361. Telegram 380 From the Embassy in Guatemala to the Department of State1 2
Subject:
- President Arana’s Views on 1972
1. Summary: President Arana optimistic over political and economic prospects for 1972. He stressed that his main objective would be to accelerate implementation of development program directed at improving lot of little man in rural areas.
2. In meeting with President Arana on another subject, I took occasion to ask him how he saw outlook for 1972. I prefaced question by noting that prediction of renewed large scale violence by extreme left and other public disturbances fostered by them had not materialized. Indeed, what one sees is an upsurge of normal activity on part of political parties and labor unions. I also observed that from his public statements and conversations with his ministers, i had distilled three principal objectives of his government for coming year:
A) Maintain pressure on guerrillas which seem to be shifting to rural areas so as not to allow them to disrupt his development program which centered on population in those areas;
B) Mount campaign against common criminality which is reverse side of his pacification program;
[Page 2]C) Make major effort achieve maximum implementation of development program.
3. I added that I too was interested in seeing economic and social projects of his five year plan advance rapidly and to this end had counselled my staff to focus on implementation aspects particularly anticipating problems and requirements to avoid unnecessary delays or resorting to extraordinary procedures.
4. President responded by saying he wished to be open about his objectives. He observed that I was correct in my assessment and then proceeded to restate the first objective by saying that he would continue pressure against extremists of left and right.
5. Without wishing to read too much into the latter observation, it is significant that President should make point that he was intent on holding extremists in check.
6. With respect to my original question President said he was generally optimistic about prospects for 1972. On the security front, he did not expect serious problems. He lamented ambush in Peten, but regarded it as isolated incident. On economic front he felt that if CACM difficulties could be resolved (his comments on Cruz visit is subject separate cable) and Exmibal project started, 1972 could be a good year. He stressed his main interest this year would be development program. He thought in last few weeks program had begun to roll and he wanted accelerate momentum. Building public works in capital or environs would be easy for him to do, he observed, but what was needed was to help little man in Campo. He expressed appreciation Embassy’s desire help him in this effort.
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970–73, POL 15–1 GUAT. Confidential; Limdis. In Airgram A–21 from Guatemala City, February 11, the Embassy reported that Army counter-guerrilla actions were unsuccessful in the face of FAR attacks on government personnel. (Ibid., POL 23 GUAT)↩
- In a conversation with Ambassador Bowdler, President Arana affirmed that he planned to “continue pressure against extremists of the left and right.”↩