817.00/3308: Telegram
The Minister in Nicaragua (Eberhardt) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 4—2:45 p.m.]
138. Dominated by his wife’s family, threatened by the Conservatives under Emilieno Chamorro who is now in Managua, urged by the Liberals to assert his authority, President Solorzano has vacillated for a week between offering his resignation or demanding the resignation of his brother-in-law, General Alfredo Rivas, who was responsible for the International Club incident and who now controls the garrison. Today Rivas had an interview with President Solorzano at the President’s home where the former appeared under guard of 50 armed men with two machine guns which were trained on the house during the interview. Rivas promises to surrender the Loma one week from today when it is believed that he will be given some appointment which will carry him from Nicaragua.
Politics have entered largely and bitterly into the situation, the Conservatives being generally considered as responsible for much of the trouble.
Thinking men of all parties appear to feel that there is no danger of immediate revolution but that unless Rivas is soon relieved and the President assumes firmer authority anarchy is likely to prevail throughout the country.