MONTHLY REPORT -- PANAMA BUREAU -- OCTOBER 1981

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00385R000200110005-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 8, 2007
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: November 4, 1981
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2007/05/08: CIA-RDP83-00385R000200110005-4
FOREIG BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVIC
PANAMA BUREAU
DRAWER 927
APO MIAMI 34004
4 November 1981
MPA #1039
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, FBIS
THROUGH Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT : Monthly Report -- Panama Bureau -- October 1981
A. Monitorial/Editorial
1. The Bureau's file centered on Nicaragua during the month, with the
Sandinist regime attacking the independent paper LA PRENSA, restricting the
travel of opposition leaders, and arresting businessmen and communists. The
Bureau initiated monitoring of weekend political programs carried by the op-
position parties over Radio Corporacion.
Additionally, the Nicaraguans hosted a Central American anti-im-
perialist seminar which featured ex-CIA members Agee, Frankovich and Martinez.
The resulting copy, filed to a restricted audience, was voluminous--a total of
19 takes on two main items and several smaller items.
2. As the Managua situation worsened, the Bureau's attempts to esta-
blish a remote tuning facility at the Tegucigalpa Embassy continued to meet
snags. At the end of the month, we could talk to the Embassy on the new line,
but the line was not yet hooked up to the receiver. The Guatemala end of the
Tegucigalpa remote line, split off from the Managua..-.E1 '5d-lvador:1 cir-cuit last
month;-''performed flawlessly all month.
3. The continuing phone feeds from Central American contractors, han-
dled via regular commercial lines, are now received in Main Radio and distri-
buted on line to monitors, easing monitorial workloads.
4. The perils of secondary-source reporting were indicated when Cara-
cas Radio Continente reported that 60 Vietnamese were occupying the U.S. con-
sulate in Rio de Janeiro. After extensive checking Paraguay Bureau reported
that the story was false and the State Department finally issued an authorita-
tive statement that the report was erroneous.
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5. Other events during the month included:
--All-night operations to cover the 29 October hijacking of a Costa
Rican airliner;
--A 24 October Castro speech, which led us to revise our procedures
so that both Bureaus (Key West and Panama) are aware of the anti-
cipated filing precedence earlier;
--The Candur- summit, where Mexican radio coverage was, as expected,
very poor, and reporting was mostly from press;
--Vice President Bush's visit to Latin America, notable for the lack
of reporting on violence.
6. The Bureau reinitiated subscriptions to Ecuadorean, Colombian and
Venezuelan papers to provide backstop coverage until our expanding monitorial
staff gains experience and capability. These publications will then be raised to
primary coverage. This will provide faster exploitation of current intelligence.
The Colombian papers, bought locally, are received with a 1-3 day lag.
7. Three G-2 personnel from the 193d Infantry Brigade visited the Bureau
7 October to brief monitors and editors on Spanish-language terminology used for
military weapons and tactics being used in Central America. The 30-minute brief-
ing was followed by a 30-minute question and answer period. The session was en-
thusiastically received by those attending and generally assessed as most useful.
B. Communications
1. The Bureau reacquired access to AUTOVON on 27 October. Access had
been withdrawn in late 1980 due to lack of use and a heavy demand for lines by
other users. It is expected that AUTOVON capability still will be used only in-
frequently, but it should provide some savings in telephone charges. The Bureau's
AUTOVON number is (2)87-4001.
2. After several weeks spent trying to track down the precise configura-
tion of the Bureau's listed communications altroute via NAVCOMSTA, Deputy Chief
Automated Relay and Tech Control.
discovered that in effect this altroute did not exist. Mike is T
trying to work out a viable communications altroute with officers of the Panama
A. Personnel
Two monitors entered on duty in the reporting period:
~ STAT
on 6 October and on 1 November. Their additio1 j3A*gs
the Bureau's monitor start to 19. A recruiting campaign is planned for November
to find at least two additional monitor recruits to replace two retirements ex-
pected in the next few months.
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B. Buildings and Grounds
1. Work to refurbish most of the Bureau's antiquated metal furniture
and filing cabinets was begun during the month. Renovation of the Bureau kit-
chen and dining area was also begun in October. Both projects are expected to
be completed in 2 or 3 weeks.
2. Two officers of the Panama Canal Commission Fire Department visit-
ed the Bureau on 30 October to brief employees on the proper use of fire extin-
guishers and the Robert Shaw resuscitator. Future briefings will be scheduled
on a semi-annual basis.
To the Bureau: Capt Benjamin Vega Jr., Sp4 Carlos Cintron and Sp4 Ramon
Rivera of G-2, 193d Infantry Brigade; Mr Don Ginder, Civilian Personnel Advisor,
USSOUTHCOM.
Chief, Panama Bureau, FBIS
Attachments:
Monthly Production Report
Operations Attachment
Engineering Attachment
Approved For Release 2007/05/08: CIA-RDP83-00385R000200110005-4