Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Volume V, Microfiche Supplement, American Republics

ES–17. Despatch from the Ambassador in El Salvador (Kalijarvi) to the Department of State¹

No. 21

San Salvador, July 26, 1960

REF

• Embassy Despatches 224, November 20, 1959;² 332, February 15, 1960.³

SUBJECT

• Joint USOM/Embassy Recommendation for Assistance to the Public Security Forces of El Salvador

Recommendation

Within the framework provided by the Department’s A-85 of May 18, 1960,⁴ the Country Team of this Mission has given careful consideration to the type of assistance that might best help to solve some of the problems faced by the Government of El Salvador. It now proposes that, in lieu of a Military Assistance Program, the United States, through the International Cooperation Administration, assist the government here in improving the capability of those units and organizations charged with public security and with control over the national frontiers. It is believed that this assistance can best be accomplished by:

a. Bringing to El Salvador a well qualified consultant to survey, within the shortest order or time, the organization, operations and equipment of the public security forces and to recommend measures for improving their effectiveness.

b. Providing through special assistance funds a modest number of light motor vehicles and the necessary communications equipment.

The recommendation contained in paragraph a. above has been discussed with General Lopez Ayala, Sub-Secretary of Defense in charge of public security, by the USOM Director, who found the General warmly in accord. It has also been discussed with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Ortiz Mancia, who on July 15 reported to the Chargé that the matter had been discussed with President Lemus. The latter was greatly heartened by this show of interest and, in giving his approval, expressed his hope that the specialist could arrive and the study be completed at the earliest possible date.

Background

As recorded in the referenced communications from this Embassy, President Lemus over the course of the past ten months or so has made several direct appeals to me for assistance from the United States in improving the capability of the internal and public security forces of El Salvador. This matter was raised by the President once again during the visit here on June 7 of Mr. C. Allan Stewart, Director of the Office of Central American and Panamanian Affairs. Taken from a Memorandum of Conversation dated June 7, 1960,⁵ the conversation on this subject went as follows:

[Here follows quotation from paragraph 3 of June 7 memorandum of conversation.]

A few days following this conversation, President Lemus gave the Chargé a memorandum incorporating the requested information. A copy of this memorandum and a translation thereof are attached.⁶ As pointed out by the President at the time of handing over the memorandum, one of the greatest current threats to the security of El Salvador lies in the open possibilities for infiltration of national borders. This infiltration takes various forms: entrance of subversive agents, introduction of subversive literature, smuggling of arms, traffic in contraband items, etc. These activities could be greatly reduced by the operation of a well-organized and equipped border patrol. It is believed that the enclosed memorandum clearly demonstrates the almost appalling lack of equipment available to the public security forces of this country for carrying out their responsibilities. This fact is borne out to some extent by knowledge that when a local court orders the deportation of an individual, he is literally walked to the frontier by a detail from the Guardia Nacional.

With respect to the non-existence of craft for patrolling coastal waters, it has been made clear to President Lemus that it is most unlikely that equipment such as patrol launches would fall within the scope of the program currently under study. In reply to an inquiry as to whether his government might, under special circumstances, be in a position to purchase such craft, he said it would provided the price were low.

Justification

As is well known, this area is currently going through one of its most troubled periods in history. Castroism working in concert with international communism has made serious inroads, and, because of the combination of conditions existing here, El Salvador appears to have been selected as a prime target. The fact that El Salvador is extremely vulnerable is recognized by President Lemus, and he is rightly concerned. What has been accomplished to date in an effort to hold back the tide and to channel it into evolutionary streams rather than permit it to flow into revolutionary torrents has been accomplished by the Government of El Salvador almost exclusively on its own. The assistance received from the United States and other outside sources has, up to the present time, been negligible. Yet, not only are the resources available to this Government extremely limited, but time is running out at an increasingly rapid rate. If assistance is to be effective, it is going to have to be made available on a crash basis.

There can be no denying that the public security forces of this country face some very real and serious problems. Reports of clandestine movements of agents and arms are reaching the Embassy in increasing volume. And overt threats to public order and safety have shown a decided increase in both number and boldness over the past several months. These facts together with the demonstrable inadequacy of the tools at the disposal of the public security forces of this country for carrying out their responsibilities provide more than adequate grounds for implementing this recommended program on an urgent basis.

In the hope that early favorable action would be forthcoming on the above recommendations, USOM included funds for bringing a consultant to El Salvador in its June submission of OPAR(s)sand E-I tables. An early decision on the recommendations contained herein would be greatly appreciated.

Thorsten V. Kalijarvi

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 716.5-MSP/7–2660. Secret. Drafted by Downs.
2. For the enclosure to this despatch, see Document ES–10.
3. Not printed; 716.5-MSP/2-1560.
4. See Document ES–16, footnote 6.
5. See Document ES–16.
6. Dated June 8, 1960; not printed.