Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, American Republics: Central and South America, Volume VII

45. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Holland) to the Secretary of State¹

Washington, June 26, 1956.

SUBJECT

• Situation in Guatemala

I want to give you a résumé of information we have received on the present situation in Guatemala, as of this afternoon.² A fuller summary is attached (Tab A).³

For some time rumors of revolutionary plottings against the Guatemalan Government had been growing, and this has caused uneasiness within the Government and in President Castillo Armas himself. Probably because of reports that disturbances to be led by communists and leftists, but to include students, were scheduled for June 24th or 25th, Castillo on June 23rd, in accordance with the Law of Public Order, decreed a “State of Alarm”, temporarily suspending certain constitutional guarantees, and forbidding demonstrations by students or other persons. Despite this Government measure, a demonstration of about 300 persons took place in Guatemala City on June 24th; the police arrested fifty, mostly students, but including leftist agitators.

The following day several hundred students reportedly gathered in a meeting at which inflammatory anti-Government speakers presided, and several hundred students were persuaded by the speakers to march on the Presidential Palace to protest the arrests of those detained by the police after the demonstration of June 24th. Several hundred took part in this march. At one point three cars each containing six men, dressed in civilian clothes, met the procession. The men in the cars were armed with machine guns and initially fired into the air, probably to disperse the procession, but later fired into the marchers, killing at least six of them and wounding many more. The Government has since decreed a more severe state of emergency known as a “State of Siege” as provided by the Law of Public Order.

This afternoon we telephoned Ambassador Sparks. He said that though the situation is unsettled, Castillo appears in complete control, and other reports have indicated that the President is supported by Army and political leaders.

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 714.00/6–2656. Secret. A handwritten notation on the source text indicates that the Secretary was informed of this memorandum and that it was seen by Under Secretary Hoover.
2. In notes of the Secretary’s Staff meeting, June 25, Assistant Secretary Holland offered the following report on the situation in Guatemala: “The Secretary asked Mr. Holland if Guatemala was ‘blowing up’. Mr. Holland replied that he doubted that Castillo’s position was weakening but that recent events are indicative of his basic problems. Mr. Holland added that he thought the economic situation was pretty good. Before commenting further he would await Ambassador Sparks’ reports.” (Ibid., Secretary’s Staff Meetings: Lot 63 D 75)
3. Not printed.