LIMA SAID THAT HE AND GARCIA BELIEVE THAT THE RESIGNATION
OF GARCIA WOULD LEAD TO THE EVENTUAL DOMINATION OF THE MILITARY
BY THE NATIONLIST REPUBLICAN ALLIANCE (ARENA) AND ITS LEADER
ROBERTO ((D'AUBUISSON)), PRESIDENT OF THE CONTITUENT ASSEMBLY.
FLORES LIMA SAID THAT ARENA ACTIVISTS ARE CURRENTLY EXPLOITING
THE SITUATION TO DEVELOP POPULAR SUPPORT FOR OCHOA AND THE
REMOVAL OF GARCIA.
6. FLORES LIMA NOTED THAT WITH THE ADDITION OF THE ARENA
EFFORT, HE DID NOT COMPLETELY RULE OUT THE 'POSSIBILITY OF A
COUP D'ETAT ATTEMPT BY THE AIR FORCE AND OCHOA'S FORCES. ON
8 JANUARY, FLORES LIMA WAS CONTACTED BY D'AUBUISSON WHO SAID
THAT HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH GARCIA HAD BEEN COMPLETELY SEVERED.
7. CURRENTLY, THE FOLLOWING OFFICERS HAVE PLEDGED THEIR
LOYALTY TO GARCIA AND OPPOSITION TO OCHOA'S PROTEST:
GENERAL CARLOS EUGENIO ((VIDES)) CASANOVA, DIRECTOR GENERAL
OF THE NATIONAL GUARD; COL. CARLOS REYNALDO ((LOPEZ)) NUILA,
DIRECTOR GENERAL, NATIONAL POLICE; COL. FRANCISCO ANTONIO ((MORAN)),
DIRECTOR GENERAL, TREASURY POLICE; LTC. MARIO ENRIQUE ((ACEVEDO)),
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COMMANDER OF MORAZAN DEPARTMENT; LTC. RAMON ANTONIO ((MORALES))
RUIZ, COMMANDER OF LA UNION DEPARTMENT; COL. NAPOLEON ((ALVARADO))
COMMANDER OF SAN VICENTE DEPARTMENT; LTC. JOSE ALEJANDRO
((CISNEROS)), COMMANDER OF AHUACHAPAN DEPARTMENT; LTC. ELMER
((ARAJJ0)) GONZALEZ, COMMANDER OF SONSONATE DEPARTMENT;
COL. ROBERTO DE JESUS ((MONTERROSA)) BONILLA, COMMANDER OF THE
NAVY. ON THE MORNING OF 8 JANUARY, FLORES LIME
RECEIVED A CALL FROM GENERAL ((LOPEZ)), THE GUATEMALAN CHIEF OF
STAFF, WHO REQUESTED INFO ON THE SITUATION AND EXPRESSED HIS
SOLIDARITY WITH FLORES LIMA AND GARCIA.
8. GARCIA PLANS TO CONVENE A MEETING OF ALL COMMANDERS IN
SAN SALVADOR ON EITHER 10 OR 11 JANUARY IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE
THIS CRISIS.
REPORT CLASSSECRET--WARNING NOTICEH
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ORIG/REL:
RECORDED REPORTING OFFICER.
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