Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXXII, Dominican Republic; Cuba; Haiti; Guyana

98. Intelligence Memorandum¹

OCI No. 1809/65

Washington, May 26, 1965.

THE COMMUNIST CONNECTIONS OF JUAN BOSCH: A FRESH INTERPRETATION

1. Bosch apparently is not a Communist Party member; he is, however, [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] frequently [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] influenced and manipulated by those of his close associates who are Communists. [8½ lines of source text not declassified]

2. [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] Bosch has always deferred to the Communists around him. Specifically mentioned in this connection is Dr. Marcio Mejia Ricart, a prominent Dominican Communist who is an economics professor. Bosch is said to be quite close to Mejia Ricart, who exerts great influence over Boschʼs economic line of thought. This individualʼs influence is probably indirectly increased by the fact that Mejia Ricart also is the ideological mentor of other persons whom Bosch respects. In the latter category are Guatemalans Doctor Raul Osegueda and Mario Monteforte Toledo, who are violently anti-US intellectuals of a far leftist stripe. Both men served as officials of the Arevaloc regime (1945–51).

3. Other Dominican Communists who are described as particularly influential over Bosch are Juan and Felix Ducoudray Mansfield. These men, who are brothers, have been identified as top rebel leaders in the current revolt. Both have spent much time in the USSR and Communist Cuba and have had long years of experience as top-level leaders of the Dominican Communist Party (PSPD).

4. Most Central American and Dominican Communists who have known Bosch over the years have regarded him as a [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] political lightweight at home and unworthy of serious attention. Jose Manuel Fortuny, a Guatemalan Communist leader who played a key role in the Arbenz government (1951–54), knew Bosch during this period and considered him [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] not anti-Communist and a person who could be won over. [1 line of source text not declassified], during his many years of exile in Central America and the Caribbean, sought on several occasions to pass himself off as solidly pro-Communist in hopes of winning Communist support for an anti-Trujillo move of some kind. Most of the Communists whom he tried to impress with this pose saw through it, however. This was because they knew that Arevalo and other non-Communists had even more influence over Bosch than the Communists did.

5. [2 lines of source text not declassified] He has tried consistently to be all things to all men. He would like to be another Arevalo insofar as his style of governing is concerned, but he fell short of this goal because he is “too sentimental and too ultrademocratic.” He is also the type of person who thinks that if the people ask for Communism, then Communism is what they should get. But from the US point of view, [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] that perhaps the most dangerous thing about Bosch is the anti-American, ultranationalist nature of some of his friends.

6. One of Boschʼs Guatemalan friends—Monteforte Toledo—is said to have learned that the Communist element within the Dominican rebel movement plans to take advantage of the “clumsy Yankee intervention” in the Dominican Republic to build strength for a later takeover. According to this plan, the Communists are holding onto their weapons and will bide their time until the crisis has ended. Then they intend to launch an attack against whatever government exists and quickly seize power before there is time for international reaction to mobilize itself against it. These tactics are described [less than 1 line of source text not declassified] as typical of the Communists—namely the development of a campaign of terror and internal conflict throughout the country in order to accomplish what cannot be done directly through an open military revolt.

1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, Dominican Republic—Communist Participation in Current Dominican Rebellion—5/65. Secret; No Foreign Dissem/Controlled Dissem; Background Use Only. Prepared in the Office of Current Intelligence of the Central Intelligence Agency.