Documents / FOIA release

Official History of the Bay of Pigs Operation- Volume 2- Part 1

Central Intelligence Agency · 179 pages · text from the file's own layer

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.

  • p. 14 …an anti-Castro program before Chief JMATE, Jacob D. Esterline, and I Robert K. Davis, met…
  • p. 54 …Batres. !±i/ Jacob D. Esterline, Chief of J~ARC project had some subsequent conversation with the…
  • p. 160 …Memo for Record from Jacob D. Esterline, 20 Jun 60, sub: Negotiations with President Miguel Ydigoras…
  • p. 163 …20 Oct 60. 36. Oral History Interview: Jacob O. Esterline by Jack B. Pfeiffer, 10-11…
  • p. 166 …to the Sec Def, OSO from Jacob D. Esterline, 16 Nov 60, sub: Emergency Evacua~ tion…
  • p. 168 …Memo for Asst~ Sec Def OSO from Jacob D. Esterline, 5 Jan 61, sub: Requirement for…
  • p. 170 …MR from Jacob D. Esterline, 5 Apr 61, sub: Meet- ing with Adolph sic A. Berle…
  • p. 171 …MR from Jacob D. Esterline,S Apr 61, sub: Meeting with Adolph sic A. Berle. 14…
  • p. 173 …Memo for Record from Jacob D. Esterline, 24 Oct 60, sub: Meeting withDCI and Assistant Secretary…
  • p. 174 …Memo for DDP/EMB from Jacob D. Esterline, 6 Dec 60, sub: Four JMARC Problems for…
MADD base to tell the Agency representatives that
various cities, including Guatemala City, were having
"minor skirmishes with communist elements." At this
time, Alejos made a request that MADD "be prepared
to participate in show of strength in form of fly-
overs" and it was the plan of the Acting Chief of
JMADD to comply with Alejos's request pending Head-
quarters approval. 39/ The American Embassy's initial
message was received in the Department at 1234 hours
(Washington time), and said "some kind of uprising"
in Guatemala City had been aborted. 39a/
Within a few hours of the first announcement of
the revolt, there began a rash of emergency cable
traffic among Guatemala City, JMADD, and Headquarters
that continued for the next three to four days. Almost
immediately, for examp],e, key Agency personnel in
Guatemala were hit with requests for support and
assistance from the Ydigoras government. One of the
first requests came from the Minister of Defense,
Rubin Gonzales Sigui who, fearful that the revolt was
being. directed and sponsored by Cuban elements, asked
that the US provide surveillance for enemy ships which
might be oprating between Cuba and Puerto Barrios
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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.