Office of the Historian

116. Memorandum From Robert Pastor of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) and the President’s Deputy Assistant for National Security Affairs (Aaron)1

Washington, October 18, 1978

SUBJECT

  • Background on the Sandinistas (FSLN)

At different times, you have expressed interest in the origins and objectives of the Sandinistas. We have just received a rather thorough CIA history of the Sandinistas (Tab A), which I thought might interest you.2

In brief, the FSLN broke into three factions following the arrest and jailing of its leader, Tomas Borges, in February 1978. There emerged an urban faction, which became known as the Prolonged Popular War (GPP), a rural faction, the Terciarios, and an “intellectual group” which took on the name of the Proletarian Tendency (TP).

A new opposition organization, called the Group of Twelve, was formed in 1977 and became instrumental in arranging an alliance between the GPP and the Terciarios in October 1977. This alliance remained in effect until after the successful operation against the National Palace in August 1978,3 when Borges, who was one of the political prisoners freed, and Pastora, the leader of the operation (and one of the leaders of the Terciario Group), had a public falling out in Panama at a press conference.

As to the degree of Marxism of the three factions: the TP is viewed as the most doctrinaire; the GPP is Marxist-oriented because of its principal leader, Borges; and the Terciarios group is the least influenced by Marxism. Perez and Torrijos are close to the Terciarios.

The relative success of the mediation effort had the interesting effect of dividing both the Group of Twelve and the FSLN between the moderates (including the Terciarios), who support the mediation, and the hard-core Marxists (GPP; TP) who correctly see mediation as a threat to their plans. The Cubans have increased their public criticism of the mediation, largely for the same reasons.

  1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Staff Material, North/South, Pastor Files, Country Files, Box 38, Nicaragua Cables: 10/14–22/78. Secret. Sent for information. Inderfurth initialed the top right-hand corner of the memorandum.↩
  2. Tab A, attached but not printed, is a CIA intelligence information cable dated October 12.↩
  3. See Document 81.↩