114. Telegram From the Embassy in Argentina to the Department of State1
6584. Subject: (S) Growing Argentine Involvement in Guatemala. Ref: State 2033962
1. S/NOFORN—Entire text.
2. We know from both Argentine and Guatemalan credible sources that the GOA perceives of Central America as a vacuum rapidly filling with radical leftwing exile groups—some terrorist, to include Montonero groups with close ties to Havana. General Carlos Martinez, Chief of the Argentine State Secretariat for Intelligence (SIDE) has stated that his service has incontrovertible proof that the Montoneros and other Southern Cone terrorist groups have transplanted their headquarters in exile from Europe to Havana, with an increasingly greater presence and militant influence in Central Ameria, at this time primarily Nicaragua and El Salvador. (We cannot confirm their views on the establishment of such “headquarters” in Havana.) This is, of course, credited in great part to USG abdication of strong leadership in that region, as ranking Argentine officials view U.S. policy in Central America and the Caribbean. Thus, senior Argentine officials see Central America as a new safehaven and focus for Cuban-linked communist aggression led by the same militants of the radical left expelled from Argentina, Chile and other neighboring countries. Martinez expressed serious concern that these activists of the radical left, if permitted to triumph in Central America, would use that region as a base of operations for renewing subversive and guerrilla operations against Argentina. That is, presumably, the rationale for Argentina’s interest in assisting Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras, especially, in resisting the radical left in their respective countries.
3. We also know that the government of Guatemala regards Argentina as the ultimate “success story” in disarticulating the left, and is eager to emmulate “the Argentine model” in repeating that experience [Page 379] in its own country. To that end we are aware of training in the areas of counter-intelligence and counter-insurgency already given or being given to military personnel from Guatemala, Salvador and other Latin American countries. We suspect that the forthcoming visit to Argentina of Guatemalan Foreign Minister Rafael Castillo Valdez may have a great deal to do with bilateral agreements contemplating further Argentine assistance and possibly material support for Guatemala. At this time we are not specifically aware of possible Argentine agreements with the government of Guatemala to sell them military equipment, train police personnel, or to facilitate Argentine exports to Guatemala.
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D800392–0933. Secret; Exdis; Noforn.↩
- August 1. The Department noted that it had “received a number of reports suggesting growing Government of Argentina (GOA) cooperation with the Government of Guatemala (GOG).” The Embassies in Argentina and Guatemala were instructed to assess the relationship, to determine the following: “Have the Argentines entered into any specific agreements with the GOG to sell military equipment, to train Guatemalan military or police personnel, or to facilitate Argentine exports to Guatemala? Is the Embassy aware of any other areas of cooperation?” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D800368–0290)↩