THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82R00025R000600100009-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 3, 2005
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: October 29, 1965
• Content Type: NOTES

Approved For Release 2005/02/,W(RR00025R000600100009-0
BRIEFING NOTES
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
1. In the Dominican Republic, the situation is touch-and-go
again.
A. As you know, the Inter-American Peace Force--which
consists primarily of US troops -- has deployed over
the week-end into the former rebel zone to maintain
security there, in an attempt to facilitate the
collection of weapons.
B. Provisional President Garcia Godoy has repeatedly
temporized on this matter of cleaning up the rebel
zone, and appears far more concerned with rebel
demands that he take action against the right wing
and the military.
C. Armed forces leaders had threatened to clean out
the zone themselves if Garcia Godoy would not. They
appear determined to resist any effort by Garcia Godoy
to dismiss the Armed Forces Secretary, Rivera Caminero,
and the three service chiefs.
1. Ambassadors Bunker and Bennett have won agreement
in principle from Garcia Godoy that an equal number
of top rebel leaders--like Caamano and Montes Arache--
will have to be given overseas assignments if the
controversial military leaders are to be exiled.
D. When violence br)ke out again October 16, some rebel
militants who had Just moved into a military camp for
G-1
Approved For Release 2005/02/1,5-; " - py82R00025R000600100009-0
 Approved For Release 2005/02. GI iT2R00025R000600100009-0
integration into the armed forces vanished from
that camp. There were reports that they were back
in the rebel zone, reorganizing their commandos and
restoring the barricades.
E. Rebel militants and right-wing vigilantes have
apparently both decided that the OAS settl!iment
is coming unstuck and that the issues will be
settled by force. There have been sporadic
fire-fights and mob actions ever since the
assassination of 3evero Cabral, a leading right-wing
politician, on October 16.
F. When the IAPF moved into the rebel zone, however,
it met no forceful resistance, and found ao signs
of barricades or organized commandos. Rebel
weapons have been hidden, either in the zone
itself or in the countryside.
G. The arms search- continues, but it is
producing no weapons to speak of. The
collection teams are led by "judicial police"
recruited by the pro-Communist Attorney General,
Morel Corda. They apparently give rebels enough
warning to ensure that weapons are well hidden.
II. Garcia Godoy's provisional government was installed
September 3 with a nine-month mandate to reconcile the
opposing forces and run general elections.
A. Garcia Godoy has alienated most of his original
supporters, however. He has hardened the discontent
of the military, conservatives, and moderates by
G-2
Approved For Release 200510?'1E 82R00025R000600100009-0
 Approved For Release 2005/02/'fS .P 2R00025R000600100009-0
the appointment of Communists and Communist
sympathizers to relatively important positions,
including the justice ministry. His indecisiveness
and inaction have cost him the broad public support
he needs for an orderly transition to elected
government. The IAPF can probably preserve public
order indefinitely, but peaceful elections within
the agreed nine months now appear highly unlikely.
III. The three-man OAS commission was to meet with Garcia Godoy
this morning, to try to re-open lines of communication
between the provisional president and the military chiefs.
The OAS mediators are trying to persuade him to maintain
the status quo in the military command at least until the
former rebel zone is cleaned up.
A. Garcia Godoy himself apparently realizes he has
got to take action against the left as well as the
right if he is to bring the situation under control.
Yesterday he ordered the national police to close
down two particularly extreme pro-rebel newspapers.
IV. The IAPF at present has about 10,655 men--principally
8,800 US troops and some 1,100 Brazilians. Most responsible
Dominican leaders agree that the presence of the IAPF is
essential, but they find it political'y expedient in their
public speeches to call for its removal. ###
Approved For Release 2005/02: hNE 1!82R00025R000600100009-0
L7111d HE
25X1