MONTREAL INTERNATIONAL SERVICE IN SPANISH, 2300 GMT 13 AUGUST 1983

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85M00363R001403100028-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 20, 2007
• Sequence Number: 28
• Publication Date: August 13, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2007/11/20: CIA-RDP85M00363R001403100028-7
Montreal International Service in Spanish, 2300 GiU' 13 August 1983
(Interview with employee of Salvadoran rebel "Radio Venceremos")
Question: You have said that the official reports differ from the truth
or from the information released by Radio Venceremos. Could you tell us
briefly your viewpoint on the real situation now in El Salvador and
Central America?
Answer: The situation is characterized first by the fact that the army
has lost the military initiative in El Salvador. We believe that since
June 1982, after a military campaign which we named "Commandate Gonzalo,
the army lost the initiative, and now it is the FMLN which sets the pace
of the fighting. This is due not to a technical weakness of the national
army, which obviously has better weapons, a greater number of troops, and
better training than our forces, but basically to the troops' demoraliza-
tion. We have seen, for instance, that there is now a high proportion of
national army troops who surrender during the fighting, leave their
positions, put down their arms and stop fighting, because they do not
see any sense in dying for something that is not theirs.
For us, that is a factor that stirs optimism. However, there is another
factor that must be considered: the increasing intervention of the United
States. The main element is the fact that the strategic phase of the war
in El Salvador is now in the hands of U.S. officers, who are the advisers
to the Salvadoran Army.
Another element is the decision of the U.S. Government to send a fleet to
the Central American area, which represents a serious menace to us and to
Nicaragua, where a popular government is in power. Still another element
of that intervention in Central America is Honduras' dangerous trans-
formation into a military base. A few years ago, when the last military
government fell in Honduras, the people hoped for a democratization of
the country under a democratic regime. Unfortunately, the situation has
now changed as power in Honduras is concentrated in the hands of general
Alvarez, chief of the army, and U.S. Ambassador Negroponte. The president
no longer has any effective power.
In addition, bands organized in Honduras are attacking the Nicaraguan
population and the Sandinist army, and now Honduran troops are even
participating in actions against El Salvador and Nicaragua. We consider
Honduras' transformation into a U.S. military and paramilitary base very
dangerous.
Still another element is the situation in Guatemala, where the incumbent
government is conducting a genocidal war against the native population,
already claiming an impressive number of victims.
Approved For Release 2007/11/20: CIA-RDP85M00363R001403100028-7
 Approved For Release 2007/11/20: CIA-RDP85M00363R001403100028-7
Montreal International Service in Spanish, 2330 a-IT 19 August 1983
(Recorded interview by Hector Gutierrez Ovalle of Radio Canada with
Manuel de la Fuente, chief Latin American and Hispanic representative
at the 5-12 August World Community Radio Congress in Montreal)
Question: Tell us about the conclusions, the proposals that came out
of the congress.
Answer: I think there were basically three important proposals dis-
cussed in the final plenary assembly on the last day of the congress.
. . . The last proposal, which was adopted, was to condemn the overall
U.S. policy in Central America, particularly in three specific areas:
first, U.S. jamming of Salvadoran radio stations--Radio Venceremos,
Radio Farabundo Marti, and Radio Guazapa; the second, U.S. aggression
toward Nicaragua, since this jeopardizes and endangers the community
radios in Nicaragua; and third, the plans to establish Radio Marti,
which, although directed at Cuba, is also directed at Mexico and the
Central American countries. One of the plans for the radio station
could involve having the United States control a very extensive range
of frequencies, which would prevent other community radios in the
Latin American countries from using those frequencies. Thus, the
assembly condemned the possible creation of Radio Marti.
Approved For Release 2007/11/20: CIA-RDP85M00363R001403100028-7