Documents / FOIA release
This is Volume II, Part 1 of the CIA History Staff's Official History of the Bay of Pigs Operation, a Top Secret history dated October 1979 and approved for release in July 2011. It looks at how the Agency took part in shaping US foreign policy toward Guatemala and Nicaragua during the anti-Castro program. It covers dealings with President Ydigoras Fuentes and Roberto Alejos, training sites such as Retalhuleu, cover stories, and negotiations with the Somoza brothers for an air base and port. It contains no UFO material.
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TOplRET By mid October 1960, the internal situation in Guatemala had worsened, and Ydigoras was pressing hard on Washington for loans and grants-in-aid to assist him in maintaining control. The GOG faced a financial crisis -- salaries had been cut, people were unemployed, and the Leftists were making strong inroads in the political life of the country. A general strike had been called, and this posed a possible threat to the overthrow of the Ydigoras government. "Reports of varying reliability" sug- gested that Castro might be supplying funds to and training cadres of anti-Ydigoras groups in Guatemala in an attempt both to oust Ydigoras and, consequently, put an end to Guatemalan support for the Cuban train- ing program. The situation had become so serious that by the end of October and the early part of November JMADD had completed preparations for a quick evacuation of all the aircraft and all station personnel seige on 19 July 1960. Carl Jenkins, assigned to WH/4/PM, was providing operational guidance to c==J prior.to assuming his job as COB TRAV. In September 1960, Ernest W. Sparks was named Chief, JMATE activities in Guatemala and thus became the adviser to I I I Ion ops plans. 37a/ - 31 -
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FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 179 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.