Date Printed 12 11 1997 CHANNEL n a 43 CONEIDENTIAE- PAGE 01 GUATEM 06435 01 OF 02 3022032 fi ACTION ARA-16 INFO COPY-01 AID-07 INR-IO OIC-02 DODE-OO NSAE-00 HA-08 L-03 ICAE-00 SYE-OO SP-O2 SFRS-02 107 --227035 3022092 61 0 3020362 AUG 82 FM AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA To SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0659 INFO AMEMBASSY BELIZE AMEMBASSY MANAGUA AMEMBASSY MEXICO - AMEMBASSY PANAMA AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE 3 AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR A AMEMBASSY TEGUCIGALFA USCINCSO QUARRY HTS PN Egg A22 SECTION 01 OF 02 GUATEMALA 06435 3 9 E O 12356 DECL 08 30 88 EE TAGS FINT ASEC SHUM GT 3% SUBJECT C ATTRIBUTION OF MASSACRES A SUMMATION gg FOR ROBERT BLOHM g2 AA UV REF 1 2 C - A GUATEMALA 6237 ENTIRE TEXT B TELECON ARE PROVIDING A MORE DETAILED SUMMATION OF CERTAIN INCIDENTS REPORTED IN WE ARE REPORTING THOSE THAT PROVIDE A DIRECT-REFUTATION OR A MORE ACCURATE ELABORATION OF GUATEMALA FOIA Exemptions PA Etc PAGE 02 GUATEM 06435 01 OF 02 3022032 AMNESTY ACCOUNTS OF THESE EVENTS END SUMMARY Page - 1 I I Date- Printed 12 11 1997 CHANNEL n a 43 3 -CASE ONE AI REPORTED 55 PEOPLE KILLED BETWEEN MARCH 30 AND APRIL 3 IN OR NEAR CHINIQUE EL QUICHE WE KNOW THAT THE VILLAGE OF CHINBACHUC IN CHINIQUE WAS ATTACKED BY GUERRILLAS ON THE MORNING OF APRIL 1 ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS THE VILLAGE CIVIL DEFENSE FORCE FOUGHT OFF THEIR ATTACKERS WITH I RIFLES MACHETES OLD FIRELOCK MUSKETS AND CLUBS ll VILLAGERS AND 2 GUERRILLAS WERE KILLED IN THE WAKE OF THIS ATTACK THE INHABITANTS PUBLICLY REQUESTED ARMY ASSISTANCE WITNESSES REPORTED THAT SOME OF THE INTRUDERS WERE DRESSED IN OLIVE GREEN OTHERS IN CIVILIAN CLOTHING THE ARMY SENT A PATROL TO GUARD THE VILLAGE FROM FURTHER ATTACK 4 CASE TWO AI REPORTED 4O CAMPESINOS KILLED BY UNKNOWN MEN IN XIMBAXUC CHINIQUE EL QUICHE ON OR ABOUT APRIL 2 VARIOUS SMALL VILLAGES IN EL QUICHE SUFFERED GUERRILLA ATTACKS IN LATE MARCH AND EARLY APRIL XIMBAXUC WAS ATTACKED BY GUERRILLAS AROUND APRIL 1 THE INHABITANTS RESISTED AND 12 OF THEM WERE KILLED THE GUERRILLAS ROBBED THE VILLAGE OF ITS FOOD SUPPLY SURVIVORS SPOKE TO THE PRESS ON APRIL 2 AND REPORTED THAT THE GUERRILLA LEADER WAS TALL PALE AND BLOND COMMENT ON APRIL 2 THE PRESS VISITED SEVERAL VILLAGES IN EL QUICHE THEIR REPORTS DO NOT DIFFER FROM OFFICIAL GOG BULLETINS THE CAMPESINOS THAT SPOKE TO REPORTERS ON APRIL 2 STATED THAT THE CIVIL DEFENSE PATROLS WERE GIVING THE GUERRILLAS A GREAT DEAL OF TROUBLE AND THAT SUPPORT FOR THE INSURGENTS WAS WANING WE NOTE THAT CONFEBENTIAL i GONFIBBNTIAL PAGE 03 GUATEM 06435 01 OF 02 3022032 IN THIS ACCOUNT WAS CONFIRMED BY EYEWITNESSES AND THE PRESS END COMMENT- i 5 CASE-THREE AI REPORTED l3 CAMPESINOS SHOT TO DEATH ON APRIL 3 IN THE VILLAGE OF NICABAJ RABINAL BAJA VERAPAZ OUR REPORTS INDICATE THAT ON APRIL 3 SOME 200 GUERRILLAS ATTACKED THE VILLAGE OF NICABAJ ONCE AGAIN POORLY ARMED CIVIL DEFENSE FORCES ATTEMPTED TO OFFER l3 WERE KILLED THE GUERRILLAS THEN ASSEMBLED THE REMAINING VILLAGERS FOR A BRIEF HARANGUE ON LEAVING THE GUERRILLAS BURNED 4O HOUSES LEAVING 200 PEOPLE HOMELESS SURVIVORS AGAIN CONFIRMED THE ACCOUNT OF THIS Page - 2 Date printed 12 11 1997 CHANNEL n a 43 INCIDENT 6 CASE FOUR AI REPORTED CAMPESINOS KILLED IN THE VILLAGE OF AGUA CALIENTE SAN JOSE CHIMALTENANGO ON OR ABOUT APRIL 15 OFFICIAL SOURCES STATE THAT GUERRILLAS TOOK OVER THE VILLAGE OF AGUA CALIENTE ON APRIL 16 AND KILLED l4 PEOPLE EYEWITNESSES LATER SPOKE TO THE PRESS AND CONFIRMED THIS ACCOUNT THEY ADDED THAT THEY DID NOT BELIEVE THE ARMY WAS RESPONSIBLE AND APPEALED TO THE GOVERN- MENT FOR PROTECTION 7 CASE FIVE AI REPORTED 20 PEOPLE BURNED ALIVE IN THEIR HOMES AND THAT THE SURVIVORS BLAMED THE ARMY AI REPORTED THIS INCIDENT AS HAVING OCCURRED ON APRIL 25 IN THE VILLAGE OF CHIPIACUL PATZUN CHIMALTENANGO AND THEY ALSO HAD THE NAMES AND AGES OF THOSE SLAIN THE PRESS REPORTED 20 CAMPESINOS KILLED IN THIS VILLAGE ON APRIL 26 THE SURVIVORS STATED THAT 16 CIVIL DEFENSEMEN WERE GATHERED IN s 9 PAGE or - GUATEM 06435 02 OF 02 3022052 ACTION r INFO ADS-00 AID-07 ore-02 CIAE-OO 10 15 sso oo L-03 PM-O9 SYE-OO 39-02 SPRS-OZ 107 227067 3022142 61 302036Z AUG 82 FM AMEMBASSY GUATEMALA J 4gs CHANNEL n a 43 Date Printed 12 11 1997 TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0660 INFO AMEMBASSY BELIZE AMEMBASSY MANAGUA AMEMBASSY MEXICO AMEMBASSY PANAMA AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR AMEMBASSY TEGUCIGALPA USCINCSO QUARRY HTS PN SECTION 02 OF 02 GUATEMALA 06435 THEIR USUAL MEETING PLACE WHEN 30 UNKNOWN AND ARMED MEN CREPT INTO THE VILLAGE ON FOOT AND SURROUNDED THEM EXCEPT FOR DEFENSE FORCE WAS UNARMED THE INTRUDERS SHOT THEM TO DEATH COVERED THEIR BODIES WITH BLANKETS AND SET THEM AFIRE ANOTHER MAN AND WOMAN WERE KILLED IN THE SAME MANNER INSIDE OF THEIR HOUSE TWO MORE BODIES WERE LOCATED LATER ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE VILLAGE THERE IS NO MENTION OF EYEWITNESSES BLAMING THE ARMY AND THE FACT THAT THE CIVIL DEFENSE TEAM WAS THE VICTIM OF THIS MASSACRE MAKES SUCH A PRESUMPTION EVEN LESS LIKELY THE PRESS REPORTED THE NAMES AND AGES OF ALL THE VICTIMS 8 CASE SIX AI REPORTED THAT 43 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN THE VILLAGE OF SAQUILLA CHICHICASTENANGO CW cam-313m PAGE 02 GUATEM 06435 02 OF 02 3022052 ON MAY 18 BY ARMED MEN GOING FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE AMONG THE DEAD WERE 25 CHILDREN LOCAL PRESS ACCOUNTS CONFIRM THIS MASSACRE YET AI DOES NOT MENTION THE ACCOUNT OF ONE OF THE SURVIVORS THE ARMED MEN APPEARED IN THE EARLY HOURS OF THE ROUSTED THE POPULATION WITH A CALL TO FORM THEMSELVES UP AND GIVE CHASE TO GUERRILLAS WHEN THE INHABITANTS GATHERED TO DO SO THEY WERE SURROUNDED AND THE MASSACRE BEGAN LATER PRESS REPORTS RAISED THE DEATH COUNT TO 46 AGAIN THIS MASSACRE TOOK PLACE WHEN THE LOCAL POPULACE SHOWED A WILLINGNESS TO AID FORCES IN THE ANTI-INSURGENCY CAMPAIGN WE BELIEVE THE GUERRILLAS DECEIVED THE VILLAGERS WITH AN EARLY MORNING TO AID THE ARMY AND KILLED THEM WHEN Page - 4 Data Printed 12 11 1997 THEY RESPONDED 9 COMMENT WE SHOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT IN GENERAL THE GUERRILLAS HAVE WAGED A SUSTAINED AND INDISCRIMINATE CAMPAIGN OF TERROR ARSON INTIMIDATION KIDNAPPING MAYHEM BOMBING DIS- INFORMATION AND MURDER APART FROM THE CASES OUT- LINED IN THIS MESSAGE THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS INCIDENTS IGNORED OR DOWNPLAYED BY HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS THE EMBASSY IS CONVINCED FOR EXAMPLE THAT GUERRILLAS MURDERED USCIT JESSIE PITTS JARVITS IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR ON HIS FARM NEAR SAN CRISTOBAL ALTA VERAPAZ THE GUERRILLAS HAVE ALSO PUBLICLY CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE KIDNAPPING OF A UNIVERSITY STUDENT MENDEZ RUIZ A NEWSPAPER EDITOR ALVAREZ CONTRERAS AND AN AMERICAN BUSINESSMAN CLIFFORD THE LATTER DID NOT SURVIVE HIS ORDEAL OQNFIDENTIAL CGNFEBENTIAL PAGE 03 GUATEM 06435 02 OF 02 3022052 10 WE ALSO NOTE THAT THE GUERRILLAS HAVE NOT HESITATED TO ATTACK CIVIL DEFENSE FORCES THE VERY ORGANIZATION AND PRESENCE OF SUCH UNITS BELIES THE IMPRESSION THAT THE GOG IS AT WAR WITH THIS MAY ACCOUNT FOR THE FEROCITY OF SOME OF THE GUERRILLA ATTACKS ON IF CIVIL DEFENSE UNITS CAN PLAY A GREATER ROLE IN THE CAMPAIGN THE CURRENT IMAGE OF GUATEMALA AS A GOVERNMENT WARRING AGAINST ITS OWN POPULATION IS LIKELY TO BE GIVEN LESS CREDENCE ll DIFFICUETIES YET REMAIN FOR INSTANCE WE CANNOT CHECK ON SOME OF SOURCES OFTEN THEIR REPORTS INDICQTE A OR AS THE SOURCE OF INFORMATION THESE MAY REPRESENT GUATEMALA OR VARIOUS FRONT GROUPS IN COSTA RICA MEXICO OR THE U S WE SIMPLY DO NOT KNOW FOR OUR PART WE WILL CONTINUE TO REPORT MANY DEATHS AS UNATTRIBUTABLE BECAUSE WE HAVE IN- SUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO REPORT OTHERWISE 12 FINALLY WE SHOULD NOTE THAT WHEN EMBASSY OR DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL HAVE VISITED THE COMBAT AREAS WE HAVE HAD ACCESS TO EYEWITNESS REPORTS FOR EXAMPLE HEB 43 LEVITSKY AND JOHNSTONE WERE ABLE TO SPEAK FREELY WITH THE INHABITANTS OF THE VILLAGE OF SALACIUM ALTA VERAPAZ ON AUGUST 13 THIS VILLAGE HAD BEEN ATTACKED ON MAY 10 AND WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE GUERRILLAS HAD KILLED 26 PEOPLE INCLUDING A MOTHER NURSING HER INFANT A CIVIL DEFENSE PATROL SURPRISED AND EVENTUALLY DROVE OFF THE GUERRILLAS WE DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THESE EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS WERE REHEARSED OR MANIPULATED BY THE GOG END COMMENT CHAPIN CONFEDENTIAL Current Handling Restrictions n a Current Classification GQNFEBENTEAE - Page - 6 h F53 alibi This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu