817.00/8301: Telegram
The Minister in Nicaragua ( Lane ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:59 p.m.]
98. President Sacasa, who has been ill since Friday, showed me this morning numerous telegrams exchanged between him and officials in Matagalpa and Jinotega regarding arrest on October 5 of General Justo Carlos Vargas, publisher of El Impartial of Matagalpa, a newspaper of the Liberal Party, but anti-Somoza in tendency. According to telegrams shown to me and to President’s oral statements the situation is substantially as follows:
Vargas, who has been editorially attacking Guardia tactics in Matagalpa was arrested for the third time on Saturday. The President in his capacity as commanding general telegraphed to Captain Parodi (see my telegrams numbers 95, 96 and 97) instructing him to put Vargas at liberty at once. Opinion was that matter is in the hands of General Somoza, who President states is ill, but who has been informed of all steps in this case. Vargas has been taken on foot to Jinotega and thence to the North (probably Wiwili). The fear is lest “ley de fuga” will be applied.
The President stated that while his first plan, as outlined in my telegram No. 95, was to have Parodi transferred to another post, he now will insist that he be expelled from the Guardia. He said that as Commanding General he would not allow insubordination as outlined above. He said that while he had not been able to speak to Somoza because of the latter’s illness, he was surprised that Somoza had made no observations to him on the Vargas case, the arrest of the latter having been, according to Parodi’s telegram to the President, ordered by Somoza.
The President stated that the Undersecretary of Gobernacion was to discuss the case with General Somoza this afternoon. Dr. Sacasa promised to keep me promptly notified of General Somoza’s decision.
I spoke by telephone this morning with American Consular Agent at Matagalpa, who referred to Vargas’ arrest and stated that situation there is quiet and no trouble expected. My personal opinion however [Page 882] is that matters have developed to such an extent that the crisis probably cannot be now avoided. It is my conjecture that the President’s anxiety as to our support (as reported in my 99 of today86), is due to his fear lest Somoza will decline to yield to the President’s authority in the absence of pressure exerted on him by the United States.
- Infra. ↩