ANNUAL REPORT OF ACTIVITIES AND STATUS OF THE PARTIDO VANGUARDIA POPULAR (PVP)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R002700440001-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 22, 1999
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: February 1, 1948
• Content Type: REPORT

CLASSIFICATION "
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT NO.
INFORMATION REPORT CD NO.
25X1A2g
COUNTRY
Costa Rica
DATE DISTR. 12 ::: .' 1949
SUBJECT
Annual Report of Activities and Status of
the Partido Vanguardii Popular (PVP)
NO. OF PAGES
4 25X1A2g
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF INFO.
25X1A2g
February 1948-February 1949
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO..
Arnoldo Ferreto'Segura
Luis Carballo Corrales
`Alfredo Picado Saenz*
Carlos Luis Saenz
Carlos Luis Fa.llas Sibaja
Federico Picado Saenz*
( 3o
.The following report covers the activities of the V nguardia Popular Party
(PVP) during the period February 1948 to February 1949, concluding with
a description of the organizational structure known to source at the present
time. Source attempts to trace some of the factors causing the present
demoralization of PVF morale and organization, and ventures occasional
predictions based upon his personal knowledge of the intentions of PVP
leaders, specifically Luis Carballo Corrales and Jaime Cerdas Dora.
1. Activities of the PVP during Presidential Llections of February 1948. The
majority of PVPPVP members voted for presidential candidate Dr. Rafael Angel
Calderon Guardia 9 in spite of apparent Party support of Humberto Gonzalez
e ;ura., The Party worked and voted directly for its own ticket of
deputies and municipal candidates filed in each of the provinces. The
following deputies were elected.
Province of San Jose
Pro rince of Alajuela
Province of Cartago
Province of Heredia
Province of Puntarenas
Province of Limon
2, Upon learning that the results of the presidential elections were favorable
to Otilio Ulate Blanco, the PVP commenced manifestations alleging that
many Party affiliates had not voted, owing to irregularities in the
electoral system then under the direction of the Ulatista Benjamin?Odio and
his associates. Manuel Mora, Secretary-General of the PVP, maintained
continual contact with then President. Picado and with Francisco Calderon
Guardia., Chief of Action of the National Republican Party., and it was resolved
to annul the elections for President of the Republic? which was done in the
congressional.session of 1 March 1948?
Knowing that the annulment of Ulate's election would mean revolution., PVT
members sent their families out of town to prevent reprisals against their
wives., sisters, and children. The Party prepared itself for the ensuing
revolt by concentrating all its membership in various unidentified clubs
NO C
0 DECLAS
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CENTRAL INTELJ,IGEN CE ,AGENCY
YiliLaa Activities of PVPin the hevolufiion of 11 March 1948. The PVP
had maintained 1000 armed men, the majority of whom were Nicaraguans
brought from the banana zones of the Pacific and Atlantic and. from
Puntarenas, in the Bella Vista and Artilleria Cuartelsa These armed
militants were assigned to guard the central roads, electric and water
plants, and transportation facilities of Costa Rica. Source maintained
that the hidden arms and archives of the Party were then and are still.
stored in the finca San Jose de la Montana, fifteen kilometers north of
HHeredia o
The Confederacion de Trabaa3adores de Costa Rica (CTCR) was converted into
nw military headquarters for the PVP, and there troops arrived from different
parts of the country, were received and exhorted in the Party cause by Mara
rand' assigned destinations,
6, Source attributed the apparent lack of interest of the PVP in taking over
the government at this time to the possibility that Sonaoza might invade
Costs Rica and there would be no room for Communism. PVP leaders deemed
It preferable to make an arrangement with the revolutionary forces, which
they effectively did. Source was definitely of the opinion that there
was a working arrangement between Figueres and the PVP,*
'7, Arms in the Possession of the Van card a Po-oulara Despite the confiecetiop
of PVP arms by the junta, source maintains that lthe Party has in its
possession no less than 500 Mauser rifles, 4 heavy Browning machine gum,
2 116011 mortars, 4 Maxim stationary heavy machine guns 5 Neuhasen machine
,gums, 10 ,45-caliber Rising machine guns, and other Breda and Lewis guns
Present Direction of the Vsri iardia Populerc, Accompanied by Carman Lyra,
? arxuel More was forced to leave the country at the reouest of the governing
;junta., Taking refuge in Mexico, More has been in contact with his Party
colleagues. One of the principal communications received by the Party
from More. is that the Party should rennainneutrAl in all counter-revolutionary
attempts against the governing junta?
in the 8 December 1948 elections for a Constitutional Convention, the
Party left its militants at liberty to vote as they pleased, but recommerLied
Who ticket of the Constitutional Party, formed in the, main of capitalists
and enemies of the ?VI'* According to source, this recommendation by !ors
was ride to extract votes, and in this he succeeded, as the other parties
opened a campaign against the Constitutional Party because of Mora's
statement which constituted an alliaanc eo Many PVP members, however, prin-
cipally those of the banana zone, supported the Social Democratic Party
U.cket, tantamount to the revolutionary party in po re
10, According to source, the leaders of the Nicaraguan Liberation P-1ocament have
been trained by the FV"P for many yearso Whatever may be the movement against
~omoza, the PVP, rs well as the Socialist Party of Nicaragua and the
Confederation of Workers of Nicaragua, will join forces, but their leaders
would all be PVP members, Not only the Socialist Party of Nicaragua, but
also the Comite Obrero de Liberacion Nicaraguense (CY)LN , have been
organized in Costa Rica under the aegis of the PVP. Rosendo Arguello,
parennia7. Nicaraguan revolutionarys, has established contact TeLth Efraim
liodriguez a organizer of the COLN in Costa Rica. Leaders of the P VP
participated in the meetings, and the affiliates for "Liberation" approach
about 3000 militants
aani. na tion _ of the PVP Owing to the expulsion of P 7P members from private
pnter?prises and .frown the government, all the cells connected thereto have
ceased to exist, as well as cells in the Pacific Railroad, Public Works, and
the municipal worksg Cells now function and are localized in districts.
The new organization for the Central Canton of San Jose is as follows:
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a, Distrito del Carnenn-composed of Barrios Amon, Cuests de Moras, La
Fabrica de Licores, A,'torazan, Escalente, Santa Tsresita, Otoys, ranjuez,
El Empalme=, and Cal.ifornia0
bU Distrito is Merced-composed of Barrios Paso de is Vaca, Mexico,
Peni_tenciaris, Ltncon de Cubillos, Iglesias Flores, Poor as Nads,and
La Pi tahaya o
co Distrito Hospital composed of Barrios San Francisco de Mate Redonda,
Cafe de Menas, Santa Lucia, Republica de Cuba, La Puebla, Los Angeles,
Keith la. Constructora, Car;it, Cementerios, Bolivar, Corazon de Jesus,
Sian Bosco, La Polvora, El Facifico, Los Pinos, Teodoro Picado0
da Distrito Catedral -composed of Barrios Dolorosa, S.oledad Cuesta de Mora
(Sur), Laberinto, Lujan, Casas del Gobierno, Segundo Tubo, Turrujal,
California (south side), Plaza Vi.quez, La Cruz, Guell o. Villafranos,
Gonzalez Lehmann, Universidad, San Cayetano, and CPpitolio?
e? Distrito de Zapote.composed of Barrios Los Mangos, Turrujal, San Dimas,
Giudadela Calderon Munoz (east side), and Maria Aguilaro
f,, Distrito de San Francisco do Dos Rios--composed of Barrios Los Juanes,
GWriega, Cafe Nueva, Los Mendez, and Antolin Fallas4
g. Distrito de is Uruca--composed of Barrios Las Animas, Vueltas del
Viril.? , La Ceja, Bajo del Rio Torres, Electriona, Callecill.a do Paves,
Cello de is estacion0
h. Distrito de Mate Redonda-composed of Barrios Call.e de los Morenos,.
Cello del Golf Club, Celle Los Sotos, Calle de Paves, Celle Los Alvarez,
Los Anonos, Celle de la Paraguoria, Sabana.
i Distrito deg Paves--composed of Barrios Hacienda Rolrmoser, Rincon Grande,
Lecherias, San Pedro, Santa Barbara de Paves.
Distrito de Hatillo-,-composed of Barrio La, Villaneaa.
k., Distrito de San Sebastian--composed of Barrios Peso Ancho, Caecajal,
Luna Park. Lotes Mongito-,
i2r, The Political Committee or Politburo of PVP. Provisionally, this committee
contains the following leaders :
Arnoldo Ferrero Segura
Luis Carballo Corrales
Jaima Cerdas More
Carlos Luis Fellas Sibaja
Ltd as Gonzalez
Rodolfo Guzman Rodriguez
Efraim Rodriguez Vanegas
Jose Vines Vizoso
Provincial Or anAzation of the PVPO The following Secretaries General are
d .esignated in their respective provinces
Marco Aurelio Soto Alajuela
Mario Zuni ga Aguilar Puntarenas
Mario M ata, Cartago
Edwin Madrigal Bored is
Wan Guevara Centeno Guanacaste
Rogelio Carlos Mendoza Limon
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CENTRAL TTELLIGENCE AGENCY
lit. 1,n ardia Popular 11oments Or anizaton, Women members of the PUP have
been active in the intelligence service of the Party, also acting as
couriers carrying orders and circulating mimeographed sheets of Traba o,
the clandestine PVP bulletins. The women's organization of the Party con-
tinues to be called Union de Mujeres del Pueblo (U P) 0
l5:, PVP a&,nnda0 The editing and circulation of Traba o is directed by Luisa
Gonzalez axed Arturo Montero Vega.
l6 Commnaxaicrxtians of the Party According to sources, the Party is in clandestine
communication with Manuel Mora in Mexico by means of a short-wave radio
station. The location of this station is not yet known, In order to send.
eoamsaunications to the exterior the Party is using Russian Poles who help the
?arty in Costa Rica,
17. PVPContacts in Panama. By means of mail in the banana zone on the southern
f onti.erc the Party Ins contact with Bpldomero Gonzalez G. in La Chorrea,
Panamna0 Daniel Betancourt is another agent of the Party in Panama,
1&9 Conclusions, On the basis of hie observations, source has arrived at the
following conclusions:
a In spite of the fact that the PVP does not at present take part in public
functions, source considers that the actions of the governing junta favor
;future intervention of the Party in the politics of the country.
b,: The .PVP can claim whenever they want that they never had the extra-
ordin :ryy tax on capital in their program, but as the damage is now done and
the principle established, it is possible that in the future the action
or politics of the Party will be more stringent than ever against capitals,
If., during the present regime, it is not possible to nationalize electricity,
it is certain that the campaign for its nationalization will be maintained in
the future as a major plank of the Party.
c The establishuent of a military junta in Costa Rica will not prejudice
the future development of the illegal PVP, because of the fact that
oppression creates fanatics and martyrs,
dU The FVP has not combo' d the foreign militarists in Costa Rica who
organized to attack Nicaragua under the name of the Caribbean Lagion or
Army of Liberation, The direct participation of leaders such as Juan
Dosch in these military organizations and the necessity of obtaining soldiers
.From. the working class bear no good omen for the peace of Central America,
sine such organizations as the PVP willl maintain these soldiers on a war
footing to prevent the establishment of cons titutio: al order,
25X1A2g Assassinated in December 3.948?
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